Recent speeches and parliamentary questions in the House of Commons in the 2005-6 sessionWhile speaking in the chamber of the House is a high profile activity for an MP, much other work is done elsewhere, in committee, as well as a large casework load for constituents. |
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I welcome the fact that things will be more certain in future, as without doubt my farmers have suffered over the past 12 months. May I draw the Secretary of State's attention to the work force at Edenbridge house, where 400 of my constituents are employed by the Rural Payments Agency on the front line? They work hard, and have changed their shift patterns - it was terrible that the Lib Dems denigrated what they have done - so will my right hon. Friend put it on record that it is not their fault that the system has not worked? Will he put his appreciation on record as well?
David Miliband: My hon. Friend speaks with authority and experience in this area, and I am certainly happy to extend my thanks to the hard-working staff in his constituency. It is an old rule that soldiers should never be blamed for the mistakes of their generals, and I am happy to affirm that principle today.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): My concern is that the amendment could drive a coach and horses through the provisions in the Bill. If my hon. Friend recalls the position, vets should not - ethically speaking - be docking tails, but some are doing so. My fear is that those vets who are prepared to dock tails will accept any dog as falling within the definition.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): If they did so, they would be in contravention of the Bill. I do not want to revisit the long debates we had on the issue. My hon. Friend lost the vote when we had a free vote, and those of us who advocated an exemption for working breeds won the vote. We have worked hard to try to make the process as easy as possible. If one looks at the animal welfare provision in countries that have the blanket ban that he advocates, it is apparent that it does not work in many cases, because they do not have the accompanying ban on showing, for example, or they have not tightened the regulations in the way we have. My officials and I are confident that this is probably the best we are going to get, given the will of the House as expressed in that free vote. At this late hour, it is not even possible to revisit that.
A further set of amendments was agreed in the other place, prompted by concerns raised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. It was worried that vets could be accountable if they had been misled into docking a dog illegally and that assessing a dog as "likely to work" from evidence provided was not within their professional expertise and training. Instead, the amendments will allow a vet to certify that he has seen the evidence required by regulations to demonstrate that a dog is likely to work.
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Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): The Animal Welfare Bill is a landmark Bill. It is tremendous; anybody who is involved in animal welfare will applaud it. In the future, when the Minister looks back following a long ministerial career, he will take pride in the fact that he took it through the House.
I wish to say something about the regulations on racing greyhounds. As has been pointed out, earlier this year in The Sunday Times there was an horrendous story about the slaughter of up to 10,000 greyhounds in County Durham. There is obviously an urgent need to address the issue. Can the Minister give us an idea of what the timetable will be for that, and what attention will be given to non-regulated tracks?
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): On greyhounds, my noble Fried Lord Rooker gave a firm commitment on Report in another place that we will draft a regulation by 2008. The matter has rightly been given higher priority following concerns expressed in the press about abuse - although we must be careful what we say because it is currently sub judice. I look forward to the report from the all-party group on animal welfare, which is conducting an inquiry into the welfare of greyhounds. We are still keen on self-regulation if possible, but only if all concerned can be satisfied that open and auditable self-regulation is possible. When I meet representatives of the greyhound industry tomorrow, I will ask them to deliver, as a minimum, four key points. We believe that the National Greyhound Racing Club should have a new name, should appoint more stipendiary stewards, and should have in place, or expect to have in the near future, UK service accreditation; and that the British Greyhound Racing Board should announce a significant increase in welfare funding. Should those requirements not be achieved, we will look to appoint an outside regulator.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): As my hon. Friend is aware, I take a keen interest in flood defences not only in East Anglia but in my constituency. I am pleased to hear that there will be no cuts in the capital budget for flood defences, but will my hon. Friend seriously consider increasing the amount of money available? I would not want any other city to go through the problems that mine did.
The Minister for Climate Change and the Environment (Ian Pearson): I know that my hon. Friend takes a keen interest in these matters and he will appreciate that we must take decisions on flood defence budgets as part of a comprehensive spending review. I repeat that spending on flood and coastal erosion has gone up by 35 per cent. in real terms since 1996-97, so the money has been going in. As a result of that, some £4 billion has been invested. That shows that the Government are taking seriously our commitment to protect our citizens who may be affected by flood and coastal erosion.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): May I ask my hon. Friend not to rush into a decision on this very important issue? I do not think that there is any support in this House or among the general public for a mass cull. Where are we as regards developing a vaccine for this terrible disease?
Mr. Bradshaw: We are already conducting field trials of a badger vaccine, and we are working out the best way of conducting similar trials on cattle. I do not think that my hon. Friend is right when he says that there is no support in this House for a cull of badgers. That is the official policy of the Conservatives and of the Liberal Democrats, but they have not quite explained how they would do it in an effective and sustainable way.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what resources are being deployed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection to assess whether Cumbria county council is complying with national standards in the delivery of services for the care of children. [80689]
Beverley Hughes: This is a matter for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). David Behan, CSCI's Chief Inspector, has written to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from David Behan, dated 10 July 2006:
You recently asked a Parliamentary Question of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. The question was:
"What resources are being deployed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection to assess whether Cumbria County Council is complying with national standards in the delivery of services for the care of children?"
That question has been referred to me for reply.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection has a team of local inspectors based at Penrith who are responsible for assessing residential and domiciliary care services for both adults and children in Cumbria. Inspectors assess services against the same standards regardless of whether those services are provided by the County Council or the private or voluntary sector.
In addition to this, there have been service inspections, which cover assessment and care management delivered by the social services authority (Cumbria CC) as well as direct care provision. Specific inspections for Children's Services were carried out most recently in 2003, with a follow up inspection carried out in 2004. A service inspection team is currently working with Ofsted on a Joint Area Review of all Children's Services in Cumbria. This will report in September.
Until last year Social Services in Cumbria were receiving monthly monitoring visits and additional support because of concerns over their performance. In the performance assessment published in December 2005 the council was awarded one star, up from zero stars the previous year. The 2005 judgements in relation to children's services were that Cumbria were serving some children well, with promising capacity to improve.
The budget available to the Penrith office in 2006/07 totals £937,000. Of this, staffing costs are £872,000. Cumbria County Council is the only council in the Penrith Office's jurisdiction. There is one Business Relationship Manager (BRM) and one Performance Information Manager (PIM) with responsibility for Cumbria County Council (as well as Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council). In addition to this, there are two Regional Managers and twelve dedicated Regulation Inspectors (two deal with children's resources and ten with adults) for Cumbria region.
A copy of this answer is being sent to DfES who will make arrangements with the Parliamentary authorities for the answer to be placed in the official record (Hansard).
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): What representations he has received on the number of birds killed at Carlisle railway station. [83847]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Derek Twigg): We have received no representations about the number of birds killed at Carlisle railway station, though I am aware that some have become trapped in roof netting and have subsequently died. Network Rail tells me that work is due to take place later this year in an effort to resolve the issue.
Mr. Martlew: May I apologise to the House and to my hon. Friend for having to table that question? For three years many other passengers and I have been trying to get Network Rail and Virgin to take away the netting on the station. At present there are 40 dead birds decomposing on the netting. The starlings and pigeons get in and cannot get out. At this time of year, they are being roasted to death. Is it not ridiculous that it takes a parliamentary question to get action on the matter?
Derek Twigg: My hon. Friend is a great advocate for the west coast main line development and takes a great interest in all the happenings at Carlisle station, including those involving birds. The situation is clearly unacceptable. Network Rail and Virgin are working together and hope to do something about it later this year. It is possible that something could be done to remove the dead birds and deal with the netting and access in future, but it is a particularly difficult area to deal with because of the nature of the station. Hopefully, action can be taken in August to resolve the problem.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms in the Carlisle district council area have (a) started and (b) ceased trading in each year since 1995. [80328]
Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business starts and closures. DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations and de-registrations for Carlisle local authority are shown in the table for 1995 to 2004 inclusive. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006. For comparison, the VAT registered business stock in Carlisle is also shown.
| Year | Registrations | De-registrations | Registered business stock at end of year |
| 1995 | 205 | 250 | 3,075 |
| 1996 | 180 | 220 | 3,030 |
| 1997 | 210 | 195 | 3,045 |
| 1998 | 210 | 195 | 3,060 |
| 1999 | 215 | 215 | 3,060 |
| 2000 | 220 | 210 | 3,060 |
| 2001 | 245 | 195 | 3,115 |
| 2002 | 260 | 200 | 3,175 |
| 2003 | 280 | 215 | 3,240 |
| 2004 | 285 | 210 | 3,315 |
| Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats. Due to rounding, the stock at the end of the previous year, plus registrations during the year, minus deregistrations during the year, may not exactly match the stock at the end of the year | |||
In Carlisle local authority the stock of VAT registered businesses has increased every year from 2,000 onwards, as registrations have exceeded de-registrations throughout this period.
VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million businesses (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.
According to Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation, which includes non-VAT registered businesses, Carlisle local authority had 400 business start-ups in 2005. Barclays business closure data are not available for local authorities. Barclays business start-up data are not available for local authorities before 2005.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the proposed date is for digital television switchover in each parliamentary constituency in the UK. [81104]
Mr. Woodward: Digital switchover is being rolled out in relation to ITV regions and will happen between 2008 and 2012 in the following order:
| ITV region | |
| 2008 | Border |
| 2009 | West Country, HTV Wales, Granada |
| 2010 | HTV West, Grampian, Scottish Television |
| 2011 | Yorkshire, Anglia, Central |
| 2012 | Meridian, Carlton/LWT (London), Tyne Tees, Ulster |
I will soon be writing to hon. Members to give them more details on switchover implementation.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in each electoral ward in Carlisle constituency receive pension credit. [81105]
James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
| Pension credit individual beneficiaries in Carlisle, November 2005 | |
| Ward name( 1) | Individual beneficiaries( 2) |
| Belah | 225 |
| Belle Vue | 295 |
| Botcherby | 380 |
| Burgh | 45 |
| Castle | 305 |
| Currock | 255 |
| Dalston | 190 |
| Denton Holme | 365 |
| Harraby | 385 |
| Morton | 585 |
| St. Aidans | 320 |
| Stanwix Urban(3) | 230 |
| Upperby | 505 |
| Yewdale | 250 |
| Carlisle constituency total | 4,280 |
| (1) Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries. (2) The number of individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners. (3) Only part of Stanwix Urban ward falls within Carlisle parliamentary constituency. Note: Number of individual beneficiaries are rounded to a multiple of five, therefore ward totals do not always sum to area totals. Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data. | |
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role the North West Regional Assembly will play in determining the priority given to the building of the Carlisle northern development road. [80690]
Dr. Ladyman: We asked the regions to advise us on their priorities for major transport schemes within the indicative regional funding allocations that were announced in July 2005. We are currently considering the North West region's advice, which the North West regional assembly were involved in determining, on the priority it attaches to the Carlisle Northern Development Route and other major transport schemes in the North West. We hope to announce our response to the region's advice before the parliamentary summer recess. This scheme is currently assumed to be funded through the private finance initiative (PFI) with only a small element coming from the regional funding allocation. We are currently considering Cumbria's bid for an increase in PFI funding requirement.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department has taken to reduce poverty in Carlisle. [80696]
Mr. Timms: The Treasury has, in partnership with other Government Departments, tackled poverty and promoted economic opportunity through:
Across the UK, these measures have helped lift more than a million people out of poverty since 1997. Tax credits are benefiting more than 550,000 families in the North West region, and in Carlisle, claimant unemployment has fallen by over 50 per cent., youth unemployment has fallen by 70 per cent. and long-term unemployment has fallen by 82 per cent.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were employed in (a) dairy farming, (b) beef farming, (c) sheep farming, (d) arable farming, (e) mixed farming and (f) other forms of farming in Cumbria in (i) 1990, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2005. [78941]
Barry Gardiner: The number of workers on agricultural and horticultural holdings by farm type in Cumbria is as follows;
| 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | ||||
| Farm type | Employees | Total labour | Employees | Total labour | Employees | Total labour |
| Cereals | 22 | 74 | (1) - | 102 | 74 | 294 |
| General cropping | 30 | 60 | (1) - | 16 | 66 | 122 |
| Horticulture | 144 | 250 | 135 | 296 | 194 | 384 |
| Pigs and poultry | 138 | 273 | 127 | 325 | 143 | 481 |
| Dairy | 1,875 | 5,334 | 1,314 | 4,402 | 1,016 | 3,642 |
| LFA - grazing livestock | 1,179 | 4,024 | 869 | 3,976 | 843 | 4,097 |
| Lowland - grazing livestock | 948 | 3,368 | 776 | 3,331 | 457 | 2,460 |
| Mixed | 219 | 485 | 162 | 474 | 248 | 900 |
| Other types | 106 | 612 | 90 | 848 | 113 | 757 |
| All types | 4,661 | 14,480 | 3,504 | 13,770 | 3,154 | 13,139 |
| (1)Indicates data withheld on order to prevent the disclosure of individual holding data, in accordance with the Agricultural Statistics Act 1979. Notes: 1. Total employees include full and part-time regular workers, salaried managers and casual workers. 2. Total labour force included all employees plus farmers, partners, directors and their spouses if working on the holding. 3. Figures for 1995 refer to main holdings only. Figures for 2000 and 2005 include all holdings. Source: June Agricultural Survey. | ||||||
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) resignations and (b) retirements of police officers from Cumbria police force there have been in each year since 1995. [78940]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is provided in the table. Figures are available only from March 1996.
| Full-time equivalent( 1) police officer resignations and retirements in Cumbria, 1996-2005 | ||
| As at 31 March | Voluntary resignations( 2) | Retirements( 3) |
| 1996 | 4 | 39 |
| 1997 | 11 | 46 |
| 1998 | 7 | 45 |
| 1999 | 19 | 36 |
| 2000 | 9 | 50 |
| 2001 | 8 | 53 |
| 2002 | 11 | 30 |
| 2003 | 9 | 30 |
| 2004 | 11 | 32 |
| 2005 | 15 | 24 |
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress has been made in reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured in road accidents. [76590]
Dr. Ladyman: Our provisional statistics for 2005 indicate that there were 32,150 people killed or seriously injured in accidents reported to the police in Great Britain, 33 per cent. below the 1994-98 baseline average.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there were per head of population in the Carlisle primary care trust area in each year since 1996. [67328]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. However, data for the Carlisle primary care trust (PCT) dating back to 2001 is shown in the following table.
| General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1) per 100,000 head of population, for Carlisle and district PCT, 2001-05 | ||
| All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1) | All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1) per 100,000 head of population | |
| 2001 | 71 | 62.2 |
| 2002 | 72 | 62.9 |
| 2003 | 74 | 64.2 |
| 2004 | 75 | 64.1 |
| 2005 | 80 | 68.4 |
| ".."denotes data not applicable. (1) General medical practitioners, excluding retainers and registrars, includes contracted general practitioners (GPs), general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004, this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners. Notes: 1. 2004 population figures from the 2001 Office for National Statistics (ONS) resident estimates have been used for 2005 calculations, as population figures for 2005 at organisation level are not yet available, this figure is therefore subject to change. 2. GP figures given for September 2005, but as yet ONS have not published an up to date 2005 population figure by organisation. Therefore, the calculation for 2005 is based on the 2004 population figures and is therefore subject to change. 3. Data as at 1 October 1996 to 1999 and 30 September 2000 to 2005. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, general and personal medical services statistics 2001 ONS Population Census | ||
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case. [70047]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings. Civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and business delivery. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.
The Department has no contracts with Portland PR.
I have asked the Chief Executives of the Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
Letter from Dr. Jeff Llewellyn, dated 6 June 2006:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
NWML has had no dealings with Portland PR to date.
Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 6 June 2006:
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to your question (2005/4520) requesting what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry does not use external PR agencies to carry out any PR activity. The Service has not had any contact and has not made any approaches to set up any contracts to work with Portland PR.
Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 6 June 2006:
I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
Companies House has no contracts with Portland PR, and I am not aware of any meetings having taken place between Companies House staff and this company.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of television viewers in the Border Television area cannot receive digital television. [74927]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Shaun Woodward)Currently digital terrestrial television is available to over half of the population of Border region, and the vast majority of households can receive digital TV services via digital satellite, terrestrial or cable. 70 per cent. of households in Border have already chosen to take up digital TV.
After switchover, which takes place in Border in 2008, UK digital terrestrial television coverage will match the current analogue coverage of 98.5 per cent.
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Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I thank my hon. Friend for coming to Carlisle and addressing the conference on the digital switchover - it was very much appreciated - and for saying that his Department will co-operate with the parliamentary Committee that will be set up to look at it. The Border Television area, part of which I represent, will be the first to switch over in 2008. I understand that the pilot scheme that was recently carried out in Bolton has now reported. Are there any lessons that people in the Border Television area can learn from the results of that pilot?
Mr. Woodward: I thank my hon. Friend for chairing an excellent conference a few weeks ago, which I enjoyed attending. He is right that Border will be the first region where digital switchover will happen. We know from the pilots so far that 97 to 98 per cent. of people in Bolton who experienced switchover liked it. We also found that it was the oldest people and those who are the most severely disabled who had a problem, so we are rightly focusing - in terms of practical help, call centres and targeting of resources - on those whom we believe are most likely to need help. We have learned a lot from the pilots and we are intending to build that into our programme for the Border region. I am sure that, before we begin the work, which after all is still two years away, there will be more lessons to be learned so that we can ensure that my hon. Friend and his constituents are not only the first chapter of the story but one of the best.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the most accurate methods of estimating the badger population are; and what the margins of error are. [73569]
Mr. Bradshaw: For small scale surveys, of individual or a small number of social groups, DEFRA-funded research has used DNA fingerprinting of faecal samples obtained from badger latrines to identify the number of individuals present. Due to cost this method is not appropriate for use over large areas.
Widescale national surveys have been based on counting the number of active badger setts, but this method cannot identify the number of animals using each sett and is insensitive to changes in social group size. In these circumstances night-time lamping surveys can be used to estimate badger densities on pasture. The margins of error of each method depend on the number of samples collected and no generalisations can be made.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in Cumbria are in receipt of the education maintenance allowance. [67331]
Mr. Dhanda: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 5 May 2006:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked "How many pupils in Cumbria are in receipt of the education maintenance allowance?"
By the end of March 2006, 3,611 young people in the Cumbria local education authority area had applied, enrolled and received one or more EMA payment during the academic year 2005/06.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): Is the Minister aware that Tesco plans to build a second massive store in my constituency, which will destroy a local shopping area and create massive traffic congestion? When I expressed doubts about it, I was attacked by Tesco's propaganda machine. Is not the reality that Tesco is changing from a giant into a monster?
Mr. Bradshaw: I am sure that my hon. Friend is a big enough man to take on the Tesco propaganda machine. It would be improper for me to comment on an individual planning application, although I remind him that the Government have changed the planning guidance to make it more difficult to build out-of-town supermarkets of the type to which he refers. I was also pleased this week to see the major supermarkets, including Tesco, almost falling over each other in an attempt to prove their green credentials - not unrelated, I think, to the Government's recent publication of our new sustainable food and farming policy.
Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome) (LD): It is always difficult when we discuss our own salaries and emoluments in this House. I must admit that many hon. Members whom I number among my friends and acquaintances regret the fact that it falls to me to speak from the Liberal Democrat Front Bench on such matters, because I have something of a reputation for taking a puritanical view of them. Indeed, I am very clear that in fact and in perception we must be extraordinarily careful that we do not seem to be giving ourselves preferential treatment above those who serve in the public service or the private sector beyond this place. For instance, when we discussed the enhancements made to the pensions of right hon. and hon. Members, I was opposed because I felt that it was a clear example of an occasion when we were protecting our interests rather better than we were able to protect those of many other people.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I share the hon. Gentleman's concern, but if I remember the options on the pension correctly, one could either take it or increase it. What did he do?
Mr. Heath: I did not take it, but that is neither here nor there. I do not want to parade that as an example of virtue - it was simply the way that I personally felt about the issue.
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Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I have been listening to the hon. Gentleman's argument, but I do not quite understand it. If the Chairman of that Bill Committee were a member of the Chairmen's Panel, he would be paid. If he were the Chair of a Select Committee, he would be paid. So why should he not receive payment for chairing this particular Committee?
Mr. Heath: The hon. Member for Mansfield would be paid rather less if he were a member of the Chairmen's Panel. He would be paid as a prospective Standing Committee Chairman, which, by a resolution of the House, would depend on his experience in the role, but he would still receive considerably less than the rate of pay that is felt to be appropriate for a Select Committee Chairman.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average earnings were of full-time employees in (a) Carlisle, (b) Eden, (c) Allerdale, (d) Copeland, (e) Barrow and (f) South Lakes district council areas based on the annual survey of hours and earnings in each year since 1997. [70154]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked her to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to ask what the average earnings of full-time employees in (a) Carlisle, (b) Eden, (c) Allerdale, (d) Copeland, (e) Barrow-In-Furness and (f) South Lakeland was in each year since 1997. (70154)
Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a 1 per cent. sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
| Median | Mean | |
|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | ||
| 1997 | *283 | 324 |
| 1998 | *283 | 326 |
| 1999 | 284 | 345 |
| 2000 | *308 | 348 |
| 2001 | 321 | 363 |
| 2002 | *335 | 374 |
| 2003 | *337 | *410 |
| 2004 | *362 | 402 |
| 2004(2) | *353 | 399 |
| 2005 | *396 | 435 |
| Eden | ||
| 1997 | **256 | *306 |
| 1998 | **249 | *279 |
| 1999 | *238 | *301 |
| 2000 | *258 | *322 |
| 2001 | *275 | *331 |
| 2002 | **327 | *368 |
| 2003 | **323 | *383 |
| 2004 | **340 | *380 |
| 2004(2) | **345 | *374 |
| 2005 | *407 | *470 |
| Allerdale | ||
| 1997 | **287 | 331 |
| 1998 | *293 | 322 |
| 1999 | *310 | 341 |
| 2000 | *308 | 344 |
| 2001 | *349 | 372 |
| 2002 | *340 | *377 |
| 2003 | *346 | *398 |
| 2004 | *327 | *372 |
| 2004(2) | *326 | *369 |
| 2005 | **346 | 406 |
| Copeland | ||
| 1997 | *391 | 419 |
| 1998 | *414 | 429 |
| 1999 | *421 | 458 |
| 2000 | *497 | 496 |
| 2001 | *479 | 482 |
| 2002 | 503 | 511 |
| 2003 | *495 | 517 |
| 2004 | *524 | 541 |
| 2004(2) | *526 | 544 |
| 2005 | *529 | 537 |
| Barrow-In-Furness | ||
| 1997 | **304 | *317 |
| 1998 | *327 | 348 |
| 1999 | **356 | 386 |
| 2000 | **318 | *369 |
| 2001 | *398 | 393 |
| 2002 | **346 | *409 |
| 2003 | *352 | *421 |
| 2004 | **405 | *451 |
| 2004(2) | **390 | *451 |
| 2005 | *402 | *441 |
| South Lakeland | ||
| 1997 | *312 | * 357 |
| 1998 | *295 | * 351 |
| 1999 | *307 | 356 |
| 2000 | *322 | 367 |
| 2001 | *316 | 372 |
| 2002 | *346 | *392 |
| 2003 | *355 | 408 |
| 2004 | *370 | *410 |
| 2004(2) | *366 | *404 |
| 2005 | *369 | *435 |
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average price of farm land in England was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005. [67330]
Barry Gardiner: In 1997 the average price for agricultural land was £6,448 per hectare. Data for 2005 are not yet available, the most recent figures available are for 2004. In 2004 the average price per hectare for agricultural land was £7,786. Please note that figures for 2004 are provisional estimates and could be subject to change.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy levels were in schools in (a) Carlisle constituency, (b) Cumbria and (c) England in each year since 1996. [65752]
Jim Knight: The Department does not hold data on the levels of truancy. However, the figures for the percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence (of which truancy forms a part) in maintained mainstream schools can be found in the following tables:
| Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools due to unauthorised absence | ||||||||
| 1997/98 | 1998/99 | 1999/00 | 2000/01 | 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Cumbria | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.17 | 0.16 |
| England | 0.50 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 0.45 | 0.43 | 0.41 | 0.43 |
| Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools due to unauthorised absence | ||||||||
| 1997/98 | 1998/99 | 1999/00 | 2000/01 | 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Cumbria | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.75 | 0.82 | 0.94 | 0.97 |
| England | 1.10 | 1.07 | 1.04 | 1.07 | 1.09 | 1.07 | 1.13 | 1.23 |
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients were offered a first appointment with a general practitioner within two working days in the Carlisle primary care trust area. [65751]
Mr. Byrne: Latest figures at December 2005 show that 100 per cent., of patients were offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days in the Carlisle primary care trust area.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mortality rate was for (a) chronic lung disease, (b) all forms of cancer and (c) coronary heart disease in Carlisle in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what the (A) neo-natal and (B) perinatal mortality rate was in Carlisle in these years. [60327]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 March 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the (a) mortality rate for (i) chronic lung disease, (ii) coronary heart disease and (iii) all forms of cancer, (b) neonatal mortality rate and (c) perinatal mortality rate was in Carlisle in (A) 1997 and (B) the last year for which figures are available.
The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. These are provided in the table. The table also shows figures for 1997, adjusted to take account of revisions to the International Classification of Diseases, where appropriate.
Death rates(1) from chronic lung disease, malignant cancers and coronary heart disease(2) and neonatal(3) and perinatal(4) death rates for Carlisle local authority(5), 1997 and 2004(6). Mortality rates 1997 2004 Chronic lung disease 41.1 37.5 Cancer 208.5 199.9 Coronary heart disease 182.3 137.4 Neonatal deaths 7.0 1.7 Perinatal deaths 12.2 7.8 (1) Rates per 100,000 population standardised to the European Standard Population.
(2) The causes of death for 2004 were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10):
Chronic lung disease (Chronic lower respiratory disease) - ICD-10 J40-J47.
Cancer (malignant neoplasms) - /CD-70 COO-C97.
Coronary heart disease - ICD-10120-125.
Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.
The causes of death for 1997 were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes used are listed:
Chronic lung disease (Chronic lower respiratory disease) - ICD-9 490-494, 496.
Cancer (malignant neoplasms) - ICD-9 140-208.
Coronary heart disease-ICD-9 410-414.
The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in England and Wales in 2001 means that data for chronic lung disease and cancer are not completely comparable with data for years before this date. The effect of the change in classification in 2001 on deaths from these causes is described in a report published in May 2002:
Office for National Statistics. Results of the ICD-10 bridge coding study, England and Wales, 1999. Health Statistics Quarterly 14 (2002), 75-83.
For chronic lung disease (chronic lower respiratory disease) and cancer (malignant neoplasms) the introduction of ICD-10 caused an increase of 3.2 per cent. and 2.3 per cent. respectively in the number of deaths coded to these conditions in England and Wales. Deaths in 1997 from these causes have been adjusted to provide rates which are comparable with those for 2004.
(3) Deaths under four weeks per 1,000 live births.
(4) Deaths under one week plus stillbirths per 1,000 total live and stillbirths.
(5) Usual residents of Hyndburn local authority. Deaths were assigned to this area using the November 2005 All Fields Postcode Directory.
(6) Deaths registered in each calendar year.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have left school at 16 in (a) Carlisle constituency and (b) Cumbria with less than the equivalent of five GCSEs at A to C grade in each year since 1994. [58586]
Jacqui Smith: Figures at constituency level are only available from 1996/97 onwards. Information is provided below for each academic year from 1996/97 to 2004/05 for Carlisle constituency, Cumbria local authority and England.
| 15-year-old pupils not achieving the equivalent of five GCSEs at A*-C | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle(1) | Cumbria(1) | England(2) | |||
| Academic year | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Percentage |
| 2004/05 | 517 | 50.6 | 2,598 | 43.2 | 43.7 |
| 2003/04 | 494 | 51.0 | 2,699 | 44.7 | 46.3 |
| 2002/03 | 565 | 55.1 | 2,773 | 47.0 | 47.1 |
| 2001/02 | 536 | 54.8 | 2,710 | 47.3 | 48.4 |
| 2000/01 | 525 | 54.6 | 2,897 | 49.2 | 50.0 |
| 1999/2000 | 569 | 55.4 | 2,784 | 49.4 | 50.8 |
| 1998/99 | 585 | 58.4 | 2,963 | 52.4 | 52.1 |
| 1997/98 | 597 | 61.4 | 3,092 | 56.1 | 53.7 |
| 1996/97 | 583 | 59.5 | 3,195 | 56.5 | 54.9 |
(1) Local figures are based on maintained schools only. (2) National figures are based on all schools.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the railway stations in Cumbria which do not have (a) waiting rooms, (b) toilets and (c) disabled access; and if he will make a statement. [58588]
Derek Twigg: There are 44 railway stations in Cumbria that do not have either (a) a waiting room, (b) toilets or (c) disabled access. These are in the following list:
Armathwaite, Arnside, Askam, Aspatria, Barrow in Furness, Bootle, Brampton (Cumbria), Braystones, Burneside, Cark-in-Cartmel, Carnforth, Corkickle, Dalston, Dalton-in-Furness, Dent, Drigg, Flimby, Foxfield, Garsdale, Grange O Sands, Green Road, Harrington, Kendal, Kents Bank, Kirkby Stephen, Kirkby-in-Furness, Langwathby, Lazonby and Kirkoswald, Marypot, Millom, Nertherown, Parton, Ravenglass for Eskdale, Roose, Seascale, Sellafield, Silecroft, St. Bees, Staveley, Ulverston, Wetheral, Wigton, Windermere, Workington
A detailed breakdown of which of these facilities are, or are not available at each of these stations, has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times shipments of (a) nuclear fuel and (b) nuclear waste have passed through Carlisle constituency by rail in the last five years. [58587]
Dr. Ladyman: Information is only available on shipments of irradiated nuclear fuel flasks from nuclear power stations to Sellafield. Because of the nature of the railway network it is likely that shipments from power stations in Scotland and north east England will have passed through Carlisle. The total number of flasks shipped from these power stations (Torness, Hunsterton and Hartlepool) during the last five years were:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 158 |
| 2002 | 150 |
| 2003 | 170 |
| 2004 | 133 |
| 2005 | 132 |
A single train may carry several flasks. Information is not available on how many of these shipments passed through the Carlisle constituency as the route chosen is a matter for the rail operator.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I may be wrong, but I think that I heard my hon. Friend say that there was an exemption for working dogs in Sweden. My understanding is that that is not the case. Does he intend to name the breeds to which the exemptions will apply?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): No, I will not name the breeds now. That will be subject to regulation, but the breeds will be named. That will be part of the template document for the vet, and they would be tightly drawn. My hon. Friend misheard what I said about Germany and Sweden. Sweden has a total ban. Germany has a ban with an exemption for working dogs, but in both countries Governments and animal welfare organisations argue that the much more important aspect is the ban on showing. That is what we are including in the exemption. The ban on showing acts as the biggest disincentive to illegal docking or the import of docked breeds.
+++
Mr. Martlew: Our objection to the new clause is that it will be abused. No dog nowadays should have its tail docked, because since 1993 it has been illegal for anyone but a vet to do that, and the veterinary associations have been against it. I draw my hon. Friend's attention to the discussions on the Hunting Act 2004. My good and hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Paddy Tipping) and I stood shoulder to shoulder on that but we probably provided too many exemptions, and people have abused the Act. Time and again, police forces tell us that they cannot police it. What chance do we have of policing the Under-Secretary's amendments?
Shona McIsaac: I agree. The exemptions would create a massive loophole, which the unscrupulous will abuse. The pain and suffering that the Bill is intended to prevent will thus be perpetuated. My hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) said earlier that the number of tail dockings carried out in this country could not physically be done by the number of vets who are willing to undertake them. It is being done illegally, and that is a serious problem, which the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has identified. Given the nature of some of the people with whom we are dealing, they will exploit any loophole and thus perpetuate pain and suffering.
+++
Mr. Martlew : Does my hon. Friend agree that it is unlikely that the police would dock a five-day-old puppy that they were going to take later? The dogs would never be docked because they would later be doing police work.
Mr. Jones: My hon. Friend is absolutely right and makes the point perfectly that that is not an argument in favour of the exemption.
I accept the evidence of the vets; they work with animals every day, see dogs with docked tails and have great suspicion about where those dogs have been docked and by whom. The only way in which this abuse will be stopped is if we have a total ban on docking, which I urge the House to support.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions on the Canadian seal hunt he had with the Canadian Foreign Minister during their recent meeting; and if he will make a statement. [56759]
Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did not raise the Canadian seal hunt with the Canadian Foreign Minister. However, during an introductory telephone call on Monday 27 February 2006, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry raised the seal hunt with Canadian Minister of International Trade.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I realise that later this year the Government will introduce new laws on booster seats in the back of motor vehicles, but why are there no proposals to make it compulsory for children to wear helmets when cycling? Why does the Department for Transport always turn its face against that sensible proposal?
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): My hon. Friend's first point is quite right. We are introducing new rules so that children under six have to travel in car booster seats and children between six and 11 - up to the age of 12 - have to be on a booster cushion. That is important.
As for cycle helmets, my hon. Friend knows from the last time he introduced a private Member's Bill that there are strongly held views on both sides of the argument. I accept that, although my preference is that people should wear helmets; the more we do to protect people against injury, the better. However, there is no provision in the Bill because there is by no means unanimity about what we ought to do. I have not the slightest doubt that my hon. Friend, and others, will return to the matter, and it is of course open to him to raise it in the various proceedings of the House.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which we pushed through the House despite opposition, gives local authorities tough powers to deal with environmental issues such as litter, fly-posting and graffiti. Is the Prime Minister convinced that local authorities will use those powers?
The Prime Minister: Around 20,000 fixed-penalty notices have been issued by local authorities, but my hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the fact that not enough local authorities are using them. As I constantly say about this issue - which is linked to antisocial behaviour - we have given local communities the powers and resources but it is up to communities themselves to use them. He is right to say that local authorities now have a great deal more power than before, and fixed-penalty notices are a simple way to make sure that things such as dog fouling and littering can be easily dealt with by local authorities, but they need to use the powers they have been given.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): My hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber) made a brilliant speech. Is my hon. Friend the Minister aware of the strength of feeling on the matter among hon. Members? If the Belgians and the Italians, who are also members of the European Union, have introduced a ban, why cannot the Minister announce tonight that Britain will do the same?
The Minister for Trade (Ian Pearson): I shall come to that in a moment. ...... My hon. Friend mentioned the situation in Belgium. It is my understanding that the Belgian Government have introduced a licensing requirement for the importation of seal, cat and dog fur products, but that is not a ban on the importation of seal products; it merely imposes a requirement to apply for a licence on anyone wishing to import such an item. They have a royal decree that proposes to introduce a labelling requirement for cat, dog and seal fur products, but it is still at a fairly early stage. I have asked officials to look into the approach that is being adopted in Belgium. It appears, however, that the Belgian Government have concerns about whether a ban could be justified under both European Union and World Trade Organisation rules. I shall talk to officials about the matter.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I remember that the Conservatives fought the election saying that they would introduce £35 billion of cuts, £600 million of which would come from NHS bureaucracy. Where is the hon. Gentleman going to make those cuts? What would he do?
Mr. Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury) (Con): Apart from the fact that the Government are clearly attempting to fulfil their own manifesto promise of £250 billion of cuts, the hon. Gentleman should not read so much into the note distributed to him and his fellow Back Benchers by the Labour health team, and signed by the special advisers to the Secretary of State, that tries to suggest that that is our position, not recognising that it is nothing to do with the policy that we promote.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills What discussions she has had with local authorities about extended schools. [41080]
Beverley Hughes: Local authorities have a vital role to play in developing extended services as part of their work on "Every Child Matters". We meet regularly with local authorities. Good progress is being made. All local authorities are establishing strategic plans within their children and young people plans. Schools will have a new legal duty to have regard to those plans when developing extended services. The national remodelling team, which is working with all local authorities, report the good progress that, thus far, 4,400 schools have expressed their willingness to develop extended services.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): Only a year ago, my constituency experienced the worst flooding in the United Kingdom. Electricity was cut off in 150,000 properties for three days because of substation flooding. The substation involved has now been proofed, but according to United Utilities there are nine more substations - large ones - in the north-west which are much more likely to be flooded than the one in my constituency. As global warming advances, there is an immediate danger to electricity supplies throughout the country. Many substations were built near rivers because they needed the water for cooling purposes. Will the Minister look into the problem?
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Alan Johnson): I am aware of the problems in Carlisle, and of the enormous efforts made by my hon. Friend, as a constituency Member, to help the town recover. I have described five problems that affect the security of energy supply, which is the title of our debate. My hon. Friend has raised the important issue of electricity generation, which will be covered by the review to which I shall refer shortly. It can also legitimately deal with the safety of substations in the context of environmental damage such as that experienced in Carlisle.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I am grateful to the Minister for announcing that there will be pre-movement testing. I am sure that he is aware that bovine TB was introduced into Cumbria, following the restocking from the west country after the foot and mouth outbreak, because there was no such testing. It is over 10 years since I asked what progress was being made on a vaccine for bovine TB. There seems to have been no progress. Is that because of a lack of resources or a lack of will?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Ben Bradshaw): It is neither of those things. We announced field trials for vaccines for badgers back in the summer and there is more work to be done to progress the field trials to cattle, too. However much money one throws at such difficult scientific, medical and veterinary issues, I am afraid that one cannot hurry the science. Scientific research on the development of an effective vaccine cannot be speeded up - it takes time. That challenge is faced by not only this country, but other countries that suffer similar TB problems.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): On the excellent free off-peak bus travel scheme for the over-60s and the disabled, my hon. Friend will realise that the Department's initial draft was not favourable to Carlisle. He has received representations from the chief executive, and I have had conversations with him. Can we take it from the statement today that the problems that we had with the draft have been sorted out and that the good people of Carlisle will all be able to enjoy that service free?
The Minister for Local Government (Mr. Phil Woolas): It is, of course, the Government's intention to ensure that that is exactly the case. It is in the nature of grant allocations using formulae that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That is why I have made the announcement in the manner that I have today, so that all local authorities can join one another - particularly at district level in county schemes, as well as in strategic transport authorities - and the Government to ensure that we achieve what I hope we all want to achieve: free bus travel for pensioners and disabled people outside peak hours.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): It is a while ago now since the excellent Animal Welfare Bill was published. There was then an indication that Second Reading would take place before Christmas, but that now seems unlikely. When are we likely to have the Bill before us and why has there been a delay?
The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (Nigel Griffiths): I hope that we are able to consider that Bill when parliamentary time allows that to happen. I regret that it has not allowed it to date.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, concerning a statement on future infantry structure made in the Chamber on 16 December last year by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence, who is present today in a different role. He made an announcement about a new regimental name in the north-west. I was very pleased that he had retained the name "Border Regiment". Now I find that the Army Board, without reference to the Houses of Parliament - without reference to this Chamber - has decided to change the name. Surely that cannot be right, especially as the King's Own Royal Border Regiment has just been sent to Iraq. It is totally out of order for the board to change a decision made in the Chamber.
Mr. Speaker: I understand and sympathise with the hon. Gentleman's point, but he should understand that this is not a matter in which I can intervene. I am sure he will be able to apply for an Adjournment debate, which will allow the appropriate Minister to come to the House and give an account of what has happened.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I shall not keep the House long. Since we last appointed a retired Member of the House as a trustee, the retired Members association has been set up. In future, we should perhaps consult the association and more widely in order to establish who the pension trustee should be. As it stands, we could well be contravening the terms of the Pensions Act 2004. I do not ask that a change be made tonight, but I do ask the Leader of the House to take cognisance of my comments.
Mr. Hoon: With the leave of the House, I shall deal with the one point that has been raised. Nominations to replace retiring trustees have come forward in the usual way. In fact, there is no legal obligation to consult any particular organisation, but we do take account of that point when there are new regulations under the scheme. A retired Members association would be an appropriate body to consult in such circumstances. I hope that my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) recognises, however, that the trustees' work is quite onerous.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): I have been listening closely to the hon. Gentleman, and I heard him say that he did not want to take any money away from single parents. Will he explain how the extra money would be given to couples to make up the difference?
Andrew Selous (South-West Bedfordshire) (Con): Yes, with pleasure. We have to take into account the system that we have now, but in future, we should rectify the imbalance. That would probably mean adjusting the system, and I would be more interested in the family with children that is £22 below the poverty line than the family with children that is £66 above it, as I am sure the hon. Gentleman would be if such people were his constituents. We need to tweak the system in the future - we do not propose taking money away from anyone now - to create a genuinely level playing field. We would then not discriminate against children because of their family situation. That is the consequence of the present system, and there has not been nearly enough acknowledgement of that fact.
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman salutes the Child Poverty Action Group for its work in this area over many years. In its recent document, "Ten Steps to a Society Free of Child Poverty", it says:
"The focus on benefits for children has been welcome, but children's benefits do not act in isolation. It is family income which must be considered."
That is the point that I am making. There has not been sufficient recognition of the problems in that area.
Mr. Eric Martlew (Carlisle): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what procedures civil servants in her Department follow when deciding on her Department's association with businesses and commercial organisations; and if she will make a statement. [5972]
Maria Eagle: Civil servants in my Department follow the procurement principles set out in Government Accounting and the procurement guidance issued by the Office of Government Commerce which is transposed into departmental policy and guidance. In their professional and personal dealings with commercial organisations my officials adhere to the civil service code in all matters and the Cabinet Office's Guidance to Departments on Sponsorship of Government Activities when dealing with sponsorship issues.
My Department also has its own partnership principles which are used for those associations with commercial organisations where we require a closer relationship.
Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO
| On behalf of Eric Martlew, 3 Chatsworth Square Carlisle Cumbria CA1 1HB |
