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Privy Councillors
46. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the President of the Council if she will publish the Privy Council oath. [83455]
Mrs. Beckett: I have already done so, in a reply I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 28 July 1998, Official Report, columns 181-82.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Producers' Costs
Mr. Beard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the producers' costs of (a) fruit, (b) vegetables, (c) wheat and (d) rice when grown (i) by modern agricultural methods and (ii) organically. [83890]
Mr. Morley:
Direct comparisons are difficult because of natural variations in yield between crops. However, general information on costs under the two different systems is contained respectively in the Farm Management Pocket Book 1999, published by Wye
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College, for costs of conventional production, and the Organic Farm Management Handbook, published by University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Elm Farm Research Centre for organic production costs. Copies of these publications are available from the organisations concerned.
National Assembly
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost of setting up the National Assembly of Wales (a) for its first year of operation and (b) for subsequent years. [82658]
Mr. Michael [holding answer 5 May 1999]: We are continuing to plan within the overall estimate of £15 million to £20 million for the annual additional running costs of the Assembly which was contained within the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum to the Government of Wales Bill and which will be balanced by savings in the budgets of Welsh quangos. This estimate covers not only the pay and allowances of Assembly Members but also the costs of providing for the accommodation and IT requirements of the Assembly and the costs of additional support staff.
Rural Bypasses
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for rural bypasses, with particular reference to north-south routes; and if he will make a statement. [84293]
Mr. Hain: The trunk road programme, including plans for rural bypasses, is detailed in "Driving Wales Forward", published in July 1998. This confirmed that we intend to bring forward significant improvements in north-south public transport services complemented by steady and relatively small-scale improvements to the trunk road network. The promised corridor study encompassing the A470 from Brecon to Llandudno has commenced, and extends beyond the A470 to include the A483 and the A487 in North Wales.
The Institute of Welsh Affairs' report "Uniting the Nation" published earlier this month will be taken into account in this study. We await the outcome of the study before considering future strategy for development of roads and other transport modes in these areas.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly. Rural bypasses which are not part of the trunk road network are the responsibility of the relevant local highways authorities.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of the joint police authorities and local authorities strategy to tackle disorder by youths and other anti-social behaviour. [84299]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
As required by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, unitary authorities and the police in Wales, working in partnership with other key agencies,
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have developed crime and disorder reduction strategies. These strategies have set objectives and targets with action plans covering the next three years to address local issues and concerns as identified by comprehensive crime and disorder audits and public consultation.
Several audits revealed that people are more concerned with disorder and anti-social behaviour than with crime; problems presented by young people, and drugs and alcohol misuse, were the issues most frequently raised. This is reflected in the strategies, most of which have tackling youth crime and disorder as one of the top priorities, together with the need to work closely with Youth Offending Teams and Drug and Alcohol Action Teams. Some of the solutions proposed include the provision of more facilities for young people and involving them more in community affairs, and many areas are establishing local crime action teams to address specific issues, including youth crime.
Mr. Alan Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce the allocation of funds for 1999-2000 to the health authorities in Wales. [84382]
Mr. Michael:
This week. Health authorities have been given an indication, in confidence, of the likely level of grant so that their comments could be taken into account in the final decision, which is about to be announced. In future this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
11. Mr. Michael Jabez Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his assessment of the impact of the Budget on the tourism industry. [83419]
Janet Anderson:
The 1999 Budget continues to lock in long-term economic stability, leaving behind the boom and bust of the late 1980s and early 1990s. It delivers a better deal for business and enterprise by introducing further measures to increase investment, promote innovation, strengthen competition and improve skills. It is good for businesses of all types, including those in the tourism industry.
13. Ms Blears:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the DfEE about the regulations which apply to child actors. [83421]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
None with the Department for Education and Employment. My officials have had discussions with Department of Health officials currently reviewing the Children (Performances) Regulations 1968.
14. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of service to library users. [83422]
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25. Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of information technology services to library users. [83433]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has required all library authorities to produce annual library plans, setting out their strategy for developing the range and quality of services. We have also made nearly £300 million available to help to ensure that libraries benefit from the Information Age. Libraries are also eligible to bid for the £470 million set aside from the Capital Modernisation Fund for IT learning centres.
Mr. McWalter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current arrangements for funding public libraries. [83722]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
The public library service is delivered through local authorities, which also provide the bulk of their funding. We believe that this remains the best way of ensuring that services are tailored to meet the needs of their users. In addition, Government are making available £270 million through the National Lottery New Opportunities Fund to develop a Public Libraries IT Network which will link public libraries to the National Grid for Learning by 2002. This funding includes streams to help develop network infrastructure, create digital content for the Network and train library staff in IT skills.
15. Mr. Borrow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures he is taking to assess whether free entry for children to all national museums will deliver value for money. [83423]
Mr. Chris Smith:
We will be measuring visitor numbers at the national museums and galleries and their branches, and at the non-national museums that have introduced free access for children. The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, which launched free admission for children early in January, has seen visits rise by over 80 per cent.
16. Mr. Rapson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what benefits he expects the harmonised rating scheme for hotels and guesthouses to bring to tourists. [83424]
Janet Anderson:
The consistency of ratings made under the new schemes by the AA, RAC and new English Tourism Council will be much easier to understand than the different ratings we have now and will therefore reflect better what tourists want to know. The ratings will place more emphasis on quality and so provide greater incentive for improved standards. There should be a greater incentive also on providers of accommodation to participate in the schemes, thus increasing the proportion of accommodation which is inspected and rated for use by tourists. These and other benefits should quickly begin to be found when the schemes are launched this September.
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