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Written Ministerial Statements

Monday 21 February 2005

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Countries at Risk of Instability

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published on 17 February a report entitled "Investing in Prevention: An International Strategy to Manage Risks of Instability and Improve Crisis Response". I will place copies of this report to Government in the Library of the House today. It follows the publication by the Strategy Unit in November 2003 of its Strategic Audit, which recommended increased strategic focus on instability and conflict prevention. The report contains the Strategy Unit's analysis of the main risk factors associated with conflict and instability and a series of recommendations by the Strategy Unit for how to address these. Preventing conflict and building stability are fundamental to the Government's foreign policy. This report by the Strategy Unit provides further material on which to draw in support of this agenda and Departments will be looking carefully at its recommendations.

TRANSPORT

Air Transport Judicial Reviews

The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): On Friday 18 February, the High Court endorsed the key policies of the Air Transport White Paper, published in December 2003 (Command paper 6046). This judgment means that the Government's support for two new runways in the south-east of England in the period up to 2030 has been upheld.

I have arranged for copies of the judgment (case reference CO/1314/2004 and CO/1339/2004) to be available in the Library of the House.

Following the judgment, the Government will continue to support a new runway at Stansted as the first new runway in the south-east. It is for the airport operator to bring forward detailed proposals. These will be taken through the planning system in the normal way.

The Judge agreed that the decision making process which led to the adoption of the policies in the White Paper was lawful subject to two minor qualifications. These were that the Government were too prescriptive with regard to the exact positioning and capacity of the runways at Stansted and Luton—this should be a matter for a planning inquiry. At Luton the airport operator's option will need full consultation before being taken forward.
 
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These are very important matters for local people and they will be able to express their views at a future planning inquiry, but the Government strongly agree with the Judge's comments that these are minor in relation to the national policies set out in the White Paper. The main thrust of the White Paper has been upheld and the Government will not therefore be appealing.

Together with the decision taken by the Judge on 21 January to dismiss the Judicial Review application in relation to the policy on Gatwick Airport, this judgment leaves the way open for the Government to pursue their White Paper programme.

This judgment allows the Government to pursue their objectives as set out in the White Paper and I confirm that we will do so as efficiently and effectively as possible.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Industrial Injuries and Prescribed Diseases

The Minister for Work (Jane Kennedy): The Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Amendment Regulations 2005 were laid before Parliament on Friday 18 February 2005. The regulations implement, from 7 March 2005, the recommendations set out in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's reports "Osteoarthritis of the Hip" (Cm 5977) and "Conditions due to Biological Agents" (Cm 5997).

The recommendations made in these reports were that three diseases should be added to the list of prescribed diseases and the prescription for five existing diseases be amended.

The three additional diseases were:

Five existing diseases are to be amended:


 
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