House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Mar 2002 (pt 1)

13 Mar 2002 : Column 1069W

Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 13 March 2002

PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Replies

Mr. Forth: To ask the Prime Minister what recent changes he has made to the practice and conventions relating to ministerial responsibility for replying to questions and adjournment debates in the House; and if he will make a statement. [42910]

The Prime Minister: I have made no such changes. Paragraph 1 of the Ministerial Code sets out Ministers' responsibilities in relation to Parliament and the public.

Job Sharing

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Office. [41012]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on Monday 11 March 2002, Official Report, column 780W.

Air Conditioning

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what measures were taken to ensure that the consultant advising on the installation of air conditioning in No. 10 Downing street, was aware of the Government's policy on the use of hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants in air conditioning; and if he will make a statement on the measures taken by the consultant to source practical and safe alternatives to hydrofluorocarbon-based air conditioning; [41168]

(3) which consultant was used to advise on the installation of air conditioning in No. 10 Downing Street. [41169]

The Prime Minister: A comfort cooling system was installed in parts of No. 10 during 2001. The Cabinet Office sought expert advice through its managing agent and appropriate appraisals were made including taking account of Government policy on the use of HFCs. The installed systems comply with all current relevant European standards on the use of HFCs and safety in the workplace.

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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Transport

10. Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work being done by the social exclusion unit on transport. [40127]

Mrs. Roche: The social exclusion unit's project is looking at how poor transport can prevent people from getting to jobs or key services such as health and education.

A report will be published later this year.

12. Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the social exclusion unit's study into the role of transport in welfare to work policy and access to services. [40130]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: The social exclusion unit was asked by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to look at the relationships between poor transport and social exclusion in April last year.

The SEU project is looking at how poor transport can prevent people from getting to jobs or key services such as health and education.

A report will be published later this year, with policies for improving access and preventing social exclusion.

Codes of Conduct

11. Mr. Tyler: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role he and his office is playing in the review of the ministerial code of conduct and the code of conduct for special advisers. [40129]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: A revised ministerial code was issued in July 2001. Since then, in response to a recommendation from the Public Administration Committee, the Government have agreed to amend paragraph 27 of the code. A revised model contract for special advisers incorporating a new code of conduct for special advisers was introduced for all appointments made after the election in June 2001.

Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund

13. Mr. Pike: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what resources have been distributed by the Duchy of Lancaster benevolent fund during the past 12 months. [40131]

Mr. Leslie: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has asked me to reply.

Lord Macdonald is not a trustee of the Duchy benevolent fund. The Secretary of the fund has provided the following information. During the 12-month period 1 March 2001 to 28 February 2002 the Duchy of Lancaster benevolent fund has distributed approximately £285,000. The fund's annual report and accounts will be produced at the end of the financial year on 31 March 2002.

British-Irish Council

14. Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he next expects to meet members of the British-Irish Council to discuss investment in the border areas of Northern Ireland. [40132]

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The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: The British-Irish Council has agreed to take forward work in the following priority areas: drugs, the environment, the knowledge economy, social inclusion, transport, tourism and tele-medicine. There are no current plans to discuss the issue of investment. Responsibility for investment in the border areas of Northern Ireland lies with the Northern Ireland Executive.

Ministerial Code of Conduct

15. Mr. Cameron: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to amend the ministerial code of conduct; and if he will make a statement. [40133]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend earlier today to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner), Official Report, column .

Public Appointments

16. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the proportion of ethnic minorities and women that have been appointed to public bodies in the past 12 months. [40134]

Mr. Leslie: Information contained in Public Bodies 2001 which was published on 14 February 2002, shows that as at 31 March 2001, women held 34 per cent. of appointments made to the boards of public bodies, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds held 4.8 per cent. of appointments. This is an increase of one per cent. and 0.4 per cent. respectively on the previous year.

In addition, also published on 14 February 2002 was "Public Bodies: Opening up Public Appointments 2002–05". This publication contains individual departmental plans to increase diversity in public appointments.

Neighbourhood Renewal

17. Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress have been made by the social exclusion unit in research into neighbourhood renewal. [40135]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: Since the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy was published in January 2001, the Social Exclusion Unit jointly with Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, have published one further report related to neighbourhood renewal in July 2001: "Changing Fortunes: geographic patterns of Income Deprivation in the late 1990s". This sets out baseline information on income deprivation and recent social trends at the local level. It will be used in monitoring progress of the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy.

Responsibility for implementing the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy moved to the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit in April 2001.

Departmental Employees (Hearing-Impaired)

18. Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to meet the Royal National Institute for Deaf People to discuss the employment in Government Departments of people with hearing impairments. [40136]

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Mr. Leslie: The Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to meet the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.

The Government are committed to employing disabled people including those with hearing impairments and all Departments have targets to increase the number of disabled people they employ. 3.6 per cent. of staff in the civil service have declared themselves to have a disability. This includes 1.7 per cent. in the senior civil service.

Action to support this commitment includes participation in the two-ticks disability scheme and sponsorship of Ready, Willing and Able which advertises a range of civil service vacancies.

Government Services

19. Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of Government services delivered by Government agencies and other bodies operating at a regional level. [40137]

Mrs. Roche: No such assessment has been made but Government policy stresses the importance of providing public services that respond to users' needs, including area-based programmes that tackle the problems of particular localities.

There are currently 126 executive agencies providing a wide range of public services.

In addition, a wide range of public bodies also have responsibilities for the delivery of particular services at a local, regional or national levels.

The forthcoming White Paper on English Regional Governance will look at the relationships between some of these bodies and elected regional assemblies.

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