I have today laid the Standards Board for England's Annual Report and Accounts for 2002–03.The Report and Accounts cover the first year of significant operations by the Standards Board for England. At the end of March 2003, 2,948 allegations of misconduct had been referred to the Standards Board since the introduction of the Code of Conduct in May 2002.As the Annual Report shows, the Board is continuing to work in partnership with local government to promote and sustain the high standards of conduct which are essential to public confidence in our local democracy.Copies of the Report are available in the Libraries of the House.

The Government are looking at many ways, including all-postal ballots and e-voting, to modernise our electoral system and to increase the opportunities that people have to vote. To test the robustness of the new options and to build public confidence in them, we have undertaken an extensive programme of pilot innovations at local elections. This is why we are promoting legislation to permit further pilots to be held in a number of regions at the European Parliament and combined local elections in June 2004.Our focus over the forthcoming months will be on working to ensure that pilots held at the combined elections are successful in delivering elections that are more straightforward and accessible for all electors. As a result, we are currently not minded to approve applications for by-election pilots for the period from 1 April 2004 until 1 August 2004.Outside that period, our general approach on local authority by-election pilots is that while we will consider, as legislation requires us to do, all applications for pilots at by-elections, we are minded normally to approve such applications only if the proposals are consistent with the recommendations of the Electoral Commission as set out in "The Shape of Elections to Come".

The Financial Services Authority, acting in its role as the competent authority for listing, is referred to as the United Kingdom Listing Authority. Every year, the operational objectives of the UKLA are discussed with the Treasury. The annual objectives for 2003–04, which the Treasury has endorsed, will be placed in the Library, and also put on the Treasury website.

The Government are today publishing their detailed proposals for the Child Trust Fund. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Libraries of the House.

The Compensation Agency will publish today its Corporate Plan for 2003 to 2006 and Business Plan for 2003 to 2004. I have set the Agency the following Key Performance Targets for 2003 to 2004:

HQ 3 (UK) Division continues to command the multinational division (South-East) (MND(SE)) in Iraq, with contributions from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and Romania.We have begun a process of roulement of United Kingdom Forces, which involves the incremental replacement of HQ 3 (UK) Division with a composite HQ MND(SE), the replacement of 19 Mechanised Brigade with 20 Armoured Brigade the replacement of HQ 101 Logistic Brigade with a composite HQ UK National Support Element (NSE), the roulement of the combat service support units that will make up the UK NSE, and the mobilisation of around 1,000 reservists. We expect the maritime and air elements of our presence in theatre to remain broadly stable.A number of adjustments to our force levels in Iraq were made over the summer. Some of these were relatively minor, such as the withdrawal of around 30 armoured engineers and the short-term deployment of around 30 personnel from 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal Logistic Corps to undertake building and construction tasks around Shabah Logistics Base.On a larger scale, we also deployed the 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry (2LI) and the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets (1RGJ), to conduct a number of additional security and training tasks and provide MND(SE) with the flexibility and capacity to carry out surge operations designed to counter crime and enhance security. A recent major operation in MND(SE), OPERATION SWEENEY, has resulted in 291 arrests, the seizure of six weapons caches, and the interception of 57 vessels and 58 vehicles involved in criminal activity.Some of the additional requirements for which 2LI and 1RGJ deployed are now being reduced or progressively transferred to Iraqi security forces. But some other requirements will continue over the next few months, including the provision of training for the new Iraqi Civil Defence Corps. In overall terms, we assess that these continuing requirements can be met by approximately one battalion rather than two. When 2LI and 1 RGJ are withdrawn from theatre in November and December they will therefore be replaced by the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA). We envisage that 2 PARA will deploy from early November.

Skill Force is a nationwide Ministry of Defence originated and Department for Education and Skills supported youth initiative to reengage disaffected 14 to 16 year-olds with mainstream education. There are currently 23 teams operating in around 100 schools with 3,000 participants. Pupils drop two GCSE options in favour of a more vocationally based education. Skill Force mainly uses former military Instructors, who have recently left the armed services to deliver a wide range of Key Skill-based subjects to young people who are in danger of becoming disaffected with the formal academic education system.Evaluation of the first 12 schemes showed that Skill Force had been very successful in reducing truancy and exclusions by around 80 per cent. and had had a positive impact upon behaviour. As a consequence, DfES has helped to fund a further 11 schemes, which have been operating for a year as part of the behaviour improvement programme.The Institute of Education, London University, has recently conducted an independent and comprehensive evaluation of Skill Force. The report concluded that:

I have set the following Key Targets for the Chief Executive of the Veterans Agency for 2003–04. They are as follows:SERVICE

We announced in February 2002 that the British-based consortium Paradigm Secure Communications had been selected as preferred bidder to supply the SKYNET 5 satellite communications service to the MOD under the Private Finance Initiative.I am pleased to announce that last Friday contract negotiations were successfully concluded and that the SKYNET 5 PFI contract, the biggest yet placed by the MOD, has been enacted.The full value of the contract, which is planned to run until 2018, is expected to be around £2.5 billion and Paradigm expect it to create or sustain up to 1,900 jobs across the UK at its peak.

The Government will today announce their proposals for implementing the taxi provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This will allow us to set standards for wheelchair access and a rang. of other features to help disabled people use taxis. We intend to vary the application of the regulations to target first those areas where we believe accessible taxis will make the biggest impact in meeting the needs of disabled people and where additional cost will not have a major effect. We are calling these first phase authorities and propose to introduce the Regulations in these areas over a 10-year period from 2010–20.Authorities within the first phase have been identified and each meet one or more of the following criteria:

The judicial appointments annual report, covering the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003, is published today. This year's report shows that:

Six hundred and ninety seven appointments were made in 2002–03 from 3,449 applications.

Appointments of minority ethnic candidates rose from 7.8 per cent. in 2001–02 to 8.9 per cent. (this includes lay appointments) and is more than double the 1999–2000 figure which was 4.2 per cent.

Women accounted for 31 per cent. of appointments and although this was a decrease of 3 per cent. compared with 2001–02, the figure remains significantly higher than it was five years ago when the first report was published.

The pilot Assessment Centre in October/November for the Deputy District Judge (Civil and Magistrates) competitions and the Deputy Queen's Bench Master competition was a success. The Commissioner for Judicial Appointments' audit of the pilot was very positive.

The report also explains other recent action on equal opportunities.Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report is also available on the Department's website at http://www.dca.gov.uk./

Copies of the Government's consultation document on the implementation of the European Directive (2003/41/ EC) on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Pensions have today been placed in the Library. Copies of the consultation and the Directive are also available on the Department for Work and Pensions' website at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/consultation_papers.aspThe Directive supports the Government's plans for reform of the UK pensions system, as outlined in the recent Green Paper Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement (Cm 5677) and the Government's response, Action on Occupational Pensions (Cm 5835).It sets up a common framework across Europe for the operation and supervision of institutions providing occupational retirement pensions. It allows pension schemes established in one EU Member State to be sponsored by employers in another Member State, enabling the establishment of cross-border pension schemes.The consultation being undertaken builds upon the extensive pensions consultation carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions over the last year. It focuses upon implementation of those areas of the Directive which have not been covered in the earlier consultations.The consultation period will close on 23 December.