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Departmental Waste
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to set targets for the recycling of waste (a) paper, (b) cardboard, (c) glass, (d) metal, (e) plastic and (f) other products created by her Department and its agencies; and if she will make a statement. [98216]
Mr. Stringer:
My Department's approach to waste management is based on the three Rs: with Recovery (ie. recycling, composting and energy recovery) following Reduce and Re-use as the preferred options for reducing waste sent to landfill. This should help us to achieve: the Green Ministers' target for Government
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Departments of recovering a minimum of 40 per cent. of total office waste, with at least 25 per cent. of that recovery coming from recycling or composting in 2000-01, as published in "Greening Government: First Annual Report of the Green Ministers Committee 1998-99". We are developing individual targets for paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastic and other materials. Our associate bodies are similarly working towards the Green Ministers target.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many proposals to impose new regulations on business have been dropped as a result of the application of Regulatory Impact Assessment. [98049]
Marjorie Mowlam:
Regulatory Impact Assessment is an iterative process that begins when policy options are first explored. During the development of a proposal, options may be dropped for various reasons, including the potential burden on business. But information is not collected on proposals that are dropped and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Proposals that come before Parliament, and which are accompanied by a final, published Regulatory Impact Assessment have been judged to be necessary and to strike the right balance between cost and benefit.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the costs (a) reduced and (b) avoided as a result of the use of Regulatory Impact Assessments for the last year for which figures are available. [98043]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I have made no such estimates. Regulatory Impact Assessments show the expected costs and benefits of proposals that are brought forward. These individual assessments are placed in the Libraries of the House.
Where a new proposal has the benefit of replacing an earlier more costly arrangement, that would be shown in the relevant Regulatory Impact Assessment.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make it her policy to encourage (a) utility and (b) other sector regulators to adopt the principles contained in her Department's Regulatory Impact Assessment guidelines in respect of their regulatory decisions. [98051]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The requirements of the Better Regulation Guide and Regulatory Impact Assessment apply primarily to Government Departments and agencies who bring regulations before Parliament. It is also appropriate for other agencies such as utility and other sector regulators where they do not already have such guidance built into their statutory requirements.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will set (a) departmental and (b) overall targets for reducing the burden of regulation, measured by (i) volume of regulatory requirements and (ii) costs imposed by those requirements. [98550]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The volume and cost of regulation is less important than its quality and effectiveness. To focus on the number of regulations or their cost is
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meaningless because it ignores the benefits to business, society and the environment that can result from targeted and proportionate regulation.
The process of Regulatory Impact Assessment aims to ensure that the costs of regulation are justified by the benefits.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures are in place to ensure that departments comply with the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Assessment guidelines. [98089]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The Procedure for compliance is in the form of ministerial agreement that regulatory proposals with an impact on businesses, charities or voluntary bodies should have a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) prior to collective agreement being sought. Departments consult the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit as part of this process.
Ministers and their Departmental Regulatory Impact Units have responsibility for ensuring that RIAs are published and placed in the Libraries of the House. Copies of all final RIAs must also be sent to Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will take steps to require that the requirement set out in Clause 125 of the Financial Services and Markets Bill should apply to all sector regulators in respect of their regulatory decision-making role; and if she will make a statement. [98088]
Marjorie Mowlam:
There is no need to extend the specific requirements on consultation and cost benefit analysis, in Clause 125 of the Financial Services and Markets Bill, to all sector regulators. Best practice guidance on consultation and on Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is already available to sector regulators in the Better Regulation Guide.
Mr. Fearn:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will instruct the Anti-drugs Co-ordinator to include within the remit of the drugs action teams the problem of drugs and driving. [98116]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The issue of drugs and driving is predominantly a matter for the police, who have powers to deal with drivers who are impaired through the effects of drugs under existing road traffic legislation. Drug Action Team (DAT) membership includes chief officers of agencies--including the police--which have responsibility for tackling all aspects of the drug problem, and as such this issue is already covered by DATs.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special advisers are employed by each Government Department, including the Prime Minister's Office; and how many there were in 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99. [97766]
Marjorie Mowlam:
For the numbers of Special Advisers currently in post, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question 98192.
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| Year | Number of Advisers |
|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 38 |
| 1996-97 | 38 |
| 1997-98 | 70 |
| 1998-99 | 72 |
Mr. Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the special advisers currently employed by each Government Department, including the Prime Minister's Office, and their previous employment. [98192]
Marjorie Mowlam: For details of the Special Advisers employed in the Prime Minister's Office, I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 25 June 1999, Official Report, columns 478-80. Since then, he has appointed Bob Bartram, Ed Richards and Catherine Rimmer. Special Advisers appointed by me and other Cabinet colleagues are as follows:
(31) In addition, Professor Michael Barber has been appointed as the Standards and Effectiveness Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education and Employment.
(32) In addition, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has appointed Keith Hellawell as the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator and Michael Trace as the Deputy UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator on special adviser terms.
(33) In addition, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has appointed Chris Wales, Paul Gregg and Shriti Vadera as Members of the Council of Economic Advisers.
(34) Part-time.
(35) Part-time and unpaid.
(36) Chief Economic Adviser.
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Details about an individual's previous employment are confidential in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what is the total cost of special advisers currently employed by each Government department and by the Prime Minister's Office; and what was the total cost for each year from 1995-96 to 1998-99. [97606]
Marjorie Mowlam:
The costs of Special Advisers within each department are confidential in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.
The estimated cost in 1999-2000 of Special Advisers in No.10 is £1.5m. The estimated cost of departmental Advisers is £2.4m.
The total costs of Special Advisers in the years requested are as follows:
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