Written Ministerial Statements
Monday 30 November 2009
Business, Innovation and Skills
East Midlands Regional Development Agency (Chairmanship)
The Minister for Regional Economic Development and Co-ordination (Ms Rosie Winterton): My noble Friend the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has today made the following statement:
I am pleased to announce the extension of the appointment for Bryan Jackson Chair of the Board of the East Midlands Regional Development Agency (RDA) for up to one year to 13 December 2011.
The RDA's are playing a crucial role in supporting the national and regional economies through these tough economic conditions, and providing help to businesses and individuals in order that the regions are in the strongest possible position for the future. Bryan will bring proven experience and leadership.
I have placed further details of the extension, including Bryan Jackson's biography, in the Libraries of both Houses. I can confirm that the extension has been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice.
EU Competitiveness Council
The Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property (Mr. David Lammy): The EU Competitiveness Council will take place in Brussels on 3 and 4 December and this statement covers the business to be taken at the Council. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, will represent the UK on consumer issues on 3 December, I shall represent the UK on patents and other issues on 4 December and Andy Lebrecht, the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU, will represent the UK when a Minister is not in attendance.
The main items on the agenda are agreement on an enhanced patent system for Europe, proposals for a Consumer Rights Directive, a Council regulation on a European private company statute, progress on better regulation and Competitiveness Council contributions to the post 2010 Lisbon agenda on EU competitiveness.
Other substantive items include the adoption of a Council resolution on enhanced governance of the European research area, on future priorities for European research and research based innovation, the future of information communications technology (ICT) research, and progress on joint programming, in particular through a joint programming initiative to fight neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimers.
The consumer related any other business (AOB) items will be dealt with on 3 December after the policy debate on the Consumer Rights Directive I have set out below the other AOB items:
a. Information from the Commission on the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) project.
b. Commission communication on investing in the development of a low-carbon technologies strategic energy technology (SET) plan.
c. Commission information on a proposal for a European Parliament and Council decision on participation in a joint Baltic Sea research and development programme undertaken by several member states.
d. Communication on global monitoring for environment and security (GMES): challenges and next steps for the space component.
e. Declaration of Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania on the integrated proposal to implement project ELI (extreme light infrastructure) of the ESFRI (European strategy forum on research infrastructures) roadmap.
f. Presentation by Commission on cross border business to consumer e-commerce in the EU.
g. Presidency information on the Stockholm conference of 4 Nov 2009 "consumer rights when purchasing digital content".
h. Belgian delegation request on latest developments regarding Opel and GM.
i. Presidency information on legal framework for gambling and betting in EU member states.
j. Presidency information on proposal for a regulation laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products.
k. Better regulation presentation of a practical exercise on sharing good examples.
l. Google Books-information from the Commission.
m. Work programme of the incoming presidency from the Spanish delegation.
The Government's main aims will be:
To agree a resolution to strengthen the political governance of the European research area and adopt conclusions on carrying forward joint programming initiatives such as fighting neurodegenerative diseases and on providing guidance on future priorities for research and innovation in the post-2010 Lisbon strategy.
To support the aims of the Consumer Rights Directive but ensure that it meets an appropriate level of consumer protection.
To reach agreement on an enhanced patent system in Europe.
To provide UK support for a EU post Lisbon 2010 competitiveness strategy that will focus on economic growth, skills and innovation, and a strong EU single market.
Regional Development Agencies Board Appointments
The Minister for Regional Economic Development and Co-ordination (Ms Rosie Winterton): I am pleased to announce that I have decided to appoint fourteen RDA board members, who between them will serve four of our regional development agencies, and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Business, Innovations and Skills, has agreed to appoint two new members to the board of Yorkshire Forward. I have also agreed, following approval from the Commissioner for Public Appointments, to extend for a further year the Trade Union position on the board of East of England Development Agency while the vacancy is being filled. The names of the successful candidates are listed in the following table.
| RDA | Board Member Appointees | Position Appointed |
The RDAs are playing a crucial role in supporting the national and regional economies through these tough economic conditions, and providing help to businesses and individuals in order that the regions are in the strongest possible position for the future. All the appointees bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to their RDA which will be extremely important in adding value to the contribution that the board can make.
The appointments will commence on the 14 December 2009 for a period of three years, expiring in December 2012.
I have placed further details of these appointments, including biographies, in the Libraries of both Houses. I can confirm that the appointments were made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice.
Treasury
Oman (Double Taxation Agreement)
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Stephen Timms): A new protocol to the Double Taxation Agreement with Oman was signed on 26 November 2009. The text of the protocol has been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses and made available on HM Revenue and Customs' website at: www.hmrc.gov.uk. The text will be scheduled to a draft Order in Council and laid before the House of Commons in due course.
Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime (July to September 2009)
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Sarah McCarthy-Fry): In a written ministerial statement on 10 October 2006, the then Economic Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Normanton, (Ed Balls), undertook to report to Parliament on a quarterly basis on the operation of the UK's counter terrorism asset freezing regime.
This is the 12th of these reports and covers the period July to September 2009(1).
In the quarter July to September 2009, the Treasury gave no directions under the Al-Qaida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2006. The Treasury revoked no directions given under this Order.
The Treasury gave two directions under the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2009. None of these was in respect of individuals already designated under earlier Orders.
There were no financial sanctions designations made at the UN, or at the EU in relation to terrorism or Al-Qaida and the Taliban of persons with links to the UK.
As of 30 September 2009, a total of 247 accounts containing £580,000 of suspected terrorists' funds were frozen in the UK.
Reviews under the Terrorism Order 2006
The Treasury keeps domestic asset-freezing cases under review and completed two formal reviews this quarter; both individuals remained designated under the Terrorism Order 2006.
Licensing is the means by which the UK gives effect to exemptions in asset-freezing provisions whether related to UN or EC regulations or domestic terrorism legislation. Each licence is considered on a case-by-case basis, The key objective of the licensing system is to strike a balance between minimising the risk of diversion of funds to terrorism and the humanitarian rights of the individuals and third parties affected.
Thirty-five licences were issued this quarter in relation to individuals and/or entities subject to an asset freeze under the Al-Qaida and Taliban, and Terrorism Orders.
On 5 and 8 October 2009 the Supreme Court heard the case of G and Ors v HM Treasury. This challenged the legality and proportionality of the Al-Qaida (United Nation Measures) Order 2006 and the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2009. We await judgment.
The Terrorism (United Nations Order) 2009 came into force on 10 August 2009 and will continue to apply until August 2010 unless revoked sooner. The 2009 Order replaces and revokes the Terrorism (United Nations Order) 2006. The key aims of the amendments in the new Order are to tailor asset-freezing restrictions to ensure that the prohibitions are focused on areas of genuine operational concern, and to strengthen and make more explicit the safeguards in how the regime is operated. The key changes under the Terrorism Order 2009 include:
safeguards that all designations must be necessary for the protection of the public;
that designations will now expire after 12 months unless reviewed and renewed within that period; and
modifications to the prohibitions, particularly provisions regarding the making available of funds and economic resources for the benefit of a designated person.
(1)The detail that can be provided to the House on a quarterly basis is subject to the need to avoid the identification, directly or indirectly, of personal or operationally sensitive information.
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Alistair Darling): In my statement to the House, 3 November, I set out a number of changes to the Royal Bank of Scotland's proposed participation in the asset protection scheme. On the same day, the Treasury laid a minute in Parliament reporting the associated contingent liability. As this set out, while the material commercial issues had been agreed with RBS, full legal documents were at that stagestill being finalised.
These legal documents have now been finalised and agreements were therefore signed last week. The agreements remain subject to state-aid approval by the European Commission as well as approval by RBS's shareholders.
I said in my statement that I would provide Parliament with full details of the operation of the scheme when the final agreements are signed and approved by the Commission. I now expect to make this information available to Parliament by 7 December, possibly before the Commission gives its final state-aid approval, depending on the timing of that approval. When I do so, legal agreements-subject only to any necessary redactions to protect commercial interests-will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, together with information on the assets covered by the APS.
Children, Schools and Families
Schools Capital
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls): Local authorities and their representative organisations have been in discussion with us for a number of months over how best to respond to unexpected increases in demand for pupil places in primary schools.
There has been a sustained increase in the birth rate nationally since 2001, which is now feeding through to primary schools. The Government have already made available funding to deal with projected pupil growth through allocations made to local authorities for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Local authorities, generally, have good systems in place to plan for increasing demand for pupil places. However, local authorities have told us that pupil numbers are higher than expected in some areas as a result of a combination of localised factors: changes in the housing market in the current economic climate, and also increased demand in the state sector due to better local schools and in some cases less demand for independent places. As a result it has been particularly difficult for some authorities to accurately forecast demand and plan to provide the places needed for reception-age pupils over the next few years. I commend the efforts that have been made to provide a place for every child this September.
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