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National Service Framework
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr. Stephen Ladyman):
In February 2001, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Health announced that the Department would be developing a new national service framework (NSF) with a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological conditions. I am pleased to announce that the long-term conditions NSF is today being published. It is an integral part of this Government's overall strategy to improve services for people with long-term conditions.
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This NSF covers the full range of issues for people with neurological conditions across health and social care. It has been developed through active consultation with key stakeholders, including people who use services and their carers, and the direct participation of experts and practitioners from the field.
Although the NSF focuses on people with neurological conditions, much of the guidance it offers can apply to anyone living with a non-neurological long-term condition. Commissioners will therefore be encouraged to use the NSF in planning service developments for people with other long-term conditions.
The long-term conditions NSF is an evidence-based, 10-year strategy, which advocates a cultural shift in the provision of care, with services being designed and delivered around the needs of people and their families. It highlights the need for high-quality services that offer choice and are prompt, convenient and responsive and that look at the whole person, rather than at a presenting illness or problem.
The broad remit of the NSF is covered in 11 quality requirements, which are:
The long-term conditions NSF has been developed in line with this Government's wider public sector reforms, to devolve power and responsibility to local agencies. While the NSF sets out the levels of service quality which we expect to be available by 2015, the pace of change is to be left to local national health service and social care discretion to determine, and will be balanced against other priorities. The costs of implementing the NSF will be met from the additional resources announced in the 2004 spending review for the NHS and adult personal social services.
Copies of the NSF for long-term conditions have been placed in the Library.
PRIME MINISTER
Intelligence and Security Committee Report
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair):
I am grateful to the Intelligence and Security Committee for their report "The Handling of Detainees by UK Intelligence Personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq" (CM 6469). I have today laid the Report before the House. The Government will respond formally to it in due course. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Offshore Petroleum Licensing
The Minister for Energy and E-Commerce (Mr. Mike O'Brien): I am pleased to inform the House that I am today inviting applications for petroleum licenses for unlicensed seaward blocks which will form the 23rd round of offshore petroleum licensing. These blocks are located in the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) areas 1–5 (a map of the SEA areas can be found on the website indicated below).
Strategic Environmental Assessment (Sea)—Post Adoption Procedures
The DTFs draft plan to offer licences for offshore oil and gas exploration and production through a 23rd licensing round was the subject of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) initiated in 2003. The SEA is documented on a dedicated website (www.offshore-sea.org.uk) and includes commissioned reports on various components of the natural environment, cultural features and socio-economic considerations. In addition, as part of the SEA new information was collected for example on selected seabed features through seafloor mapping, sampling and photography, and on the offshore behaviour of seals by means of satellite tagging. The draft plan for the 23rd licensing round included offering blocks within the area to the east of Scotland, and also in those areas that had been subject to earlier DTI SEAs (SEAs 1, 2, 3, and 4) which covered the remaining parts of the UK North Sea Exclusive Economic Zone and the UK EEZ to the north and west of Orkney and Shetland.
The potential implications of the exploration and production activities which could follow if the draft plan was adopted were considered at an expert assessment workshop and a stakeholder workshop. The results of these workshops were assessed further and documented in an environmental report which then formed the basis for consultation with the consultation bodies and the public. The initiation of a three month consultation period on the DTFs draft plan and Environmental report was advertised in a number of local and national newspapers and by email notification to a wide range of individuals and organisations.
All responses received from statutory and other consultees on the draft plan and the environmental report have been considered by the DTI and a post consultation report for SEA 5 prepared and placed on the SEA website. This summarises consultee comments and DTI responses to them. The full texts of consultee comments have also been placed on the SEA website.
In deciding to proceed with a 23rd offshore licensing round the DTI has considered the conclusions and recommendations of the SEA 5 environmental report together with feedback received from consultees. As a result of the SEA process, a number of blocks are being withheld from licensing for the present on environmental grounds. These blocks are:
15/20c, 15/25d, 34/6, 34/7, 34/8, 34/12, 34/13, 34/17, 34/18, 40/15, 41/29, 41/30, 47/11, 47/27, 47/28, 47/29, 47/30, 48/26, 51/3, 51/4, 51/5, 52/1, 52/28.
Licensing of these blocks may be revisited in the future, for example as more information on the features of interest becomes available. In addition, a number of
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blocks may be licensed but with conditions attached restricting or prohibiting marine activities. It should be noted that the Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999 and the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations, 2001 variously require that all major activities undertaken in connection with UK offshore hydrocarbon exploration and production include environmental assessment as part of consenting.
In addition, 34 blocks will not be offered for licensing in these SEA areas at the request of the Ministry of Defence
The DTI has established an offshore oil and gas environmental monitoring committee which is charged with coordinating the monitoring of significant environmental effects of the industry, including those that could arise from the implementation of the plan to hold a 23rd round of offshore licensing. The results of this monitoring will be made publicly available including through the SEA website.
In addition to the website above, a copy of the SEA report can be reviewed free of charge at:
Department of Trade and Industry 1 Victoria Street London SW1H 0ET
Arrangements to view the Report can be made by telephoning 0207 215 5032.
European Law and Corporate Governance
The Minister for Industry and the Regions (Jacqui Smith): I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of a consultation document entitled "European Company Law and Corporate Governance—Directive Proposals on Company Reporting, Capital Maintenance and Transfer of the Registered Office of a Company". This document is available on the DTI website at:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/cld/current.htm.
The consultation period ends on 3 June 2005.
The consultation covers three proposals which form part of the European Commission's Action Plan on Company Law and Corporate Governance published in May 2003. The Commission has formally published two of the proposals. These are a Directive amending the Fourth and Seventh Accounting Directives and a Directive amending the Second Company Law Directive on Capital Maintenance. The commission is expected to publish shortly the third proposal, a directive on the cross border transfer of the registered office of a company.
By covering all three proposals in one single consultation we hope to give stakeholders the opportunity not only to consider all proposals at the same time but to understand how they relate to the overall framework of modernising company law and corporate governance in the EU.
Amendments to the Fourth and Seventh Accounting Directives
This proposal seeks to enhance confidence in financial statements and annual accounts published by European companies. It would introduce an annual Corporate
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Governance statement for publicly traded companies, tighten up accounting disclosure requirements and clarify the collective responsibility of directors towards the company for the annual report and accounts The Government support the broad principles behind the directive and believes that light touch common standards for disclosure should contribute to EU market confidence, encourage cross-border investment and facilitate cross-border access to capital. It is of the view that the requirements of the directive are broadly consistent with existing UK law and practice.
The consultation seeks views on the extent to which the proposed disclosure requirements will place additional burdens on companies and whether they will be of value to users of company accounts. It also asks for views on the nature of the information the Commission is proposing be contained in the Corporate Governance Statement.
Amendments to the Second Company Law Directive (Capital Maintenance)
This proposal seeks to simplify the Second Company Law Directive so that it is easier for public limited liability companies to take measures affecting the size, structure and ownership of their capital. It contains provisions to simplify procedures for valuation of non-cash consideration for allocation of shares, acquisition of own shares, financial assistance and waiving of pre-emption rights. It also aims to enhance standardised creditor protection for reductions of capital and introduces "squeeze-out" and "sell-out" rights of majority and minority shareholders respectively. The Government support the objective of streamlining measures to reduce burdens for business behind this proposal but has reservations about the real deregulatory benefits it will bring in practice.
The consultation seeks views on a number of issues to determine whether the changes in the proposal will have a significant beneficial impact for companies wanting to change their capital structures. It raises a number of areas where the proposals could lead to uncertainty on whether and how certain provisions will apply. It also seeks views on the proposed introduction of "squeeze-out" and "sell-out" rights in situations other than takeovers.
Additionally, later this year the Commission intends to start a study to look at more radical reform of the capital maintenance regime and the Government invite views on the overall merits of reform of this nature.
Proposal for a Directive on the Cross Border Transfer of Registered Office
This proposal will establish a legal framework for companies registered in the EU to transfer their registered office from one Member State to another without having to be wound up. In Great Britain both public and private companies registered under the Companies Act 1985 would be able to utilise the proposed transfer structure. The Government support the measure as one which should extend the opportunities for corporate restructuring across the EU.
This consultation is based on the proposals contained in the Commission's e-consultation carried out in spring 2004. It explores whether the overall proposal will be useful to UK companies and seeks views on the details of the procedures to be followed.
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