I announced to the House on 16 November 2005, Official Report, col 51WS the publication of the consultation paper 'Registration Modernisation' containing proposals for giving local authorities greater responsibility and accountability for the delivery of the local registration service in England and Wales. The consultation paper also included other proposals to modernise civil registration.

Around 150 responses were received to the consultation paper from local authorities, registration officers, specific interest groups, national and regional groups, and representative organisations. There was overwhelming agreement from the full range of respondents that a new governance framework is long overdue and almost unanimous support from local authorities and regional local authority groups to the proposed revised framework.

The Government intend to push ahead with the new governance arrangements and other changes which can be taken forward under existing legislation. The General Register Office will work with the Local Authority Coordinators of Regulatory Services and the Society of Registration Officers to agree national standards and over the next two months aim to finalise the guidance to be issued to local authorities. The guidance will also seek to deal with the concerns about the employment position of registration officers raised in response to the consultation. The Government will keep under review the need for legislation on other aspects civil registration.

I have placed a copy of the report on the response to the consultation paper in the Libraries of both Houses.

My noble Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor has made the following written ministerial statement:

"I have today laid before Parliament the City of London corporation report on the City of London (Ward Elections) Act 2002, hereafter referred to as "The Act". The Act reformed and modernised the business element of the franchise for local elections in the City of London.

The City of London corporation submitted the report on the working of its new franchise arrangements to me pursuant to Section 7(1) of the Act.

I am inclined to think that a further report will be required following the 2009 elections, however I will make a final decision on whether to ask the city to submit one, under section 7(2) of the Act 2002, at the time".

The action plan forms phase three of an agreement signed by the MOD and the EOC in June 2005 that outlined the MOD's commitment to tackling sexual harassment.

To inform the action plan, MOD commissioned independent research into the nature and extent of sexual harassment in the Armed Forces, including a survey of all service women. The action plan demonstrates the MOD's commitment to tackling the serious issues highlighted by this research. It provides a clear undertaking to create an environment, through strong leadership, in which harassment is recognised as inappropriate and preventable.

The full text of the action plan and the survey report is at www.mod.uk/DefenceIntenet/AboutDefence/Issue/DiversityAndEquality/EqualOpportunitiesInTheArmedForces.htm and copies are also available in the Library of the House.

On 11 January 2005, the then Secretary of State for Defence, announced to the House that we were undertaking a comprehensive review of the terms and conditions of service under which Gurkhas serve in the British Army, which would subsume an earlier review on married accompanied service for Gurkhas.

I am pleased to be able to confirm that improved married accompanied service arrangements are being implemented from 1 April this year, and I hope our Gurkha soldiers will benefit from the much better opportunities to have their families with them at their permanent station. We have also been able to introduce national insurance contribution records for Gurkhas, so that they can qualify for the associated benefits, and they now pay food and accommodation charges, and are eligible for refunds, on the same basis as British soldiers.

But the then Secretary of State for Defence warned that the review would be a major piece of work, and it has raised some very substantial and complex issues which I do not intend to press to hasty conclusions. Therefore, although at the time of the last statement it was hoped that the review could be completed by late autumn 2005, it is now unlikely that I will be able to make any further announcement until later this year.

My 2006 Departmental report which contains information on progress against the Department's aims and Public Service Agreement Targets, the challenges ahead and summary expenditure plans for 2005-06 to 2007-08 will be laid before Parliament today.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, on the application by the companies concerned, has today granted drought orders that empower Mid Kent Water and Southern Water to limit or prohibit the uses set out in the Drought Direction 1991 (as modified in the Orders). The Mid Kent Water order affects its entire supply area. The two Orders granted to Southern Water apply to the company's Medway, Thanet, Hastings and Sussex Coast/Sussex North supply areas but not to the company's Hampshire and Isle of Wight supply areas. These follow the Order granted last week to Sutton and East Surrey Water.

We have seen 18 months of below average rainfall. In these circumstances, the Government's priority is the protection of consumers and of the environment during this exceptional drought. By reducing non-essential uses, through the sensible implementation of this type of drought order, essential supplies to communities can be better maintained should the drought continue. Taking precautionary action now is the responsible thing to do.

In taking these decisions, we have carefully considered the reports by the independent Inspectors. The reports concluded that there has been an exceptional shortage of rain and that without the proposed non-essential use bans there is a substantial threat to water supplies in the companies' supply areas. In reaching their conclusions the Inspectors examined the companies' performance in terms of leakage, and noted that both are meeting the long-term targets set by the economic regulator, Ofwat. I am persuaded that the restrictions allowed by these Orders are necessary over and above any further improvements on leakage they are able to make in the short term. I have made clear that we expect to see continued efforts from all the companies to improve leakage. But reducing leakage alone does not solve the problems of low rainfall.

We are granting these Orders as a precautionary measure, to allow the companies to take the actions proportionate to the evolving threat to supplies. While the exercise and use of the powers conferred through the Orders is a matter for each company concerned, I expect each company to implement the restrictions in a manner that achieves the most in the way of water savings with as little impact as possible on businesses and in the light of changing circumstances. I have asked each company to keep me informed about the way that they are implementing those restrictions that prove necessary and their overall position on supplies. In addition to this my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I will be meeting next week with both the Regulator, Ofwat, and all of the water companies to discuss the management of water resources.

Many people have reacted positively to the message that in addition to action by the companies, we have collective responsibility for managing water as a shared resource. I hope that today's decisions will help everyone focus on the key message that in the areas affected it is their actions now, and in the months to come, which will help all of us to avoid more extreme sanctions should the drought continue into the summer and beyond.

Recent rainfall will temporarily boost river flows and help to maintain reservoir stocks, but will do little for overall supplies because the region relies heavily on groundwater (water that seeps through the soil into porous rocks, such as chalk) for 70 per cent. of its supply; in the case of Mid Kent Water that rises to85 per cent.

In its report to Ministers last week, the Environment Agency advised that the winter recharge season for groundwater is now over, yet groundwater levels remain critically low. The rain we are seeing now and any we see over the rest of the summer will have little impact on groundwater levels, because at this time of year the effects of evaporation and the uptake of water by growing plants and trees means that most of the rain does not reach the aquifers. In winter we usually get more rain than in other seasons, and a higher proportion gets down to the aquifers. But even though we have passed the recharge season we are still taking hundreds of thousands of tons of water every day from the aquifers in the areas concerned.

There are no further drought orders under consideration. I will keep the House informed of any further decisions, should more applications for drought orders be made.

My predecessor my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool and Wavertree (Jane Kennedy), informed the House of progress made by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in investigating the incident that occurred with the phase 1 clinical trial for a drug in development known as TGN1412, 19 April 2006, Official Report, cols 13-14WS. The MHRA is today publishing the final report of its investigations. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and copies are available for hon. Members in the Vote Office.

The report indicates that the adverse incidents did not involve errors in the manufacture of TGN1412 or in its formulation, dilution or administration to trial participants. The report does reference a number of procedural shortcomings that were brought to light by the MHRA's inspection. None of these was judged to have led to the adverse incidents suffered by the volunteers in this trial, but they are being followed up in the normal way through regulatory action with the company.

The MHRA therefore confirms its conclusion set out in its interim report of 5 April that an unpredicted biological action of the drug in humans is the most likely cause of the adverse reactions in the trial participants. Monoclonal antibodies are a relatively new type of biological drug, although there are a number of them already licensed and in use. However, TGN1412 is a new class of monoclonal antibody which has a stimulatory mode of action affecting certain types of cell in the immune system. In this case the resulting activity seen in humans was not predicted from apparently adequate pre-clinical testing. This is a complex scientific issue which raises important scientific and medical questions about the potential risks associated with this type of drug and how to make the transition from pre-clinical testing to trials in humans.

In the earlier written ministerial statement it was also announced that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had agreed to the establishment of an expert working group to consider what this incident reveals about the underlying science, and how clinical trials involving these types of products should be managed and authorised in the future. My right hon. Friend has appointed Professor Gordon Duff to chair the expert group. Professor Duff has now identified, and appointed on behalf of the Secretary of State, the members of his group which have today been announced.

The terms of reference of the expert group are to consider what may be necessary in the transition from pre-clinical to first-in-man phase 1 studies, and in the design of these trials, with specific reference to:

biological molecules with novel mechanisms of action;

new agents with a highly species-specific action; and

new drugs directed towards immune system targets.

To provide advice in the form of a report to the Secretary of State for Health for the future authorisation of such trials with an interim report to be provided within three months.

We will then provide a further report to the House when the expert group provides its interim report.

The members of the group are as follows;

Professor Gordon W Duff MA BM BCh PhD FRCP, FRCPE, FMedSci, Professor of Molecular Medicine & Director of Division of Genomic Medicine, Sheffield University: CHAIRMAN

Professor John I Bell MA DM FRCP FMedSci, Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford University

Professor Dame Carol M Black CBE MD FRCP FMedSci, President of the Royal College of Physicians of London and Professor of Rheumatology, Royal Free Hospital, London

Professor Sir Leszek K Borysiewicz MB BCh FRCP F Med Sci Deputy Rector, Imperial College London

Professor Janet H Darbyshire OBE MB ChB FMedSci FRCP FFPH, Director of the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, Co-Director of UK Clinical Research Network and Professor of Epidemiology, Royal Free and University College London Medical School.

Professor Neva E Haites OBE MB ChB PhD MRCPath FRCPE, Professor of Clinical Genetics & Head of College and Vice-Principal, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen

Sir Bob Hepple QC FBA, Cambridge University and Chair of the Nuffield Council of Bioethics

Ms Amanda Hoey, Director, ConsumerHealth Consulting Ltd - Lay representative

Dr Stephen C Inglis BSc PhD, Director, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC)

Professor Lars Klareskog, Professor of Rheumatology, Karolinsha University, Stockholm

Professor Robert Lechler MB, ChB, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci Vice-Principal (Health), King College London

Professor Dr Johannes Löwer MSc, MD President of the Paul Ehrhlich Institute, Langen, Germany*.

Professor Andrew J McMichael MB BChir PhD CNAA FRCP FRS Professor of Immunology, Oxford University

Professor Alexander F Markham BScPhD MB BS DSc FRCP FRCPath Chief Executive Cancer Research UK and Professor of Medicine, St James University Hospital, Leeds

Professor B Kevin Park BSc PhD Hon MRCP FMedSci, Professor of Pharmacology & Head of Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Liverpool University.

Mrs Vivienne Parry - Lay representative

Professor Munir Pirmohaimed MC ChB PhD FRCP Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Liverpool University

Professor Mark J Walpoft MB BChir MA FRCP FRCPath F Med Sci Director of the Welcome Trust & Professor of Rheumatology/Immunology, Imperial School of Medicine, Hammersmith

Professor Herman Waldrnann PhD, FRS FRCPath F Med Sci Professor of Pathology, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford

Observers

There will be a number of observers to the expert group from:

The European Medicines Agency

Department of Health

Department of Trade and Industry - Biosciences Unit

US Food and Drug Administration

Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency, Japan

MHRA

*Agency of the German Government responsible for the regulation of biological medicinal products for humans and animals.

Copies of the Government's third progress report on implementing the recommendations of the Bichard Inquiry have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses today. Our last report was made in November 2005 and there have been many positive developments over the last six months. Twenty one of Sir Michael's 31 recommendations have been substantially delivered and clear work plans are being taken forward in relation to those which remain outstanding.

The IMPACT programme is at the heart of achieving fundamental improvements in police information management. It is delivering against Sir Michael's recommendations in this area as one aspect of ensuring the police have the facilities, procedures and skills to make best use of information to safeguard the vulnerable and combat all forms of crime. This latest reporting period has seen the introduction of the Impact Nominal Index, which is facilitating the sharing of information across all forces. A statutory code of practice on police information management has come into force, together with extensive operational guidance and a programme of training and support to ensure improved national standards are embedded in day-to-day policing.

Sir Michael rightly emphasised the importance of sharing information between the relevant delivery agencies and once again there is much positive progress to report. In particular, the recent publication of the revised "Working Together to Safeguard Children" provides the national guidance recommended by Sir Michael on notifying the police and children's social care, and sharing information among agencies, where there are suspected criminal offences against children.

Our intensive programme of work to develop a central vetting and barring scheme covering all those wishing to work with children or vulnerable adults is continuing. The introduction of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill at the end of February was a very important milestone. In parallel with the legislative process, we are pressing on with a set of interim changes to systems to help ensure those unsuitable to work with vulnerable persons are prevented from doing so. The Criminal Records Bureau has made a key contribution to this work by putting in place a number of specific changes which Sir Michael highlighted as necessary.

We are giving increasing emphasis to the new online training for head teachers and school governors which focuses on the critical importance of being aware of safeguarding issues when recruiting staff. We are also exploring ways to extend the safer recruitment training more widely in schools and other sectors of education, the wider children's workforce, the voluntary sector, and other work sectors such as healthcare.

Finally, and in addition to all the work to implement its specific recommendations, the Bichard Inquiry continues to provide all of us with a strengthened focus on protecting children and those adult members of our society who are especially vulnerable. The safeguarding agenda is becoming increasingly coherent and prominent and that is a process which must and will continue.

I would like to correct an error contained in my written statement of 23 May, Official Report, column 77WS and to apologise for inadvertently misleading the House.

In my statement I reported that four murderers and 23 other "most serious" offenders, including rapists and child sex offenders (who were among the 1,019 cases who were not considered for deportation before their release from prison) were detained in prison. I was subsequently informed that of these one murderer, one rapist and one child sex offender who had been detained have in fact since been released on bail by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. In addition, I have been informed of eight other cases where the individual has been bailed, including four in the "more serious" category. I have been told that these bail applications were heard over the past two weeks and that more hearings are due to take place in the coming days.

I have asked the Department to recheck all the figures provided to the House in my statement.

On 5 December 2005 I initiated a consultation on draft guidelines which were aimed at putting in place important safeguards recommended by the Criminal Justice Review as prerequisites for community-based restorative justice schemes playing a part in dealing with low-level crime. The consultation period closed in March. There were 56 responses from a range of organisations and individuals.

The issues raised in the consultation merit careful consideration. Any guidelines which eventually emerge must deal effectively with the concerns many have reflected to me in their submissions and in meetings on this issue. It is important that any relationship which the schemes may develop with the criminal justice system helps to promote and not undermine public confidence in the system. I regard it as essential that the guidelines should set the necessary high standards expected of any organisations seeking to play a role within the criminal justice system.

I am now considering the issues and concerns raised in the consultation and will make a further statement on the way ahead when that process has been completed shortly.

The information Commissioner has today published an enforcement notice under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to requests for information relating to the advice given on the legality of military intervention in Iraq in 2003.

The Cabinet Office and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers have issued a disclosure statement which the information commissioner is satisfied meets the requirements of his enforcement notice. The disclosure statement draws very heavily on material already in the public domain.

Copies of the enforcement notice and disclosure statement are annexed to this statement and have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

I have today placed a copy of the current list of Cabinet Committees, their full membership and terms of reference in the Libraries of both Houses. Details have also been updated on the Cabinet Office website.

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation has made the following ministerial statement:

I will be attending the Competitiveness Council in Brussels on 29—30 May 2006.

Monday 29 May

In the morning, there will be a policy debate on the EU sustainable development strategy, centred around questions set by the presidency.

There will be an update on the current work programme on better regulation, followed by an exchange of views.

There will be a policy debate on the Commission's proposal for a directive on consumer credit, centred on questions set by the presidency.

Over lunch and in the afternoon there will be discussion of the services directive, which the presidency has put on the agenda for political agreement.

Tuesday 30 May

There will be a discussion on the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development, including the rules of participation, on which the presidency is seeking agreement on a general approach.

There will also be a progress report by the Commission on the development of the European space policy and road map, followed by a report from the presidency of a recent conference on GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).

In addition to the items listed above, there will be eleven items which will be taken under "Any Other Business". There is not likely to be any debate on these items:

a) Competitiveness clusters to promote industrial growth and to strengthen the regions in Europe (Information from the Commission).

b) Conference on REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) (Vienna, 30-31 March 2006) (Information from the presidency).

c) Conferences related to consumer protection held during the Austrian presidency (Information from the presidency).

d) Proposal for a programme of community action in the field of Health and Consumer Protection 2007 (Progress report).

e) Information on EU import duties on primary aluminium (Information from the Polish delegation).

f) Public Procurement Directives (Information by German, French and Austrian delegations).

g) Tourism policy (Presentation by the Commission).

h) Tourism Ministers Conference (Vienna, 20-21 March 2006). (Information from the presidency),

i) Delivering on the modernisation agenda for universities: Education, Research and Innovation. (Information from the Commission).

j) International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) (Information from the Commission),

k) Type approval of motor vehicles (information from the French delegation)

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will be held on 1 June in Luxembourg. My hon. Friend the Minister for Disabled People (Anne McGuire) will be representing the UK except for the item on the Working Time Directive where the UK will be represented by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and my hon. Friend, the Minister for Employment Relations and Minister for London (Jim Fitzpatrick). Health and Consumer Affairs issues are being taken on 2 June.

The first item is a policy debate on the review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. Member states were invited to submit a written response to three questions which have been tabled at all Councils. Additional questions have been posed about social inclusion to Employment and Social Policy Ministers. The Minister will contribute to the debate by stating that the most relevant link between the work of this Council and the Sustainable Development Strategy is through its focus on generating economic prosperity, more and better jobs and increasing social inclusion.

The second item is on Social Services of General Interest. The Commission will give a presentation on its recent Communication which addresses the area of the legal uncertainty arising from the situation whereby the European Court of Justice is developing the law on social services on a case-by-case basis. The Social Protection Committee has drafted an Opinion on the Communication and the revised draft Services Directive. It generally welcomes both documents.

The Council will reach partial general approach on both the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/04 on the co-ordination of social security schemes and the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the co-ordination of social security systems, and determining the content of Annex XI.

Ministers will be expected to endorse political agreement on the amended proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Institute for Gender Equality. The proposal provides for the creation of a European Gender Institute to produce objective, reliable and comparative information on gender equality and data at national and European levels and to give visibility to gender equality. Its aim is to increase the opportunities for sharing knowledge, data and information on best practice, and facilitate networking.

There will be Council conclusions on the Review of the implementation by the Member States and the EU institutions of the Beijing Platform for Action. Following the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995, the Council asked Member States to undertake an annual review of the implementation of the resulting Platform for Action. Each Presidency concentrates on different areas. The Austrian Presidency is looking at 'Women and Health' and has produced a report and a set of indicators.

There will be an endorsement of the joint contribution of the Employment Committee and the Social Protection Committee on Flexicurity.

There will be a Progress Report from the Presidency on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on improving the portability of supplementary pension rights. This is intended to make it easier for workers with occupational pensions to move around the EU.

The Council is being asked to reach political agreement on the amended proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity — PROGRESS. This is the EU-level spending programme for the period 2007-13, which will provide financial support for the implementation of the Community's objectives for employment and social affairs and the achievement of the Lisbon goals.

The Council is being asked to reach political agreement on the annual Employment Guidelines on the proposal for a Council Decision on Guidelines for the Employment Policies of the Member States. The Guidelines set out the framework of common priorities for Member States' employment policies. In 2005 the Council agreed that the Guidelines should run for three years under the refocused Lisbon Strategy for Jobs and Growth. Member States will report on their employment policies in relation to the Guidelines as part of the new National Reform Programmes, to be published in October.

The Council is also seeking political agreement on the amended proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/88/EC concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time. The Working Time Directive, adopted in 1993, regulates maximum working hours and entitlements to rest breaks for workers. It sets out a maximum average working week of 48 hours although the UK retains an individual opt out from this provision.

Under Any Other Business the Presidency will give a report on Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Globalisation adjustment Fund. There are six written items on Presidency conferences and information from the Portuguese delegation on the Council of Europe Ministers Conference on Family Matters: "Changes in Parenting". The Commission is providing information on its recent Communications on "Guidance on the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services", "Implementing the partnership for growth and jobs: Making European a 'pole of excellence' on corporate social responsibility", and "Decent Work" and "European Year of Equal Opportunities for all 2007". I do not expect any debate on these items.