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Written Statements
Wednesday 5 July 2006
Children and Young People's Review
Lord McKenzie of Luton: My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ed Balls) has made the following Written Statement.
In July 2005, the Government announced that a second Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) would be undertaken, reporting in 2007. Ten years after the first CSR, the Government have shown that a strong economy and sound public finances can be delivered at the same time as sustained and substantial growth in investment in public services. Looking forward, there are new challenges Britain will need to address to lock in these benefits for the decade to come, including:
the intensification of cross-border economic competition as the balance of international economic activity shifts towards rapidly growing emerging markets such as China and India;demographic and socio-economic change, such as the rapid increase in the old age dependency ratio as the baby-boom generation reaches retirement age;the acceleration in the pace of innovation and technological diffusion and a continued increase in the knowledge-intensity of goods and services;continued global uncertainty and poverty, with ongoing threats of international terrorism and global conflict; andincreasing pressures on our natural resourcesand global climate from rapid economic and population growth in the developing world and sustained demand for fossil fuels in the advanced economies.These changes will have fundamental and far-reaching implications for public services and will require innovative policy responses, co-ordinationof activity across departmental boundaries and sustained investment in key areas. Budget 2006 therefore announced that the CSR would be informed by a series of policy reviews. One of the reviews announced in the Budget was a joint HM Treasury and Department for Education and Skills policy review of children and young people.
The Government's approach since 1997 has improved the lives of children:
the risk of a child living in poverty has declined, and 500,000 fewer children live in relative low-income poverty than in 1998;there are nearly 400,000 fewer children living in workless households;educational attainment has increased at all key stages over this period;in 1997 there were only 83 comprehensive secondary schools where 70 per cent or more of pupils achieved five or more good GCSEs—by 2004 this had risen to 413; and5 July 2006 : Column WS14
These successes have transformed the life chances of children since 1997. However, in Support for parents: the best start for children, published atthe Pre-Budget Report, HM Treasury and the Department for Education and Skills identified further steps to be taken to improve the outcomes for children and young people. To take forward these conclusions and inform the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, the policy review of children and young people will consider how services for children and young people and their families can build on the three principles identified in Support for parents: the best start for children—rights and responsibilities, progressive universalism and prevention—to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Under the umbrella of the children and young people review, sub-reviews will focus on:
how services can provide greater support to families with disabled children to improve their life chances;what strategy should be adopted over the next10 years to deliver a step change in youth services and support for young people;how services for families and children at risk of becoming locked in a cycle of low achievement, high harm and high cost can be reformed to deliver better outcomes.Submissions from interested organisations and members of the public to inform the review can be sent to cypreview@hm-treasury.gov.uk.
The terms of reference covering each component of the children and young people's review are available in the Libraries of both Houses.
The Government will report on the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2007.
Debt Relief
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Since my last Written Statement in November 2005, there has been excellent progress on providing debt relief for poor countries.
Under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) proposed by the G8 in 2005, the IMF cancelled 100 per cent debt stock for 20 HIPC countries (15 of which are African) in January 2006 and for another, Cameroon, since. The MDRI has now been approved by the World Bank and African Development Bank. In addition to the IMF debt stock cancellation, 100 per cent of debt stock,debt owed by 19 countries at the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, has been cancelled. We expect similar cancellationfor 15 countries at the African Development Fund
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In addition to MDRI, steady progress has been made in implementing the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, with eligibility extended to more countries this year. Cameroon completed the initiative in May, becoming the 19th country to receive irrevocable debt relief, and the Republic of Congo has begun to receive interim relief. A further 10 countries also receive interim relief and 14 others remain eligible for debt relief when they reach the required standards. The UK continues to meet and exceed our commitments under HIPC, offering 100 per cent cancellation of bilateral debts to countries at HIPC completion point. Over £100 million-worth of UK Export Credit Guarantee Department and CDC debts held by Cameroon have now been cancelled. Other Paris Club (government creditors) members have also agreed extensive debt stock cancellation for Cameroon. Three other countries, Malawi, São Tomé and Príncipe and Sierra Leone, are on course to complete the HIPC process by the end of the year. The UK remains the second largest bilateral contributor to the HIPC Trust Fund, which helps multilateral organisations deliver their HIPC assistance in a timely manner.
The largest ever debt relief deal by the Paris Club for an African country, Nigeria, has now been concluded. The deal resolved 100 per cent of Nigeria's debts to Paris Club government creditors, with $18 billion of debt written off. Nigeria used $12.4 billion of its oil windfall to buy back the remaining debt. The UK cancelled debts worth$2.85 billion as part of the deal. We have also worked hard to ensure savings will be used to reduce poverty—the deal will free up $1 billion a year for Nigeria to spend on employing an extra 120,000 teachers, putting 3.5 million children into school, and other health, education and social investments.
The UK also supports debt relief for all poor countries—not just those classed as HIPCs—that can use the debt service savings to make progress towards the millennium development goals. We therefore continue to offer debt relief (reimbursements of10 per cent of debt service to the IDA and the AfDF) to other qualifying countries under the UK Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. Two new countries, Cape Verde and Georgia, recently qualified for this assistance, bringing the total number of recipients to six: Armenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Additional debt relief has also been granted to the Government of Jamaica for a further year under the
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Housing Act 2004
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Further steps in delivering our commitment to help communities tackle bad landlords and long-term abandoned, empty properties come into force tomorrow.
We continue to encourage councils to work with residents and landlords to ensure that local communities are not being blighted by the actions of a minority. We also want to see a thriving private rented sector offering good quality and well managed homes.
We have already required councils to implement a national licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation and to consider the benefit of discretionary licensing in their locality. As part of the implementation of provisions in Sections 72 and 95 of the Housing Act 2004, from tomorrow councils will be able to prosecute landlords or other persons managing or in control of licensable houses in multiple occupation who have failed to apply for their licence. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £20,000. Tenants and councils will also have the opportunity of recovering any rent or housing benefit paid over the previous 12 months.
Also from tomorrow councils will be able to apply to residential property tribunals for an interim empty-dwelling management order on long-term abandoned or derelict properties. Some 300,000 private-sector homes in Britain have been empty for over six months and many lie empty and abandoned for years at a time, causing considerable distress for neighbours and local communities. Empty-dwelling management orders can be granted only where there is no reasonable prospect of it being occupied and where other routes have been tried to work with the property owner to bring it back into use. Exceptions are in place to protect owners who have good reason to keep their dwelling unoccupied—for example temporary absence, second homes, properties on the market and inherited properties, which are exempt for a further six months after grant of representation (probate) is obtained. The tribunal must also consider the effect the order would have on the rights of the property owner and take into account the interests of the community.
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The department will tomorrow also publish guidance to local authorities on the use of empty-dwelling management orders on the departmental website at www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1501339, and has previously published an advisory booklet for property owners.
Inward Investment
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Alistair Darling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
UK Trade and Investment announced today, at its launch of the UK inward investment 2005-06 report, that there were 1,220 direct investments in the UK by foreign-owned companies between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006. This is an increase of 14 per cent on the year before, which was itself almost a third up on the year before, and overall the best ever recorded number of foreign investments. This confirms the UK's position as the top investment location in Europe. Total direct new jobs are down 14 per cent on last year, to 34,077. However, total associated jobs are up by 19 per cent on last year to 89,866, of which 34,077 were new jobs and 55,789 safeguarded jobs.
This performance reflects the confidence which companies around the world continue to show in the business climate in the UK. Also, 26 per cent of projects involved inward investors expanding their presence here, which generated nearly 65 per cent of all the new jobs created, while mergers/acquisitions and joint ventures were up 42 per cent on last year.
UK industry deserves the very best support. That is why UKTI will soon be publishing its forward-looking strategy. It will further strengthen and sharpen its operations in priority markets and the Government will continue to ensure that the UK provides economic growth and stability and an innovative climate to attract investment.
I am arranging for a copy of the UK inward investment 2005-06 report to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Licensing: Village Halls
Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Shaun Woodward) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am pleased to inform the House that I have carefully considered the responses to the public consultation which took place between 9 August and 5 October 2005 about the temporary-event notice regulations made under the Licensing Act 2003. I have also taken into account the second-stage research paper on village halls and licensing published on 28 June by Action with Communities in Rural England.
I have concluded that there is no consensus in favour of a further increase of the temporary-event
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I have also considered the question, raised in response to the consultation, of whether it should be made easier for temporary-event notices to be given in bulk, for example, at the start of the calendar year. I have concluded that it would not be appropriateto encourage bulk applications. Temporary-event notices may only be subject to challenge by the police on crime prevention grounds. If applications were to be made in bulk in January, the police would have to decide then that they had no objection to a whole series of events stretching many months into the future. If the second or third event resulted in disorder, the police would have lost their right to intervene to stop the fourth and subsequent events from taking place.
Against the background of an already liberal regime, I do not consider that it would be right to promote bulk applications.
However, I have also noted carefully what respondents to the consultation and other correspondents said about the perceived burden of having to specify a designated premises supervisor on a premises licence granted under the 2003 Act. This individual is required to hold a personal licence. It has been suggested that this is particularly difficult for volunteers involved in village hall and community work. Removing the requirement to specify a designated premises supervisor would require changes to primary legislation. With the approval of Parliament, appropriate changes might be made to the primary legislation using a regulatory reform order to be made in due course under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill, which is being scrutinised by the House of Lords.
After careful consideration, I am prepared to consider bringing forward such a proposal for parliamentary consideration, subject to the outcome of the public consultation that would form part of regulatory reform order procedures. In anticipation of that public consultation, the Government are not able to give a guarantee now that we would proceed by laying such an order. A great deal will depend on the nature of the responses received.
I expect the Independent Fees Review Panel, which is considering a broad range of issues relating to the Licensing Act 2003, to make recommendations in its final report in November this year, which may relate to village halls and similar community premises. I intend to consider any such recommendations withan entirely open mind and, if appropriate, would consider expanding the scope of any regulatory reform order that might be proposed.
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Northern Ireland: Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures
Lord Rooker: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I have today arranged for copies of Jim McDonald’s 13th annual report for 2005 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
The report of the independent assessor continues to provide valuable reassurances to both the public and the Government that the Army’s complaints procedures stand scrutiny. His 13th report also reviews the use of impact rounds in Northern Ireland last year. I welcome Mr McDonald’s report and I will consider it carefully. I will respond in due course.
Rural Payments Agency
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State (David Miliband) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
In my Oral Statement of 22 June, I promised to keep the House informed of the Rural Payment Agency’s (RPA) progress in making payments under the 2005 single payment scheme (SPS). I can report now on the position at the end of the EU regulatory payment window on 30 June.
As in previous years, with the old CAP schemes, the total amount to be paid by the RPA under the 2005 SPS will not be known for certain until the last claim is completely validated. However, the latest estimateputs the figure at £1.515 billion, of which over£1.438 billion (94.9 per cent) was paid by 30 June.
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Of the estimated 8,500 claimants who have yet to receive a payment, approximately 460 have a claim value of more than €1,000. Some of these are in a category that it is not possible to pay at present because, for example the RPA is awaiting information from claimants. However, the majority require further action from the RPA and those cases will remain the agency's number one priority to resolve as quickly as possible.
Discussions are now under way with the devolved Administrations to determine whether, for the UK as a whole, sufficient payments have been made to avoid triggering the normal EU rules on withholding EU funding of payments after the end of the 30 June payment window. Those rules allow for 4 per cent of value payments made before the end of the window to be made after it with full EU funding. After that, a sliding scale of reductions applies, depending on timing, to payments after the 4 per cent threshold has been exhausted. The indications are that the UK is likely to have paid between 95 per cent and 96 per cent of payments by 30 June. If this is confirmed, we will, as previously indicated, have further discussions with the European Commission about the application of the payment reduction rules.
In the mean time, the RPA will continue to pay the remaining claims and progress work under the 2006 scheme in line with my 22 June Statement.
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