In the House...Questions in the House of Commons 1999-2000 |
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Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his strategy for developing British ports. [138954]
Mr. Hill: The Government announced yesterday the publication of a ports policy paper, "Modern Ports". On the issue of port development, "Modern Ports" says that we will maintain a balanced policy on development which aims to makes the best use of existing and former operational land, secures high environmental standards, but supports sustainable projects for which there is a clear need.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Many people in Scarborough and Whitby will be pleased that the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have listened to them, but I particularly welcome the new guidance on rural strategy that my right hon. Friend suggested would be issued to regional development agencies, including Yorkshire Forward. Can he say when that guidance will be available, so that I can ensure that I do my best for my rural constituents in dealing with Yorkshire Forward?
Mr. Prescott: I thank my hon. Friend for his support. To be honest, I do not know when the advice will be produced. If he will allow me, I shall write to him with more detailed information.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): My right hon. Friend knows of my interest in RAF Fylingdales, which is adjacent to my constituency. The people of Scarborough, Whitby and the north York moors are very interested in who will form the future American Administration. If a President Bush is appointed, many people in my constituency will be concerned about the likely effect on my part of the world, which may become a defence target. What discussions has my right hon. Friend had about the future of RAF Fylingdales in that respect?
The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon): The Americans have decided, for the moment at any rate, not to take national missile defence forward, and will not therefore be making any requests of the United Kingdom in relation to Fylingdales or any other facility that might be available until they reach a decision.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Is my hon. and learned Friend aware of the excellent work that north Yorkshire trading standards department is doing in that area of crime and of the successful prosecutions that have been brought? Is he content that a local authority organisation should have to take the risk of bringing these cases to court? If he is not aware of the matter, will he have urgent discussions with the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department to review the position of authorities that have to proceed with such prosecutions?
The Solicitor-General: Local authorities certainly play an important role in that area. They prosecute under a range of legislation, such as the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and so forth. I am not aware of the north Yorkshire department's success, but I know that trading standards officials throughout the country play an important part in rooting out fraud.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his objectives for the forthcoming climate change negotiations in The Hague. [138611]
Mr. Prescott: The Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP 6) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will aim to agree a detailed framework for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Government want to negotiate an agreement which can be endorsed by all countries; pave the way to ratification by sufficient numbers of countries for the Protocol to enter into force by 2002; and will lead to action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries which are currently responsible for 60 per cent. of the world's emissions. We will work for an agreement that safeguards the environmental integrity of the Protocol, taking into accounts its economic impacts and providing certainty for business.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): I am sure that many hon. Members share the concerns felt by fisheries communities in Whitby and Scarborough and along the North sea coast about the meeting with marine scientists that is taking place in Europe today. Will my right hon. Friend say whether there will be an early opportunity to consider not only the environmental impact of the failure of the cod fishery in the North sea, but the socio-economic impact on communities such as Whitby, which has been in decline since 1960, but is faced with an even steeper decline in its local economy if cuts are made?
Mrs. Beckett: My hon. Friend takes his responsibilities to his constituents extremely seriously and is strongly interested in their concerns. He will know the importance of balancing the environmental consequences and the economic impact of any action. I fear that I cannot undertake to find time for a special debate on the matter in the near future. He, too, might want to look into the opportunities offered by Westminster Hall, but he will be aware that Agriculture questions take place next Tuesday.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Would my hon. Friend give particular consideration to businesses in rural areas such as Scarborough and Whitby, which have had many difficulties in recent years? Looking forward to the forthcoming rural White Paper, would he explain to the House what help may be available to areas that are in need of special assistance at this time?
Mr. Timms: My hon. Friend will be aware of the favourable business reaction to the announcements that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor made yesterday about a more than £2 billion reduction in transport taxes and the package to make VAT easier to administer for small businesses. Both those measures will be welcome to businesses, particularly to small firms in my hon. Friend's constituency. He is right that the rural White Paper will also make important announcements. We are concerned to ensure that businesses in rural areas have the benefits of a competitive economy, building on the stability that we have achieved in the past three years.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to support North Yorkshire's seaside resorts. [135351]
Janet Anderson: During my seaside 2000 tour I visited both Scarborough and Whitby and also launched the Yorkshire Coastal Tourism Initiative. I also announced a 4-point plan for England's seaside resorts, including measures to improve their low levels of lottery funding and to support bids for European regeneration money. Local authorities and regional bodies can play a major role in making progress in those areas and DCMS will continue to support them and achieve good results for resorts, including those in Yorkshire, such as we did in the new objective 2 and assisted area maps and in the latest SRB round.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Would my right hon. Friend like to acknowledge the brilliant work that has been done by British civil engineers in disaster relief efforts around the world? May I also take this opportunity to congratulate her on her honorary fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers, which was awarded to her to acknowledge her efforts in international disaster relief?
Clare Short: I am grateful to my hon. Friend--my grandfather would be proud of the fact that I am now a properly qualified engineer--and agree with him. We have in Red R--Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief--an association of United Kingdom engineers who, at a moment's notice, will drop everything and work on projects to provide water and sanitation and to build dams. They proudly serve our country, and we should be enormously proud of them. I am sure that hon. Members on both sides of the House take great pride in what they do.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government Response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's 21 report (Setting Environmental Standards) will be published. [132371]
Mr. Meacher: The Government's Response to the Commission's Report on Setting Environmental Standards has been published today. I wish to express my thanks to the previous Chairman of the Commission, Sir John Houghton, the current Chairman, Sir Tom Blundell, and their colleagues for their continued commitment to issues which are of equal importance to the public as to the Government.
The Government are responding positively to many of the points made by the Commission in its report on Setting Environmental Standards;
On the significance of environmental standards the Government agree with the Commission that the nature of environmental standards has significantly changed over the last 30 years. There are more numerical standards, more standards set internationally and more formal techniques to aid decision-making. There is also increased recognition that environmental standards need to be seen more broadly, hence the emphasis the Government are putting on sustainable development.The full Response will be available on the Department website (www.detr.gov.uk [new window]) and I am placing copies in the Library.On procedures for setting standards the Government agree with the Commission that policy analysis needs to identify various components, such as scientific assessment, risk and economic appraisal. There is a need for transparency in the decision-making process and public values need to be articulated and considered.
On scientific understanding the Government agree with the Commission that limitations and uncertainties in scientific understanding must be openly acknowledged, and that social and ethical considerations must be accounted for.
On technological options the Government agree with the importance the Commission accords life cycle assessment as a tool for managing environmental impacts, and wishes to point out that they are actively addressing particular concerns on chemicals following the Chemicals Strategy.
On risk and uncertainty the Government recognise the importance of transparent risk assessment and would like to point out that much work is in hand by the HSE and the Environment Agency, among others.
On economic appraisal the Government agree with the Commission that economic appraisal is a part of all policy- making, although this can pose particular challenges as many environmental goods cannot be valued in money terms. As part of the "Modernising Government" work on good policy-making, the Cabinet Office has developed a "Toolkit for Policy-makers". The aim of this Toolkit is to ensure that policy makers take into account the impact of policy proposals on environment, business, charities and the voluntary sector, health, race, gender, the disabled, etc.
On implementing environmental policies the Government agree that different instruments should be used in combination to achieve the best result; economic instruments and voluntary agreements are complementary to direct regulation and not alternatives.
On articulating values the Government recognise that traditional methods of consultation are not always adequate, and are making a real effort to give attention to new, more open, participation methods.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the police ombudsman. [129884]
Mr. Ingram: The Ombudsman met with the Secretary of State on 1 November 1999.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the impact of pensions reform on long-term carers. [129342]
Mr. Rooker: Our proposed State Second Pension will help some 2 million carers a year build up entitlement to a second tier pension for the first time.
Each qualifying year of caring will mean about £1 a week extra pension in today's terms. So the greatest gains will go to long-term carers.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): What is the latest date of birth of a BSE-confirmed case.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Nick Brown): With permission, I should like to answer the question orally. An animal born on 25 August 1996 was confirmed as a BSE case on 27 June this year. The date is significant because it is after 1 August 1996, when extra control measures on animal feed containing mammalian meat and bone meal--MBM--had been implemented. The state veterinary service will carry out a special investigation into the background of the case. However, experts have always foreseen that a few cases of BSE could be confirmed in animals born after 1 August 1996. Indeed, an assessment last year on behalf of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee assumed that, by the end of 2000, up to 19 cases born after August 1996 might be identified.
This does not change in any way our view that we have the toughest rules in place to protect public health and to eradicate the disease.
Mr. Quinn: On behalf of all hon. Members, I thank you, Madam Speaker, for allowing my question to be answered orally. It is important for many people in agriculture to be fully informed of all the issues. Given that the animal was born after the ban was in place, what reasons can my right hon. Friend offer for the animal becoming infected? What assessment has he made of the health implications of the news for many consumers in my constituency and throughout the country? What impact will the news have on lifting the international ban on British beef? Does my right hon. Friend propose to hold any discussions on the information with his European colleagues, especially those in France?
Mr. Brown: There are several important points to make. First, I make it absolutely clear that there is no risk to food safety as a result of the case. The Food Standards Agency is issuing a statement to that effect today. The cow--aged 44 months at time of slaughter--would not have entered the human food chain, because of the rules that prevent animals aged over 30 months from getting into the food chain. The animal has one offspring, which has already been traced, and will not enter the food chain.
Secondly, the animal would have been ineligible for our date-based export scheme, not only because of its age, but because its mother was slaughtered as a casualty in November 1996, less than three months after the animal was born. As many hon. Members know, under the date-based export scheme, the dam must survive for at least six months after the birth of the calf and show no signs of BSE.
There is an automatic cull of offspring of animals that are confirmed cases of BSE. That would not, however, prevent cases of maternally transmitted BSE if the dam was slaughtered for reasons other than BSE when the disease was in its pre-clinical phase. That could be the explanation in the case that we are considering.
Investigations into the source of infection are continuing. In accordance with standing procedures, cohort animals born six months either side of the animal will be traced, placed under movement restrictions and barred from the food chain. The state veterinary service will thoroughly investigate the background to the case in order to establish whether anything about the BSE epidemic can be learned from it.
The overall BSE epidemic continues to decline along predicted lines. Details for Great Britain are given in the table that I shall lay before the House today.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what his priorities are for the 2002 review of the common fisheries policy. [127047]
Mr. Morley: The Government wish to maintain key features of the present arrangements such as national quotas based on relative stability and access restrictions within 6/12 mile limits. At the same time, we want to secure improvements to make CFP a more effective instrument for conserving fish stocks, including enhancing the regional dimension and integrating environmental considerations more fully.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Will my right hon. Friend join me in praising the producers of the very good TV commercial that promotes milk, using well known milk drinkers such as George Best? Has he made any assessment of how that will help farmers by affecting farmgate prices?
Mr. Brown: I was wondering whether my hon. Friend was about to invite me to take part in the campaign on the same basis. I support the generic promotion of milk, and think that it is a way forward for producers.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the President of the Council what proposal the Government have made to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons on the tabling and answering of written questions during parliamentary recesses; and if she will make a statement. [126394]
Mrs. Beckett: The Government have made no such proposals.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): I welcome the improvements that my hon. Friend has just described in road safety, particularly on trunk roads, in North Yorkshire. However, will she consider speaking with people at the Highways Agency about progress on the A64 corridor to Scarborough, examining very carefully the growth in traffic that has occurred in the corridor since the general election, and reviewing progress on possible future work on the A64?
Ms Hughes: Certainly. As the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) will know--at the end of February 2000, she received a letter from the Highways Agency outlining all the initiatives on trunk roads, particular safety studies and traffic calming in North Yorkshire--the A64 trunk road and the A1 Bramham to Scarborough is the subject of a route improvement strategy for improving safety, particularly in relation to the A64 between the A1 and Scarborough. The strategy has recently been presented to the regional planning forum for its agreement, and includes a variety of individual proposals designed to deal with the problems that my hon. Friend rightly raises.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote family-friendly holidays at traditional seaside resorts. [123687]
Mr. Chris Smith: Later this year the English Tourism Council, which is sponsored by my Department, will be undertaking a new programme of research to examine the current provision for family holidays in England. The research will aim to gain a better understanding of the market and to identify opportunities for growth particularly at seaside resorts.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many employers have signed up to support the New Deal in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. [123352]
Ms Jowell: By the end of April, 7,000 employers in Yorkshire and the Humber Region had signed agreements supporting the New Deal.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): What contribution the Crown Prosecution Service will make towards the Lord Chancellor's review of the criminal courts system. [122430]
The Solicitor-General (Mr. Ross Cranston): The Crown Prosecution Service is playing its full part in Lord Justice Auld's review of the criminal courts. An experienced CPS prosecutor, Nasrin Khan, has been seconded to the secretariat to Sir Robin Auld for the duration of the review. Staff from across the CPS are attending the seminars being organised by Lord Justice Auld and there are other contributions to his deliberations.
Mr. Quinn: Is my hon. and learned Friend able to tell the House what have been the key topics and priorities discussed with Lord Justice Auld about the work done by the Director of Public Prosecutions?
The Solicitor-General: One of our main concerns is listing in the courts. The CPS has found in the past that magistrates courts often adopt listing procedures that do not take into account the need for an efficient operation of the CPS. Appeals in cases of judge-directed acquittals is another important topic. In some cases, judges have decided on abuse-of-process grounds that charges should be dismissed and we take the view that that matter should be subject to review. The Home Office has referred it to the Law Commission, but a whole range of features involving management and other aspects of the operation of the courts is being considered.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Returning to the real purpose of Question 6, which was about subsidies for arable farming--
Madam Speaker: Order. We do not go back to other questions. If the hon. Gentleman is prepared to ask a supplementary on this question, I shall listen to him.
Mr. Quinn: It is a supplementary question, Madam Speaker.
On Friday evening, I attended a meeting of the National Farmers Union in Scarborough, where there was much concern about the effect of agrimonetary compensation and the impact of the weak euro. Can my right hon. Friend find time to come with me to meet members of the NFU in Scarborough to talk about that subject?
Mr. Brown: I am more than willing to meet members of the NFU; indeed, I think I have met most of them personally over the past few years. If I have not done so, it certainly feels like that. The Government have made use of agrimonetary compensation to try to provide some short-term support for the industry, but that is not the long-term answer to the industry's problems. I am more than willing to join my hon. Friend to discuss the way forward with local farmers in Scarborough.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Western Sahara. [123648]
Mr. Hain: With the support of the UN Security Council, James Baker, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on the Western Sahara recently visited several north African countries to assess the prospects for resolving the long-standing dispute over the Western Sahara.
Following these visits, Mr. Baker invited the two main parties--Morocco and the Polisario Front--and the two front-line states--Algeria and Mauritania--to meet in order to consider the options for moving discussions forward. The UN asked the British Government if we could provide a venue for 14 May. We agreed, and the UN accepted our offer of Lancaster House.
We welcome the willingness of the two parties to engage. We hope they will respect the spirit and aims of Mr. Baker's mission and work with him to secure an early, durable and agreed resolution of this dispute.
The 14 May talks were private and conducted throughout by Mr. Baker and his United Nations team. The UK's role was limited in this instance to logistical support. But I hope it sends a clear signal of our continuing willingness to support UN efforts to resolve conflicts in the African continent.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): May I urge my right hon. Friend to give particular consideration to the plight of older people living in rural communities such as Scarborough and Whitby, who are somewhat remote from the facilities usually found in urban areas? Will he use his new post to take account of that significant group?
Mr. Darling: My hon. Friend makes an important point, especially about transport. As he will know, one of the steps we have taken is the extension of concessionary travel to people who have retired, because we think they should have access to services and facilities. Our object must be to make opportunities for the over-50s as real in the country as they are in cities and towns.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): The Minister will be aware that seaside communities such as Scarborough and Whitby have a seasonal employment problem, inasmuch as people are taken on for the season. What discussions have taken place with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport--particularly with the Minister for Tourism--regarding the tourism and hospitality industry, where there is a problem in terms of the seasonality of employment? What information packages will be made available for small employers, which are the bedrock of many of these economies?
Mr. Johnson: My hon. Friend raises an important point. We looked at this matter when we introduced the minimum wage--and we included such staff--and again when we introduced the working time directive. For the first time, all of those workers now have the right to rest breaks and paid holidays. We will discuss with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport--which has an important role--the introduction of the fixed-term working directive to ensure that we give maximum protection without destroying the flexibility which my hon. Friend will appreciate is necessary in those areas.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): If she will make a statement on the progress with introducing information technology into government. [120440]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Graham Stringer): On 31 March, we published "e-government"--a strategic framework for public services in the information age. Departments have been asked to set out their e-business strategies by October 2000, with the e-envoy reporting to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on the contents and progress in December 2000.
Mr. Quinn: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. May I urge him in developing Government policy on the information age to have due regard to all those in our society who have difficulties and find information technology a challenge? May I also urge him to ensure that we make use of the possibilities of the new computer platforms that will be available in post offices, especially in rural and suburban communities?
Mr. Stringer: My hon. Friend makes a valid point. E-business and e-government are meant to provide an additional service, not to exclude anyone. While there is a demand for face-to-face meetings, the Government are committed to providing such services. The e-service is an additional service.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Does my hon. Friend agree that if there is to be a real renaissance in seaside resorts throughout the country, building on the Government's extra help for those resorts, we need an urgent review of transportation corridors to places such as Scarborough--for example, the A64? What representations has she been able to make to Ministers at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on that subject?
Janet Anderson: My hon. Friend will recall that on 1 March my Department held a tourism summit with Ministers from Departments throughout the Government--the first time that such a meeting had ever taken place. It was intended to ensure that tourism was put at the heart of government, and my hon. Friend's point is exactly the sort of issue that we raised with the DETR. We look forward to further discussions with that Department.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets he has set for the (a) Driving Standards Agency, (b) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (c) Vehicle Certification Agency and (d) the Vehicle Inspectorate. [120280]
Mr. Hill: Key targets have been set for the agencies. They are included in the agencies' business plans which also include management objectives, performance indicators and key tasks appropriate to the agencies' businesses. Copies of the business plans will be placed in the Library in due course.
The key targets for the Driving Standards Agency are to: contribute to the achievement of a 40 per cent. reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road accidents, in the age group up to age 24 years, by 2010 (compared with an average for 1994-98) and to achieve the following customer service targets:
The key targets for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are to:
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans to improve quality standards in the construction industry. [116169]
Ms Beverley Hughes: I am pleased to announce that this week the first pilot of the quality mark scheme--in Birmingham--is being opened to builders who want to join. A list of approved builders will be available to consumers in the city later in the summer. The pilots in Birmingham and, later, Somerset are a key stage in testing and developing the scheme. Once we have extracted the lessons from them we will review the quality mark and then roll it out across the country.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the Ministers responsible for regulatory reform; and if she will make a statement. [117920]
Marjorie Mowlam: The Ministers for Regulatory Reform in the key regulatory Departments are:
HM Treasury--Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo MP) Department of Trade and Industry--Minister of State (Patricia Hewitt MP)Ministers for Regulatory Reform in other regulatory Departments are:
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Whitty)
Department of Health--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Hunt)
Home Office--Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Mike O'Brien MP)
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food--Minister of State (the right hon. Joyce Quin MP)
Department for Education and Employment--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Margaret Hodge MP).
Department for Culture, Media and Sport--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Janet Anderson MP)The Ministers were appointed to drive forward the better regulation agenda throughout Government. They are charged with:
Department for Social Security--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Hugh Bayley MP)
Ministry of Defence--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Dr. Lewis Moonie MP)
Lord Chancellor's Department--Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Jane Kennedy MP).
removing any regulations which are outdated or burdensome, and;On 30 March the Prime Minister and I met Regulatory Reform Ministers at Downing Street to discuss progress.
ensuring that any necessary new regulations are introduced at the least cost to business.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the accountability of regional quangos to the people of their regions. [116329]
Ms Beverley Hughes: As executive NDPBs, the eight Regional Development Agencies are accountable to Ministers and Parliament. They are required, by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, to take account of the views of voluntary regional chambers in preparing their strategies, and to give an account of their activities to the chambers. Chambers are representative of the people in the regions that they serve: 70 per cent. of their members are elected members of the region's local authorities, with the remaining 30 per cent. drawn from the region's social, economic and environmental sectors.
Mr. Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met representatives of the regional chambers to discuss possible future development in regional Government. [116330]
Ms Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and the Regions and I met representatives of all but one of the regional chambers on 16 December to discuss a range of issues, including the future development of regional governance.
Mr. Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will set a date for a referendum on the creation of a directly elected regional assembly in Yorkshire and Humberside. [116370]
Ms Beverley Hughes: The Government are committed to move to directly elected regional government in England, where there is support demonstrated in a referendum. While no date has yet been set, Yorkshire and the Humber is strengthening its regional presence through the work of Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Chamber for Yorkshire and Humberside, and other regional stakeholders.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the notional time commitment of each chair of the regional non-departmental public bodies. [116360]
Dr. Howells: The time commitment for chairs of the Post Office Users Councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is up to 50 days per annum. The average commitment for the chairs of the seven Regional Industrial Development Boards is of the order of one meeting a month lasting approximately two hours, plus the time required to read case papers beforehand.
Mr. Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
Mr. Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
| Board membership (18) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-departmental body: regional | Chairman's time input (19) | Total | (a) Male | (b) Female |
| Regional Development Agencies | ||||
| Eastern | 2 dpw | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| North East | 3 dpw | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| North West | 3 dpw | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| South East | 2 dpw | 13 | 9 | 4 |
| South West | 2 dpw | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| East Midlands | 3 dpw | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| West Midlands | 3 dpw | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 3 dpw | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Total (RDAs) | 105 | 78 | 27 | |
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many board members he appoints to each non- departmental public body. [116337]
Mr. Denham: Full lists of the non-departmental public bodies to which my right hon. Friend makes appointments are published in "Public Bodies 1999" (ISBN 0 11 430159 X) and in the "Department of Health Public Appointments Annual Report 1999", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many objections he received when he consulted on the location of boundaries for the regional development agencies. [116331]
Ms Beverley Hughes: We received 198 responses to our consultation paper, "Regional Development Agencies--Issues for Discussion", which was published in 1997. Of these responses, there were two objections to the boundaries proposed for the RDAs.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Is my right hon. Friend aware of the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the end of last week in which he pointed out that 3,000 extra cashpoint machines will be available in rural post offices? Many people will want to receive their benefits through the new system and, despite the scaremongering of Conservative Members, that will add to the renaissance of services in rural areas.
Mr. Darling: My hon. Friend is right. The Post Office already has an alliance with, I think, three banks and offers banking facilities as a result of that. I fail to understand the policy of the Conservative party. I know that it is conservative in every sense of the word, but its recipe is to do absolutely nothing and to stick with a system that is not sustainable. That is nonsensical and it would also cost the DSS substantial sums in administrative costs and in money lost through fraud and error. Surely nobody in their right mind could defend that, but let us hear what the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) has to say.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effect of the reduced rate of tax on savings announced in the Pre-Budget report on pensioner incomes in Yorkshire and the Humber. [101785]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Approximately 120,000 pensioners in Yorkshire and the Humber will benefit, by an average of about £70 a year, from the extension of the 10p starting rate of tax to savings income.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how he proposes to carry out the review of offences relating to the entry into the sea of noxious, poisonous or polluting matter following marine casualties, which he announced in response to Lord Donaldson's report on salvage and intervention and their command and control. [103550]
Mr. Hill: My right hon. Friend has decided that the review should have the following terms of reference:
To review the basis of, and the systems for, prosecutions in the United Kingdom for offences related to the entry into the sea of noxious, poisonous or polluting matter following marine casualties. The Review will consider how these systems should reflect the public interest of having appropriate sanctions available under the criminal law in cases where such entry occurs while not discouraging appropriate prevention, salvage and clean-up operations.The Review will be carried out by a consultant, Mr. Colin Ingram, working under the supervision of a team of DETR officials. Since the Merchant Shipping legislation is a reserved matter, while the water legislation is a devolved matter, this team will need to work in close co-operation with the devolved administrations. All organisations that are known to have an interest will be invited to make submissions to the review. The invitation will also be posted on the DETR website, and we shall welcome other submissions.The Review will focus on offences under Part III of the Water Resources Act 1991 in respect of England and Wales and Part VI of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, in so far as they relate to entry of such matter resulting from marine casualties and their associated salvage and clean-up operations.
The Review will also consider in so far as it is appropriate to do so, the offence of public nuisance (including the statutory nuisance procedure) and offences relating to the entry of such matter from ships in cases which may not in themselves represent or follow marine casualties.
The results of the Review will also, if possible, take account of the outcome of the appeal against sentencing of Milford Haven Port Authority following its prosecution in connection with the Sea Empress casualty.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): Before my hon. Friend leaves the safety issue, I wonder whether he will take the opportunity to commend the work that has been done by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution during the 175 years of its existence. In my constituency, many fishermen serve on the local boats and instil the safety culture to which my hon. Friend referred. I am sure that all hon. Members would join me in commending the excellent work that the RNLI has done over 175 years.
Mr. Morley: I am very pleased to join my hon. Friend in supporting the work that the RNLI has done.
It is true that many of its crews are from the local fishing community, and that they serve us very well.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to ensure equal opportunity and access for children who have special educational needs.
Jacqui Smith: The Government's strategy for raising standards for pupils with special educational needs is set out in the document "Meeting Special Educational Needs: A programme of action" published in November 1998. One strand of this programme was to expand the Schools Access Initiative to fund capital allocations to make mainstream schools more accessible to pupils with disabilities. We have allocated £20 million in the 1999-2000 financial year and expect to allocate a further £80 million over the next two years.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the progress of the pilot scheme for the New Deal for the disabled as it affects Scarborough and Whitby.
Mr. Bayley: There are 12 Personal Adviser Service pilots within the New Deal for Disabled People. The North Yorkshire pilot, which includes my hon. Friend's constituency, is one of these and was the most recent to start. It has so far helped 24 disabled people into work, including 10 in the last month. Overall the New Deal for Disabled People has helped nearly 1,500 people into jobs.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): If he will make a statement regarding the developments in working relationships between the North Yorkshire police and the Crown Prosecution Service in Scarborough and Whitby.
The Solicitor-General: The CPS and the police in north Yorkshire continue to build on their excellent working relationships through the successful implementation of the Narey measures to reduce delay. They are currently working closely together in the planning for the implementation of the Glidewell criminal justice and trial units.
Mr. Quinn: Will my hon. and learned Friend say how effective the CPS has been in the Scarborough and Whitby area in delivering the Government's key manifesto pledge to reduce the time taken to bring persistent young offenders to trial? When I meet law enforcement officers in the area, I get the impression that we are doing better than merely delivering on that pledge. Is not that an example for the whole country?
The Solicitor-General: My hon. Friend is right. I just happen to have with me the figures for Scarborough, which show that the average time for bringing persistent young offenders to trial there has fallen to 36 days. That is well below the target average of 71 days, and gives the lie to the point made by the hon. Member for South Dorset (Mr. Bruce) a few moments ago. I should add that the Scarborough office's record has been very good in that regard, and was used as an example for the Narey provisions.
I know that my hon. Friend has good relations with the CPS. His constituency office contacts the service from time to time, and he spent a long time with the service in the summer. He has a reputation as a hard-working local Member of Parliament, and his visit to the Scarborough office of the CPS was very much appreciated.
Mr. Lawrie Quinn (Scarborough and Whitby): To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what representations he has received concerning St. John's Church within the Parish of Whitby; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stuart Bell: Following publication of a draft Scheme to declare the church redundant the Commissioners received nine representations in favour of closure and four against, including a petition. After careful consideration, the Commissioners' Pastoral Committee, acting in its quasi-judicial role, concluded that the church was pastorally required and upheld the representations against the draft scheme.
Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO
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