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CABINET OFFICE
EU Directives
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the EU directives and regulations that have been implemented through his Department in 2002; and what was the cost of each to public funds. [64998]
Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office has not been responsible for implementing any EU Directives or Regulations in 2002.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the EU directives relating to his Department which have been (a) amended and (b) repealed in 2002. [64949]
Mr. Alexander: Cabinet Office Ministers were responsible for negotiating a Directive to amend the Equal Treatment Directive (76/207EC) which was undertaken by co-decision and was settled in Council on 13 June. The Cabinet Office has not been responsible for repealing any EU Directives in 2002.
Consultation Guidance
Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what evaluation has been made of the impact of the How to Consult your Users guide; and if he will make a statement. [65796]
Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office has no plans to evaluate the impact of 'How to Consult Your Users'. Improving service delivery and policy making through consultation with users continues to be an important priority for the Government. The Office for Public Services Reform works with and encourages Government Departments and public agencies to conduct and act upon customer satisfaction surveys to ensure that the voice of the customer is central to service delivery. The Centre for Management and Policy Studies is also developing a 'consultation toolkit' to help policy makers across Government to consult more effectively on policy. The impact of the Code of Practice on Written Consultation will be evaluated from the end of this year.
Regulatory Impact Unit
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many members of his Department have been employed in its Regulatory Impact Unit in the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [65963]
Mr. Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
The Cabinet Office's Regulatory Impact Unit had the following complement of staff over the last five years:
| Year(10) | Number of staff(11) |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 50 |
| 1998–99 | 53 |
| 1999–2000 | 53 |
| 2000–01 | 58 |
| 2001–02 | 65 |
(10) 1 April to 31 March.
(11) Employed at 31 March.
The Regulatory Impact Unit in the Cabinet Office also works closely with departmental Regulatory Impact Units.
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It is the job of departmental Regulatory Impact Units to establish and promote the principles of good regulation in their Departments. The staff in each unit works closely with the officials responsible for developing policies within their Department. They focus on those regulations that impact on business, charities, and the voluntary sector.
Castle Award
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if his Department has applied for a Castle award for equal pay. [65221]
Mr. Alexander: The Cabinet Office has applied for a Castle award for producing a comprehensive Equal Pay Guide for Departments and agencies. The guide will help towards meeting the Government's commitment that all Departments and agencies would undertake an equal pay review and have in place any necessary action plans by April 2003. It draws on best practice in the public and private sectors.
Annual Leave
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average annual leave entitlement is for staff in his Department in 2002. [64648]
Mr. Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 708W.
Information about average leave entitlements could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had on emergency planning with local authorities along the route from Dounreay to Drigg regarding the dangers posed by moving nuclear waste by road. [65112]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
Specific requirements concerning emergency planning are contained in The Radioactive Material (Road Transport) Regulations 2002. These place duties on consignors and carriers to have appropriate emergency procedures in place. The nuclear operators have in place an emergency response scheme, RADSAFE, which is regularly exercised in co-operation with the emergency services and local authorities.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the implication of moving nuclear waste from Dounreay to Drigg by (a) road and (b) rail. [65110]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
Such transport would be subject to stringent safety requirements, based upon the international "Atomic Energy Agency's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material" as required by (a) The Radioactive Material (Road Transport) Regulations 2002 and (b) The Packaging, Labelling and Carriage of Radioactive Material by Rail Regulations 1996.
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Mr. Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions he has had on emergency planning with the Scottish Executive regarding the dangers posed by moving nuclear waste by (a) road and (b) rail from Dounreay to Drigg. [65111]
Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
Specific requirements concerning emergency planning are contained in (a) The Radioactive Material (Road Transport) Regulations 2002 and (b) The Packaging, Labelling and Carriage of Radioactive Material by Rail Regulations 1996. These place duties on (a) consignors and carriers and (b) train operators, facility owners and rail infrastructure controllers, to have appropriate emergency procedures in place. The nuclear operators have in place an emergency response scheme, RADSAFE, which is regularly exercised in co-operation with the emergency services and local authorities.
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Disclosure of Interests
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what rules apply to the disclosure of interests on the part of those serving on public bodies which are responsible to her Department. [56453]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: All advisory and executive non-departmental public bodies are required to adopt a board members' code, based on guidance produced by Cabinet Office, and they should have registers of interests. The definition of interests is ultimately for individual Departments since they are best placed to decide what might be thought to influence members on their NDPBs. The following list shows the NDPBs sponsored by this department and in each case indicates the relevant Code.
- The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) "Code of Practice for Board and Committee Members" is available on request from ALI and will shortly be available on the body's website.
The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) "Board Members Code of Practice" is available on request from the Chief Executive's Office.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) "Code of Best Practice for Board Members of CITB" is available on request from the CITB Board Secretary.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) "Code of Best Practice for Board Members of ECITB" is available on request from the ECITB Board Secretary.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) "Code of Best Practice for Board Members of the HEFCE" is available on the HEFCE website.
Investors in People UK Ltd (IiP UK) have adopted the Cabinet Office model Board Members' Code.
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) "Code of Conduct" can be viewed at the Council's Coventry office.
The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) have adopted the Cabinet Office model Board Members' Code.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) "Code of Practice for Members of the QCA" is available on request and will shortly be placed on the body's website.
The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) "Code of Conduct" is held by the Secretary.
3 Jul 2002 : Column 388W
The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is a newly formed NDPB established from 1 April 2002, it currently has a draft "Code of Practice for Board Members".
The Student Loans Company (SLC) "Code of Best Practice for Board Members" is held by the Company Secretary.
The Teacher Training Agency (TTA) "Conduct of the TTA's Business" is available on request, a synopsis is available on the TTA website.
Departmental Expenditure Limit
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2002–03 will be accounted for by staff costs; what the figures were for 2001–02; and if she will make a statement. [61024]
Estelle Morris: Figures for 2002–03 are unavailable because staff costs are dependent on pay negotiations that are currently under way. The figures for 2001–02 including OFSTED (taken from the 2002 Departmental Report—Cm 5402) are:
- staff costs, £140 million;
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), £19,471 million;
staff costs as a proportion of DEL, 0.7 per cent.
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