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Turner Village Hospital, Colchester

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will ensure that Turner Village mental hospital, Colchester, is retained and upgraded; and if he will make a statement; [6279]

(2) what representations he has received concerning the future of Turner Village mental hospital, Colchester. [6280]

Mr. Boateng: We are not aware of any such representations. Decisions about services for people with learning disabilities are for local determination. We understand that North Essex Health Authority has consulted on and agreed proposals which will provide the patients of Turner Village with a choice over where they are to live including community homes and an existing village community.

CS Gas

Mr. Livingstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment of the health effects of the CS gas solvent, methyl isobutyl keytone, has been made by the medical officers of his Department since 1990; how many (a) published and (b) unpublished reports have been written by his Department's medical officers since 1990; and how many of these reports are currently unclassified.[6361]

Ms Jowell: Medical officers of the Department have not made any assessment of the CS gas solvent, methyl isobutyl ketone.

General Social Services Council

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which organisations he will be consulting in developing his proposals for a General Social Services Council; [5883]

(2) when he expects to publish his proposals for a General Social Services Council; [5884]

(3) what is his policy in respect of procedures for involving users, carers and the public in a General Social Services Council; [5885]

(4) if he will consult (a) by way of survey and (b) by other means, the opinions of the work force who will come under the General Social Services Council. [5886]

Mr. Boateng: We expect to publish our proposals for a General Social Services Council in a consultation document in autumn 1997. We intend to consult all those

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with an interest in such a Council including employers, users and carers, staff and the wider public. Our proposals will outline how the essential interest of those who use social services, their carers and the general public will be secured in the arrangements for a Council.

PRIME MINISTER

Minister without Portfolio

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Prime Minister what additional responsibilities he has given to the Minister without Portfolio since 2 May. [5424]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 25 June 1997]: I have asked my hon. Friend to take responsibility within Government for the Millennium Experience at Greenwich. My hon. Friend is also now the shareholder for the operating company, Millennium Central Limited, thus ensuring the position of the shareholder is clearly separated from that of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for National Heritage as Chairman of the Millennium Commission. My right hon. Friend retains overall responsibility for matters relating to the Millennium Celebrations.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those projects for which the Minister without Portfolio has specific responsibility; and if he will make a statement. [6167]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 July 1997]: My right hon. Friend has specific responsibilities in relation to the implementation and presentation of Government policy, and the Millennium Experience at Greenwich.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what factors underlie the allocation of new responsibilities for specific projects to the Minister without Portfolio. [6141]

The Prime Minister [holding reply 1 July 1997]: I invite my hon. Friend, the Minister without Portfolio, to take responsibility for specific projects if I consider him to be the most appropriate person within Government to do so.

Intelligence and Security Committee

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to appoint the member of the Intelligence and Security Committee. [6292]

The Prime Minister: I will be consulting the Leader of the Opposition shortly under the terms of the Intelligence Services Act 1994 and will appoint members to the Committee after that.

Ministers (Transport Costs)

Mr. Flight: To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to securing value for money in respect of transport costs for Ministers attending overseas engagements. [6285]

The Prime Minister: Ministers attending overseas engagements are under a responsibility to ensure that their travel arrangements represent best value for money consistent with propriety.

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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]

The Prime Minister [pursuant to his answer, 26 June 1997, c. 605-607]: The following reviews, which were also initiated before 20 June, should have been included:

A fundamental review of transport policy in Scotland leading to the publication of a White Paper on our long-term strategy for an integrated transport policy.
A review of the Scottish roads programme.
A review of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Chairman: The right hon. Sir Ian Glidewell, retired Lord Justice of Appeal, Sir Geoffrey Dear, retired HM Inspector of Constabulary Mr. Robert McFarland, former senior executive, British Oxygen.
A review of the tax and benefits system.
Chairman: Martin Taylor, Chief Executive Barclays Bank.

Sustainable Development

Mr. Corbett: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the outcome of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Sustainable Development. [6460]

The Prime Minister: The Special Session reviewed the progress made on sustainable development since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. One of the most important problems discussed was the need to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and thus limit the problems caused by climate change. In my address to the General Assembly, I urged other developed countries to recognise their responsibilities in this area, by pointing to the example that the United Kingdom and other European Union countries have already set. Later in the week, President Clinton acknowledged the role of the European Union in focusing the debate on this issue, and gave his personal commitment of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I expect this to be translated into action at Kyoto. Unfortunately, the agreement at Special Session on climate change did not have the specific commitment to reductions that we had sought. Much hard negotiating work remains to be done, but the UK will continue to make every effort to get developed countries to agree legally binding targets for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at Kyoto in December.

I also emphasised the UK Government's commitment to reversing the decline in Britain's development assistance and improving its quality by refocusing our efforts in eradicating poverty. Although some other developed countries could not go as far as the UK, the meeting stressed the need to increase aid towards the UN target of 0.7 per cent. and pledged to negotiate a satisfactory replenishment of the Global Environment Facility. We cannot expect the poorest countries to take action themselves, if the developed world is not more constructive about its aid programmes.

The continuing threat to the world's forests was a key issue for the Special Session. Although the European Union pressed hard for a Convention on forests, we were unable to secure agreement from other major countries.

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Nonetheless the establishment of an Intergovernmental Forum on Forests is a good step forward. The Forum will report in 1999 on the possible elements of a Forest Convention, and will also consider finance and trade issues. In addition it will monitor implementation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests 1997 report, which contained over a hundred action points. As the United Kingdom's contribution to this effort, I announced that the United Kingdom intended to adopt a new Forest Standard to provide a benchmark for the regeneration of our forests. I also promised an increase in our development assistance for forestry management.

Together with our partners from the European Union, we have secured agreement for a plan of action to provide universal access to clean water and sanitation. One fifth of the world has no access to clean water and one half has no proper sanitation, so a new initiative is urgently needed. A series of meetings will take place to prepare for the 1998 meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development when there will be negotiations on the plan. A successful outcome of these negotiations will be a key objective for our presidency.

The European Union pressed for international action on sustainable energy management, and was successful in securing commitment to preparatory discussions in advance of the debate on energy in the 2001 session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. There was also agreement on the importance of energy management for both developed and developing countries, and on the need for energy prices to reflect their true environmental costs, as well as a gradual elimination of subsidies that inhibit sustainable development. The Special Session confirmed the importance of promoting integrated transport policies, since transport is the largest end user of energy in developed countries and the fastest growing one in most developing countries.

Under strong pressure from the European Union the Special Session agreed that the possibility of an aviation fuel tax should remain on the international agenda. Studies will continue in international fora, especially the International Civil Aviation Organisation, on the use of economic instruments for the mitigation of the negative impacts of aviation.

Lastly, the European Union ensured that there would be further work at a global level to address the problems facing the world's oceans, especially the depletion of fish stocks.

There were also discussions on the financial implications of the Convention on Desertification. We supported the conclusion that the Convention should help channel existing resources more effectively, but should not create a new and dedicated fund.

In conclusion a number of modest but positive steps were made at the Special Session. Nevertheless much remains to be done, and the UK will continue to use its best endeavours to pursue these issues in the months to come.

The United Kingdom delegation included people representing the broad range of sustainable development interests in the UK, and dependent territories. As a result of our strong commitment and constructive approach, the

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UK has now established itself as one of the leading players in international negotiations on sustainable development.

I will place a copy of the final text of the document in the Library as soon as it is available.

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