| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Learning and Skills Council
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will announce the appointment of the Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council. [130798]
Mr. Wicks: Today, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has appointed John Harwood as Chief Executive (Designate) of the Learning and Skills Council.
Mr, Harwood is currently Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council. He will bring the vision and breadth of experience that will be needed to set up and lead this important new public body. He brings a great deal of experience from a lifetime in public service, as well as a wide understanding of post-16 learning. Working with the Council's Chair Designate, Bryan Sanderson, he will be able to build a modern, effective organisation.
We aim to announce the Executive Directors of the local Learning and Skills Councils through the summer. A list of the successful candidates will be placed in the House Libraries.
13 Jul 2000 : Column: 661W
HOME DEPARTMENT
Lords Lieutenant
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 July 2000, Official Report, column 356W, regarding lords lieutenant, if he will make a statement on the selection procedure which applies to the appointment of (a) lords lieutenant and (b) deputy lieutenants. [130402]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Lords Lieutenants are appointed by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister. In England, the Prime Minister's Secretary for Appointments carries out the consultation process within the county on behalf of the Prime Minister. Nominations of candidates for Lords Lieutenant can, when a vacancy occurs, be made to the Secretary for Appointments, the relevant Clerk to the Lieutenancy and the outgoing Lord Lieutenant.
The appointment of Deputy Lieutenants is a matter for the Lord Lieutenant, subject to the non-disapprobation of The Queen.
Prisoners (Useful Activity)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average number of hours of useful activity each week is in each British prison. [130020]
Mr. Boateng: The average weekly purposeful activity hours per prisoner in 1999-2000 for establishments in England and Wales are given in the table.
Ashfield and Forest Bank prisons opened late in 1999-2000 and are not included in this analysis.
13 Jul 2000 : Column: 663W
Dangerous Driving
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the inter-departmental working party on penalties for causing death by dangerous driving and related driving offences; and when he expects to produce a report. [130435]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The work of the review of penalties for road traffic offences is almost complete. The Government hope to publish a consultation document, setting out the proposals of the review, shortly.
UN Drugs Control Programme
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance his Department provides for the UN Drugs Control Programme; and what this assistance is earmarked for. [130450]
Mr. Charles Clarke: In 1999-2000 the Home Office provided £1,171,000 for United Nations Drugs Control Programme (UNDCP) projects, allocated as follows:
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Modernisation of the police academy and the strengthening of precursor control (in Brazil) (AD/BRA/98/D31 and D33) | 478 |
| Drug law enforcement in Pakistan (AD/PAK/98/D86) | 480 |
| Strengthening drug law enforcement (AD/RER/D41) | 113 |
| Regional clearance system for the control of movement of vessels (in the Caribbean) (AD/CAR/97/C49) | 100 |
In addition £127,000 was contributed to the general fund of the UNDCP.
13 Jul 2000 : Column: 664W
Police (Feira Report)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if police officers will operate (a) in national uniforms and (b) under a common code of practice under the provisions of the Feira Presidency proposals. [129920]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Feira Presidency report makes no proposals as regards uniforms or codes of practice for police officers from European Union member states deployed on international civilian policing operations.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to increase police numbers in order to provide the manpower indicated in Section C of the Feira Presidency conclusions. [129923]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Presidency Report to the Feira European Council on "Strengthening the Common European Security and Defence Policy" looks at establishing concrete targets for civilian police capabilities as part of a wider initiative on international non-military crisis management operations. The United Kingdom will be working with European Union partners to achieve the target agreed at Feira. The Presidency Report does not impose any national quotas which would oblige us to increase the number of United Kingdom officers who will be available for peace keeping missions abroad. We will continue to contribute to such operations on a voluntary basis.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the conditions under which police officers from other EU states would operate in the UK, as proposed in the Feira Presidency conclusions. [129812]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The Feira Presidency Report contains recommendations and proposals which will enable the European Union to contribute more effectively to international peace and security by enhancing its contribution to crisis management operations led by international and regional organisations. There is no suggestion that officers from European Union states should operate as part of such a mission in the United Kingdom or any other European Union state or that the circumstances in the European Union are such that they would be required in such a capacity.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |