| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
DEFENCE
Veterans
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): I am announcing the launch today of "Heroes Return". This forms a central element of what has now become the "Veterans Reunited" programme, and will enable all generations to join together to remember and commemorate the 60th anniversary of the remarkable events of 1944 and 1945 that led to the end of the Second World War.
The New Opportunities Fund in collaboration with the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Ministry of Defence has made available £10 million of National Lottery funding for many thousands of veterans to return to the overseas areas in which they saw active service during the second world war. These visits will generate a rich supply of "living memories" for our schools and museums and young people will have the opportunity to learn from veterans experiences.
In addition to the crucial role of the New Opportunities Fund and DCMS, the Veterans Agency will provide applicants with advice and support through their free phone helpline on 0800 169 2277, and further information is available on the website at www.veteransagency.mod.uk.
CABINET OFFICE
Regulation Task Force Report:"Independent Regulators"
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander): I am today publishing the Government's response to the Better Regulation Task Force's report "Independent Regulators", which the task force issued on 15 October 2003. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the work they have undertaken in producing their report, and to welcome the recommendations they have made, all 14 of which have been accepted by the Government.
In our response, we have emphasised our support for regulators to adopt the five principles of good regulation, and the code of practice on consultation; and to produce regulatory impact assessments for any new policies or initiatives which they originate. We commend the use of the enforcement concordat by relevant regulators. Government will consider very carefully the scope and scale of existing regulators before establishing a new one, and assess regularly their continuing effectiveness once established. We are to carry out a review of the variety and complexity of public bodies sponsored by central Government Departments, and this will encompass consideration of regulatory bodies.
The task force has rightly highlighted the point that the subject of the report was 'independent' regulators, so Government's role is to encourage, support and guide the regulators in their tasks, not to enforce rules and procedures. It is also the case that independent regulators are a very disparate band of bodies, so it would be impossible to produce a one size fits all set of very detailed responses. We must also be wary of
9 Feb 2004 : Column 62WS
increasing the costs of and burdens on the regulatory community, and those whom they regulate, unless we can be satisfied of the value of the outcomes achieved.
Copies of the report and the Government's response are available in the Libraries of both Houses, and will be available on the Better Regulation Task Force's website at:-
http://www.brtf.gov.uk/taskforce/pastreports.htm.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Rights of Way (Crime Prevention)
The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality (Alun Michael): At a seminar in London later today, I will be announcing the names of those authorities whose nominated areas will included in a second designation order under section 118B of the Highways Act 1980. My Department and the Home Office are jointly sponsoring the seminar, which deals with crime reduction on rights of way. Over 180 delegates from local authorities, the police and crime and disorder reduction partnerships are expected to attend.
Designation will enable these highway authorities to make orders to close or divert rights of way to prevent crime. The designation order will be subject to the negative resolution procedure and will be laid as quickly as possible so that authorities can begin to use their new powers as soon as possible.
Two of the authorities concerned—Hillingdon and Leeds—were deferred from the first round of applications to give them the opportunity to provide the required level of evidence that rights of way in those areas are facilitating crime.
The remainder are all new applications received since last year. These are from Brighton and Hove, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Oldham, York, Swale and the Wirral. A list of the authorities and the areas is set out below.
The quality of applications was very good and I am satisfied that in each of these areas there are very real problems with crime associated with the public rights of way, and that other means of crime prevention had been tried and had failed.
Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour remains one of the Government's top priorities. This announcement today is very good news for the many people living in areas such as these which are blighted by burglary, robbery, drug dealing and general antisocial behaviour.
I have written to each of the nine authorities to inform them of my decision. I have also written to those Members of Parliament whose constituencies are directly affected to let them know what has been decided.
It remains my 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.
9 Feb 2004 : Column 63WS
| Authority (9 in total) | Areas (20 areas) |
|---|---|
| Brighton and Hove City Council | Whitehawk Estate |
| London Borough of Hillingdon | Frankie's Alley |
| Leeds City Council | 1. Seacroft, Halton Ward2. St Alban's Estate, Burmantofts Ward3. St Martin's Gardens, Chapel Allerton Ward4. University Ward5. Wensley Green, Chapel Allerton Ward6. Seacroft Ward7. Calverley Gardens, Bramley Ward |
| Middlesbrough Council | Keswick Grove |
| Nottingham City Council | Rise Park |
| Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council | 1. Werneth/Hollinwood2. St Paul's/Alexandra3. East Oldham—St Mary's/ Waterhead/Lees |
| Swale Borough Council | Marine Town |
| York City Council | 1. South Bank2. The Groves3. Clifton/Bootham |
| Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council | 1. Wallasey2. Tranmere (Rock Ferry and New Ferry) |
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Liberia
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell): With the support of Her Majesty's Government, the United Nations Security Council on 22 December 2003 unanimously adopted United Nations Security Council resolution 1521(2003). The resolution revised the determination for the basis of sanctions against Liberia—UNSCR 1343(2001) was based on Liberia's
9 Feb 2004 : Column 64WS
(in particular former President Charles Taylor and the former Government of Liberia) threat to Sierra Leone. The new resolution is based on Liberia's instability and the threat of proliferation of arms and armed non-State actors (including mercenaries) and their potential threat to the greater sub-region. The measures against Liberia remain the same: an arms embargo, a travel ban, a timber ban and a diamond embargo. The lift criteria have been revised. The travel ban will be started from scratch and include those who constitute a threat to the peace process in Liberia, or who are engaged in activities aimed at undermining peace and stability in Liberia and the sub-region (including senior members of former President Charles Taylor's Government and their spouses and members of Liberia's former armed forces who retain links to former President Charles Taylor).
Sudan
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell): With the support of Her Majesty's Government, the original council decision 94/165/CFSP of 15 March 1994 imposing a EU arms embargo against Sudan was repealed and replaced by common position CFSP/31/2004 on 9 January 2004. A council regulation will follow shortly. The embargo prohibits (a) the delivery or supply of arms and related matériel to Sudan; (b) the provision of technical assistance, brokering services and other services related to military activities and to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of arms and related matériel to any person, entity or body in. or for use in, Sudan; and (c) the provision of financing or financial assistance related to military activities to any person, entity or body, in or for use in. Sudan. Exemptions to the embargo are permitted for non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, institution building programmes of the UN, EU and European Community, for matériel intended for EU and UN crisis management, for de-mining equipment and matériel for use in de-mining operations, and for the provision of financing, financial assistance and technical assistance related to such equipment.