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Civil Service Recruitment Policy
14. Helen Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps she is taking to ensure equal opportunity recruitment policies in the Civil Service. [124278]
Mr. Stringer: The Government are committed to a diverse Civil Service which reflects the society it serves, and has set targets of 35 per cent., 3.2 per cent., and 3 per cent. for the representation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities in the Senior Civil Service by 2004-05. Departments have also set targets for these groups outside the Senior Civil Service.
Recruitment to the Civil Service is on merit, through fair and open competition. We want the best people for the work, whatever their background.
Magistrates
15. Mr. Pike: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made since May 1997 in
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making magistrate appointments in the county palatine more representative of the communities they serve. [124279]
Marjorie Mowlam: In my Directions for Advisory Committees in the Duchy of Lancaster there is a requirement that each Bench should broadly reflect the community it serves. We have been consulting on whether this result is best achieved by retaining the separateness of Duchy appointments or linking the system with the rest of England and Wales by transferring the power to appoint to the Lord Chancellor. As a result of this consultation, I have decided to see how we can more closely align with the system run by the Lord Chancellor on the principles of openness and transparency, while still retaining the local link through the Duchy, which many in the Duchy area value highly. I have asked a Committee involving representatives of the Duchy and the Lord Chancellor's Department to examine this question and report to me.
Drugs Policy
16. Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proposals she has for further co-ordination of the Government's drugs policy. [124280]
Mr. Ian McCartney: The Government's drugs policy is set out and co-ordinated through our ten year Strategy, "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain". The Anti Drugs Co-ordinator, Keith Hellawell, was appointed to co-ordinate and drive forward the strategy. The strategy contains challenging aims and targets across the whole of our policy. These are annually monitored and reported in the co-ordinator's national plan and report.
The current spending review is considering further ways to enhance co-ordination of the strategy. Results of our consideration will be published when the review is concluded.
Drug Prevention Programmes
18. Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if it is her policy to introduce independent assessment of the effectiveness of drug prevention programmes (a) in schools and (b) elsewhere. [124283]
Mr. Ian McCartney: As part of the Government's ten-year strategy "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain" we are committed to identifying what works. This includes education and prevention initiatives. To support this objective the Drug Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS), is currently discussing with the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) ways in which the school inspections system can monitor schools drug policies and activities.
DPAS also has a key role in assessing all Drug Action Teams prevention programmes. These cover a wide range of activities, including those, which take place in schools. The Anti Drug Co-ordinator, with the support of DPAS is currently reviewing DAT action plans for the year ahead.
Small Business
20. Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations she has had on administrative burdens on small business. [124286]
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Mr. Stringer: My ministerial colleagues and I have sought and received representations from a wide range of business organisations about the specific problems facing small businesses. We have most recently received correspondence from the Federation of Small Business. I will be meeting the Federation shortly to discuss their ideas for simplifying and reducing regulatory burdens.
Civil Service Code
21. Mr. Robathan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures she uses to remove conflicts of interest which are contrary to the Civil Service Code. [124287]
Mr. Stringer: The Civil Service Code is part of the terms and conditions of employment of all civil servants. The code informs civil servants of the standards they are expected to uphold, and the appeal mechanisms available to them. Ministers are under a duty, set out in the ministerial code, not to ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the Civil Service Code.
Crop Contamination
22. Mr. David Heath: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on co-ordination between Government Departments in formulating policy and providing public information on contamination by GM seed of conventional crops. [124288]
Marjorie Mowlam: I have met various colleagues to discuss contamination of GM seed. In addition to a parliamentary statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 18 May 2000, public information has been provided on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food website and placed in the House Library.
Annual Report
23. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will arrange for the Government's annual report to be prepared by the National Audit Office following previously published guidelines. [124289]
Marjorie Mowlam: The Government have no such plans at this time.
Drug Deaths
24. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new proposals she has to reduce drug deaths. [124290]
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Mr. Ian McCartney: The Government's ten-year anti-drugs strategy aims to reduce the number of deaths from the misuse of illegal drugs. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has been considering how best we can report, monitor and reduce the number of deaths arising from the use of illegal drugs and they will be reporting to Ministers in the near future.
The anti-drugs strategy includes a target to have in place an action plan to reduce the number of drug-related deaths and this will be drawn up and implemented in response to the recommendations contained within the ACMD's report.
Computer Viruses
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps have been taken across Government Departments to prevent disruption of communications by computer viruses similar to that known as the Love Bug. [124282]
Mr. Ian McCartney: Further to the hon. Member's question, dated 10 May 2000, Official Report, column 830W, we have published an assessment of computer viruses such as the Love Bug and its implications, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when copies of the report on the impact of the love letter computer virus on Government IT systems will be placed in the Library. [126066]
Mr. Stringer: I have today placed copies of the report in the Libraries of the House.
Staff Secondments
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer of 11 January 2000, Official Report, column 134W, concerning secondments, which of the secondees listed were appointed for a period of 12 months or less. [124816]
Mr. Stringer: There were 10 secondees into the Cabinet Office for a period of 12 months or less from May 1997.
All 10 of those secondees were in the return from May 1999. They were seconded in from Anderson Consulting, Barclays Bank plc, BT, Hay Management Consultants, KPMG, Marks & Spencer plc, McKinsey & Co., Microsoft Corporation, Wragge & Co. Solicitors, and Zurich Financial Services.
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