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Intelligence and Security Committee
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to make an appointment to the Intelligence and Security Committee. [105234]
The Prime Minister:
I have appointed my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton), to be member of the Intelligence and Security Committee in
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place of my hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), who left the Committee following her appointment as a Minister.
Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will announce the full composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Assembly of the Western European Union. [105233]
The Prime Minister:
The United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Western European Union is as follows:
Leader
The right hon. Terry Davis MP
| Full representatives | Substitute Members |
|---|---|
| David Atkinson MP | Malcolm Bruce MP |
| Sir Sydney Chapman MP | The right hon. The Lord Clinton-Davis |
| Michael Colvin MP | Mrs. Ann Cryer MP |
| Tom Cox MP | Mike Hancock CBE, MP |
| Lawrence Cunliffe MP | Robert Jackson MP |
| Bill Etherington MP | Ms Jenny Jones MP |
| Paul Flynn MP | The Lord Judd |
| Mrs. Maria Fyfe MP | The Baroness Knight of Collingtree DBE |
| The Lord Kirkhill | The Lord Lucas of Crudwell |
| Keven McNamara MP | Ms Chris McCafferty MP |
| Jim Marshall MP | Gwyn Prosser MP |
| Edward O'Hara MP | Syd Rapson MP |
| The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede | Miss Geraldine Smith MP |
| The Lord Russell-Johnston | David Taylor MP |
| John D. Taylor MP | Dr. Rudi Vis MP |
| John Townend MP | John Wilkinson MP |
| James Wray MP | David Wilshire MP |
| Anthony D. Wright MP |
SCOTLAND
Hughes Report (Dunblane)
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons the report on Thomas Hamilton by Sergeant Hughes is subject to a 100-year closure. [104520]
Dr. Reid: As the report contains sensitive information about children and alleged offences against them, it was considered appropriate that it should remain closed for 100 years. This closure is in accordance with current Government guidelines published in the White Paper "Open Government" (Cm 2290 (1993)). The Crown Office will deal with any requests for access meantime.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Land Register
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if a decision has been made on the proposal to restore price paid to the Land Register; and if he will make a statement. [105318]
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Jane Kennedy:
After extensive consultation, the Lord Chancellor has decided to restore "price paid" to the Land Register. This is consistent with the Government's policy to improve the house buying process by making important information more readily available, particularly at an early stage of the process. Information included in the Land Register should be as comprehensive as is practical and proper--property value is of great interest to people and there is no good reason why it should not be available.
The information will not be inserted retrospectively. All applications received by the Land Registry on or after 1 April 2000 will have the price paid entered on the Land Register where it is practicable to do so. As with other data, the Land Register will provide the current information. Hence, on a subsequent change of ownership, the original price paid will be removed from the register.
This change in practice will bring the Land Register for England and Wales into line with many other jurisdictions where the price paid for property is a matter of public record. This includes most of Europe and, notably, Scotland where this information has been publicly available since 1617 without appearing to cause any problems.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what level of support is being made available by his Department to primary and secondary schools for the delivery of drugs education in the financial year 1999-2000; and how much will be available in the following two years. [102794]
Jacqui Smith:
Specific support to schools for drug education is available through the Standards Fund, via Local Education Authorities.
During 1999-2000, £7.5 million has been made available through the Standards Fund Drug Prevention Grant. For the financial year 2000-01 the Drug Prevention Grant will be incorporated into the larger Social Inclusion: Pupil Support, Drug Prevention and Youth Service (SIPS) Grant. A total of £140 million will be available through the SIPS grant and minimum of £7.5 million is available for Drug Education; however, LEAs may opt to spend more.
In line with the Anti-Drugs Strategy, the Department is seeking to deliver drug education within the wider context of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and the Healthy Schools Programme. We are supporting the development of PSHE through Standards Fund moneys, £12 million will be made available during 2000-01 for the development of PSHE and Citizenship in schools.
Levels of funding for 2001-02 and beyond fall into the coming CSR period and are yet to be agreed.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he
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has received from industry concerning the role of higher and further education colleges in the teaching of English as a foreign language. [104440]
Mr. Wicks:
We have received representations from private training providers.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions he has had regarding the role of further and higher education colleges in the teaching of English as a foreign language. [104441]
Mr. Wicks:
My Department holds discussions as appropriate on this issue. For example, we have been closely involved with the Further Education Funding Council's review of English as a Foreign Language courses.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to involve institutions engaged in the teaching of English as a foreign language in reforms of higher and further education. [104443]
Mr. Wicks:
In any reforms of further and higher education, we always welcome the views of institutions engaged in teaching English as a foreign language.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions he has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding the role of the British Council in the teaching of English as a foreign language. [104442]
Mr. Wicks:
The Department holds discussions periodically with the British Council about its role in promoting the learning of English as a foreign language.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the time scale for (a) the tendering process and (b) the production of the new computer system for the Child Support Agency; and if he will estimate the likely total cost of this project. [104705]
Angela Eagle:
Discussions are currently in progress with the Department's private sector partner, the Affinity consortium, on the overall scope of the IT solution, a contract to develop and operate a new computer system, and the time scales for delivery. Costs are subject to negotiation.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the existing computer system operated by the Child Support Agency could support the calculations of maintenance liabilities under the new formula proposed in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill. [104704]
Angela Eagle:
It might be possible to amend the Child Support Computer System to support a certain amount of work under the new system, but not without some difficulty.
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Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is his policy under the provisions of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill that benefits will be suspended for offenders immediately following the Probation Service issuing breach proceedings on individual cases; and if he will make a statement. [104745]
Angela Eagle:
The Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill, which is currently being considered by Parliament, will reinforce the link between rights to benefits and responsibilities to society. Offenders aged 18 to 59, who are referred to Court for breaching a specified community sentence, will be subject to a benefit sanction from the first practicable benefit payday after the relevant benefits office receives a notification from the Probation Service that court proceedings have been initiated.
In the case of Jobseeker's Allowance and certain Training Allowances, benefit will be withdrawn. Hardship payments will be available for vulnerable groups and others at risk of hardship. Income Support recipients will have their benefit reduced by 40 per cent. or 20 per cent. of the single person's adult rate, subject to their circumstances.
This measure will initially be piloted. During the pilots the sanction period will be four weeks.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people he estimates will have their benefits suspended per annum following a breach of a community sentence under the terms of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill; and if he will make a statement. [104747]
Angela Eagle:
It is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of people who will have their benefit withdrawn or reduced following a breach of a community sentence. Data collected by the Home Office indicate that, in England and Wales, around 25,000 people a year are currently referred to Court for breach proceedings. No information is held about how many of these are in receipt of Social Security benefits. After this measure is introduced, there is expected to be some behavioural effect which will reduce the number who breach their sentences.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security under the provisions of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill, how much money will be set aside for the Hardship Fund to be used in the case of withdrawal of benefits for the first financial year for which the provisions are implemented; and if he will make a statement. [104746]
Angela Eagle:
There will be no "Hardship Fund". Hardship payments will be made, where appropriate, from general benefit expenditure. Similar arrangements already exist for making hardship payments where Jobseeker's Allowance is withdrawn as a result of labour market employment sanctions.
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