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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 22 June 1999
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
European Structural Funds
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to negotiate a share of the EU population coverage under the urban strand of Objective 2 of the EU Structural Funds for the United Kingdom which reflects the degree of urbanisation in the United Kingdom. [87786]
Mr. Wills: A maximum of 18 per cent. of the European Union's population will be covered by the new Objective 2. The suggested breakdown by strand for Objective 2 of 10 per cent. to industrial areas, 5 per cent. to rural, 2 per cent. to urban and 1 per cent. to fisheries is purely indicative across the EU.
The UK's overall population coverage under Objective 2 is defined by the safety net which limits the reduction in coverage to one-third of the existing Objective 2 and 5b population.
Mr. Fabian Hamilton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that areas designated in the United Kingdom under the urban strand of Objective 2 of the Structural Funds will be densely populated areas made up of contiguous units with a minimum population of 100,000. [87787]
Mr. Wills:
The public consultation on the determining UK areas for Objective 2 eligibility ended on 25 May. The Government are carefully considering all the submissions received and the eligibility criteria suggested.
Before the UK propose their Objective 2 areas to the Commission, the Government will define, through discussions with the Commission, the geographical unit to be used to express urban areas within the UK.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress made to establish the Small Business Service. [87797]
Mr. Wills:
The Government announced plans to set up the Small Business Service in the Budget statement. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry reinforced this in his Post-Budget statement to the House on 10 March 1999, Official Report, columns 367-79.
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We will be publishing a consultation document in the near future on the specific role and functions of the Small Business Service. I will be pleased to hear the views of all interested parties.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the national minimum wage on riding schools and equestrian centres; and if he will make a statement. [87810]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
I have made no such assessment. We have asked the Low Pay Commission to evaluate the impact of the national minimum wage, with particular reference to the effect on pay, employment and training. They will soon be gathering evidence and will no doubt invite this sector, along with many others, to provide information.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will exempt riding schools from the national minimum wage. [87811]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
No. Under the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act, individual sectors of employment cannot be excluded from coverage.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will introduce workplace car park charging within the Parliamentary Estate. [87611]
Mr. Kirkwood:
The Commission has no plans at present to introduce charges for parking in the parliamentary estate. But the Greater London Authority Bill contains provisions which would allow the authority or the London borough of Westminster to introduce a levy on parking in the Palace of Westminster. The Commission will consider the position if and when either authority makes proposals for the introduction of a levy.
Church Land (GM Trials)
Mr. Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what his policy is in respect of the use of church land to grow trial genetically modified crops. [87608]
Mr. Stuart Bell:
The issue of whether Government trials of genetically modified crops should take place on land owned by the Commissioners is being initially considered by the Church's Ethical Investment Working Group (EIWG), which develops a co-ordinated ethical investment policy for the Church. The EIWG is made up of representatives of each of the central Church investing bodies and the General Synod's Board for Social Responsibility.
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Maria Bamieh
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the case of Maria Bamieh and the Crown Prosecution Service. [87808]
The Attorney-General: The decision of the Employment Tribunal in the case brought by Maria Bamieh against the Crown Prosecution Service is long and detailed and needs to be studied carefully. The Crown Prosecution Service takes the decision very seriously and is giving it urgent consideration.
Hayes v. Attorney-General
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Attorney-General what were the terms of settlement of the case of Hayes v. Attorney- General; and if he will make a statement. [87807]
The Attorney-General: The proceedings brought by Ms Hayes were of historical interest only. I had put in hand a review of the system of appointing barristers to act for the Crown, with the intention that it should be made more open and transparent, before Ms Hayes commenced her proceedings. I have followed this wholly new system for making appointment, since July 1998. Settling the case has brought the matter to a close and has saved further expenditure of public money on a lengthy hearing.
The terms of my agreement with Ms Hayes were as follows:
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Appointments Procedure
1. The Attorney-General confirms that he will maintain the principles of transparency and open competition followed since July 1998 in appointments to the Panels of Treasury Counsel, including First Junior Counsel to the Treasury, namely:
(a) that vacancies are advertised;
(b) that applications and written references are considered by a selection board who make recommendations to the Attorney-General on the basis of those applications and references only;
(c) that the Attorney-General does not appoint any candidate who has not been recommended to him by the selection board;
(d) that the Attorney-General does not seek opinions from persons other than the selection board and the candidate's referees.
Jurisdiction
2. In the event of any future dispute, the Attorney-General will accept the jurisdiction:
(a) of an employment tribunal in the case of appointments as First Junior Treasury Counsel (Common Law) and First Junior Counsel to the Treasury (Chancery);
(b) of a county court in the case of appointments of other counsel.
The Applicant's Case
3. The Attorney-General does not accept that the Applicant or any other prospective appointee has, in fact, been subjected to discrimination. Nevertheless, he readily accepts that it was unsatisfactory that, until he changed the appointments system in 1998, although several women barristers had been appointed to the Supplementary Panels and as standing counsel to other departments, only one had been appointed to the main Chancery and Common Law panels of Treasury Counsel. Informal consultation may have a tendency to result in the recommendation of people known personally to the consultees and the purpose of the new system set up by the Attorney-General is to end such consultation. He recognises
that the system of appointments which was previously in place may have contributed to the under-representation of women on the main panels. In recognition of this, he has agreed to make a donation of £5,000 to the Fawcett Society.
4. On the above basis, the parties agree that the Applicant will:
(a) withdraw her county court claim;
(b) withdraw her application to the employment tribunal
in each case with no order as to costs.
Crown Prosecution Service
Ms Moran: To ask the Attorney-General what measures he proposes to ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service communicates with families affected by their decisions in child abuse cases. [87456]
The Attorney-General: Currently, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) provides to the police information about prosecution decisions for them to forward to victims, or their families, as appropriate. How much information can be given may depend on the circumstances of individual cases. The CPS must balance openness with victims with the interests of others in the case. In particular cases senior CPS lawyers will be available to meet with victims and their families to explain in general terms reasons for CPS casework decisions.
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