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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 27 November 2000

CABINET OFFICE

Regulatory Reform Bill

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proposals the Government plan to bring forward under the Regulatory Reform Bill. [140560]

Mr. Stringer: The Government have a number of proposals under preparation that could be implemented under the Regulatory Reform Bill. These are aimed at:

simplifying the complicated fire safety rules;


replacing the rules surrounding weights and measures with one new piece of legislation;


allowing school governors to provide out-of-school child care for their own pupils and other children--this is something many schools have asked for;


removing the remaining constraints on the number of partners that professions such as GPs, chartered surveyors and investment trust managers may have;


removing from businesses the costs of having to adhere to two different sets of regulations surrounding unfair contract terms;


removing the outdated regulations surrounding trading stamps to make it easier for business;


making it easier for directory publishers to gain repeat business by simplifying the process for renewing directory entries;

promoting innovation in the building and construction industry by not penalising those who do things in a different way from what is laid down in guidance;


allowing longer for local authorities and others to transfer housing stock;


simplifying, speeding up and making fairer the procedures for renewing business leases;


placing local authority business tenants on the same footing with lease renewals as other business tenants;


easing the administrative and other burdens on charities;


making it easier to correct errors on birth and death certificates;


simplifying the arrangements for undertaking building work at voluntary-aided schools;


removing the requirement for some charities associated with the NHS to submit two sets of accounts;


ending the renewal of manufacturers' and wholesale dealers' licences for human and veterinary medicines and introducing continuous licensing;


putting cautions, reprimands and final warnings on the same footing as other criminal records, giving offenders a 'clean sheet' after a certain period;


changing the rules about access to victim material in sexual offence cases to protect the victim and remove restrictions from lawyers;


letting pubs open later on New Year's Eve from next year onwards;

allowing restaurants to open later without a requirement to provide live entertainment;


allowing a greater variety of gaming machines to be installed in bingo clubs;


allowing customers to use banknotes and smartcards when playing with gaming machines.

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According to the procedure laid down in the Regulatory Reform Bill, all these proposals would be subject to thorough public consultation followed by rigorous scrutiny by both Houses of Parliament.

The Regulatory Reform Bill was published as Command Paper 4713 on 18 April 2000. It will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.

We are also placing in the Library today a code of practice on written consultation and guidance on implementation periods for new legislation likely to impact on business. These measures also form part of the Government's strategy for minimising regulatory burdens on business.

E-Government

Mr. Laxton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what has been the outcome to date of the commitment given in the first annual report of the e-Minister and the e-Envoy that meetings of the Cabinet will be held on e-Government every six months. [139707]

Mr. Stringer: The first six-monthly Cabinet meeting is expected to take place early in 2001, following the publication of the next six-monthly report on electronic service delivery and the initial evaluation of Departments' e-business strategies.

Written Consultation

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when she intends to launch the Code of Practice on Written Consultation; and if she will make a statement. [140563]

Marjorie Mowlam: The Government have today published a Code of Practice on Written Consultation, and I have placed a copy in the Library. It will apply to consultation documents issued after 1 January 2001.

The Code meets a recommendation of the Sixth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. It also responds to views expressed by the Public Administration Select Committee of the House, by the Better Regulation Task Force, and by many organisations and members of the public in response to a consultation draft issued earlier this year.

The code will generally be binding on Departments, though it is not a legal document. Any departures from it will have to be justified, on the face of the consultation document, by the Minister authorising it.

The code reflects the importance of:

involving the widest range of people and organisations in developing policy, legislation and public services;


keeping to a minimum the burden on people consulted--so the code encourages joining up of consultation, and requires that documents have a two-page summary;

giving enough time to respond to consultation documents: 12 weeks will be the standard minimum period;


making full use of information technology in gathering views, though not so as to exclude people without access: so there will be a central internet-based register of consultations which will appear shortly at: www.UKOnline.gov.uk; and


giving feedback: saying what views were expressed, and why they were accepted or rejected.

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I am also placing in the Library, and on my Department's website, a summary of responses to the consultation earlier this year on a draft of the Code.

I believe the Code, together with the Guidance being published today by the Small Business Service on implementation periods, a copy of which is also being placed in the Library, is a real advance for responsive, open administration, and for constructive working between business and Government.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Best Value

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what effect the introduction of Best Value has had on the quantity of public tenders for local authority services; and if he will make a statement. [139424]

Ms Beverley Hughes: Information on local authority contracts is not held centrally. Best Value has introduced a competitive requirement into all local government services and contrasts with Compulsory Competitive Tendering which applied to a limited range of services only.

Best Value has encouraged changes in the way in which services are procured. Authorities are increasingly looking to develop strategic partnerships with the private sector and others to deliver efficient high-quality services, and a number of such agreements have been announced recently. We would expect this trend to intensify, accompanied by some retrenchment in the number of contracts of the type which were characteristic of CCT.

We have also asked Sir Ian Byatt to head a Task Force to consider the state of commissioning and procurement in local government, and he will report by the end of May next year on the practical steps that might be taken to help authorities develop the market for services and achieve best value from their procurement.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement in respect of the implementation of Best Value. [139712]

Ms Beverley Hughes: The Audit Commission reviewed local authorities' first year experience of Best Value Performance Plans and published their report on 20 October. The Commission reported promising beginnings. Authorities set targets which indicate a steady improvement in many frontline services, with the worst performing authorities aiming to improve more quickly. The Government agree with the Commission's recommendations for local authorities, and in particular the advice that they should take a more strategic approach in formulating their programmes of Best Value Reviews.

Local Authority Chief Executives

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many chief

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executives of local authorities have (a) resigned, (b) been dismissed, (c) been suspended and (d) taken early retirement in the last two years. [139842]

Ms Beverley Hughes: This information is not held centrally.

Airport Security

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the recent breach of airport security at Birmingham International Airport; and if he will make a statement; [139802]

(2) if it is the policy of the Government to prosecute persons (a) illegally obtaining an airside pass and (b) for breaching airport security by deception; [139804]

(3) what measures he plans to take to strengthen supervision of airside pass issuing authorities; [139803]

(4) how many times an airside pass has been issued incorrectly in the last 10 years; and what procedures exist to ensure that airside passes are not issued incorrectly. [139805]

Mr. Mullin [holding answer 23 November 2000]: My Department has been conducting an investigation into the allegations made by the News of the World on 19 November. This investigation indicates that the security of the restricted zones of the airports named by the paper was not breached. Once all the circumstances have been fully assessed, we will consider what further action is required.

My Department regulates the aviation industry in respect of compliance with the UK National Aviation Security Programme and a stepped approach to enforcement is taken. This stepped approach ranges from advice and assistance, through formal notification of deficiencies, to legally binding Enforcement Notices and ultimately prosecution. Targeted rectification action is pursued throughout.

The measures taken by airports to control access to their restricted zones, including that the pass regime is being managed properly, are included in regular compliance monitoring.

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