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Castlereagh Break-in

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy): On 20 March 2002 my predecessor announced that he had launched an inquiry into the implications of the break-in at the Special Branch office in Castlereagh on 17 March. He informed the House that, in parallel with the criminal investigation that was under way, he had established a review to determine how the incident could have happened, to assess the extent of any damage caused to national security, to audit the measures taken in response to the incident and to identify any wider lessons on national security. The review was conducted by Sir John Chilcot, assisted by Mr Colin Smith.

I very recently took receipt of Sir John's report. I should like to express my gratitude to Sir John and Colin Smith for producing a comprehensive report that provides a solid basis on which to move forward.

I have today written to the Chief Constable, the Chairman of the Policing Board and the Chief Surveillance Commissioner with an account of the report's findings on matters which fall to their direct responsibility.

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My predecessor commissioned the review in recognition of his responsibility for national security issues. In identifying weaknesses in national security arrangements exposed by the break-in, this report makes a number of observations and recommendations.

There has, over the months, been a significant degree of speculation about who might have been involved in this incident, including allegations of collusion. I can confirm that the review did not uncover any evidence whatsoever that members of Government agencies were in any way involved in this incident, although the police investigation is continuing. The review was also able to provide a satisfactory assurance about the quality of the police investigation, confirming the conclusions of a separate review of the professional quality and standard of the investigation, carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service last year at the request of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The report came to certain conclusions about how the incident might have occurred and made recommendations about how to avoid any similar incidents happening in the future. I am sure that the House will recognise that I am constrained by the wider aspects and implications of national security from going into any details on these matters. But I shall be considering the matters raised in the report with the greatest care.

Military Complaints Procedures

The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Jane Kennedy): I have today arranged for copies of Jim McDonald's annual report for 2002 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The report of the independent assessor continues to provide valuable reassurance to both the public and the Government that the army's complaints procedures stand scrutiny. I welcome Mr. McDonald's report and I will consider it carefully. I will respond as soon as possible.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Serious Fraud Office

The Solicitor-General (Ms Harriet Harman): The Serious Fraud Office Annual Report 2002–03 has today been published and laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Local Government Finance

The Minister for Local Government, Regional Governance and Fire (Mr. Nick Raynsford): Following a commitment in the 2001 Local Government White Paper, we are carrying out a wide-ranging review of the balance between central and local sources of funding for local government in England. This review is being steered by a high level group, chaired by me, which includes senior representatives of central and local government as well business, the unions, the academic world and the accountancy profession.

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To inform the work of the group I am today issuing an invitation to all those interested to submit comments by 30 September. Copies of the invitation letter will be available in the Libraries of both Houses, the Vote Office and on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

TRANSPORT

Aerodromes

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Tony McNulty): I have today laid before Parliament The Aerodromes (Noise Restrictions) (Rules and Procedures) Regulations 2003, which will come into force on 6 August 2003.

The Regulations transpose into UK law Directive 2002/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 March 2002 on the establishment of rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions at Community airports. The Directive replaces the Hushkits Regulation (EC925/1999—which introduced a blanket ban on the noisiest aircraft types).

The Directive and the new Regulations:

are designed to ensure that consistent procedures governing the introduction of new noise-related operating restrictions at airports are established across the European Union.


will initially apply to the following airports:


Birmingham


Edinburgh


Glasgow


London Gatwick


London Heathrow


London Luton


London Stansted


Manchester


London City


Belfast City


do not require action to counter noise to be taken but set out a process that must be followed where such action is being contemplated;


put in place a framework within which a "balanced approach" to managing aircraft noise can be implemented on an airport-by-airport basis.

The balanced approach comprises four equally important elements:

reducing noise at source (taking account of the effect of existing and foreseeable noise standards for engines);


using operational noise abatement procedures (in other words, flying aircraft as quietly as possible, consistent with safe operation);


using land-use planning and management policies to prevent or limit noise sensitive development around airports;


restricting, and in extremis banning, aircraft from operating ("operating restrictions"). If banning noisiest aircraft at non-City airports is contemplated it is limited to those that meet the present International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) noise limitation standard ("Chapter 3") by a margin of 5dB or less. City Airports may impose

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more stringent bans provided that they do not affect aircraft which comply with the ICAO "Chapter 4" noise standards.

The Department for Transport undertook a consultation with UK stakeholders between 31 July—31 October 2002 on those aspects of implementation of the Directive in the UK over which there was flexibility. A Summary of Responses to the Consultation and the Government's view on the issues raised by the responses has been placed in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Water Framework Directive

The Minister for the Environment (Mr. Elliot Morley): The Government intend to publish a third consultation paper on the water framework directive at the end of July or early August.

This third consultation will contain proposed draft transposing regulations, a revised regulatory impact assessment and a summary of responses to the second consultation paper with the Government's response.

Rights of Way (Crime Prevention)

The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality (Alun Michael): I will shortly announce which areas the Government will include in the first designation order under section 118B of the Highways Act 1980 to enable highway authorities to make orders to close or divert rights of way to prevent crime.

I shall write to each of the 15 authorities who applied for designation letting them know whether their applications have been successful and inviting those who have not been successful to provide more evidence. Defra will issue a press release to coincide with this and I will write to those MPs whose constituencies are directed affected to let them know what has been decided.

The legislation provides the Secretary of State with discretion to designate areas for the purposes of preventing or reducing crime that would otherwise disrupt the life of the community. Local highway authorities are then able to make orders to close or divert individual rights of way that are affected by high levels of crime.

The guidance that Defra issued to local authorities in February this year (Circular 1/2003) stated that whilst all applications for designation would be considered, the Government generally believed that a primary consideration must be that highway authorities were able to demonstrate that:

there are rights of way in the area in question that are demonstrable causes of a persistent crime problem; and


the realistic alternative options to tackle the causes of problems have been examined, prior to the application being made.

In reaching decisions, we have considered, in consultation with the Home Office, whether these two tests have been met.

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The quality and quantity of information accompanying applications varied considerably. I plan to include in the designation order those areas for which the applications generally reflected the requirements of the guidance and where the authority provided evidence of a link between the crime which is occurring and the right of way, such as a statement by the police or Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, backed up by statistics wherever possible.

Applications which do not include the information set out in the guidance and do not contain sufficient evidence of a link will be deferred. Decisions on these will be deferred until October to enable authorities to provide additional information over the summer to support their applications. We will be making contact with each of these authorities individually to tell them what additional information is needed. One or two of those who are now being deferred were invited to submit additional information or evidence but failed to do so and I hope that such invitations will then be taken seriously in the future.

The designation order will be subject to the negative resolution procedure and will be laid in August so that authorities can begin to use their new powers as soon as possible.

It remains our view that, in general, rights of way do not cause or facilitate crime, but that we need to act vigorously where there is a connection. Their existence is frustrating attempts to deal with serious crime the Government will give local authorities the power to tackle.

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