| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 May 2006 : Column 1940W—continued
Small Claims Limit
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the timetable is for the consultation on alternative options for dealing with the small claims limit. [69903]
Vera Baird: The Government are currently working with stakeholders to make the claims process more timely, proportionate, and cost-effective. We plan to publish a consultation paper on any proposals which emerge, but no date for this has been set.
Scotland
Bills
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by (a) a Labour backbencher, (b) an Opposition backbencher and (c) an Opposition front bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by his Department which has been accepted by his Department during the 2005-06 Session; and if he will make a statement. [72485]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office has not sponsored any legislation in the current Session.
Departmental Legislation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those (a) Acts and (b) parts of Acts which received Royal Assent between 1976 and 2006 for which his Department has policy responsibility and which remain in force. [70396]
David Cairns: The Scotland Office has policy responsibility for the Scotland Act 1998 and the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004, both of which remain in force.
Scotland Act
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Government plans to transfer additional functions to Scottish Ministers under section 63 of the Scotland Act 1998. [72543]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Government and the Scottish Executive have no immediate plans for any transfers under section 63 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Scottish Parliament
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what discussions he has had with the First Minister of Scotland on proposals for the establishment of a second Scottish Constitutional Convention to review the powers of the Scottish Parliament; [72813]
(2) whether he has discussed the recommendations of the Steel Commission report, Moving to Federalism—A New Settlement for Scotland, with the First Minister of Scotland. [72815]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: I have frequent discussions with the First Minister on a wide range of issues.
Small Change Big Difference
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken following the launch of the Government's “small change big difference campaign”. [72000]
David Cairns: The statutory functions of the Scotland Office relate to constitutional matters arising from the devolution settlement for Scotland and the conduct of elections to the Scottish Parliament. The focus of the ‘small change big difference’ campaign is the encouragement of healthier lifestyles which is primarily a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive to determine.
International Development
Afghanistan (Women)
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of women's rights in Afghanistan; and what steps are being taken to further the empowerment of women in Afghanistan in accordance with Millennium Development Goal 3, to promote gender equality and empower women. [73481]
Hilary Benn: The current status of women's rights indicates that Afghanistan will not meet the Millennium Development Goal targets by 2015. Raising awareness of the existing gender bias and discrimination is important if things are going to change. The Afghan Government have demonstrated its commitment to ensuring equality between men and women by signing the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and by protecting women's rights within the new Afghan constitution.
In March 2006, the Afghan Government set out its strategy for greater gender equality in its first Interim National Action Plan for the Women. The UK is supporting this through our contributions to the Afghan Reconstruction Fund (£140 million over three years) which help pay the Government's recurrent costs as well as fund their own development priorities.
DFID also supports a number of specific development programmes which support the role of women in Afghan society. At the national level we provided significant support to the election process in 2005 and have worked with the Government to strengthen the role of women in the democratic process. The Parliamentary and Provincial elections had a strong turn-out of women voters (43 per cent. of voters were women).
DFID's support to the Government's National Priority Programmes includes support to enhancing the role of women at a community level including the National Solidarity Programme which ensures that women are engaged in determining community development priorities through the formation of Community Development Councils. DFID is also supporting the Government's National Micro-finance Programme, which provides access to credit and savings services to over 140,000 clients, 60 per cent. Of whom are women.
Cayman Islands
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to receive from the EU the recovery grant of €7.4 million for the Cayman Islands for the purposes of defraying some of the costs of repair following the damage done by Hurricane Ivan. [73610]
Mr. Thomas: The European Commission has proposed an allocation of €3.7 million for post-Hurricane Ivan rehabilitation aid for the Cayman Islands. We hope that remaining procedures will be completed speedily and the funds disbursed in the near future.
We are following up with the Commission on the details of this decision and exploring the options open to the Cayman Islands to have their original request of €7 million reconsidered.
Departmental Bills (Amendments)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by (a) a Labour backbencher, (b) an Opposition backbencher and (c) an Opposition front bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by his Department that has been accepted by his Department during the current session; and if he will make a statement. [72105]
Hilary Benn: DFID has not sponsored any legislation during the current session.
Departmental Staff
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff from his Department attended the Civil Service Islamic Society Eid-Ul-Adha event in London in 2005; and what the total cost was to his Department of their attendance. [73000]
Mr. Thomas: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will write to the hon. Member with details of the Civil Service Islamic Society Eid-Ul-Adha event. Copies of her letter will be placed in the Library.
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what incentives his Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work. [73002]
Mr. Thomas: DFID is strongly committed to the travel targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. We operate a car sharing scheme for our East Kilbride office on our internal website and we have also included links to similar schemes available on external websites. We also maintain updated bus and train timetables on our internal website and actively encourage staff to use public transport through regular notices, permanent displays of maps and guides, and promotion of events such as Bike Week 2006. We have no car parking spaces for staff in our London offices, but over 70 secure bicycle parking spaces, with storage and shower facilities.
Information Technology
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent on information technology (IT) sourced from outside his Department in each of the last five years; who is responsible for such projects in his Department; and what IT (a) expertise and (b) qualifications they possess. [71768]
Mr. Thomas: DFID's central records do not distinguish IT purchases, so provision of spending information for these purchases would incur disproportionate costs. DFID procurement conforms to guidance from the Office of Government Commerce, and purchases are approved by a number of officials with delegated authority. All major IT purchases are reviewed by the Head of Information Systems, who has a mathematics degree and more than 25 years' experience of working in IT, including16 years in a managerial role.
Legislation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list those (a) Acts and (b) parts of Acts which received Royal Assent between 1976 and 2006 and for which his Department has policy responsibility which remain in force. [70373]
Hilary Benn: DFID has policy responsibility for the Commonwealth Development Corporation Act (1978), the Crown Agents Act (1995), the Commonwealth Development Corporation Act (1999) and the International Development Act (2002).
Small Change Big Difference
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department and its agencies have taken following the launch of the Government’s “small change big difference” campaign. [72004]
Mr. Thomas: DFID has embraced the “small change big difference” campaign in many ways by encouraging its staff to improve their future health and well-being by making small, easily achievable changes to their lifestyle. The Department supports these changes by ensuring that our staff restaurants offer nutritious food, using fresh produce and offering “healthy options” wherever possible.
DFID encourages its staff to take control of their health and lives and to achieve a healthy work-life balance. The Department offers its staff flexible work patterns and provides a website that provides information and advice on how to deal with everyday issues such as bereavement, stress, nutrition, smoking and drinking.
Our well-being centres offer gym facilities to encourage staff to improve their health and well-being through physical activity. We also have secure bicycle parking spaces for staff who cycle to work, with storage and shower facilities.
As the programme of work develops, the Department of Health (DOH) will be working across all of Government to ensure the programme joins up to promote maximum impact. The DOH is leading the implementation for this initiative as part of its cross-government commitment to deliver the public health White Paper “Choosing Health”.
Transport
Air Travel
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of changes in the demography of air passengers in the UK within the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [71147]
Gillian Merron: The last formal assessment undertaken was for the Air Transport White Paper in December 2003. The Department keeps these matters under review through regular surveys (eg CAA Airport Passenger Survey, British Social Attitudes Survey, International Passenger Survey and ONS Omnibus Survey).
As part of the analysis leading up to the Air Transport White Paper (ATWP), the Department carried out a formal assessment of the public “Attitudes to Air Travel”, by population characteristics, using data from February 2002 ONS Omnibus Survey which can be found on the DfT Website.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/qroups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_505963.hcsp
Another supporting paper to the ATWP “Passenger Forecasts: Additional Analysis” reported differences between countries and regions within the UK in the propensity to fly, ie the relationship between the number of passengers and the general population. This can be found on the DfT website.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/qroups/dft_aviation/documents/page/dft_aviation_031861.pdf
Airbus A380
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) which Ministers were present for the arrival of the Airbus A380 at Heathrow Airport on 18 May; [74183]
(2) what departmental costs were incurred in transporting officials and Ministers to the arrival of the Airbus A380 at Heathrow Airport on 18 May. [74184]
Gillian Merron: The total cost incurred by the Department in transporting officials to the arrival of the Airbus A380 at Heathrow Airport on 18 May was £55. No Ministers from the Department were present, but my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer attended.
Aircraft Emissions
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the flights taken by Ministers in his Department since 2001; and what measures to offset the carbon emissions were taken for each flight. [68937]
Gillian Merron: Information about flights undertaken by Ministers in the Department for Transport on official business since its formation on 29 May 2002 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’ and ‘Travel by Ministers’, copies of which are available in the Library. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. Copies of the lists are available in the Library. Information for 2005-06 is currently being compiled and will be published when it is ready.
All central Government ministerial and official air travel is being offset from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions will be calculated on an annual basis and subsequently offset through payments to a central fund. The fund will purchase certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with high sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries.
Carbon dioxide emissions arising from 32 (Royal) Squadron flights are included in the Government’s carbon offsetting commitment. Carbon emissions arising from the use of these flights will be recorded and offset in the same way as those for scheduled flights.
Buses
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department is taking to ensure bus fares do not rise faster than the cost of motoring. [68689]
Gillian Merron: The Government are very concerned about the growing divergence between the cost of public transport and private motoring which is largely due to market forces. The rise in bus fares mostly reflects the increased costs of labour, fuel and insurance to bus operators. These costs need to be met either through fare increases or subsidy. The Department makes it clear in its dealings with the bus industry that affordable fares are a crucial factor in promoting patronage growth and accessibility of services.
The Government provide support for local bus services in the form of Bus Service Operators Grant, worth over £370 million annually to the industry. This grant reduces operating costs and therefore helps to minimise fares.
In addition, the Government have introduced free concessionary bus travel for over-60s and disabled people and made available an additional £350 million to local authorities to reimburse to operators the revenue foregone. As from 1 April 2008, holders of concessionary passes will be eligible for free local bus travel in any part of the country.
We are working up arrangements to develop new ways in which local authorities and operators can plan bus networks together by mutual agreement and consistently with competition law. This could include agreement on bus fares and ticketing.
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with bus companies about the impact of above-inflation increases in bus fares on socially excluded communities. [68690]
Gillian Merron: Transport Ministers regularly have meetings with bus companies and discuss a variety of matters with them. It is made clear at these meetings that affordable fares are seen as a crucial factor in promoting patronage growth and accessibility of services.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |