---

 
9 Mar 2005 : Column 107WS
 

Written Ministerial Statements

Wednesday 9 March 2005

DEFENCE

Modernising Armed Forces and Veterans Personnel Administration

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin): I am announcing today that I have asked the deputy chief of defence staff for personnel to explore whether there is scope for further service improvement through the greater integration of services delivered by the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency and the Veterans Agency. This is consistent with our overall policy at the Ministry of Defence to continue to improve the administrative support we provide to the armed forces and veterans.

This study will build on the opportunities offered by the joint personnel administration programme that will go live progressively during 2006. This review will take full account of the Government's intent to maintain a sharp focus on the delivery of services to all veterans. Trade unions, staff and customers, including veterans' groups, will be consulted before any conclusions are reached. I expect to report on the outcome of the study before the summer parliamentary recess.

Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon): On 16 December 2004 I announced changes to the future structure of the infantry, including a decision on how we would achieve a reduction by one in the number of battalions in the Prince of Wales's Division. The antecedent components of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (RGBW) were to merge with, in the case of the Gloucestershire element, the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (which would also transfer to the Light Infantry) and, in the case of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment element, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

However, following my announcement, there was a widespread perception that the plan to split the RGBW along the lines of its antecedent parts amounted to the disbandment of the RGBW and the abandonment of its own heritage.

In view of this, I asked the executive committee of the Army Board (ECAB) to review its original recommendation in relation to the future of the RGBW. In the process of this review, ECAB noted that in formulating its original recommendation on the RGBW it had given insufficient weight to the sense of identity that has evolved during the 10 years since the RGBW was created.

ECAB concluded that although the substance of the original recommendation—that the RGBW will form the basis of the reduction by one battalion of the Prince
 
9 Mar 2005 : Column 108WS
 
of Wales's Division—should not change, more could be done to preserve the identity and heritage of the RGBW itself, and not just of its antecedents. ECAB now recommends that this should be achieved instead through an amalgamation of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment with the RGBW. The resulting new regiment will become 1st Battalion the Light Infantry (reflecting the original decision for the D and D to join the Light Infantry).

I have accepted the need for this adjustment to the original recommendation. The details of how the amalgamation will be taken forward will be a matter for the Army to manage and will be worked out by those concerned over the coming months.

HEALTH

"Choosing Health" Delivery Plan and Action Plans

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Miss Melanie Johnson): The Government's public health White Paper "Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier", launched in November 2004, set out commonsense steps to prevent unnecessary deaths and help people to make healthier choices.

The delivery plan for "Choosing Health", published today, explains how the Government will put these plans into practice. It includes 45 "big wins" which the evidence suggests will make the greatest impact on health. It also covers policies and programmes which will be developed and implemented, targets to improve health, partnerships between industry, the voluntary sector and professional groups, and services delivered by local authorities and the NHS.

Delivering "Choosing Health" is backed up by two Action Plans: "Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan" and "Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan", also published today.

"Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan" brings together, in one place, all the White Paper commitments relating to food and nutrition as well as further activity across Government. This includes action to improve information to enable healthier eating, restrict further the advertising and promotion of foods to children, increase access to healthier food, simplified food labelling, and improved school food.

"Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan" sets out, for the first time, coordinated cross-Government action on promoting physical activity and sport. It highlights the leadership role of the NHS and the importance of close partnership working across sectors, particularly with local authorities, to bring about positive change in activity levels across the whole population. The plan outlines a national framework to complement and support work at a regional and local level. It details an extensive range of departmental commitments such as action to promote active travel through increased walking and cycling, work to improve the physical environment of communities to encourage more active living, and programmes to increase participation in sport and leisure activities.

Copies have been placed in the Library.
 
9 Mar 2005 : Column 109WS
 

HOME DEPARTMENT

New National Refugee Integration Strategy

The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Mr. Desmond Browne): I am pleased to announce the publication today of "Integration Matters", the new national refugee integration strategy for England. Published in draft form last year, the thrust of the strategy was widely welcomed, but it has been informed and improved as a result of the consultation exercise. It replaces the earlier strategy, "Full and Equal Citizens", which came out in November 2000. The key themes of the new strategy, which is fully consistent with "Controlling Our Borders", the five-year strategy for immigration and asylum which was published last month, are to be found in helping refugees to achieve their full potential, to contribute to the community as fully as possible, and to gain access to the services to which they are entitled. The strategy shows how we intend to make best use of the substantial funding which we make available every year for refugee integration.

Among the most important new departures will be the introduction of the programme of refugee integration loans for which we legislated last year; and the piloting of the Sunrise programme under which specialised case workers will work with new refugees to draw up personal integration plans during the first month after they have received refugee status.

"Integration Matters" is being published at the same time as "Working to Rebuild Lives", the Department of Work and Pensions' new refugee employment strategy, and there are naturally close links between the two documents.

The Government have rightly placed much emphasis on eliminating abuse of the asylum system. "Integration Matters" reaffirms explicitly both the humanitarian importance of our commitment to provide refuge for those who are entitled to it, and the way in which the real benefits they bring to this country can be enhanced by effective programmes of integration.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements

The Minister for Energy and E-Commerce (Mr. Mike O'Brien): I have announced that the "Go-live" date for the British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA) will be 1 April 2005. BETTA will bring together Scotland's transmission networks and the network in England and Wales to create a single GB electricity market.

I have also announced our intention to limit the charges renewable generators on the Scottish islands, and potentially in the far north of the Scottish mainland, will have to pay to the National Grid to transmit electricity to customers across Britain. I am doing this under a power taken in the Energy Act 2004. Exercise of this power will ensure that remote location is no bar to renewable development, which can make an important contribution to the Government's target of having 10 per cent. renewable energy by 2010. We will be consulting on the details of the scheme in the summer.
 
9 Mar 2005 : Column 110WS
 

---