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UN Commission on Human Rights

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister will attend the UN Commission on human rights in Geneva this month; and for how long. [154014]

Mr. Battle: I will visit Geneva on 20-22 March, and deliver the UK national statement to the plenary session of the Commission on Human Rights on 22 March.

During my stay, I will also meet the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Mrs. Mary Robinson), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Mr. Rudd Lubbers), the Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (Dr. Peter Piot), and the Director-Generals of the International Labour Organisation (Mr. Juan Somavia), the UN Office at Geneva (Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky), the International Organisation of Migration (Mr. Brunson McKinley) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Mr. Paul Grossrieder).

Minister for Europe

Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the additional

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responsibilities that have been allocated to the Minister for Europe since 1 May 1997, indicating the dates of, and the reasons for, the changes. [154053]

Mr. Robin Cook: The allocation of responsibilities between Ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a matter for my discretion.

On 7 May 1997, the Minister for Europe, then my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson), was allocated responsibility for Europe, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

On 28 July 1998, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin) was appointed Minister for Europe. The portfolio was not amended.

On 29 July 1999, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) was appointed Minister for Europe. He was allocated responsibility for Europe, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and Defence.

My hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) was appointed Minister for Europe on 12 October 1999. He was allocated responsibility for Europe, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Defence and Entry Clearance.

Gibraltar

Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions the enfranchisement of citizens of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections has been raised at meetings of the European Council in the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [153996]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 16 March 2001]: The enfranchisement of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections has never been raised at European Council. However it has been raised at General Affairs Council and remains on the agenda of the relevant Council working group.

HMG unequivocally accepts the obligation, arising out of the Matthews judgment, to secure the European parliamentary franchise for Gibraltar. We are carefully considering all possible options for achieving this objective before the 2004 European parliamentary elections.

Mr. David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Spain on the enfranchisement of citizens of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections. [153995]

Mr. Vaz [holding answer 16 March 2001]: The Foreign Secretary last raised the issue of the enfranchisement of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections with the Spanish Foreign Minister, Sr. Pique, in London on 24 January.

Police Service (Northern Ireland)

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has received from the Holy See concerning discussions with Catholic bishops in Northern Ireland on the future of the Police Service in Northern Ireland. [154076]

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Mr. Vaz: The Government have had discussions with the Catholic Bishops about policing arrangements in Northern Ireland and believe that this is consistent with the Good Friday agreement, which calls for new arrangements to be

"unambiguously accepted and actively supported by the whole community". The Government have, however, received no communication from the Holy See concerning these discussions.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Road Barriers

13. Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on safety standards for road barriers. [152920]

Mr. Prescott: Safety barriers on roads are designed to contain and then deflect along the line of the barrier a typical car colliding with it at a shallow angle. The safety barrier at Great Heck was 42.7 metres long. The minimum standard required is 30 metres at full height. Pending the report of the police into the tragic accident at Great Heck near Selby on 28 February, I have asked the Highways Agency to review the standards for safety barriers.

Cycle Lanes (London)

14. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage the creation of bicycle lanes in central London. [152921]

Mr. Hill: This is now a matter for the Mayor of London and the relevant local highway authorities. My Department allocates an annual transport grant to the Greater London Authority to help maintain and improve transport in London. Over the next three financial years, this grant will amount to some £3.2 billion.

Road Safety

15. Mr. Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on road safety. [152922]

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: The Government launched their new road safety strategy for Great Britain, "Tomorrow's Roads--Safer for Everyone", in March 2000. This included targets to reduce overall deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent. and to reduce child deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent. by 2010, compared with the average for 1994 to 1998, together with details of many policies and initiatives that will help to achieve them.

33. Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make further funds available to enable the provision of additional traffic calming road safety schemes. [152941]

Mr. Hill: We have made £8.4 billion available for local transport improvements over the next five years with £2.8 billion available for small-scale measures. In 2001-02 the total allocation, from which spending on traffic calming could be made, is £559 million. It is for individual

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authorities to decide expenditure on traffic calming schemes. I see no reason at present to provide additional funds.

Local Government Finance

16. Mr. Darvill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will make a statement about his proposals on the reform of local government finance. [152923]

Ms Armstrong: A White Paper setting out our decisions on the way forward will be published later this year.

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he will take to reform the local government grant system to reflect the importance of the services provided by local authorities. [153849]

Ms Beverley Hughes [holding answer 19 March 2001]: Ensuring the availability of high quality services is a primary objective for local authorities depends in part on the resources each authority receives through the grant system.

Last September's local government finance Green Paper consulted on options for making the current grant distribution system for local authorities fairer. A White Paper will be published later this year setting out our decisions on the way forward.

Local Transport Plans

17. Mr. Paul Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on local transport plans. [152924]

Mr. Hill: Authorities submitted their first full Local Transport Plans last July. In December we announced an £8.4 billion package for local transport improvements over the next five years to help deliver what local people want. Authorities will be submitting their first annual progress reports later this year and we shall be closely monitoring the delivery of schemes on the ground.

Shipping Industry

18. Mr. Ernie Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government support for the UK's shipping industry. [152925]

Mr. Hill: We have a tonnage tax option for shipping companies, and a capital allowances measure for those not in tonnage tax.

The Government support seafarer training.

We also pay crew relief cost grant. And seafarers spending more than half the year abroad pay no income tax. We have removed excess regulation.

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