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Leader of the House of Commons Website
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Peter Hain): I have launched an updated version of the website for the Office of Leader of the House of Commons www.commonsleader.gov.uk.
Users will now be able to see online the Government's Legislative Programme for the forthcoming session of Parliament—the first time that details of bills announced in the Queen's Speech have been published electronically on one site.
To encourage interest in this site, the office will also provide an email alert service which will inform users of changes to the site, particularly those affecting Government business in the House of Commons, i.e. the weekly business statement.
Also included is a historical section setting out the biographical details of individuals who have held the post of Leader of the House of Commons. The cost for site refresh including new functionality was £7,500.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy): I have today placed before this House a copy of the second annual report of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Foundation which was sent to me under Article 8(2) of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Foundation Regulations 2002. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Advantage West Midlands (Board Appointments)
The Minister for Industry and the Regions (Jacqui Smith): I would like to inform Members of the House that, as part of a rolling programme of appointments, I have decided to appoint three new board members to Advantage West Midlands. The new appointees will take up their positions on the 14 December 2004 and their names are set out below.
The new board members will replace members whose terms of office end in December this year, and they will bring experiences from business, trade unions and local authorities.
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Decisions on the appointments have been made following open competition in accordance with the guidelines set down in the Commissioner for Public Appointments' code of practice, and following consultation with key national and regional players.
Yorkshire Forward (Board Appointments)
The Minister for Industry and the Regions (Jacqui Smith): I would like to inform Members of the House that, as part of a rolling programme of appointments, I have decided to appoint six new board members to "Yorkshire Forward". The new appointees, including one re-appointee, will take up their positions on the 14 December 2004 and their names are set out below.
The new board members will replace members whose terms of office end in December this year. They will bring experience from business, local authorities and the voluntary sector.
Decisions on the appointments have been made following open competition in accordance with the guidelines set down in the Commissioner for Public Appointments code of practice, and following consultation with key national and regional players.
Lord Christopher Haskins (re-appointed)
TRANSPORT
Air Traffic Control (North Atlantic)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Charlotte Atkins):
The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland have now agreed that a northern Oceanic transitional area (NOTA) will be established, in stages from January 2005, in the Shanwick Oceanic airspace to the north-west of Ireland. The Republic of Ireland will provide air traffic control and related services in the NOTA while National Air Traffic Services (NATS) will provide these services in the rest of the Shanwick sector. Regulatory control for the NOTA will also transfer from the Civil Aviation Authority to the Irish Aviation Authority at a date agreed by the regulators.
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The agreement paves the way for increasing co-operation and the progression to more integrated operations between NATS and its Irish counterpart, and gives NATS security of tenure in providing Oceanic air traffic control services for the next 25 years.
I have placed a copy of the exchange of letters between the UK and Ireland in the Library of the House.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (Herefordshire Council)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond): On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the benefit fraud inspectorate (BFI) good practice review of Herefordshire council was published today and copies of the review have been placed in the Library.
One of the benefit fraud inspectorate's key functions is to improve the effectiveness and security of benefits administration by disseminating good practice. good practice reviews are a new initiative for the inspectorate and are designed to identify practices and procedures that can help other local authorities. The good practice review of Herefordshire council has identified many good practices and I am grateful to the council for its participation.
The review found over 100 good practices covering all areas of performance standards including:
annually assessment of revenues and benefits services against a quality framework, based on an excellence model;
answering 97 per cent. of telephone calls within 15 seconds and seeing 97 per cent. of customers within 10 minutes of arrival at the office in 2003–04;
performing a 10 per cent. check of corporate quality officers' work to ensure accuracy and consistency;
supplying landlords with plenty of information to ensure they are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities;
relocating its main customer enquiries office to a building that meets the access requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act;
performing good quality fraud investigations that comply with all legal requirements reducing to 14 days the time it takes to send first reminders to debtors.
I recommend the review and recommend that all local authorities read it and consider if they can benefit from the application of any of the good practices identified.