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DEFENCE
Warships
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when (a) HMS Fearless and (b) HMS Intrepid will be taken out of service; and if he will make a statement. [85961]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 8 June 1999]: On current plans, Fearless and Intrepid are due to be payed-off in 2001 and 2002, respectively. However, the pay-off dates are linked to the acceptance of the LPD(R)s,
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the replacement vessels, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. In the light of delays to the LPD(R)s, the pay-off dates for Fearless and Intrepid are under review.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on HMS Brave over the last two years; what is the cost of holding her in a state of extended readiness over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [86372]
Mr. Spellar:
Maintenance work on HMS Brave in the two years to June 1999 has cost about £1.9 million. This includes the cost of preparations for extended readiness and the cost of the tow from Devonport to Portsmouth where the ship is now berthed. The estimated cost of maintaining HMS Brave at extended readiness for the next 12 months is about £0.4 million.
Mr. Reed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces. [87664]
Mr. George Robertson:
The Armed Forces Pay Review Body has made recommendations on the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces. In view of the particular retention difficulties in the Defence Medical Services, the Review Body recommends that all medical and dental officers should receive a general 4.5 per cent. increase in basic pay. The Review Body also recommends, in order to achieve greater comparability with equivalent personnel in the NHS, an increase to Trainers' Pay and the activation of a Distinction Award scheme.
The Government have decided to accept the Review Body's recommendations and these will be payable in full from 1 April 1999.
Family Law Act 1996
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to implement Part II of the Family Law Act 1996. [87637]
Mr. Vaz: The Government will not now implement Part II of the Family Law Act 1996 in 2000. Before implementing Part II, the Government must be satisfied that the new arrangements for divorce which it would put in place will work. The pilot projects which have been run to test the provision of information meetings under Part II were concluded at the end of May. The preliminary research results are disappointing, in view of the Government's objectives of saving saveable marriages and encouraging the mediated settlement of disputes. A summary of the research results so far will be published today, and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The full research results from the pilots will not be ready until early next year, when the Government will consider whether further research is necessary.
The Government will therefore bring forward amendments today to the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill currently before Parliament to ensure that its pension sharing provisions can take effect under the
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existing divorce law or under the divorce law as reformed by Part II of the Family Law Act. A set of supplementary explanatory notes for the Bill will be available from today.
Human Rights Act 1998
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the Judiciary and the Procurator Fiscal Service is equipped to deal with the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998; what material has been produced to assist with this process; and if he will place copies of it in the Library. [86209]
Dr. Reid [holding answer 15 June 1999]: The Judicial Studies Committee established in 1997 under the Chairmanship of the right hon. Lord Ross has undertaken a comprehensive programme of training on human rights issues for all Judges, Sheriffs Principal, Sheriffs and Temporary Sheriffs. This includes the provision of specially commissioned briefing material, texts and reports produced by commercial publishers and a series of seminars held at various locations for all Judges and Sheriffs, with particular emphasis on the human rights issues arising immediately in Scotland as a result of the Scotland Act 1998. The normal programme of Court business has been adjusted to allow attendance at these events. Following the Government's recent announcement of the commencement date of the Human Rights Act 1998, the Judicial Studies Committee will shortly be embarking on the detailed planning necessary to ensure that appropriate further Judicial education is provided in good time before that date.
The Lord Advocate is responsible for the Procurator Fiscal Service. His Department is now trained and equipped to deal with the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998. Early last year his officials prepared a detailed action plan for his Department on implementation of Convention rights in Scotland. A full time Working Group of 4 senior lawyers was established in June 1998 and has conducted a comprehensive review of prosecution policy and practice in Scotland. The most extensive training exercise in the history of the Department commenced in February 1999 and was completed on 3 June 1999 with all lawyers in the Department receiving three days training on the European Convention on Human Rights, the Scotland Act and the Human Rights Act. Further practical workshops and training for support staff will take place during the summer of 1999 and the Human Rights Act will, in future, form part of the core training of all prosecutors in Scotland. This training was accompanied by detailed and extensive training material and guidance. The materials produced for the Procurator Fiscal Service contain prosecution policy and are confidential.
Since 20 May 1999 prosecution in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
The other matters will also be for that Parliament from 1 July 1999.
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Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day since 15 April; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that day. [87318]
Dr. Reid:
Since 15 April, thirty-two parliamentary questions have been tabled to my Department for answer on a named day. Of these, forty-seven per cent. received a substantive reply on the nominated day.
Mr. David Stewart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect devolution will have on ministerial responsibilities for forestry. [87666]
Dr. Reid:
From 1 July 1999, Scottish Ministers in the Scottish Parliament will have responsibility for forestry in Scotland, the National Assembly for Wales will have responsibility for forestry in Wales, while the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will continue to have responsibility for forestry in England.
The Prime Minister has agreed that the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will also, from 1 July, assume responsibility for forestry issues affecting Great Britain as a whole. The Minister will, of course, consult Scottish Ministers and the National Assembly on such matters.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has responsibility for forestry in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hood:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 14-15 June; and if he will make a statement. [87373]
Mr. Nick Brown:
I represented the United Kingdom at a meeting of the European Union Agriculture Council in Luxembourg on 14-15 June.
Concluding a negotiation launched under the UK Presidency last year, the Council reached a unanimous landmark agreement (Spain abstaining) on battery cages for laying hens, the farming system which is most heavily criticised on grounds of animal welfare. From 1 January 2003, any new battery cages must meet new and more welfare-friendly standards. Conventional battery cages will be banned altogether after the end of 2011.
One of my aims was to accommodate non-cage systems of the kind which many UK producers have voluntarily adopted out of concern for animal welfare, and I am pleased to have secured terms which will allow producers who have such systems to keep them, without significant change also until 31 December 2011.
I regard it as important that, as we raise standards of animal welfare in the European Union, our producers should not be undermined by producers in third countries operating on lower standards. This week's agreement
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includes a firm undertaking from the Commission to seek wider international agreement on animal welfare standards in the next round of World Trade Organisation negotiations which starts early next year.
The Council also reached unanimous agreement on standards for organic livestock, ending nearly three years' discussion. Consumers and producers will benefit from knowing that all livestock products sold as organic must in future conform to a minimum set of requirements applicable throughout the EU. It remains open to each member state to set stricter (but not less strict) standards for its own producers. I intend that there should be early discussion between Government and UK organic farming organisations about the implementation of the new rules.
In the light of the problem of dioxin contamination in Belgium, the Council agreed on the urgent need to improve the monitoring and control of foodstuffs, and in particular invited the Commission to carry out a thorough review of feedingstuffs legislation and labelling.
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