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EU Committees (Scottish Executive Representation)
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the EU Advisory Committee on the Free Movement of Workers is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [67751]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
The EU Advisory Committee on the Free Movement of Workers is next due to meet in November 2002 (date to be set by the European Commission). Representatives of the Scottish Executive have not been and are not currently members of this committee. The advisory committee is composed of six members for each member state of the European Union, two of whom represent the Government (normally only one representative attends), two the trade unions and two the employers' associations, plus one substitute member for each of these. The committee and its composition were established by regulation (EEC) No. 1612/68.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the EU Technical Committee for the Implementation of Regulations concerning the Free Movement of Workers is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [67744]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
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The EU Technical Committee for the Implementation of Regulations concerning the Free Movement of Workers is next due to meet in November 2002 (date to be set by the European Commission). Representatives of the Scottish Executive have not been and are not currently members of this committee. The advisory committee is composed of one member for each member state of the European Union, plus one substitute member. The committee and its composition were established by regulation (EEC) No. 1612/68.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) the EU Advisory Committee on Social Security for Migrant Workers and (b) its working
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parties are next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members; and if he will make a statement. [67743]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
The EU Advisory Committee on Social Security for Migrant Workers is next due to meet on 2 October 2002. Representatives of the Scottish Executive have not been and are not currently members of this committee. UK representation consists of two officials from the Department for Work and Pensions (normally only one attends), three trade union representatives and three employers' representatives (the latter two includes substitute members). The committee and its composition were established by regulation (EEC) No. 1408/71.
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Computers
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures are (a) in place and (b) under discussion in his Department in order to ensure compliance with the WEE Directive. [60747]
Mr. Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Industry, Energy and Environment, on 12 June 2002, Official Report, column 1266W.
Sprinkler Systems
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many sprinklers were installed in properties owned by local authorities last year; and if he will make a statement. [65857]
Mr. Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Government's policy is on encouraging the installation of sprinkler systems in (a) local authority owned houses and (b) new build houses; and if he will make a statement. [65856]
Mr. Raynsford: The information is as follows:
(a) The Government have no formal role in encouraging local authorities to install sprinkler systems. It is a matter for local consideration, although authorities will be assisted by the proposed introduction of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This will provide a risk based approach to the implementation of safety measures in dwellings. The HHSRS provides an analysis of risk from 24 broad hazards, including hazards from fire, and of the counter-measures to address those risks. Sprinklers are listed as one of the measures to promote fire safety.
(b) Although there are currently no plans to revise the building regulations to include provisions for domestic sprinkler systems into new build houses, we are keeping this under review in the light of emerging standards and improvements in sprinkler technology. We have recently let two research contracts to look at the whole issue of residential and domestic sprinklers, including an assessment of their actual effectiveness and the undertaking of a regulatory impact assessment to consider their costs and benefits. The results and conclusions of this work should be available around the end of 2003.
We will need to await the findings of the research work referred to above, before we are in a position to consider more fully if the provision of residential sprinklers should be a requirement of the building regulations.
Local Taxation
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to introduce forms of local taxation in addition to the council tax; and if he will make a statement. [65863]
Mr. Raynsford: The Government's White Paper "Strong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services" detailed our scheme for Business Improvement Districts (BIDS). Under a BID, projects of benefit to the local community will be funded by a levy on the business rate paid by local businesses. Before a BID can be established a majority of the ratepayers liable for the levy will need
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to have voted in favour. The draft Local Government Bill published on 12 June contains the necessary primary legislation.
Apart from the BIDs levy, the Government have no plans to introduce other forms of local taxation in addition to the council tax.
We said in the White Paper that once some further analysis had been done, we would establish a high-level working group, involving Ministers and senior figures from local government, to look at all the aspects of the balance of local government funding, reviewing the evidence and looking at reform options. We intend to make an announcement regarding this review in due course.
Local Government Bill
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 820W, on the draft local government Bill, if councils have been informed of (a) the consultation and (b) the availability of paper copies. [66086]
Mr. Raynsford: We have ensured that the launch of the Local Government Bill was widely publicised. Individual councils were informed of the consultation via local government association bulletins and "Info4Local". "Info4Local" is a one-stop portal for local authorities to get quick and easy access to information on the websites of Government Departments, and we used its e-mail service to send out information on the draft Bill as soon as it was published. Paper copies were also sent to key representative organisations and have been made available to others on request. The consultation document itself contains details on how to obtain paper copies.
Data Services
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new data services, broken down by (a) sex, (b) race, (c) disability and (d) age have been commissioned by his Department since it was created. [66713]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romsey on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 83W. I am not aware of any new data series being commissioned since the establishment of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Equal Treatment
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) whether he has established a baseline for policy appraisal; against which to measure progress on equal treatment; and what progress has been achieved. [66714]
- (2) if he will list the subjects of the gender impact assessments drawn up by his Department, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [66715]
Mr. McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 83W.
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Regeneration
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regeneration; and if he will make a statement. [67444]
Mr. McNulty: The Deputy Prime Minister has decided that for the time being Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will take on the portfolios of their predecessors. This means that Lord Rooker, Minister of State and I, Parliamentary Under-Secretary have responsibility for regeneration issues.
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