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Equality Commission

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Peter Hain): I am pleased to announce today the appointment of Bob Collins as the new chief commissioner of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. I am also appointing four new commissioners—Bryan Johnston, James Knox, Professor Eithne McLaughlin and Elaine Waterson.

The appointments follow an open process based on merit. The new chief commissioner will take up the post from 1 August 2005, succeeding Dame Joan Harbison, whose term of office concludes on 31 July 2005. The terms of office of three other commissioners, Alan Henry, Ann Hope and Ruth Lavery also conclude on that date. The four new commissioners will also take up post from 1 August, joining the 13 existing commissioners.

The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is a key institution of the Belfast agreement and plays a vital role in protecting and promoting equality in Northern Ireland. I am grateful for the great commitment and expertise that Dame Joan and the other departing commissioners have brought to the Commission. I am particularly grateful to Dame Joan for her work in establishing the Commission from the four equality bodies that preceded it and for seeing the Commission through its formative years so effectively.

I am confident that the new appointees will continue their good work and ensure that the Commission continues to carry out its important duties effectively.

Prison Service

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Shaun Woodward): I have placed copies of the Northern Ireland Prison Service's annual report and accounts for 2004–05 in the Libraries of both Houses.
 
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The annual report details that the service met nine of its 11 key targets. It also outlines that of the comprehensive programme of 28 development objectives set for the service, 15 were achieved, five were partially achieved and substantial progress made towards meeting the remaining eight.

Key Business Area	Key Targets	Outturn
Security	No escape for top and high-risk prisoners.	MET—No escapes in this category.
	No more than three escapes per 1,000 medium and low risk prisoners.	MET—One escape in September 2004.
Safety	The number of staff assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of five per 100 prisoners.	MET—Outturn for the year was 0.6 per 100 prisoners. .
	The number of prisoners assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of six per 100 prisoners.	MET—Outturn for the year was 0.9 per 100 prisoners. .
Regimes and reducing re-offending	An average of at least 18 hours constructive activity per week for each sentenced prisoner.	NOT MET—17.4 hours per week achieved.
	An average of at least nine hours constructive activity per week for each remand prisoner.	MET—9.5 hours per week achieved.
	To ensure 82.5 per cent. of prisoners serving six months or more are working to a resettlement plan and that 95 per cent. of lifers work to a resettlement plan, including preparation of the plan, in the first six months from sentence.	MET—Outturn of 86.7 per cent. for determinate prisoners and 96.3 per cent. for life sentence prisoners.
Staff and developing the service	Deliver at least 85 per cent. of the planned training days associated with the agreed corporate training priorities.	NOT MET—The final end of year overall percentage was 77 per cent. .
	Reduce the rate of absenteeism to an annual average of no more than 19 days per head.	MET—Average staff sickness days per head was 16.
Finance, corporate governance and improving business performance	Ensure the average cost per prisoner place does not exceed the target to be agreed with HM Treasury.	MET—The Prison Service met its 2004–05 CPPP target of £86,800 as agreed with Treasury. The actual 2004–05 CPPP outturn was £85,935.
	Lay the Annual Report and Audited Accounts before Parliament prior to the summer recess.	MET—Annual Report and Audited Accounts laid before Parliament on 20 July 2004.

SOLICITOR GENERAL

Serious Fraud Office

The Solicitor-General (Mr. Mike O'Brien): The annual report of the Serious Fraud Office has today been published and laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
 
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Coal Authority

The Minister for Energy (Malcolm Wicks): I have laid before the House a copy of the Coal Authority report and accounts for 2004–05.

TRANSPORT

Highways Agency

The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Dr. Stephen Ladyman): The Highways Agency annual report and accounts for 2004–05 is published today in accordance with section seven of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Copies are available from the Vote Office.

Rail Freight

The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): As prosperity and the demand for goods grow, efficient freight transport is increasingly vital to the UK economy. The Railways Act 2005 has placed responsibility for rail freight in England with the Department for Transport and, with the repeal of section 206 of the Transport Act 2000, the SRA's 2001 Rail Freight Strategy will cease to be in force. It is important, therefore, that the Government restate clearly their objectives for rail freight.

The Ten Year Plan for Transport, published in 2000, forecast potential growth in rail freight of up to 80 per cent. to 2010. This was interpreted by many as a target, though we had always made it clear that actual growth would depend on a number of factors—in particular, the success of rail freight operators in winning business in highly competitive markets.

In fact, although it is now recognised that the 80 per cent. forecast is unlikely to be met, growth in the rail freight market has been impressive. Rail freight is a thriving and competitive private sector industry, and since privatisation (1995), levels of freight moved have increased by 55 per cent. (measured in tonne km). Rail freight's market share also increased over the same period from 8.5 per cent. to 11.5 per cent.

The Government welcome this growth and wish to see it continue. Our clear policy aim is to see goods being moved in a sustainable way, which maximises benefits to the economy and to society. For instance, because they generally have less impact on society than road transport, rail and water freight can bring substantial benefits. In 2004–05, the rail freight industry moved the equivalent of over 7 million lorry journeys and saved 1.43 billion lorry kilometres, delivering significant reductions in pollution and congestion. We believe rail therefore has a crucial role to play in goods transport alongside other modes, and we wish to see freight travelling by rail instead of road wherever this makes most sense.

This aim can be delivered most effectively by a competitive and dynamic private sector rail freight industry, and this is borne out by the growth since
 
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privatisation, which has been driven by real on-rail competition throughout the industry, including several new entrants to the market. We will not dictate to the industry how it should run its business or become involved in operational issues. Where disputes occur with other parts of the railway, they should be resolved through established rail industry dispute procedures.

But the Government do have a role to play and a relationship with the rail freight industry. Rail freight companies run on the same tracks as the publicly specified passenger railway, so the Government have to be mindful of their needs. And the Government recognise and wishes to encourage the important environmental and economic benefits that rail freight can bring.

We will therefore ensure that our policies and regulations do not put unnecessary obstacles in the way of future growth; we will continue to provide financial support where it is affordable and offers the greatest environmental, congestion and safety benefits when assessed alongside support for other modes; and we will ensure that in specifying the passenger railways, we recognise and take into account the consequences of our decisions upon the rail freight industry.

To achieve this, we will:

Continue to support the principle of incremental access charges for freight operators

Rail freight's ability to compete against road and other modes is dependent upon stable and affordable charging for access to the network. The Government support this and believe it is best achieved through the principle of freight operators paying charges which reflect only the costs that they impose upon the network (in line with the charging principles set out in EU Directive 2001/14). We will therefore work with the rail industry to ensure this remains the case—for instance, providing clear-guidance if and when the level of freight charges is reviewed by the ORR.

Work with the freight industry to understand its needs when setting the strategy for the rail network, and to provide the greatest possible certainty of access

In order for rail freight companies and their customers to invest, they need certainty about where and when they can run trains on the network. The Government will work with the industry to develop robust demand forecasting and modelling tools, and to ensure that it understands the needs of the freight industry when developing its high level output specification and other key policies. We will ensure that our appraisal methodologies treat freight and passenger interests equitably, and we have also committed through the Railways Act to ensuring that appropriate compensation will be provided should the contractual interests of freight companies or others be impaired by changes in outputs. In addition, we welcome Network Rail's decision to produce a national freight utilisation strategy, which will act as a key input to the route utilisation strategies, and also the ORR's recently published policy that UK freight operators should be eligible for access contracts of up to ten years (and longer in exceptional circumstances).
 
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Ensure grant funding is targeted to deliver the maximum benefits in terms of reducing congestion, pollution and accidents

From 2007–08, the Government's funding programmes for rail freight, including the reopened freight facilities grant, will be incorporated alongside water and road freight grant programmes into a cross-modal Sustainable Distribution Fund. This will prioritise funding across all three modes to favour those grants that offer the maximum benefits for the money being spent. In the meantime, the Department will consider in consultation with the industry the most appropriate future form for Company Neutral Revenue Support and other grant programmes (which may include opening funding to flows originating from the Channel Tunnel) within the Sustainable Distribution Fund, and seek renewed state aids clearance.

Work to ensure that regional and local planning decisions reflect Government priorities relating to the sustainable movement of goods

We wish to see private sector investment in major rail freight facilities, such as intermodal terminals, continue. It is not appropriate for the Government to promote individual schemes—it is for the private sector to develop proposals and progress them through the necessary approvals including planning consent. But the Government do want due account to be taken of our policy goals for the sustainable movement of goods. This does not imply an active role in individual cases, but if necessary we will be ready to act to ensure decision makers are better informed particularly in the application of planning guidance. We will also be ready to consider changes to planning guidance where appropriate.

Work with the industry and Network Rail to establish how freight growth can be accommodated on the network

The ORR is currently carrying out work in conjunction with Network Rail to establish the baseline capability of the network. Once that has been completed, we will consider with the industry how we can support, fund and accommodate change. This could be through reallocations of capacity within the existing network which make sense for both passengers and freight, incorporating incremental freight benefits into planned renewals, or considering how freight-specific enhancements might be taken forward by either the private sector or, in the long-term, the Government (subject to strict affordability and value for money criteria).

Work with the devolved administrations, and with the EC to ensure a consistent UK—and Europe-wide approach to rail freight

Rail freight is a cross-border business. The Railways Act gave increased powers to support rail freight to the devolved administrations, and we will work with them (and with other partners such as TfL and the Passenger Transport Executives) to ensure that policies relating to rail freight across the UK are consistent. We will also continue to work with the EC to liberalise access to the wider European rail freight market and increase competition, including through the Channel Tunnel.
 
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