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CABINET OFFICE
Drugs
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what is his estimate of the amounts of confiscated illegal drug assets that will be used for anti-drugs measures in each of the next 10 years; and what percentage he estimates this will be of the total value of illegal drugs trafficked in the United Kingdom. [86955]
Dr. Jack Cunningham:
The first annual report of the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator sets out that from the financial year 1999-2000, assets seized from drug traffickers in the UK will be channelled back into anti-drugs work through a new Confiscated Assets Fund (CAF). The activities to be funded will be identified by
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the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator based on his assessment of the strategic priorities. For 1999-2000 the Fund will total £3 million; this should rise to £5 million in 2000-01 and £7 million in 2001-02. The amounts allocated to the Fund thereafter will be set according to receipts in the previous year.
There are no figures available for the value of illegal drugs trafficked.
European Communities Working Groups
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the European Communities working groups which met over the last 12 months with a representative from his Department in attendance; if he will list the number of times each met; if he will indicate the nature of the Government's representation; and if he will make a statement. [88468]
Mr. Vaz: Officials from my Department regularly attend meetings of Council working groups. Occasionally my Department is represented by officials from the United Kingdom's Permanent Representation to the European Union. I have listed the working groups with which my Department is most closely involved, and the number of times these have met in the last 12 months.
| Working group | Meetings |
|---|---|
| Extension of the Brussels Convention | 1 |
| Rome II | 5 |
| Revision of the Brussels and Lugano Conventions | 7 |
Treasury Counsel
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what (a) representations were made, (b) correspondence was had and (c) meetings were held by (i) the Lord Chancellor and (ii) the Parliamentary Secretary's predecessor about (1) the creation of the vacancy for Treasury Counsel (Common Law) in May 1997 and (2) the filling of the vacancy. [89114]
Mr. Vaz: Soon after the Lord Chancellor was appointed to that office in May 1997, it became apparent to him that the then First Treasury Counsel (Common Law) should be recommended to Her Majesty for appointment as a puisne judge of the High Court. He informed the Attorney-General that this appointment would be offered. The Attorney-General and the then Solicitor-General consulted widely as to who should be appointed to the post of First Treasury Counsel, and the Lord Chancellor was among those who were consulted. Once the Attorney-General had decided who should be appointed, his Department had correspondence with the Lord Chancellor's Department to synchronise the announcement of the two appointments.
To the best of my knowledge, my predecessor was not in any way concerned with either of these appointments.
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Devolution (Scotland)
Mr. Maxton: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement regarding the giving of advice by the First Minister to Her Majesty on the exercise of her functions in connection with the implementation of the Scotland Act 1998. [89358]
The Prime Minister: In a number of situations advice is by convention, given by a Minister of the Crown to Her Majesty in respect of the exercise of her functions. The majority of Her Majesty's functions in respect of which she receives advice from a Minister of the Crown in this way relate to the making of appointments and the use of the Royal prerogative.
As a consequence of the new constitutional arrangements under the Scotland Act 1998, it is proposed that in some of those situations the First Minister instead of a Minister of the Crown will give advice, by convention, to Her Majesty after 1 July in respect of her functions. No formal order is required to give effect to these transfers, which will be carried out by administrative arrangement. In this context "Her Majesty's functions" refer to her statutory functions and cases where Her Majesty acts under her prerogative or common law powers. It concerns only those functions of Her Majesty which she exercises personally and not those which are exercised on her behalf by a Minister of the Crown. It deals only with circumstances in which a Minister of the Crown provides advice to Her Majesty by convention and it does not deal with circumstances in which a Minister of the Crown exercises a statutory function of advising Her Majesty. Where appropriate, provision has been made in the Scotland Act, or in subordinate legislation under the Scotland Act, to transfer these statutory advice-giving functions from the Minister of the Crown to the First Minister.
In cases where Her Majesty exercises a function which is exercisable within devolved competence for the purposes of the Scotland Act 1998 and she is, by convention, advised by a Minister of the Crown about the exercise of that function, then after 1 July she will be advised by the First Minister instead of by a Minister of the Crown.
For example, Her Majesty exercises the Royal prerogative of mercy and appoints regius professors of the ancient Scottish universities in this way. A list of further examples of circumstances in which Her Majesty will in future be advised by the First Minister instead of by the Secretary of State in relation to the exercise of her functions which relate in whole or in part to a devolved matter has been placed in the Library.
There are some matters in respect of which the Prime Minister gives advice to Her Majesty on the exercise of her functions and on which it would be appropriate for the Prime Minister to consult or to take advice from the First Minister. These matters include recommendations of Scottish candidates for honours and dignities, which are a
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reserved matter, and advice on the appointment of Lords Lieutenants in Scotland, the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and members of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and the Forestry Commission. There are also matters where a Minister of the Crown gives advice to Her Majesty and where it also would be appropriate for the First Minister to be consulted by or to give advice to that Minister of the Crown.
The Scotland Act 1998 confers upon the First Minister various functions of advising Her Majesty either directly or through the Prime Minister. This includes seeking Her Majesty's approval to the appointment of Scottish Ministers and recommending to Her Majesty persons for appointment as Scottish Law Officers. Section 95 of the Act sets out in detail the arrangements for the First Minister to nominate persons for appointment as Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice Clerk to the Prime Minister, who in turn makes recommendations on those appointments to Her Majesty. It also provides for the First Minister to recommend to Her Majesty the appointment of other judges.
In a number of other situations, Her Majesty is advised in relation to the exercise of her functions by the Privy Council rather than by a Minister of the Crown. The Privy Council deals with various items of Scottish business, both prerogative business and statutory matters, such as the grant of Royal Charters and Privy Council appointments. I have placed a paper in the Libraries of both Houses that briefly describes the circumstances in which the First Minister will, from 1 July, contribute to Privy Council business in the same manner as the Secretary of State for Scotland has done.
Sir Peter Tapsell:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 30 June. [88447]
The Deputy Prime Minister:
I have been asked to reply.
As the House knows, the Prime Minister has decided to remain in Northern Ireland today, in order to make every effort to secure agreement between the parties in Northern Ireland.
I am sure the whole House will wish him, the Irish Prime Minister and all the parties well in their endeavours to bring lasting peace to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has put forward for reform of the United Nations. [87763]
The Deputy Prime Minister:
I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23 June 1999, Official Report, column 399.
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Laura Moffatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the national framework for coronary heart disease will be published. [85963]
Mr. Hutton:
A rolling programme of National Service Frameworks was announced last year. The first two frameworks--on coronary heart disease and on mental health--are planned to be published this summer.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 1999, Official Report, column 296, on cardiac rehabilitation programmes, when he expects to publish the national service framework for coronary heart disease. [87852]
Mr. Hutton:
A rolling programme of National Service Frameworks was announced last summer. The first two--on coronary heart disease and on mental health--will be published this summer.
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