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Learning and Skills Councils
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the
Written Answer by the Lord Adonis on 14 June (WA 25), whether
they propose that the annual Department for Education and Skills grant
letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will provide an
indication of how funding will be distributed on both a regional and
local basis to each individual
LSC.[HL6500]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): The annual grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) sets out the total budget that will be allocated for the next financial year along with indicative allocations for any remaining years of the spending review period. It does not include allocations below the national level.
The LSC was set up to plan and fund post-16 learning, based on a detailed assessment of learning and skill needs. It works with a range of partners to inform the assessment of national, regional, sector and local priorities. This planning and funding system is responsive to the customers of education and training and must be driven by need, not by central design. It is for the LSC national office to allocate its budget to local areas, and for them to determine how resources can best be used to raise participation and learning and skills levels in the areas they serve. The LSC's regional directors also have a key role to play in agreeing plans, budgets and targets locally to ensure that both regional and local skill needs are met.
Licensing Act 2003: Bonded Warehouses
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in light of the controls
already in place for bonded warehouses where alcohol is stored and in
view of the case for discreet operation, it is
3 July 2006 : Column WA15
- Whether
they support (a) the exercise of administrative discretion by licensing
authorities; and (b) the absence of any requirement for bonded
warehouses to obtain premises and personal licences under the Licensing
Act 2003; and
[HL6504]
- Whether
they are aware of any differences in the licensing requirements for
bonded warehouses as a result of the various interpretations of the
Licensing Act 2003 made by licensing authorities.
[HL6505]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The holding and management of stocks of alcohol are not themselves licensable activities. Provided the alcohol is not sold to another party, there will be no need for a licence. A licence is not required for sales of alcohol from premises owned or leased by the seller for consumption off the premises, where the sale is made:
to a trader for the purposes of his trade;to a club, which holds a club premises certificate, for the purposes of that club; to the holder of a personal licence for the purpose of making sales authorised by a premises licence;to the holder of a premises licence for the purpose of making sales authorised by that licence; orto the premises user in relation to a temporary event notice for the purpose of making sales authorised by that notice.The full range of activities carried out in any individual warehouse should be considered carefully, and legal advice sought if necessary, before any decision is made about the need for an authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act). The 2003 Act devolved the administration of licensing to individual licensing authorities, normally the local authority, and it is not for the Government to seek to direct that they adopt specific interpretations of the law.
In the first instance, it is for individual licensing authorities to interpret the law on the basis of their own legal advice. An appeal mechanism has been built into the 2003 Act to ensure that licensing authority interpretations can be challenged in the courts to ensure that they are reasonable and fair.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they
have assessed to what extent Section 192(1)(b) of the Licensing Act
2003 favours large operators who can supply to the trade from their own
warehouses rather than small operators who use a third-party
facility.[HL6506]
Lord
Davies of Oldham: The Government have not yet
made an assessment of the impact of Section 192(1)(b) of the Licensing
Act 2003. The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate the
impact of the Act throughout its first year of full operation and
3 July 2006 : Column WA16
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they
will reconsider their advice on the licensing requirements for bonded
warehouses in the forthcoming review of the guidance to the Licensing
Act 2003, especially when such warehouses are being operated
discreetly.[HL6503]
Lord Davies of Oldham: We have made some amendments to the guidance on wholesale trading. These were published in the supplementary guidance which was laid in Parliament on 22 June 2006, and which came into force on the same day. A full review of the guidance is also being conducted, including a formal public consultation. As a result of this process, we expect to lay a revised version of the guidance before Parliament by the end of 2006.
It is important to recognise that guidance cannot amend primary legislation or direct particular interpretations of it.
Local Government: Refuse Collection
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are
considering the introduction of separate charges for refuse collection
by local authorities in England, on either a compulsory or permissive
basis.[HL6441]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): We have no current plans to introduce charging for household waste. The Government are considering what further steps are needed to tackle household waste as part of the review of the waste strategy, which will be published later this year. We are also looking at the spending pressures local authorities face, with regard to waste management, ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Variable charging is one of a number of tools that could be used to encourage waste minimisation and recycling of household waste. Local authorities already have powers to run incentive schemes or require householders to separate their waste for recycling. Recent research shows that at least half of English local authorities have run, or are running, some form of incentive scheme and some, such as Barnet, require householders to separate their recycling.
Many countries, including some in the European Union, have introduced successful household waste charging schemes, achieving reductions in waste arisings and increases in the separation of waste for recycling.
3 July 2006 : Column WA17
NHS: Wales
Lord Crickhowell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the
average hospital bed occupancy rate in Wales in 1979; and for each five
years from 1979 to
2003-04.[HL6542]
| Hospital bed occupancy | |
| All specialities | % |
Lord Crickhowell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the
number of hospitals in Wales in each of the main categories, including
district general, community, geriatric and mental illness in 1979; and
for each five years from 1979 to 2003-04.
[HL6543]
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: Information is not available in the requested categories. However, figures are available for total number of hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals, during this period.
Police: Reorganisation
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the name
of each external consultancy firm or consultant employed by the Home
Office to advise on the proposed amalgamation relating to the Essex
police constabulary; whether they will provide a summary of the work
undertaken; and what was the cost in each
case.[HL5875]
3 July 2006 : Column WA18
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Consultants were contracted to assess the business cases from the eastern region, including those for Essex constabulary. Their work contributed to the case for amalgamation for Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire which can be found on the Home Office police restructuring website at wwww.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/police-reform/force-restructuring. The following consultancy firms worked on business cases in the eastern region: KPMG, Walker-Cox, Ernst & Young, Accenture and Methods. It is not possible to identify separately the cost relating to Essex.
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the
estimated cost of the rationalisation of police authorities under their
plans for police force
restructuring.[HL6328]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The currently projected cost of proposed amalgamation of English and Welsh forces announced so far remain around £391 million. Long-term savings made possible by mergers also remain currently around £145 million a year.
Portcullis House: Rubbish
Lord Walpole asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Who is
responsible for clearing away rubbish under the portico of Portcullis
House on Bridge Street; when the cleaning will be done; and whether the
cleaning will be done more frequently in
future.[HL6340]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): As the portico is outside of Portcullis House, it is technically a public walkway and its upkeep is therefore the responsibility of Westminster City Council.
Councils are required by law to keep their land free from litter and refuse and to keep public highways clean. This duty is set out under Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. A Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse has been issued under this Act in order to clarify councils' responsibilities in this area. The code defines standards of cleanliness in terms of Grades A (litter-free) to D (heavily littered with significant accumulations).
It then specifies time limits within which the council must restore an area to Grade A (for hard surfaces), should it become littered. These time limits are between half a day and 28 days, depending on land use intensity and whether or not any special circumstances apply.
The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/litter/code.
3 July 2006 : Column WA19
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they
will request that chief constables record the police time spent on
tracing, interviewing or detaining foreign prisoners released under
licence into the community since
1999.[HL5525]
The
Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of
Asthal): This level of detail is not required
under the annual data return that must be submitted to the department
by police forces in England and
3 July 2006 : Column WA20
Public Bodies: Chairmen
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Secretary of State for the Home
Department.[HL6529]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The remuneration and hours of chairs of public appointments as at 28 June 2006 are provided in the attached table.
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Minister for the Cabinet
Office.[HL6532]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Details of the remuneration rates for the chairs of Cabinet Office-sponsored public bodies are published in the Annual Appointments Plan, which is available on the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-the-cabinet-office/public_bodies.asp. A copy has been placed in the Library.
All of the chairs are part-time and the time commitment for each chair varies from body to body. Some are very active. The Civil Service Appeal Board, for example, holds several hearings each week. At the other extreme, the Security Commission meets only when required.
3 July 2006 : Column WA21
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Secretary of State for
Defence.[HL6559]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The Ministry of Defence has 32 public bodies; six executive non-departmental public bodies; 24 advisory non-departmental public bodies; one independent monitoring board non-departmental public body; and one public corporation. Details of the remuneration of the chairs of these public bodies are published in the annual Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies, prepared by the Agencies and Public Bodies Team in the Cabinet Office. The most recently published edition of Public Bodies provides information as at 31 March 2005. All of these chair appointments are part-time.
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs.[HL6560]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): I have listed the remuneration details for each of the chairs below. Information on the time commitment for each could only be collated at a disproportionate cost and it would be difficult to provide an accurate figure anyway. While each post is advertised with an estimated time commitment, the work is demand-led and requires varying degrees of work outside of actual board or committee meetings. The chairs will usually undertake this work, often without seeking any additional payment. All of these posts are part-time. The information is correct as at 31 March 2006.
| * The Sustainable Development Commission is a Defra-sponsored body, although the appointment of the chair is made by the Prime Minister. |
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