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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 22 November 1999
HOME DEPARTMENT
Kosovan Refugees (Costs)
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date councils which incurred costs in respect of Kosovan refugee reception centres (a) will receive details of the revised format for the submission of costs, (b) be expected to make their submissions and (c) receive reimbursements; if reimbursements to councils will include loss of interest; and if he will make a statement. [98533]
Mr. Straw: Proposals for a Special Grant to reimburse English local authorities for additional expenditure incurred in connection with the acceptance of displaced persons from Kosovo under the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Humanitarian Evacuation Programme, were circulated to local authorities for consultation on 17 November.
The consultation period will end in December. The aim is that the Grant Report will be laid before Parliament around the turn of the year. On current plans, local authorities would submit claims to the Home Office by the end of February 2000 for relevant expenditure in the period to December 1999. Those claims will be paid in the current financial year. An audited claim for the full financial year will be submitted as soon as the authority is in a position to do so at the end of the financial year and any outstanding balance of grant will then be paid. The Special Grant will meet all relevant expenditure which the authority demonstrates was additional but it will not meet claims for loss of interest.
Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his planned timetable for the revision of the Immigration Rules and the publication of revised rules following the passing of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. [98757]
Mrs. Roche: We intend to phase implementation of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 over the next 12 to 18 months, giving priority to the new asylum support arrangements and the civil penalty for carrying clandestine entrants. Amendments to the Immigration Rules will be published as necessary when specific provisions are implemented. A major consolidation of changes to the Rules is likely to be required at the end of the implementation process.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services are provided for asylum seekers for help with shopping; and at what cost to public funds. [98638]
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Mrs. Roche:
No information on costs specifically relating to any assistance to asylum seekers for help with shopping is available to the Home Office.
Asylum seekers who claim asylum at their port of entry may be eligible for social security benefits. Those who do not claim at their port of entry may be supported by local authority social services departments. In addition, local authorities may provide various means to enable asylum seekers to obtain essential living needs.
De Beers
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with leading British diamond purchasers, with particular reference to De Beers, as to what controls they have put in place to ensure that they are not purchasing Angolan diamonds without a certificate of origin. [99158]
Mr. Hain: On 5 October, De Beers announced an embargo on the purchase of all diamonds from Angola by its buying offices world-wide. I applaud this decision and hope that others will follow their example to put pressure on UNITA and bring them to the negotiating table. We continue to hold regular discussions with De Beers, representatives of which I met recently.
Kosovo
Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's position on the FCO Policy Document 148, 1986, in relation to NATO intervention in Kosovo. [98534]
Mr. Vaz: FCO Policy Document No.148 was a paper prepared by the FCO Policy Planning staff in July 1984 as a basis for discussion. It was not a statement of government policy.
As we have stated on many occasions, we are clear that the NATO action in Kosovo was justified in the light of overwhelming humanitarian need.
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Railtrack (Safety)
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ensure that the Rail Regulator requires Railtrack to improve its safety standards. [98667]
Mr. Hill:
It is for the Health and Safety Executive, as the sole regulator for railway safety, to ensure that Railtrack meets, and where necessary improves, its safety standards. The Health and Safety Executive have a memorandum of understanding with the Rail Regulator to facilitate liaison between the two organisations.
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Mr. Nigel Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the use of road trains in town and city centres. [98633]
Mr. Hill:
Goods vehicle road trains, ie a lorry towing a trailer, meeting the technical requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended, and the Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998 are generally allowed to operate in the UK. However, they may be subject to local restrictions.
There are also in existence some small vehicles that carry passengers in trailers which cannot meet the definition of a public service vehicle and cannot be used as such. They are individually authorised, generally to operate on limited sightseeing routes.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the economic strategies of the regional development agencies are consistent with emerging regional planning guidance in each region. [98528]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Draft Planning Policy Guidance Note 11 on "Regional Planning" (PPG 11) and the statutory guidance to the RDAs on the formulation of their strategies set out the relationship between Regional Planning Guidance and the strategies.
Both draft PPG 11 and the statutory guidance to RDAs emphasise the complementary nature of the guidance and strategies and stress the need for the regional planning bodies and the RDAs to work closely together.
This is already happening. The RDAs and the planning bodies are talking to each other and mapping a way forward with the benefit, for example, of joint working parties. In some regions RDA board members are also members of the regional planning body.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the regional development agencies have given due regard to the views of their designated voluntary regional chambers. [98531]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
We have given each Regional Development Agency (RDA) a direction under section 8(2)(a) of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 requiring them to have regard to the views of their designated regional chamber in formulating and keeping under review the regional strategy that they are required to produce under the Act.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require regional development agencies to publish a list of changes that were made to each of their draft strategies as a result of the findings of a sustainability appraisal. [98526]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The Regional Development Agencies received a wide range of comments on their draft Regional Strategies. They have taken account of
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these in their own ways and have made their own publicity arrangements. The draft Strategies and the revised versions, which were presented to the Government on 26 October, are public documents.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the Regional Development Agencies which have published an appraisal of how their economic strategy will foster effective protection of the environment, as required by the statutory guidance to the Regional Development Agencies. [98525]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Guidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on 31 March 1999. This specifies that an appraisal of the contribution the strategy will make to sustainable development should be produced. The appraisal should cover social, economic and environmental sustainability.
All RDAs carried out a sustainable development appraisal of their draft strategies which informed the development of their final strategies. The following RDAs have already made these appraisals publicly available, and copies are available from the RDAs directly:
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what sanctions may be applied to the Regional Development Agencies if they fail to act in accordance with the commitments made in their (a) published strategies, (b) action plans and (c) corporate plans. [98530]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
The RDAs have to operate within the standard framework which applies to all non-departmental public bodies. They are accountable to Ministers and, through them, Parliament. Performance against delivery of the RDAs' strategies, action plans and corporate plans will be an important factor in decisions on the allocation of future resources.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the Regional Development Agencies have, in their strategies, properly addressed their responsibilities in relation to rural areas. [98532]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Guidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on 31 March 1999. This outlined how the RDAs should seek to meet their statutory duty under
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Section 4 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, which states that the RDAs' purposes apply as much to the rural parts of their areas as the non-rural parts.
Supplementary, non-statutory, guidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued at the same time, which included a chapter on rural issues.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has taken to ensure that the Regional Development Agencies' duty to promote sustainable development is adequately reflected in their strategies. [98529]
Ms Beverley Hughes:
Guidance on the formulation of the strategies was issued to the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) on 31 March 1999. This outlined how the RDAs should seek to meet their statutory duty under Section 4 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK, where it is relevant to its area to do so.
Yorkshire Forward
One North East
East of England Development Agency
East Midlands Development Agency
South West of England Development Agency
South East of England Development Agency.
The North-west Development Agency has now commissioned a further appraisal of the final version of its strategy. This, together with the appraisal of the draft strategy and the agency's response to this, will be available as a single document by the middle of December 1999. Advantage West Midlands have commissioned consultants to undertake an appraisal of their final strategy which will be available in the middle of December 1999.
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