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22 Jul 2004 : Column 457W—continued

Workplace Health and Safety

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the new public service agreement target on improving workplace health and safety will include improving the safety of those who drive in the course of their work. [186111]

Jane Kennedy: The public service agreement applies only to people who drive or operate plant and vehicles on worksites.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Questions

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions his Department received in (i) the 2002–03 Session and (ii) this Session. [182718]

Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of today to his earlier question, 171196.

Departmental Staff (Upper Age Limits)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has (a) a set retirement age which applies to all or most personnel
 
22 Jul 2004 : Column 458W
 
and (b) a maximum age beyond which applications for employment will not be considered; and what the age is in each case. [186083]

Mrs. McGuire: Most of the staff in the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General are on loan from the Scottish Executive. The normal retirement age for all Scottish Executive staff is 60 years and, in line with this, applications for employment are not normally considered from candidates over 60. This policy is currently under review.

Devolution

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what regular assessments of the balance between devolved and reserved powers are carried out. [185660]

Mrs. McGuire: The Government keeps policy and practice in relation to all aspects of the Scottish devolution settlement under review.

Those matters reserved to the UK Parliament are set out in Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998. Any amendments to Schedule 5, either increasing or reducing the scope of reserved matters, are considered on a case-by-case basis and are subject to scrutiny in both the UK and Scottish Parliaments.

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what (a) devolved issues and (b) other responsibilities have been transferred from the Scottish Executive to the UK Government since 1999; what return of funding each transfer involved; how many staff each transfer involved; and what legal basis was required for each transfer. [185661]

Mrs. McGuire: There have been no devolved issues transferred from the Scottish Executive to Ministers of the Crown since 1 July 1999.

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what (a) reserved issues and (b) other responsibilities have been transferred from the UK Government to the Scottish Executive since its creation; what additional funding each transfer involved; how many staff each transfer involved; and what legal basis was required for each transfer. [185662]

Mrs. McGuire: This is a complex and detailed matter, which will require the preparation of a comprehensive list of legislation that relates to any transfer of functions or legislative competence. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as this list can be prepared and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Efficiency Savings (Scottish Executive)

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the First Minister since the Comprehensive Spending Review in connection with efficiency savings in the Scottish Executive. [185352]

Mr. Darling: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of subjects.

Special Advisers

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil
 
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servants in his Department announced in the comprehensive spending review will be of special advisers. [185459]

Mrs. McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 190W.

Parliamentary Questions

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions his Department received in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) this parliamentary Session, broken down by month; [171196]

(2) what proportion of (a) ordinary written questions to his Department were answered within five sitting days of tabling and (b) questions for written answer on a named day received a substantive answer on that day in (i) the 2002–03 parliamentary Session and (ii) this parliamentary Session, broken down by month. [171197]

Mrs. McGuire: The breakdown of written questions received is as follows:

	Ordinary written	Named day
Session 2002–03
November 2002	16	2
December 2002	9	6
January 2003	50	7
February 2003	19	4
March 2003	34	8
April 2003	28	2
May 2003	34	4
June 2003	59	6
July 2003	36	3
September 2003	8	1
October 2003	9	5
November 2003	8	—
Session 2003–04 (to end June)
November 2003	—	2
December 2003	12	5
January 2004	17	4
February 2004	19	4
March 2004	19	2
April 2004	23	—
May 2004	26	3
June 2004	8	1

 
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While records on average processing times are not collected, approximately 65 per cent. of the ordinary written questions were answered within five sitting days. Approximately 60 per cent. of the named day questions were answered by the date specified.

Sewel Motions

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer of 7 July 2004, Official Report, column 709W, on Sewel motions, what Westminster legislation has been enacted in respect of each Sewel motion. [184967]

Mrs. McGuire: Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament have been relevant to the following enactments of the UK Parliament:

Enactment	Date Sewel motion approved
Food Standards Act 1999, c.28	23 June 1999
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, c.8	23 June 1999
Electronic Communications Act 2000, c.7	23 June 1999
Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000, c.12	23 June 1999
Sea Fishing Grants (Charges) Act 2000, c.18	8 December 1999
Representation of the People Act 2000, c.2	13 January 2000
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000, c.44	19 January 2000
Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, c.41	9 March 2000 (1) 6 July 2000 (2)
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, c.23	6 April 2000
Learning and Skills Act 2000, c.2 1	18 May 2000
Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, c.34	25 May 2000
Insolvency Act 2000, c.39	1 June 2000
Care Standards Act 2000, c.14	22 June 2000
Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000, c.20	6 July 2000
Criminal Justice and Court Service Act 2000, c.43	5 October 2000
Health and Social Care Act 2001, c.15	17 January 2001
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002, c.36	17 January 2001
International Criminal Court Act 2001, c.17	18 January 2001
Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, c.16	7 February 2001
International Development Act 2002, c.1	8 March 2001
Armed Forces Act 2001, c.19	29 March 2001
Adoption and Children Act 2002, c.38	4 April 2001 (1) 24 October 2001(2) 30 January 2002 (3)
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, c.29	24 October 2001
Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, c.24	15 November 2001
National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, c.17	22 November 2001
Police Reform Act 2002, c.30	30 January 2002(1) 27 June 2002 (2)
Enterprise Act 2002, c.40	17 April 2002
Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc.) Act 2002, c.37	19 June 2002
Extradition Act 2003, c.41	21 November 2002
Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003, c.43	28 November 2002
Criminal Justice Act 2003, c.44	5 December 2002(1) 9 October 2003 (2)
Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003, c.32	5 December 2002
Local Government Act 2003, c.11	6 February 2003
Sexual Offences Act 2003, c.42	20 March 2003
Railways and Transport Safety Act, c.20	20 March 2003
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, c.43	19 June 2003
Fireworks Act 2003, c.22	26 June 2003
Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003, c.28	11 September 2003
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, c.5	20 November 2003
Gender Recognition Act 2004, c.1	5 February 2004
Higher Education Act 2004, c.8	12 February 2004
Justice (Northern Ireland) 2004, c.4	18 March 2004

* Approval of Westminster legislation by the Scottish Parliament before it assumed its full powers on 1 July 1999.





 
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The following Sewel motions have been passed by the Scottish Parliament in relation to Bills that have either subsequently not been enacted in the UK Parliament or have not yet completed their parliamentary consideration:

Sewel motion/Bill	Date approved	Status
Outworking	31 January 2001	Private Member's Bill—dropped
Culture and Recreation	8 March 2001	Not proceeded with after second reading in House of Lords
Health Protection Agency	29 January 2004	Bill currently before Parliament
Energy	4 February 2004	Bill currently before Parliament
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment for Claimants etc.)	12 February 2004	Bill currently before Parliament
Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise)	4 March 2004	Bill currently before Parliament
Civil Contingencies	4 March 2004	Bill currently before Parliament
Civil Partnership	3 June 2004	Bill currently before Parliament

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