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Mental Incapacity
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to act on the Law Commission report (Law Com 231) to clarify the law on mental incapacity. [5524]
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Mr. Hoon:
The Government recognises the importance of clarifying the law in this area to provide a clear framework for those involved in making decisions on behalf of incapacitated adults and to ensure that the welfare and interests of the incapacitated person are adequately protected. It is hoped that progress will be made on the subject at an early opportunity.
Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister without Portfolio under what circumstances he will speak in the House in respect of his ministerial responsibilities; and if he will make a statement. [6888]
Mr. Mandelson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Worthing, West (Mr. Bottomley) on 3 June, Official Report, column 134; and to my subsequent reply to the hon. Member himself today.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will make himself available on a regular basis to answer oral questions to take account of his responsibilities for (a) the Royal Yacht and (b) the Millennium Dome. [6887]
Mr. Mandelson: On (a), I have no responsibilities in this respect. On (b), yes.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Open Government
Mr. Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many complaints have been referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration since 1 May under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. [6893]
Mr. Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many requests for information have been received since 1 May under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and if he will make a statement. [6892]
Dr. Clark: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The contribution of the code of practice on open government is, however, an important issue and I shall continue the existing practice of publishing an annual report on the workings of the Code which will contain an analysis of code requests received on a calender year basis.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to narrow the terms of the classes of exempt information listed in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. [6894]
Dr. Clark:
I would like to see the proposed Freedom of Information Act have fewer exemptions than the present Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. In the period before the Act comes into force
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the Government will make full use of the discretion available under the Code of Practice to disclose as much information as possible. Should it become clear that the wording of the Code is proving over-restrictive, even under this more liberal interpretation, I will consider amendments.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent since 1 May to publicise the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; how many copies of the code have been (a) published and (b) issued since 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [6891]
Dr. Clark:
No new advertising campaigns have been launched since 1 May but I plan to use the launch of the forthcoming White Paper on Freedom of Information to publicise the continuing role of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in the period before the Act comes into force.
Information on the total number of copies of the Code issued by Departments in the period since 1 May is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I can say however that the central Citizen's Charter Publications Line has issued some 250 copies of the Code in response to requests in that period and my own Department has responded to 30 requests.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library (a) departmental and (b) other responses to the White Paper and draft bill on Freedom of Information before legislation is introduced. [6890]
Dr. David Clark:
I shall place in the Library the results of both consultation exercises before the legislation is introduced. These will include copies of the responses received from outside government except where confidentiality has been specially requested. I shall also be considering how exchanges between Government Departments on Freedom of Information can best be treated in a way which contributes to the public debate while at the same time preserving the necessary collective responsibility needed in the drafting of major legislation.
Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, given that virtually the only citizens who have to go to school are children, will the hon. Gentleman consider extending the citizens charter to make it clear that schools are expected to deliver children's ability to read, write and figure?
Mr. Kilfoyle
[pursuant to his reply 2 July 1997, Official Report, column 287]: The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that one of the forums that I shall soon be meeting will consist of young children, the future citizens of this country. Moreover, we have worked in
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partnership with the Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education at Leicester University and in consultation with the National Consumer Council to ensure that more than 1,700 secondary schools in England that wished to do so received a pack relating directly to their interests.
Mr. Bradshaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the outcome of the Culture Council on 30 June. [7400]
Mr. Fisher:
EU Ministers of Culture met on 30 June in Luxembourg. Ministers held a public debate on the future direction of EU cultural action, and agreed a decision to ask the Commission to study the options for future cultural action and to bring forward proposals by 1 May 1998. Ministers also agreed a decision to ask the Commission to study whether article 128(4) is relevant to the Community's approach to cross-border fixed book pricing.
The Council resolved to continue to seek agreement, in conciliation, for the Raphael programme. It discussed the future of the European Cities of Culture initiative.
Ministers then held an exchange of views on audiovisual issues, discussing proposals for a Community Guarantee Fund for film production and the Commission's Green Paper on the protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will list the successful national lottery bids in Stoke-on-Trent, North, by category of national lottery funding, indicating the percentage they comprise of the total sums awarded nationwide in each category; [6281]
Mr. Banks
[Pursuant to his written reply 4 July, Official Report, column 290]: The tables of awards and applications were omitted from the answer. The full information is as follows.
(2) how many applications for each category of national lottery funding have been received from Stoke-on-Trent, North; and how many of these have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful, indicating for each successful scheme the value of the award, in each year since the inception of the national lottery. [6248]
(2) Includes awards made by the other home counties Arts and Sports Councils.
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| Unsuccessful | Successful | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts Council of England | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| MC | (3)n/a | 1 | 1 |
| NLCB | 29 | 6 | 35 |
| English Sports Council | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Heritage Lottery Fund | 0 | 1 | 1 |
(3) The Millennium Commission does not record unsuccessful projects by constituency.
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