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Generic Drugs
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to offset the impact of a rise in the price of generic drugs in those health authority areas with a high use of such drugs. [102447]
Ms Stuart: All health authorities should have contingency arrangements in place to manage this and similar financial pressures within their unified budgets.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Billy Gorman and Paddy McKinney
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will place a copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the 1980 conviction of Billy Gorman and Paddy McKinney in the Library. [101871]
Mr. Lock: Copies of the judgment have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Bilateral Concordat (Wales)
Mr. Savidge: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to publish the bilateral concordat between the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. [103046]
Jane Kennedy: I am pleased to announce that my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and the First Secretary have agreed the text of the Concordat between the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Cabinet of the National Assembly for Wales. Copies of the Concordat have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and the text is available on the Lord Chancellor's Department website (www.open.gov.uk/lcd-see 'What's New?').
I hope that the Concordat will mark the beginning of a fruitful and co-operative working relationship between the Department and the National Assembly.
Advisory Committee (Eighth Report)
Angela Smith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on legal education and conduct intends to publish its eighth and final annual report. [103045]
Mr. Lock: The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct has today published its eighth and final annual report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
CABINET OFFICE
Scottish and Welsh Ministers (Briefing Costs)
8. Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office from which budgets the costs of briefing Scottish and Welsh Executive Ministers by UK ministries for replying to debates in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly are found. [101550]
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 225W
Mr. Stringer:
Any costs involved in assisting the devolved administrations are borne by the Department concerned.
9. Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions she has had with trade union representatives and others on modernising Government. [101551]
Marjorie Mowlam:
I meet the trade unions regularly to discuss Modernising Government, among other topics.
I have recently discussed the modernisation agenda with Sir Jeremy Beecham of the Local Government Association, with members of the senior civil service and with representatives of the business and voluntary sectors.
10. Mrs. Heal:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in implementing the reports of the social exclusion unit. [101552]
Marjorie Mowlam:
All five of the Social Exclusion Unit reports--on rough sleeping, truancy, teenage pregnancy, poor neighbourhoods, and training for 16-18 year olds--are being implemented.
In my new role as Chair of the Ministerial Network on Social Exclusion I will be making sure that the implementation process works, so that we deliver real change on the ground--where it counts.
16. Mr. Derek Twigg:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement about the implementation of policies designed to tackle social exclusion. [101560]
Marjorie Mowlam:
We aim to create a fairer society, in the next two decades, in which no child lives in poverty. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked me to take on a new role with the Social Exclusion Unit to make sure that joined-up government, particularly for deprived areas and people, is a reality both inside Whitehall and in every part of the country.
11. Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Government's annual report on non- departmental bodies will be published. [101553]
12. Mr. St. Aubyn:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Government's annual report on non- departmental bodies will be published. [101555]
Mr. Stringer:
"Public Bodies 1999" will be published tomorrow.
The 1999 Executive Non-departmental Public Bodies Report will be published in January 2000 as stated in the Modernising Government Action Plan.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list the cases in which powers formerly held by non-departmental public bodies have been transferred to elected bodies since 1 May 1997. [102513]
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 226W
Mr. Stringer:
The Government have transferred around 200 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) to democratically elected chambers in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the number of (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) task forces in England (i) on 1 May 1997, (ii) on 1 May 1998 and (iii) at the latest date for which figures are available. [102486]
Mr. Stringer:
Information on the number of non- departmental public bodies in England, and throughout the UK, is published annually in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". Copies are available from the Library of the House. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 9 December 1999, Official Report, column 634W, for information on the number of task forces.
13. Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the progress of the better Government for older people pilot schemes. [101556]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The programme continues to make good progress towards delivering real improvements in older people's experience of public services.
The Bolton pilot, which I visited on 26 November, impressed me with a number of significant achievements: a new day care centre for Asian elders and better access to benefits information via a new touch-screen IT link.
Earlier today, my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Local Government Association how best to bring other service providers up to the high standards of the pilot projects once the programme's pilot phase comes to an end next year.
23. Ms Blears:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress is being made in implementing better Government for older people. [101568]
Mr. Stringer:
The programme continues to make good progress towards delivering real improvements in older people's experience of public services.
Earlier today, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Local Government Association how best to bring other service providers up to the high standards of the pilot projects once the programme's pilot phase comes to an end next year.
14. Ms Rosie Winterton:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress is being made in delivering the Government's anti-drugs strategy. [101557]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire, Moorlands (Charlotte Atkins) today, column 261.
15 Dec 1999 : Column: 227W
15. Mr. Tyler:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance is given by her office to Special Advisers in Government Departments on the limitations to be observed on their political involvement. [101559]
Marjorie Mowlam:
Detailed guidance for Special Advisers on their role and responsibilities is set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". This includes the rules governing the involvement of Special Advisers in political activities.
18. Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the number of advisers employed by the Government. [101562]
Marjorie Mowlam:
There are 68 Special Advisers serving Cabinet Ministers. In addition, I have appointed Mr. Keith Hellawell as the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator and Mr. Michael Trace as his Deputy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has appointed Professor Michael Barber as the Standards and Effectiveness Adviser and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has appointed Mr. Chris Wales, Mr. Paul Gregg and Ms Shriti Vadera as members of the Council of Economic Advisers. All are employed on Special Adviser terms.
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