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Leader of the House
SSRB: Triennial Review of Parliamentary Pay, Allowances and Pensions
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Jack Straw):
I announced in a written statement on 25 July 2006 that the Prime Minister had asked the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) to carry out the triennial review of parliamentary pay, pensions and
allowances. The chairman of the SSRB, John Baker, subsequently wrote to all Members on 14 September inviting them to submit written evidence to the review by 8 December. In his letter the chairman also explained that the SSRB would hold some oral evidence sessions in the early months of 2007 and invited Members who wished to attend one of those sessions to contact the SSRB secretariat to register their interest. Written evidence and requests to give oral evidence should be sent to:
Email: alan.dawson@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Government's Legislative Programme 2006-07
The Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Jack Straw): Listed below are those Bills which the Government intend to bring forward. Details of each of these Bills are available from the Leader of the House of Commons website www.CommonsLeader. gov.uk
5) Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress
9) Fraud (Trials without a Jury)
12) Justice and Security (Northern Ireland)
15) Northern Ireland (St Andrew’s Agreement)(2)
19) Statistics and Registration Services
20) Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement
21) Welfare reform (carryover)
22) Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide (carryover)
24) Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information)
26) Exchanges and Clearing Houses
3) Hague Convention (Artefacts in War)
4) Local Better Regulation Office
(1) The Counter-terrorism Bill will be introduced if needed following a review being chaired by the Home Secretary.
(2) The Northern Ireland (St Andrew's ) Bill will be brought forward as an emergency measure early in the Session.
Northern Ireland
Community Safety Partnerships
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Peter Hain): The Government have received a report from the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland on the operation of Community Safety Partnerships. We welcome this scrutiny of CSPs, and the recommendations in the report will be carefully considered.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
Tackling Poverty and Social Exclusion
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Peter Hain): The Government are committed to tackling poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland.
On 13 November I published “Lifetime Opportunities”—Government's Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion strategy for Northern Ireland. This follows extensive public consultation on the future direction of New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) policy in Northern Ireland and the results of an independent evaluation of New TSN.
end child poverty by 2020—based on the estimate of approximately 130,000 children in relative income poverty in 1998-99 this means lifting 65,000 children out of poverty by 2010 on the way to eradication by 2020; and
working towards eliminating poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland by 2020.
It will retain some important elements of its predecessor New TSN such as Promoting Social Inclusion (PSI) and the principle of targeting resources and effort within programmes at those areas, groups and individuals in greatest objective need. Significant changes include the introduction of a new structure, based on four key life cycles highlighting the important issues impacting on a person at these different stages of their life and a goal for each highlighting what Government wish to achieve.
The commitment to end child poverty is in line with the UK target of halving child poverty by 2010 with the view to eradicating child poverty by 2020.
A key feature of the strategy will be the establishment of a ministerial-led interdepartmental, cross-sectoral forum to monitor progress. Subject to the establishment of a Nl executive, it is intended that
the forum will be chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (David Hanson), who has lead responsibility for taking forward work to tackle poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland.
Copies of “Lifetime Opportunities” have been placed in the Libraries of the House and it is also available on website www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/central-anti-poverty-unit.
Scotland
Queen's Speech - Application of the Government's Legislative Programme to Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Douglas Alexander): The new UK legislative programme unveiled in the Queen’s Speech on 15 November contains significant measures of relevance and benefit to the people of Scotland.
The programme demonstrates the continuing partnership between the United Kingdom and Scottish Parliaments and the Government and the Scottish Executive.
The Government are committed to maintaining these close working partnerships as they continue to deliver improvements to the lives of people across Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
The following is a summary of the legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech and its impact in Scotland. This does not include draft Bills. The Bills listed in section 1 are likely to contain provisions that require the consent of the Scottish Parliament in line with the Sewel Convention. A brief description is provided of the provisions likely to require consent. Section 2 details Bills that are not likely to contain provisions requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament as the legislation is predominantly or wholly within a reserved area or has limited impact in Scotland. The list also identifies the lead Government Departments:
1. Legislation likely to contain provisions requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament at introduction:
Discussions will continue between the Government and the Scottish Executive on such Bills that might include provisions in devolved areas. The Bills identified within the Queen’s Speech in this section are as follows:
Child Support (Department for Work and Pensions) Mainly reserved but may include provisions in devolved areas relating to the jurisdiction of courts and the joint registration of births (births jointly registered by both parents).
Climate Change (Office for Climate Change) Legislation relating to Climate Change is likely to include provisions in devolved areas to meet a new emissions target. The environment is a devolved matter in Scotland.
Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress (Department for Trade and Industry) Consumer Protection is reserved but the legislation will include provisions
creating a new National Consumer Council and Scottish equivalent with responsibilities including food safety, which is devolved.
Further Education and Training (Department For Education and Skills) Education is devolved but the Bill will include provisions that give Scottish Ministers functions to make arrangements directly with the Learning and Skills Council for England in relation to Career Development Loans and shared provision of services (that is, procurement of goods and services and the development of information technology systems).
Serious Organised Crime (Home Office) Likely to include provisions in reserved and devolved areas including recognition of prevention orders and proceeds of crime which are devolved matters.
Statistics and Registration Services (Her Majesty’s Treasury) The new Statistics Board’s remit will extend fully across the whole of the UK. Statistics that relate to a devolved matter are considered to fall within the competence of the Scottish Parliament and will also benefit from the reforms and functions of the board.
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement (Department for Constitutional Affairs) This Bill will include provisions relating to the tribunals in Scotland which are devolved. This bill also legislates on devolved matter of immunity from seizure of cultural artefacts.
2. Legislation unlikely to contain provisions requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament at introduction:
The Bills in this section which deal with predominantly or wholly reserved matters and matters which do not impact in Scotland are as follows:
Border and Immigration (Home Office)
Concessionary Bus Travel (Department for Transport)
Criminal Justice (Home Office)
Fraud (Trials without Jury) (Home Office)
Greater London Authority (Department for Communities and Local Government)
House of Lords Reform (Leader of House of Commons)
Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) (Northern Ireland Office)
Local Government (Department for Communities and Local Government)
Mental Health (Department of Health)
Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Office)
Offender Management (Home Office)
Pensions (Department for Work and Pensions)
Welfare Reform (Department for Work and Pensions)
Transport
Yorkshire Forward (Appointments)
The Minister for Industry and the Regions (Margaret Hodge): I have decided to appoint the new board members listed at annexe A and to reappoint the board members, listed at annexe B. The new appointments will all be for a period of three years. The reappointment of Nic Dakin will also be for a period of three, whilst that of Stella Guy will be for two years.
The new appointments and the reappointment of Nic Dakin will begin on 14 December 2006 and will expire on 13 December 2009. The reappointment of Stella Guy will begin on 14 December 2006 and will expire on 13 December 2008.
I have placed further details of both the new appointments and reappointments in the Libraries of both Houses. All of them were made in accordance with the code of practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
All appointments commence on 14 December 2006
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