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20 July 2006 : Column WS103
Written Statements
Thursday 20 July 2006
Airports: Policing
Lord Davies of Oldham: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Douglas Alexander) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
In his Statement on 21 November, the then Secretary of State for Transport announced the Government's intention to commission an independent, wide-ranging review of policing at airports. He subsequently appointed Stephen Boys Smith, a former senior civil servant, to lead the review.
The review was tasked with identifying a sustainable approach to the policing of airports which takes account of the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders and, in particular, addresses the need for funding arrangements that are objective and transparent.
The review was about airport policing not airport security, which had already been considered by Sir John Wheeler's review in 2002. Wheeler recognised that the “designation” of airports for policing purposes was an issue and saw the implementation of a multi-agency threat and risk assessment (MATRA) process as fundamental in modernising that process. MATRA is in place at over 40 UK airports and the present review has considered whether the process of designation should now be replaced, given the changes implemented following the Wheeler review.
The review report has now been submitted to both my department and the Home Office. We welcome its broad thrust and will be working closely with key stakeholders to consider the recommendations in detail.
The review has identified areas where we can build on the good work already being done by all stakeholders at our airports. It makes recommendations in a number of areas:
it endorses the principle of joint accountability for airport security and the concept of airports as “communities” where stakeholders must work together in full partnership to protect against a range of threats;it recommends continued and enhanced liaison between key stakeholders, including government departments, the Police Service and airport operators at both national and local level to maintain a consistent understanding of and response to threats and risks;it endorses the current multi-agency threat and risk assessment (MATRA) approach already in place at UK airports and recommends that it is strengthened further; andit recommends that the system of “designation” is discontinued and that policing costs should generally be met by the industry on the basis that policing forms part of an agreed airport “community” response, that costs are clear and transparent, and that policing at airports is brought within the mainstream policing agenda.20 July 2006 : Column WS104
Although this review has not focused on aviation security measures, it is concerned with a key element in the wider protection of our airports against a range of threats including from terrorism and serious and organised crime. Given these considerations, it is naturally not a report for public circulation. I intend to make a further statement in due course.
Allergy Services
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Ivan Lewis), has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
We have today published the report of the Department of Health review of services for allergy, which the Government undertook to carry out in its response (Cm 6433, January 2005) to the Health Select Committee report on the provision of allergy services (November 2004). The report has been placed in the Library and is available on the Departmentof Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/Publications AndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAnd Guidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4137365&chk=/Z3Wtj.
Armed Forces: Northern Ireland
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:
On l August 2005, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced the start of the normalisation programme outlined in the Joint Declaration. Stage l of that programme will be complete by 31 July 2007 and, at that time, Operation BANNER will end. An allowances and charges package specific to the operational, security and welfare circumstances of Operation BANNER is currently in place. With the end of Operation BANNER, however, Northern Ireland will no longer be classed as an operational theatre and, as a result, there will be a number of changes to the package.
On 1 August 2007, personnel serving in Northern Ireland will commence payment of food and accommodation charges and contributions in lieu of council tax on the same basis as those elsewhere in the United Kingdom and overseas. Other provisions associated with operational status will also cease, such as operational telephone allowance, welfare entertainment, free e-blueys and the award of operational medals. Other Northern Ireland-related allowances, including: Northern Ireland resident's supplement, which is paid to all personnel serving on permanent assignment in Northern Ireland, in recognition of the impact of the security situation on them and their families; Northern Ireland journeys, which allows personnel and their accompanying families to return to Britain regularly to obtain respites from the pressures of living in Northern Ireland; and other lesser provisions will be retained for the time being, but will be kept under review as the normalisation programme progresses.
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Benefit Fraud Inspectorate
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (James Plaskitt) has made the following Statement.
On behalf of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) has today announced its phase 17 programme of work.
The authorities that will be inspected are: Caerphilly County Borough Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council, London Borough of Hounslow Council, Sheffield City Council, South Bedfordshire District Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, and Watford Borough Council.
I am pleased to announce that the planned focused inspections of the claims administration in Braintree District Council, London Borough of Newham Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council will not go ahead as all three councils have shown significant improvements in their performance.
BFI is an independent unit within the Department for Work and Pensions that inspects and reports directly to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the standard of benefit administration and counter-fraud activity in local authorities and the department itself.
British Transport Police
Lord Davies of Oldham: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Douglas Alexander) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
On 11 October 2005, my predecessor, the right honourable Member for Edinburgh South West, announced his decision to review the role of the British Transport Police (BTP). The review, which has been carried out in consultation with interested parties including rail operators, passenger representative groups, the BTP, the BTP Authority and other policing organisations, has now concluded.
The review has examined a range of options in relation to the future policing of the railways, including transferring the function to local police forces and various options for expanding or refocusing the role of the BTP. It has also considered the relationship between the work carried out by the BTP and the requirements of the rail industry.
I have concluded that there remains a strong case for retaining a national specialist police force for the railways. The BTP plays an important role in combating crime and helping to deter potential terrorist activity on the rail network. The review has confirmed the effectiveness of the force in its key role and, in particular, that its specialist knowledge of the operation of the railway is an important asset. I have therefore decided not to make any structural changes to the way in which the policing of the railways is carried out.
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However, the review has identified a need for greater clarity in detailed aspects of BTP’s operation in relation to its responsibilities to the rail industry, the rail industry's own duties and the role of local police forces.
I therefore propose to write to the chairman of the BTP Authority and the chief constable of the BTP asking them to ensure that the force's resourcesare focused on areas where the BTP can provide maximum added value to the fight against crime on the railway. I will be asking them to establish how the role and responsibilities of the BTP relative to those of other forces can be clarified and, where necessary, revised and incorporated into current protocols between BTP and local forces.
I will also be asking them to develop a more structured partnership approach between the force and the rail industry focused on agreed needs and priorities. This will require all stakeholders to interact more effectively at all levels, in particular at the local level to ensure that local issues and concerns are addressed. Bespoke neighbourhood policing for the railway community and enhanced communication between the train companies and the BTP will help ensure that the policing service is tailored more effectively to meet local needs.
I have also decided to increase the membership of the British Transport Police Authority to enhance scrutiny of the force's resource requirements and to strengthen the industry's input to the authority's management and oversight of the efficiency and effectiveness of the force. I will be appointing two additional industry members.
The review has also considered the arrangements for funding the BTP. I have concluded that the BTP should remain largely funded by the rail industry. The Government will continue to consider providing additional central funding for specific projects and initiatives undertaken by the BTP which provide benefits beyond the railway environment.
Civil Aviation Authority: Reviews
Lord Davies of Oldham: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Douglas Alexander) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has today published the recommendations of its two reviews in the general aviation sector. Ministers are grateful to the CAA for taking the initiative to review general aviation and to the teams involved for their contribution to the process. We believe these are the first reviews of their kind in the EU and will improve understanding of the general aviation sector and its value to the UK economy. It is, however, only the beginning. It is now for Government, the CAA and general aviation to continue to work together and build upon the recommendations in these reports.
The reviews clearly demonstrate that general aviation is an important and integral part of the UK aviation sector and that it makes a not insignificant contribution to the UK economy, both in terms of direct economic
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Additionally, the department has also established a focal point for general aviation matters with in its Aviation Airspace Division. We will consider the other recommendations in due course. Copies of the full reports are available on the CAA's website and have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Department for Work and Pensions: Annual Reports
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (John Hutton) has made the following Statement.
I am pleased to announce that the Department for Work and Pensions has today laid the 2005-06 annual report and accounts for two of its executive agencies: the Pension Service (HC 1531) and the Rent Service (HC 1289). Copies are available in the Printed Paper Office and the Vote Office.
Department for Work and Pensions: Mesothelioma Cases
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (John Hutton) has made the following Statement.
On 16 May I announced that my department and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) had agreed to work together to identify urgently ways in which we can speed the settlement of claims for those suffering from mesothelioma. I said that I would report on progress before Parliament rises for the Summer Recess.
More stakeholders have also been involved in this work, such as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and we have kept other interested parties informed.
Since then, the Government have introduced amendments to the Compensation Bill to reverse the effects of the Law Lords’ ruling on Barker v Corus. This would have caused delays in resolving claims and made it more difficult for mesothelioma sufferers to recover full compensation. We are changing the law to make it easier for them to get full compensation as quickly as possible.
These new provisions would also enable certain changes to be made to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which should considerably speed up payment of claims to mesothelioma victims and produce a fair outcome for insurers.
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Today I announce interim measures to speed up current claims handling for mesothelioma sufferers. I am also confirming that we will put in place a long-term solution. This work will start now and I will provide a further update on progress in the autumn. We are committed to having a full dialogue and we will invite comments from all interested parties.
Looking forward, we have identified a number of interim measures that can be implemented relatively quickly and will speed up the settlement of claims across the UK:
our partners are developing a Standard Claim Letter that should be in place by October;we are drafting a leaflet for those diagnosed with mesothelioma to explain the help available to them and where to find it;in July, the DWP will clarify with claims handlers best practice for ensuring priority for industrial injuries disablement benefits for those with mesothelioma;also in July, the DWP will work with Revenue and Customs to address tracing employer records more quickly;to support the code of practice for tracing employers' liability compulsory insurance (ELCI) policies, the ABI will introduce a phone inquiries helpline in the autumn and will issue guidance on how to get the best out of the code;we will review the code of practice for tracing ELCI policies to ensure that the code is comprehensive and has the confidence of users;the ABI will spread best practice within the wider insurance industry with a claims handling best practice guide; andpartners will consider further public awareness activity to encourage claimants to use qualified, experienced legal practitioners when making a claim.We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that these short-term outcomes are delivered quickly as we develop options for future change.
Double Taxation Convention with Poland
Lord McKenzie of Luton: My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
A new double taxation convention with Poland was signed on 20 July 2006. After signature, the text of the convention was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses and made available on HM Revenue and Customs’s website. The text of the convention will be scheduled to a draft Order in Council and laid before the House of Commons in due course.
ECOFIN
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Gordon Brown) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
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At its meeting on 11 July 2006, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council took note of a presentation from the Finnish presidency on its work programme for the Council during the second half of 2006. Priorities include addressing the challenges of globalisation, efficient functioning of the internal market and further economic and structural reforms.
ECOFIN adopted a 104(12) Decision abrogating Cyprus’s Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) and Council Conclusions on Portugal’s progress in addressing its EDP.
Council adopted a Decision allowing Slovenia to adopt the euro as its currency from 1 January 2007.
ECOFIN adopted a set of Conclusions regarding the first year of the revised Stability and Growth Pact.
Council discussed the renewal of the EIB’s external lending mandates, which will set the amounts and strategic priorities of the EIB’s operations outside the EU. The council requested the Economic and Financial Committee to oversee further work on the proposal and will discuss this again at its meeting on 10 October.
ECOFIN was briefed by the Commission on economic dialogues with third countries and held an exchange of views. The UK welcomed the economic content of the EU-US Vienna Declaration as well as further ECOFIN discussion on the key issues for these dialogues.
ECOFIN adopted Council Conclusions on a Commission proposal for the funding of the International Accounting Standards Board.
The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mr John Healey MP, represented the UK.
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