Written Answers
Tuesday, 16th September 2003.
Questions For Written Answer: Response Times
asked the Leader of the House:What steps he is taking to ensure prompt answers to Written Questions by his office bearing in mind that of the questions awaiting reply on 9 September one, which had been tabled on 15 July and had remained unanswered for eight weeks, was addressed to him. [HL4501]
I regret that the Question referred to was not answered within the 14-day deadline.I have reiterated to my office the importance of answering Questions for Written Answer within the given deadline.
Kenya: Aid
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in their future aid programme for Kenya they will take into account the impact of the recent ban on direct flights by United Kingdom airlines to Mombasa on tourism and employment in Coast Province. [HL4315]
In taking decisions on the future aid programme for Kenya, I will take into account a wide range of issues, including the economic and social impact of terrorism and of the various measures that have been necessary to combat it. The European Commission has recently allocated over £2 million for a tourism market recovery plan in Kenya. The UK share of this is around £250,000. The ban on UK flights to Mombasa was lifted on 4 September.
Advisory Board On Restricted Patients
Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have regarding the future of the Home Secretary's Advisory Board on Restricted Patients. [HL4502]
The Home Secretary's Advisory Board on Restricted Patients will cease to function with effect from 16 September 2003.
Police Complaints Authority: Annual Report 2002–03
asked Her Majesty's Government:When will the annual report (2002–03) of the Police Complaints Authority be published. [HL4505]
I am pleased to announce that the annual report of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) will be laid in another place on the 16 September 2003 and published on that day.The report as well as setting out the work completed in 2002–03 with regard to supervision of complaints, misconduct reviews and dispensations also highlights the outcome of the projects that were carried out in order to pilot key aspects of the new complaints system (Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)). The IPCC will be replacing the PCA on 1 April 2004.The PCA will be holding a press conference on the 16 September to launch the report.Copies of the report will be available in the House Library.
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
asked Her Majesty's Government:Which areas are supported by the recently announced funding package of £175 million Neighbourhood Renewal Fund resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06. [HL4503]
Today we are announcing the distribution of the remaining £175 million of unallocated Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06.The NRF was launched in 2001–02, providing £900 million over three years as a time-limited component of the Government's long-term strategy for tackling deprivation in our poorest neighbourhoods. For over two years NRF has been assisting the 88 recipient local authorities and their fellow local strategic partnership (LSP) members in establishing inclusive and effective partnership structures and strategic approaches to addressing the particular deprivation problems of each local area.The spending review 2002 settlement provided for further support for the NRF's challenging remit, continuing to give a targeted boost to ongoing increases in mainstream public service investment in deprived areas. SR2002 allocated to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister an additional £975 million of NRF resources—£450 million in 2004–05 and £525 million in 2005–06. We announced the allocation of £800 million of these resources in April this year, confirming that the existing 88 eligible areas shall receive a further £400 million in total in each year.Over the past few months we have given detailed consideration to the best way in which to distribute the residual £175 million of NRF resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06. After examining a range of options we have concluded that we should focus resources in those areas which have great need in terms of health, education, crime and other aspects measured by the Government's floor target indicators. These floor targets are designed to ensure that the poorest areas do not get left behind and see significant improvements in outcomes on health, education and other measures. That is why we are announcing today that 26 local authority areas that are currently eligible for NRF are also eligible for a share of the residual £175 million. These 26 areas have been selected because they are ranked in the lowest 10 areas against two or more indicators used to measure progress towards the national floor targets, ie they have the furthest distance to travel in order to meet these floor targets. Tabled below is a list of the eligible areas and their allocations in 2004–05 and 2005–06.There are several reasons why we are taking this approach. First is the fact that the achievement of the floor targets is one of our top priorities. Delivering improvements for our most disadvantaged neighbourhoods is fundamental to the objectives we have set ourselves in the Communities Plan.We also recognise the importance of NRF in helping local service providers to work collectively through local strategic partnerships to address local priorities, and to meet national floor targets at the local level. We are pleased with and greatly encouraged by the good progress already being made by the 88 NRF local authorities and their LSP colleagues. However, some areas have a greater task than others to deliver the improvements needed in areas such as the health of local people, educational achievement and preventing crime.The £175 million of residual NRF resources will provide these 26 areas with additional financial support to meet this challenge.
| Allocations of Residual Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) Resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06 | ||
| Current NRF recipients also eligible for residual NRF | 2004–05 Allocation (£) | 2005–06 Allocation (£) |
| Bolsover | 417,624 | 1,044,060 |
| Bristol, City of | 1,013,689 | 2,534,224 |
| Camden | 1,199,468 | 2,998,670 |
| Derwentside | 421,456 | 1,053,639 |
| Easington | 1,260,484 | 3,151,209 |
| Greenwich | 1,103,589 | 2,758,972 |
| Hackney | 3,345,184 | 8,362,959 |
| Halton | 1,116,940 | 2,792,350 |
| Haringey | 1,516,814 | 3,792,035 |
| Hartlepool | 892,071 | 2,230,177 |
| Islington | 1,782,715 | 4,456,788 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | 2,134,495 | 5,336,238 |
| Knowsley | 2,101,419 | 5,253,547 |
| Lambeth | 688,542 | 1,721,356 |
| Liverpool | 5,724,205 | 14,310,513 |
| Manchester | 5,855,669 | 14,639,173 |
| Middlesbrough | 1,492,501 | 3,731,252 |
| Newham | 3,790,592 | 9,476,480 |
| Nottingham | 2,628,822 | 6,572,056 |
| Salford | 1,546,952 | 3,867,381 |
| Sandwell | 2,288,967 | 5,722,418 |
| South Tyneside | 1,530,285 | 3,825,713 |
| Southwark | 2,249,671 | 5,624,176 |
| Tower Hamlets | 3,020,552 | 7,551,380 |
| Wansbeck | 392,176 | 980,441 |
| Wear Valley | 485,117 | 1,212,793 |
| Total | 50,000,000 | 125,000,000 |
Housing Corporation: Review
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there are any plans to examine the role of the Housing Corporation in delivering affordable housing policy. [HL4504]
Today the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is announcing the start of an end-to-end review of the Housing Corporation and its interaction with registered social landlords (RSLs) and other agencies. The review will look at the links between the development of policy and delivery in the area of affordable housing. Part of this process will involve looking at ways of minimising administrative burdens on the Housing Corporation and the organisations with which it works.With the new initiatives that are being put in place, particularly for delivering sustainable communities, a review of this sort is timely, and forms part of the Government's wider strategy for the reform of public services.The review will be managed by a project board, which includes external members as well as representatives from the Housing Corporation and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It will report in the spring.
British Forces Germany: Post-Op Telic Helpline
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many calls and of what type have been received in the last month by the BFG Post-Operation TELIC Helpline and the Confidential Support Line operated by the Soldiers', Sailors', Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. [HL3665]
The Post-Op TELIC welfare hotline operated by British Forces Germany is intended to provide a last resort facility for service personnel, based in Germany, who are not able to obtain the support they need through the extensive system of welfare support available to all units. It has received three calls since troops began returning to Germany from the deployment. Two of these related to family relationship difficulties; the third concerned problems resulting from the continued separation of a family.In order to provide 24-hour coverage, SSAFA provides the same service as part of their confidential support line. While details of calls to SSAFA relating specifically to Op TELIC are not recorded centrally by the MoD, the SSAFA line is currently taking approximately 300 calls per month (compared to an average of 150 calls per month). The annual report on calls to the SSAFA line is currently being compiled and will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.
War Cemeteries In France: Prevention Of Vandalism
asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking to prevent further vandalism to the graves of British servicemen in war cemeteries in France. [HL4279]
Both my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence and my honourable friend the Minister for Veterans have received written assurances that the French Government are taking every step possible to identify and punish the culprits for these acts of wanton vandalism. So far they have detained nine individuals in connection with such vandalism. The Minister for Veterans has suggested that he and his French counterpart might visit one of the cemeteries together in the near future.
Gulf War Veterans: Case Of Shaun Rusling
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 8 September (
WA 45) in regard to the cost to the taxpayer of contesting the case of Gulf War veteran Mr Shaun Rusling, what representations they have received concerning Mr Rusling's response to the reply; what action they are taking; and whether they will now update the reply to take account of all costs incurred in contesting the case at tribunals and all the way to the High Court. [HL4380]
I have received the noble Lord's letter of 8 September, with which he encloses a copy of Mr Rusling's letter to him dated 3 September. I will be replying shortly. I have received no other representations.Negotiations with Mr Rusling's lawyers are now complete. Legal costs paid up to 12 September 2003 amount to £123,697.77. The final figure, including our own external legal costs, is expected to be approximately £150,000.00.
Future Aircraft Carrier
asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made with the future aircraft carrier programme. [HL4506]
Further to the Statement to the House by my right honourable Friend the Defence Secretary on 30 January 2003, (Official Report, cols. 1026–42), in another place, we are pleased to announce that the Ministry of Defence has agreed contracts with BAe SYSTEMS (BAeS) and Thales United Kingdom for the third stage of the assessment phase for the future aircraft carrier (CVF) programme. This stage will be used to increase the maturity of the carrier design, and will pave the way for placing contracts for the demonstration and manufacture (D&M) phase in spring 2004. The work will be managed by a single, integrated team staffed by BAeS and Thales UK.Since the end of January, progress has been maintained in developing the design of the warship. In parallel, positive discussions have been conducted with BAe SYSTEMS and Thales UK on how to take forward the alliance approach to the programme set out by the Secretary of State in January. Discussions will continue between all three parties to refine the precise terms of the alliance and the D&M contract, and will complete early next year. These discussions will be conducted concurrently with the stage 3 design work, and will place the department in a strong position to proceed quickly to place the D&M contract expected in spring 2004.
Armed Forces: Review Of Pension And Compensation Arrangements
asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made on the review of the Armed Forces pension and compensation schemes. [HL4507]
The Ministry of Defence has completed its reviews of the current Armed Forces pension and compensation arrangements. We have taken account of views expressed during the public consultation in 2001, and in particular those serving in the Armed Forces, those representing the ex-service community, and the recommendations made by the House of Commons Defence Committee in March1 2002. In reaching our decisions we have also taken account of the changes in policy likely to emerge from the Inland Revenue paper on tax simplification2. Our proposals are also consistent with the policies recently published by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.3 The new schemes are designed to be fairer, to reflect modern practice and to meet the needs of the Armed Forces in the 21st century, and offer a high level of assurance for service personnel. The Government intend to introduce the primary and secondary legislation required to implement these new schemes as soon as parliamentary time allows.
1 HCDC Third Report: The MoD Reviews of Armed Forces Pension and Compensation Arrangements (HC 666) - 9 May 2002. HCDC Fifth Special Report: The MoD Reviews of Armed Forces Pension and Compensation Arrangements: Government's Response (HC 1115)
2 Simplifying the taxation of pensions: increasing choice for all ( December 2002)
3 Simplicity, Security and Choice: working and saving for retirement—Action on occupational pensions. (June 2003)
A new Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) will be introduced for new entrants on 6 April 2005 and we will give current members of the Armed Forces the opportunity to transfer to the new scheme as soon as possible but no later than 6 April 2007. This decision to transfer will be entirely voluntary for each individual member. The new AFPS will remain a defined benefit scheme but will be based on final pensionable pay and will provide the same benefits for officers and other ranks. There are substantial new arrangements for dependants: a death-in-service benefit of four times pensionable pay (increased from up to one and a half times pensionable pay previously); an increase of 25% in widow(er)'s pension compared to the current scheme; and an extension of dependants' benefits to unmarried partners where there is a substantial relationship.
These changes reflect key concerns raised during consultation and address the need to make proper provision for those who are left behind when personnel are killed in service.
The scheme has retained its normal retirement age of 55, but preserved pensions will be paid at age 65. The current early immediate pension provision has been replaced with an early departure scheme which is expected to ensure compliance with expected revisions to Inland Revenue policy with respect to the earliest date at which normal pension benefits can be paid. The early departure scheme will offer a similar structure of benefits to the immediate pension, but with changes which help to fund some improvements in pension benefits and the cost of pensioners living longer. Overall, the changes will be broadly cost-neutral, taking account of the steps taken to cover increasing longevity costs.
The new compensation scheme will be introduced in April 2005 and will replace provisions under the War Pensions Scheme and attributable benefits under the current AFPS for incidents arising from that date. The new scheme reflects modern practice. It is fair, transparent, simple to understand and offers consistent outcomes, with more focus on the more severely disabled. It is a no-fault scheme. It provides a lump-sum payment for pain and suffering which is a new benefit not available under current arrangements. In addition, a guaranteed income stream (GIS) will be awarded alongside higher level tariff awards for those who suffer significant loss of earnings capacity. Unlike the current arrangements, there will be in-service lump-sum awards for pain and suffering, including for injuries resulting from warlike activities. Benefits will be provided for dependants where deaths result from service but will be extended to include unmarried partners, where there is a substantial relationship. There will be a time limit to claim of five years, with exceptions for late-onset conditions. Claims will be assessed using the "balance of probabilities" standard of proof, in line with civil law and common practice elsewhere. There will be an independent appeals tribunal system, compliant with European Convention on Human Rights, available for claimants who consider that their claim has not been handled fairly by the MoD.
The Ministry of Defence will also be extending the provisions introduced on 20 March 2003 which provided benefits to unmarried partners for attributable deaths related to conflict. The current AFPS will provide attributable benefits to unmarried partners where there is a substantial relationship for all attributable deaths with an effective date of 15 September 2003. The current AFPS does not provide unmarried partner benefits for non-attributable deaths, but this benefit will be available under the new AFPS.
We are making available more detailed information from the consultation process and further detailed explanation of the schemes at www.mod.uk/issues/pensions. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
Immigration Advisory Service
asked Her Majesty's Government:How the new arrangements for the funding of the Immigration Advisory Service by the Legal Services Commission will affect the work of the service. [HL4014]
The terms of the contract that will be awarded to the Immigration Advisory Service (LAS) following the transfer of funding from the Home Office to the Legal Services Commission have yet to be finalised. Ministers will write to the IAS and the noble Lord in the near future, when the position and impact on work will be clearer.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the transfer of funding to the Legal Services Commission will hinder the work of the Immigration Advisory Service. [HL4191]
The terms of the contract that will be awarded to the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) following the transfer of funding from the Home Office to the Legal Services Commission have yet to be finalised. Ministers will write to the IAS and the noble Lord in the near future, when the position and impact on work will be clearer.
Public Guardianship Office: Annual Report And Accounts 2002–03
asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Public Guardianship Office's annual report and accounts for 2002–03 will be laid before Parliament. [HL4477]
The Public Guardianship Office's annual report and accounts for 2002–been laid before Parliament today. This document gives full details of the agency's performance and expenditure for that year. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Eu Working Time Directive: Marine Pilots
asked Her Majesty's Government:Under which regulation transposing the European Working Time Directive into United Kingdom law are marine pilots included. [HL4332]
Marine pilots fall under the scope of the Horizontal Amending Directive (2000/34/EC) which was implemented by the Working Time (Amendment) Regulations on 1 August 2003. The Working Time Regulations apply to all workers, including most agency and freelance workers, but do not apply to the self-employed.
Mental Health Services: Report
asked Her Majesty's Government:When the 13th report on the Development of Services for People with a Mental Illness in England was published. [HL4508]
Yesterday we issued the 13th report prepared pursuant to Section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 as amended, on development of services for people with a mental illness in England.The report sets out the current policy and the developments in mental health services that have taken place since the 12th report.Copies of
Development of Services for People with a Mental Illness in England—Thirteenth Report have been placed in the Library.
Child Tax Credit And Working Tax Credit
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is:
(a) Six million families are expected to be in receipt of child tax credit and/or working tax credit.(b) The tax credit awards are provisional annual awards and so it will not be possible to calculate the final value of awards until the end of the tax year.(c) The information requested is not available.
World War Debts To Us
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 8 September (
WA 100), when they last held discussions on the issue of war debts payable to the United States with the Government of the United States. [HL4381]
Successive governments have undertaken, as with all external debt, to meet their obligations under the terms of the Second World War loan agreement with the US. There has therefore been no need to make representations to the United States Government except on the six occasions when in accordance with the terms of the loan we deferred repayments.Information is not readily available as to whether war loans have been discussed on any other occasion between the UK Government and the United States Government since 1945. However, this has not been an issue for significant discussion in recent years.
Schoolchildren: Travel To School
asked Her Majesty's Government:What they are doing to reduce car use on the school run. [HL4509]
An increasing number of schools and local authorities have, with the support of school travel advisers, introduced measures to tackle rising car use on the school run, including providing safe routes to school, adjusting the time of the school day and promoting greater use of buses. We want to encourage every school and local authority to act on this agenda.My right honourable friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Skills and for Transport are today publishing jointly an action plan and good practice guide outlining how schools and local authorities can increase the number of children travelling to school on foot, by bicycle or on public transport. I am placing a copy of the action plan and best practice guide in the Library.
Nhs: Efficiency Measures
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the underlying data relating to changes in activity levels and health and community health services expenditure expressed in volume form which are shown in graphical form in Figure 7.7 of the Department of Health's
Departmental Report (CM 5904) so that the efficiency increase of two per cent over the 10 years to 2000–01 referred to in paragraph 7.100 of the report can be analysed for each of those years. [HL4230]
Changes in the way healthcare is delivered by the National Health Service now means that this measure of NHS efficiency is no longer reliable. For example, this efficiency measure fails to count an increasingly large amount of activity—such as procedures undertaken in primary care—or nurse-led outpatient admissions; records improvements that result in reducing the number of steps in a patient journey as a fall in efficiency; may perversely record real efficiency improvements as reductions in efficiency—for example when activity is shifted from inpatient to outpatient settings; and fails to pick up any improvements in quality.The Department of Health is therefore developing a new efficiency measure that will take account of the quality, casemix and diverse way in which NHS outputs are delivered.
Aircraft: Seat Spacing
asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration they, the Joint Aviation Authorities or the Civil Aviation Authority have given to amending on grounds of safety the regulations governing the seat spacing on scheduled and charter flights to take account of (a) the increasing height and weight; and (b) the ageing of the general population. [HL4330]
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) safety requirements for seat spacing are designed to ensure that passengers can evacuate quickly and safely in the event of an emergency.Recent research carried out by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) has confirmed that the population body size is increasing and that the introduction of pan-European seat-spacing regulations may be appropriate. The JAA Cabin Safety Steering Group is considering the research data and is being encouraged by the CAA to reach an early decision on the introduction of a common European standard for seat spacing.The CAA is not aware of any studies relating to the effect that ageing of the general population may have on an emergency evacuation. When new aircraft types are approved, the aircraft manufacturer is required to demonstrate that an emergency evacuation can be performed successfully.As from 28 September 2003, the European Safety Agency (EASA) will assume responsibility for setting design standards for all aircraft registered within the European Union. These design standards will include emergency evacuation. With effect from this date the CAA will have no power to implement seat-spacing standards which differ from those set by the agency. The output of the JAA Cabin Safety Steering Group will be transmitted to the agency.
M1 Motorway
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many weeks during the past five years parts of the M1 motorway had carriageways or hard shoulders coned off between junctions 23A and 25; and whether they will commission experts and advisors to instruct the local engineers and administrators on how to make structural changes to the carriageway in conjunction with each other, rather than separately. [HL4361]
I have asked the acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr Stephen Hickey, to write to the noble Lord.
Letter from the acting Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr Stephen Hickey, to Lord Jopling, dated 16 September 2003.
I have been asked by the Lord Davies of Oldham to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of weeks over the last five years that the M1 motorway has been coned off between junctions 23A and 25.
The information requested over five years will take some time to collect but this work has been put in hand. I will write to you again as soon as this is available.
There has recently been a considerable programme of works on this section of M1 between junctions 23A and 25. The pressures on this length of motorway are considerable; over 100,000 vehicles per day use it. As a result, roadworks are phased to limit the length of motorway restricted at any one time. Normal policy is that roadworks should not exceed a maximum length of 4 km and be a minimum distance between separate works of 10 km.
The Highways Agency already uses consultant engineers for designing and managing maintenance works. The contracts include a requirement to minimise roadworks on a particular length of road. By careful planning the agency aims to ensure the maximum amount of work is undertaken during any one contract and the disruption is kept to a minimum. On this section of MI most work is carried out overnight with three lanes remaining open during the daytime and, wherever possible, all work is suspended at peak holiday times. All contractors employed by the agency are required to complete roadworks as quickly as possible and are offered incentives in their contracts to do so.
As explained, I will write to you again as soon as we have collected the information you have requested.