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Our study will complement other work that is taking place—for example, the Legal Services Commission’s review of civil fixed fees, which is due to report early next year and the Legal Services Research Centre's ongoing research and evaluation of CLACs. The aim of our study will be to identify, bring together, and analyse the available evidence across England and Wales. This will improve our understanding of how legal advice is delivered and funded at the local level and establish what further information we may need to inform future decisions.
The study team will work closely with advice providers, local authorities and other funders of advice to establish the evidence. I intend to set up a steering group for the project, which will include representatives from outside Government, which I will chair.
The initial study will report in March and copies of the report will placed in the Libraries of both Houses.”
Leader of the House
Government Legislative Programme
The Leader of the House of Commons (Ms Harriet Harman): Listed below are those Bills which the Government intend to bring forward in the current session. Details of each of these Bills are available from the Leader of the House of Commons website—www.CommonsLeader.gov.uk/Legislation:
1) Business Rate Supplements
2) Borders, Immigration and Citizenship
3) Child Poverty
4) Coroners and Justice
5) Children, Skills and Learning
6) Equality
7) Health
8) Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction
9) Marine and Coastal Access
12) Policing and Crime
13) Saving Gateway Accounts
14) Welfare Reform
Draft Bills
1) Antarctica
2) Bribery
3) Civil Law Reform
4) Communications Data
5) Community Empowerment
6) Floods and Water
7) Immigration Simplification
Carry Over Bills
1) Banking
2) Political Parties and Elections
The summary of the consultation on the Government’s draft legislative programme was laid before the House yesterday and is available from the Vote Office and the Leader of the House of Commons website: www.Commons Leader.gov.uk.
Northern Ireland
Government Legislative Programme
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Paul Goggins): The Fourth Session UK legislative programme unveiled in the Queen’s Speech on 3 December contains measures of relevance to the people of Northern Ireland.
The following is a summary of the legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech and its impact in Northern Ireland. It includes both new Bills that will be introduced in the next Session and Bills carried over from the last Session. It does not include draft Bills.
The list also identifies the lead Government Department.
The following Bills extend to Northern Ireland, in whole or in part, and deal mainly with excepted or reserved matters. Discussions will continue between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that where provisions that deal with devolved matters are included in any of these Bills, the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly will be sought for them:
Banking (HM Treasury) (Introduced in the 3rd Session)
Political Parties and Elections (MOJ) (Introduced in the 3rd Session)
Savings Gateway (HM Treasury)
Borders, Immigration and Citizenship (HO)
Coroners and Justice (MOJ)
Child Poverty (Child Poverty Unit)
Policing and Crime (HO)
It is intended that the following Bills will extend to Northern Ireland to varying degrees. They will require the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly in relation to those provisions in the devolved field:
Marine (DEFRA)
Health (DoH)
Children, Skills and Learning (DCSF)
Discussions will continue between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on Bills that might include provisions that require the consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The following Bills will have limited or no impact in Northern Ireland:
Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction (DCLG)
Equality (GEO)
Welfare Reform (DWP)
Prime Minister
Intelligence and Security Committee
The Prime Minister (Mr. Gordon Brown): In accordance with Section 10 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994, I have appointed the right hon. Member for North-East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC) as a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee in place of the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Sir Alan Beith). The appointment follows appropriate consultation and reflects the recommendation of the House.
Scotland
Commission on Scottish Devolution (First Report)
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Jim Murphy): On behalf of the Government I welcome the publication on 2 December of the first report from the Commission on Scottish Devolution.
The Commission was set up by the Scottish Parliament and is fully supported by the UK Government. The Commission’s mandate is—
“to review the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 in the light of experience and to recommend any changes to the present constitutional arrangements that would enable the Scottish Parliament to serve the people of Scotland better, improve the financial accountability of the Scottish Parliament, and continue to secure the position of Scotland within the United Kingdom.”
Publication of this first report demonstrates the wide-ranging engagement the Commission has undertaken across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.
The Government will consider this first report in detail. We look forward to providing additional evidence to the Commission and to receipt of the final recommendations of the Commission in due course.
I have arranged for copies of the first report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Government Legislative Programme
The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Jim Murphy):
The legislative programme for the Fourth Session was unveiled in the Queen’s Speech on 3 December. All of the Bills announced in the Queen’s Speech contain
provisions that apply to Scotland, this is a programme that will significantly benefit Scots from all walks of life.
In this Session the Government will take forward measures to ensure fair rules, fair chances and fair futures for people across Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
This statement includes a summary of the legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech and its application to Scotland. This statement includes both new Bills that will be introduced in the coming weeks and months and those Bills that are carrying-over from the last Session. It does not include draft Bills. The Bills listed in section 1 are not likely to contain provisions requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament. Section 2 details Bills that are likely to contain provisions that require the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament (LCM) in line with the Sewel convention. A brief description is provided of the provisions likely to require consent.
The list also identifies the lead Government Department:
UK Legislation unlikely to contain provisions requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament at introduction:
The Bills in this section deal largely with reserved matters. Discussions will continue between the Government and the Scottish Ministers to ensure that if provisions relating to matters which trigger the Sewel convention are included in any of these Bills during their passage at Westminster, the consent of the Scottish Parliament will be sought for them:
Banking (HMT) (introduced in 3rd Session)
Borders, Immigration and Citizenship (HO)
Child Poverty (Child Poverty Unit)
Political Parties and Elections (MOJ) (introduced in 3rd Session)
(1)While health care is predominately a devolved matter, the provisions in this Bill extending to Scotland do not require an LCM
Legislation likely to contain provisions requiring the consent of the Scottish Parliament at introduction:
Discussions will continue between the Government and the Scottish Ministers on Bills that might include provisions that trigger the Sewel convention. The Bills identified within the Queen’s Speech in this section are as follows:
Children, Skills and Learning (DCFS)—The Bill allows for arrangements between UK and Scottish Ministers to be made in relation to the provision of education and training services that will require an LCM. The Bill will also include reserved measures on the right to request time off to train.
Coroners and Justice (MOJ)—The Bill will include devolved measures, that require an LCM, on criminal memoirs and the transposition of the services directive.
Equality Bill (GEO)—Equal opportunities is a reserved matter. This Bill will require an LCM as it will amend the Scottish Ministers functions by allowing them to impose specific public sector duties on Scottish public bodies for the three new strands.
Local Democracy, Economic Regeneration and Construction (DCLG)—The Bill requires an LCM for devolved measures that relate to the construction industry supply chain.
Specifically these will improve clarity on cash flow and encourage parties to resolve disputes by adjudication rather than by litigation. Additionally the Bill will repeal uncommenced provisions in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act that apply to Scotland which relate to the Boundary Committee.
Marine and Coastal Access (DEFRA)—This Bill will greatly improve the way the UK uses its vast natural marine resources and maximises the benefits it gets from them, balancing competing, economic, ecological and social interests. The Bill will enable a single UK-wide marine policy statement to be drawn up by UK Ministers in conjunction with the devolved Administrations. An LCM will be required to make Scottish Ministers the marine planning authority and to give them powers to designate marine conservation zones for the Scottish offshore region. They will also have responsibility for marine licensing in relation to many activities in the Scottish offshore region.
Policing and Crime (HO)—This Bill will include a significant range of reserved provisions that will extend to Scotland. The Bill will also include measures that provide for the recognition and enforcement of English and Welsh Football Banning Orders in Scotland which will require an LCM.
Welfare Reform and Birth Registration (DWP)—Social Security is a reserved matter and the Bill will include wider-ranging reserved provisions that will extend to Scotland. An LCM will be required to confer a regulation making power upon the Scottish Ministers so that they may include devolved funding streams within the “right to control”.
Transport
Crossrail Core Agreements
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon): On 26 November 2007, my predecessor issued a written ministerial statement (Official Report, 4-5WS) announcing that the heads of terms for Crossrail had been agreed between the Department for Transport and Transport for London.
The heads of terms outlined the financial and governance arrangements to be put in place to secure the effective completion of the Crossrail project. Copies of the heads of terms were deposited in the Library of the House on 26 November 2007. They have now been developed into a comprehensive suite of agreements which will ensure a robust governance structure to enable the project to be delivered on time and on budget.
The principal agreements of these are the Crossrail sponsors’ agreement, which sets out arrangements between my Department and Transport for London for the funding and governance of the Crossrail project and the Project Development Agreement, which sets out the relationship between the Department for Transport and Transport for London as joint sponsors and Cross London Rail Links, the project delivery body. I am today placing a copy of both agreements in the Library of the House.
With the signing of these agreements, the project can proceed to its next phase of development and the next milestone will be in late 2009. I intend to return to Parliament to offer an update on progress as appropriate, in particular after the conclusion of my Department
and Transport for London’s joint review of services which are to transfer from existing franchises to Transport for London’s control.
On 4 November, I laid before Parliament a minute which set out the contingent liabilities that I, as the Secretary of State for Transport, will be entering into on the signature of these agreements.
The completion of these agreements marks the passing of another key milestone in the project with main construction beginning in 2010 and the first services running in 2017.
Heathrow
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon): The 2003 White Paper “The Future of Air Transport” made clear that, given the economic benefits to the United Kingdom, the Government support the further development of Heathrow by adding a third runway and exploring the scope for making greater use of the existing runways, subject to meeting strict local conditions on air quality, noise and improving public transport access.
The then Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bolton West (Ruth Kelly), made a statement to the House on 8 July 2008 (Official Report, Col. 75WS) which explained progress following the “Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport” consultation, which closed on 27 February 2008. She announced a further consultative exercise as part of delivering a full equalities impact assessment and the intention to inform the House of the decision on the future development of Heathrow before the end of the year. The further consultative exercise closed on 9 November 2008.
Since being appointed Secretary of State for Transport in October, I have had the opportunity to hear views from across the House in debate on 5 November and to begin considering the evidence, including the 70,000 responses to the consultation.
I share the desire on all sides of the House, and among the wider public, for this issue to be resolved. I am equally aware of the importance of reaching the right conclusion.
I know that there are strong views across a range of interests. I will ensure that I give proper consideration to the evidence before me and will therefore take more time before making an announcement to the House in January 2009.
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