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Alcohol (Television Advertising)

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his policy towards the advertising of (a) alcohol and (b) alcopops on television. [5323]

Mr. Fisher: All television advertising must comply with the Code of Advertising Standards and Practice issued by the Independent Television Commission. Under the code, advertising for alcoholic drinks must not be directed at people under 18 or use treatments likely to be of particular appeal to them. It must not feature persons who appear to be under 18, nor any personality who has a particular appeal to that age group. Alcohol advertising must not suggest that drinking is essential to social success or acceptance, or an essential attribute of masculinity.

26 Jun 1997 : Column: 607

The Ministerial group on Alcopops will consider all aspects of the sale and promotion of these products, including whether anything further needs to be done to regulate their advertising.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Queen's Counsel

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make his policy for applicants for silk who are turned down to be given reasons in writing for the decision. [4845]

Mr. Hoon: Applicants for silk are advised in writing of the outcome of their application, and unsuccessful applicants are given some statistical information to indicate the intensity of the competition. Unsuccessful applicants are able to meet with senior officials of the Judicial Appointments Group who are able to provide feedback on the degree of support that the individual has received and the overall tenor of the views collected in the consultation process. The Lord Chancellor has no present intention to replace this with written reasons for his decision.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Debt (Poor Countries)

Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is the Government's policy towards the proposals by Jubilee 2000 that the unpayable debts owed by highly indebted poor countries be remitted by 31 December 2000; and what plans the Government have to encourage international support for these proposals. [5462]

Clare Short: The Government shares many of the objectives of the Jubilee 2000 campaign, including the fundamental one of the eradication of poverty in developing countries. We believe that debt relief should accompany a wider commitment by debtors to create the conditions necessary for sustainable economic growth and lasting poverty reduction. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are pushing for full and rapid implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. We believe that much remains to be done and are pressing with urgency for the international community to provide further debt relief.

PRIME MINISTER

Policy Reviews

Mr. Luff: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list (a) the departmental policy reviews established by the Government and (b) the names of those individuals other than civil servants and ministers assisting those reviews (i) as chairman and (ii) in other capacities. [4002]

Mr. Blunt: To ask the Prime Minister how many policy reviews have been initiated since 2 May by his Government; and if he will list them by policy area. [5567]

26 Jun 1997 : Column: 608

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Romsey (Mr. Colvin) on 16 June, Official Report, columns 27-28, which recorded the significant departmental policy reviews that we have announced.

As at 20 June, additional reviews that we have announced are:

A review of civil justice and legal aid
A review of non departmental public bodies with a view to reducing their number
A review of private finance machinery
A review of the existing code of practice on access to government information
A review of the roads programme
A review of health services in London.

We have announced the appointment of the following chairmen and members of reviews who are not civil servants or ministers:

A review of civil justice and legal aid
Chairman: Sir Peter Middleton
A review of the law relating to surrogacy
Leader:
Margaret Brazier, Professor of Law Manchester University
Susan Golombok, Professor of Psychology at City University
Alastair Campbell, Professor of Ethics in Medicine at Bristol University
A review of evidence relating to silicone breast implants
Chairman:
Professor R. D. Sturrock, Professor of Rheumatology, University Department of Medicine
Professor R. Batchelor, Professor of Immunology, Royal Post Graduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital (recently retired)
Professor Alan Silman, Professor of Epidemiology, Arthritis and Rheumatism Research Council
Mr. T. Milward, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Leicester Royal Infirmary
Professor J. P. Sloane, Professor of Histopathology, University of Liverpool
Professor D. R. London, formerly Professor of Medicine, University of Birmingham
A review of breast cancer screening programme in Devon and the implications for the breast cancer screening programme as whole
Dr. M. Brindle, President of the Royal College of Radiologists
Mr. J. R. C. Sainsbury, Consultant Surgeon, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Mrs. G. Oliver, Cancer Nursing Specialist, Liverpool
Miss P. Cunningham, Chief Executive, Royal Marsden NHS Trust
Miss Polly Toynbee
A review of the Private Finance machinery
Malcolm Bates, Chairman of Pearl Assurance Plc and Premiere Furnell Plc
A review of film policy
Stewart Till, Co-Chairman, President of International, Poly Gram Filmed Entertainment
Charles Denton, Head of Advisory Panel on Film, Arts Council of England
Wilf Stevenson, Director, British Film Institute
Peter Broughan, Managing Director, Bronco Films

26 Jun 1997 : Column: 609

Danilka Battsek, Managing Director, Buena Vista International (UK)
Colin Leventhal, Director of Acquisition, Channel 4
Wendy Palmer, Chief Executive Officer, CiBY Sales
Richard Segal, Managing Director, Odeon Cinemas
Lynda Myles, Company Director, Prairie Pictures and Pandora Productions
Chris Auty, Managing Director, Record Picture Company
Ridley Scott, Director and Managing Director, Shepperton Studios
Dinah Caine, Director, Skillset
Duncan Kenworthy, Managing Director, Toledo Pictures
A review of health services in London
Chairman:
Sir Leslie Turnberg, President of the Royal College of Physicians
Ms Francine Bates, Assistant Director, Carers National Association
Professor Ian Cameron, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of University of Wales, College of Medicine
Professor Brian Jarman, Professor of General Practice at Imperial College/St. Mary's
Ms Denise Platt, Head of Social Services, Local Government Association

Further non-civil service and non-ministerial chairmen and members of departmental policy reviews will be announced when appointments are made.

Cabinet Office (Cash Limits)

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to change the Cabinet Office (Security and Intelligence Services) cash limit for 1997-98. [5471]

The Prime Minister: The cash limit for Class XVIII, Vote II will be decreased by £225,000 from £713,532,000 to £713,307,000. The transfer is necessary to cover support services from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has to change the Cabinet Office: other services vote, cash limit or running costs limit for 1997-98. [5549]

The Prime Minister: The cash limit for Cabinet Office: other services (Class XVIII, Vote 1) will be reduced by £67,000 from £36,220,000 to £36,153,000 and the running costs limit will be reduced by £67,000 from £42,870,000 to £42,803,000.

This is to provide for the transfer of certain emergency planning functions from the Cabinet Office to the Home Office (Class VII, Vote I).

Interdepartmental Co-ordination

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how Government policies affecting children will be co-ordinated across departments; and by whom; [5298]

(2) how Government policies affecting families will be co-ordinated across departments; and by whom. [5297]

The Prime Minister: Major policies issues affecting children and families are considered collectively in the relevant Cabinet Committees, notably the Ministerial Committee on Home and Social Affairs.

26 Jun 1997 : Column: 610

Amsterdam Summit

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to place in the Library a copy of the treaty agreed at the European summit at Amsterdam. [5188]

The Prime Minister: The provisional version of the Treaty of Amsterdam, prepared by the Dutch Presidency of the European Union on the basis of discussions at the Amsterdam European Council, was placed in the Libraries of the House on Friday 20 June.

Mr. Cash: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 18 June, Official Report, column 327, concerning the proposals for the exchange rate mechanism set out in Annex II to the Presidency Conclusions at Amsterdam if, by resolution of the European Council to which Her Majesty's Government are a party, the United Kingdom has agreed to enter the exchange rate mechanism described in that resolution, even if the United Kingdom does not enter the EMU on 1 January 1999 under the Protocol to the Third Stage of the treaty of Maastricht. [5069]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 23 June 1997]: No, as I said in the House of Commons on 18 June, the hon. Member's interpretation of the Resolution is not correct. The new exchange rate mechanism will, like the existing mechanism, be established by an intergovernmental agreement, on a voluntary basis. The Resolution recognises this, stating explicitly that "participation in the exchange rate mechanism will be voluntary for member states outside the euro area." There is no Treaty obligation for Member States to put their currencies into an exchange rate mechanism.

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