---

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Adjournment Debates

43. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on the average time the half-hour Adjournment debate on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays began in each parliamentary Session in this Parliament. [155216]

Mrs. Beckett: In the session 1997-98, the House began the adjournment debate on the days in question at 10.34 pm; in 1998-99 at 10.32 pm; in 1999 to 2000 at 11.09 pm and in the current session at 11.23pm.

Timetabling

47. Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on the effect of the use by the Government of programming for the debating of legislation in the House. [155220]

Mrs. Beckett: As the Modernisation Committee said yesterday, programming has great potential to improve

"the legislative 'term of trade' to the benefit of everyone:

the Government will get greater certainty for its legislative timetable;

the Opposition parties and backbenchers will get greater opportunities to debate and vote on the issues of most concern to them; and

the House will scrutinise legislation better and may well be able to improve it"

3 Apr 2001 : Column: 165W

The extent to which those benefits are achieved depends on the willingness of all parties to make programming work.

Peerages

48. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council when the Appointments Commission's nominations for people's peerages will be forwarded to the Prime Minister. [155221]

Mr. Tipping: The House of Lords Appointments Commission will make its recommendations to the Prime Minister on the appointment of non-party political peers as soon as it has completed its assessment process.

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on progress in the appointment of people's peers. [155213]

Mrs. Beckett: I understand that the House of Lords Appointments Commission, which is responsible for recommendations for non-political peerages, is making good progress with the identification of names to submit to the Prime Minister.

Modernisation Committee

49. Mr. MacShane: To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on the Government's responses to the recommendations of the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons since 1997. [155222]

Mrs. Beckett: The overwhelming majority of the recommendations of the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons has been implemented. Rules relating to the conduct of Members in the Chamber and to access by the press have been modernised and the House is experimenting with a parallel chamber in Westminster Hall, revised sitting hours on Thursdays, programming of legislation and deferred divisions.

Electronic Voting

50. Helen Jackson: To ask the President of the Council what plans she has to bring forward proposals to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons on electronic voting in the House. [155223]

Mr. Tipping: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) on 19 December 2000, Official Report, column 201.

Business Co-ordination Unit

51. Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on her role in the oversight and direction of the business co-ordination unit. [155224]

Mrs. Beckett: Following its launch in September, I am very pleased to report that the Unit, which is located in my Department, has made excellent progress. In just a short space of time it has improved access to Ministers for the business community, through its co-ordination of invitations received across Whitehall.

3 Apr 2001 : Column: 166W

The initiative has been extremely well received both by the business community and the agencies that represent business. I am also pleased to say that this initiative is an excellent example of Government working together--the support the Unit has received from Regional Government Offices has been a key factor in its success.

Members' Pay

52. Mr. Ian Bruce: To ask the President of the Council what plans she has to introduce new proposals on hon. Members' pay, allowances and information technology equipment. [155225]

Mr. Tipping: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 16 March 2001, Official Report, column 753W to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths), this will be a matter for decision by Parliament and will be put before the House to decide in due course.

53. Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the President of the Council when she intends to respond to the recent review of parliamentary pay and allowances report published by the Review Body on Senior Salaries. [155226]

Mrs. Beckett: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 16 March 2000, Official Report, column 753W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths), this will be a matter for decision by Parliament and will be put before the House to decide in due course.

Works of Art

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on works of art and antiquities since 1 May 1997; and where the items purchased are on display. [155214]

Mr. Kirkwood: Voted expenditure on acquisitions by the Advisory Committee on Works of Art since May 1997 has been £424,649. Most of the acquisitions are on display in the public rooms, lobbies and corridors of the Palace of Westminster, in Portcullis House and in the House of Commons outbuildings. Some minor items are in Members' offices.

Palace of Westminster (Memorials)

Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what plans there are to erect memorials in the Palace of Westminster to commemorate the achievements of former female Members of the House. [156785]

Sir Sydney Chapman: There are always plans to commission, or purchase, works of art commemorating the achievements of serving or former hon. Members--whether male or female. In the last decade the Advisory Committee on Works of Art has commissioned a number of portraits of contemporary and recent parliamentarians for the permanent collection of Works of Art at the House of Commons, including a number of women parliamentarians; a bronze portrait roundel by Michael Rizzello of Lady Astor, a bronze bust by Shenda Amery of Baroness Boothroyd and most recently a commission has been let for a statue by Neil Simmons of Baroness

3 Apr 2001 : Column: 167W

Thatcher. Paintings of Baroness Boothroyd by Jane Bond and of Baroness Thatcher by Henry Mee were also commissioned and hang in 1 Parliament Street.

Parliamentary Pay

Mr. Blunt: To ask the President of the Council when she received the recommendation of the Senior Salaries Review Body into Parliamentary pay and allowances. [156812]

Mrs. Beckett: The Prime Minister commissioned this report. Sir Michael Perry, Chairman of the Senior Salaries Review Body, wrote to the Prime Minister in late February enclosing a copy of the report. The Government published the report on 16 March.

PRIME MINISTER

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with his European counterparts concerning United States policies on carbon dioxide emissions. [156542]

The Prime Minister: The issue was raised at the informal European Council in Stockholm on 23 and 24 March. The Council agreed a declaration which said

"The European Council, recognising climate change as a global threat to future well-being and economic progress, recalls the necessity of efficient international action to reduce emissions. It reaffirms its strong commitment to the Kyoto Protocol as the basis for such action and expresses its deep concern at the fact that this Protocol is being called into question. The European Council urges all its negotiation partners to engage constructively in reaching agreements on modalities for implementing the Kyoto Protocol and to facilitate a successful outcome of the resumed COP-6, which will create the conditions for ratification and entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol by 2002".

SCOTLAND

Manufacturing

4. Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she last met representatives of business and trade unions to discuss manufacturing industry in Scotland; and if she will make a statement. [155172]

Mrs. Liddell: I have regular meetings with representatives of business and trade unions to discuss issues of interest to the manufacturing and other sectors of the Scottish economy. We aim to strengthen the competitive edge of our traditional industries while also looking increasingly to the areas of growth for the future, such as the creative and financial services industries.

---