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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 25 November 1998
HEALTH
Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he proposes to ensure compliance with the renegotiated Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [60984]
Mr. Dobson: The Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme has existed for over 40 years, and is designed to provide reasonable prices for the National Health Service and fair rates of return for the pharmaceutical companies who supply the NHS. The Government remain committed to these objectives, and are currently renegotiating the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry.
The Government regret that there is increasing non compliance by a limited number of companies with the current voluntary agreement. This is adding to the NHS drugs bill at the expense of other NHS treatment and care. In these circumstances the Government have concluded that to ensure full compliance with a new agreement it will be necessary to take reserve powers in the forthcoming NHS Bill. These will make it possible to secure the compliance of any companies who might in future choose not to abide by the voluntary agreement.
TREASURY
Public Service Pensions
Ms Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase public service pensions from April 1999. [60987]
Mr. Byers: Legislation governing public service pensions requires them to be increased annually by the same percentage as State earnings-related pensions (additional pensions). My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced on 28 October 1998, Official Report, columns 339-42, that additional pensions will be increased by 3.2 per cent, in line with the annual increase in the Retail Prices Index up to September 1998. Public service pensions will therefore be increased by 3.2 per from 12 April 1999, except those which have been in payment for less than a year, which will receive a pro-rata increase.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Human Rights Act 1998
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to bring into force
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section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998; and in what form statements under that section on compatibility with the convention rights will be published. [60985]
Mr. Straw:
I have made an order under the Human Rights Act bringing section 19 into force on 24 November.
Statements under section 19 will appear as a note on the face of each Government Bill and in the explanatory notes for most Bills. This will enable anyone obtaining a copy of the Bill in paper or electronic form to see at once the statement.
There may be occasions when a Bill which has been amended at a late stage in the House into which it was first introduced cannot be accompanied by a statement when it is first printed in the second House. In these situations, a statement will be appended to the Bill by the time of Second Reading and the circumstances will be explained in a Written Answer.
The statements will be in the following form and will appear on the front page of each Bill:
or
or
Mr. Ashton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions were reached by the interdepartmental working group on preventing unsuitable people from working with children and abuse of trust on the need to protect vulnerable 16 and 17 year olds from sexual advances by those in authority over them; and if he will make a statement. [61127]
Mr. Boateng:
The working group were asked to prioritise their work on abuse of trust. We have today placed a copy of their interim report on this in the Library.
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The working group recommend a limited criminal offence to protect boys and girls of 16 and 17 from sexual advances by those in authority over them in specific circumstances. The circumstances would include young persons compulsorily detained; looked after by the local authority (whether in foster care, residential care, or semi-independent accommodation); receiving health and/or social care in a residential setting (including hospital); and receiving full time education. We accept this recommendation. As announced on 24 November 1998, Official Report, column 6, we will bring forward this Session proposals to implement it at the same time as we give Parliament an opportunity to vote on equalising the age of consent for boys and girls.
The working group also recommend a Government initiative to strengthen codes of conduct generally to protect young people from those in positions of authority over them. They are taking this forward as a matter of priority. The first step is a seminar involving outside organisations on 30 November, and work will continue on this throughout next year.
Ms Oona King:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish proposals for leasehold reform. [60855]
Ms Armstrong:
We shall be publishing a consultation paper on Thursday 26 November. Copies will be available in the Library.
Mrs. Humble:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the implementation of a change to a tonnage based levy for statutory joint waste disposal authorities. [60857]
Mr. Meale:
After announcing the proposed change from a council tax to a tonnage based system for the apportionment of Joint Waste Disposal Authorities levies, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle), asked officials to work out methods for such a system and to discuss them with the local authority associations. A consultation document was issued on 9 July to those associations, the JWDAs and their constituent authorities with the intention of implementing the change in time for the 1999-2000 levy. This consultation prompted a large number of considered responses.
As part of the development of a waste strategy for England and Wales, we are looking at the way in which all waste management functions are funded, both in areas where there are Joint Waste Disposal Authorities (JWDAs) and more widely. The proposal to change the levy arrangements to one based on the tonnage delivered for disposal, was part of this exercise.
There are, however, obvious implications for the operation of the recycling credits scheme, a key element in the financing of local authority waste management. In response to the consultation paper "Less Waste: More
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Value", on the waste strategy for England and Wales, views were expressed that aspects of the recycling credits scheme needed amendment. We have therefore decided to undertake a review of the recycling credits scheme. A decision on the levy basis for JWDAs has therefore been postponed pending the outcome of this review.
Ms Stuart:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if she will announce the membership of the 18 policy action teams referred to in the Social Exclusion Unit report, "Bringing Britain Together: a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal", published on 15 September. [60988]
Ms Armstrong:
The Social Exclusion Unit's report "Bringing Britain Together: a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal" set out proposals for an intensive programme of policy development involving 18 cross- cutting Policy Action Teams based around five themes: getting the people to work; getting the place to work; building a future for young people; access to services; and making the Government work better.
European Convention on Human Rights
Mr. Secretary . . . has made the following statement under section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998:
In my view the provisions of the . . . Bill are compatible with the Convention rights.
Mr. Secretary . . . has made the following statement under section 19(1)(b) of the Human Rights Act 1998:
I am unable to make a statement that in my view the provisions of the . . . Bill are compatible with the Convention rights but the Government nevertheless wishes the House to proceed with the . . . Bill.
In the explanatory notes the statement will be referred to as follows:
European Convention on Human Rights
Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998 requires the Minister in charge of a Bill in either House of Parliament to make a statement about the compatibility of the provisions of the Bill with the Convention rights (as defined by section 1 of that Act). On [date] the Secretary of State for . . . made the following statement before Second Reading of this Bill in the House of [Commons] [Lords]:
In my view the provisions of the . . . Bill are compatible with the Convention rights.
I am unable to make a statement that in my view the provisions of the . . . Bill are compatible with the Convention rights but the Government nevertheless wishes the House to proceed with the . . . Bill.
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