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EU: General Affairs and External Relations Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) and Sir John Grant (UK Permanent Representative to the EU) represented the UK at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels on 17 July.
The agenda items covered were as follows:
Presentation of Presidency Priorities: The Council took note of the presidency priorities which included the Middle East, enlargement, energy, Central Asia, human rights and relations with Russia.
Migration: The Council adopted Conclusions: welcoming the outcome of the Euro-Africa Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development in Rabat on 10 to 11 July; expressing its concern about the increasing illegal migratory flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic; and underlining the need to address the situation, including further work on East African routes.
World Trade Organisation/Doha Development Agenda (WTO/DDA): Commissioner Mandelson briefed the Council on developments in the current round of trade negotiations.
Procedural Conclusions were adopted allowing the Council to meet in special session in July or August if a WTO Ministerial were called.
Sudan/Darfur: High Representative Solana stressed the need for the international community to continue support for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) until UN transition, as well as putting pressure on the Sudanese Government to accept the UN mission. The High Representative hoped that a high-level conference in Brussels on 18 July would make progress on both these issues.
The Council adopted Conclusions: reiterating EU support for the Darfur Peace Agreement; emphasising the importance of an effective AMIS; and urging the Sudanese government to agree to UN transition.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): The Council discussed the forthcoming elections in DRC on 30 July. External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said that the EU's election observation mission in DRC, working with other international delegations and with MONUC (UN mission in DRC) and EUFOR (EU force in DRC) on security issues, should help ensure a smooth election process.
The Council agreed Conclusions urging the Congolese to seize the opportunity offered by the elections and the authorities to fully comply with democratic principles and noting the ongoing deployment of the EUFOR and the EU election observation mission.
Western Balkans: The Council was briefed by UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari on the state of play of the Kosovo status process. The EU would have a key role to play in Kosovo post-settlement.
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The Council adopted Conclusions on Kosovo reiterating its full support for Ahtisaari and his efforts in conducting the political process to determine Kosovo's future status and welcoming the joint report by High Representative Solana and the Commissioner for Enlargement Rehn on the future EU role and contribution in Kosovo.
Conclusions on Macedonia welcomed the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's preliminary assessment that overall parliamentary elections on5 July met international standards, despite some isolated incidents.
The Council also adopted Conclusions recognising Montenegro as a sovereign state and highlighting the importance of regional co-operation in the framework of the stabilisation and association process.
An Extended Troika (the presidency, incoming presidency, Enlargement Commissioner Rehn and High Representative Solana) met Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica after the GAERC on 17 July to discuss Serbia's co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the action plan that Serbia had drawn up on how to deliver on its ICTY commitments.
The presidency stressed that Serbia must begin to implement the action plan immediately with full co-operation with ICTY being a condition for restarting stabilisation and association agreement negotiations.
Middle East Peace Process: High Representative Solana briefed the Council on his trip to Lebanon on 16 July.
The Council adopted Conclusions: expressing concern at the situation in the Middle East, particularly the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the destruction of civilian infrastructure; supporting the idea of a possible international monitoring presence in Lebanon; and calling for international engagement, especially through High Representative Solana, to de-escalate the crisis.
Iran: High Representative Solana briefed the Council on his 11 July meeting with Iranian chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.
The Council adopted Conclusions covering the nuclear file, Iran's approach to the Middle East Peace Process, terrorism and human rights.
EU: Structural Funds Programmes
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions (Margaret Hodge) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
On 28 February 2006, the Department of Trade and Industry published a consultation document on a draft National Strategic Reference Framework for future EU Structural Funds programmes.
The consultation document invited stakeholders to comment on three main issues: the methodology for allocating future competitiveness funding between the UK's regions, the administrative arrangements for delivering future programmes and the strategyfor future spending set out in the draft national framework.
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The Department of Trade and Industry is currently analysing the 320 responses to the consultation, received from stakeholders across the UK. The Government intend to publish a full response to the consultation as soon as possible after the Summer Recess.
Government Assets
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State, Trade and Industry (Alistair Darling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Chancellor stated in his Budget 2006 announcement that the Government would be prepared to consider selling part of their stake in British Energy. I confirm that the Government will actively consider a sale of part of their stake in British Energy via a capital markets transaction.
Government Indemnity Scheme
Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (David Lammy) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
On 26 January 2006, I made a Statement to the House regarding the Government Indemnity Scheme. In that Statement, we reported a figure of £1,286,220,279 as the contingent liability of non-national museums as at 30 September 2005.
It has since been brought to my attention that the non-national museums’ contingent liability figure, produced by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, should have been £1,292,909,094.
Highways Agency: Annual Report
Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Transport (Stephen Ladyman) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
The Highways Agency Annual Report and Accounts for 2005-06 is published today under Section 7 of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. Copies of the report will be placed in the House Library and will be available from the Vote Office.
Home Office Departmental Report 2006
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (John Reid) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
We have today published the Home Office's 2006 departmental report. Copies are available in the House Library and on the Home Office website. The report describes the work of the Home Office during 2005-06, in particular as reflected in its strategic objectives and key targets as delivered by our three key business areas: policing, security and community safety; offender management and criminal justice reform; and immigration, citizenship and nationality.
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Identity Cards
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Section 37 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 requires a report to be laid before Parliament every six months, following Royal Assent, setting out the Secretary of State's estimate of the public expenditure likely to be incurred on the ID cards scheme during the 10 years beginning with the laying of the report. The first six-monthly report on the costs of the identity card scheme is due on 30 September but, because of the dates of Recess, it will be laid before Parliament on its return on 9 October 2006.
Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance
Lord McKenzie of Luton: My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Chief Secretary made a Statement on 12 July 2005, at col. 723 of the Official Report, on timing of the phased transfer on to child tax credit (CTC) of the remaining families with children receiving family support through income support/jobseeker’s allowance.
Following further consideration of the proposed timetable, I have decided that the transfer should be deferred until 2007. My decision reflects the fact that it is extremely important to safeguard continuity of support for children among this particularly vulnerable group. The postponement will allow a number of planned tax credits measures, which I announced at the Pre-Budget Report, some of which require system changes, to be introduced before support for these families’ children is transferred to child tax credit.
I will make a final decision next year on whether the transfer should go ahead in 2007 as currently planned. My decision will again be taken in the light of the importance I attach to ensuring the continuity of support that these families receive for their children. Families will continue to receive financial support through their benefits until they are transferred on to child tax credit.
It remains the Government's firm intention to migrate all income-based support for children into a single, seamless system of support delivered through child tax credit.
Informal Competitiveness Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): I attended the informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council on 10 to11 July, hosted by the Finnish presidency in Jyväskylä. The meeting focused on innovation policy, with discussion of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development over lunch on the first day.
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On the morning of 10 July, a number of speakers gave presentations on their views of the challenges for European innovation policy. Presentations were given by:
Jorma Ollila, chairman of the board of Nokia;Michael Worley, president of the GEEF, a group representing family-run businesses in Europe;Juliana Garaizar, managing director of IFEX;Gordon Murray, professor at the School of Business and Economics, University of Exeter; andEsko Aho, former Finnish Prime Minister and president of the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development.Commissioners McCreevy and Verheugen both welcomed the presidency's focus on innovation policy, and stressed the importance of better regulation, an effective intellectual property regime, public procurement, R&D, structural funds, cluster policy, dialogue with industry, and modern financing instruments in promoting innovation.
Over lunch, Commissioner Potocnic updated Ministers on the current state of play of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development. An additional Competitiveness Council has been called on 24 July, at which it is hoped that political agreement on a common position can be reached.
In the afternoon, Ministers split into breakout groups to discuss a number of questions about innovation policy posed by the Finnish presidency. I chaired one of the groups. We reported back on our discussions in a plenary session on Tuesday morning.
All Ministers supported the presidency's paper on a broad-based innovation strategy and its focus on demand-side policies. I emphasised the need for development of the intellectual property and state-aid regimes, outcome-focused regulation, innovationoriented public services and public procurement, and support for research and entrepreneurship. There was scope for EU action in some areas, but member states must take the lead in others, with the EU ensuring that it did not discourage national or private initiatives.
The Commission welcomed member states' comments and the presidency's work, and confirmed their intention to produce a communication on innovation policy in September, in advance of the Informal Summit in Lahti in October.
Insolvency Service: Performance Targets
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Jim Fitzpatrick) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Insolvency Service plans to deal with some 72,000 new insolvencies in the year to 31 March 2007 including a significant increase in personal bankruptcies. Its planning assumption for the level of redundancy payments and other, insolvency-related claims is 95,000.
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In support of the policy that bankrupts who can make a contribution for the benefit of their creditors should do so, official receivers have been asked to ensure that, as last year, at least 17 per cent of bankrupts agree or are ordered to make such payments. Action will continue to be taken against bankrupts and company directors in respect of financial misconduct or dishonesty and Companies Investigation Branch, part of the agency from 1 April 2006, will continue to investigate the affairs of companies in the public interest.
The service's new financial regime, put in place by the Enterprise Act 2002, will be reviewed in this, its third year and it is likely that new targets relating to unit costs and fees will be agreed as a result. The service is required to balance its case administration costs and income over the three-year period.
I have also set the Insolvency Service the following targets for the year 2006-07:
In addition to these targets, the service is required to meet centrally promulgated targets relating to replying to correspondence from honourable Members, making payments to suppliers and reducing sick absence levels.
Partnerships Law: Reform
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My right honourable friend the Minister for Trade Investment and Foreign Affairs (Ian McCartney) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission published a report on partnership law reform in November 2003 (Law Com No 283; Scot Law Com No 192). It included recommendations in respect of general partnership law and limited partnership law, together with a draft Bill designed to replace both the Partnership Act 1890 and the Limited Partnerships Act 1907. I am very grateful for the Law Commissions’ detailed and thorough work.
The DTI
followed this with a consultation document on the economic impact of
reform of partnership law. Respondents to the consultation were divided
on the economic benefits of the proposed reforms to the business
community. A summary of responses is being published on the DTI website
at www.dti.gov.uk/bbf/
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The Government have carefully considered the report from the Law Commissions and the consultation responses, and intend to bring forward proposalsfor the reform of limited partnership law based onthe Law Commissions' recommendations. The recommendations for limited partnership reform have been widely supported and there is a strong economic case for taking them forward. The reforms are not dependent on the proposed reforms for general partnership law, which the Government have decided not to take forward at this time.
The Government aim to take forward the reforms to limited partnership law by means of a regulatory reform order when parliamentary time allows, and to publish a consultation document containing draft clauses shortly.
National Identity Scheme: Procurement Strategy
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Joan Ryan) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Feedback from industry on the procurement strategy for the national identity scheme has reinforced the importance of avoiding a big-bang implementation and supports the incremental approach to the scheme. The Home Office report on the feedback will be published in August. Intellect, the trade association for the UK hi-tech industry, has also produced a report on the procurement strategy as part of its concept viability process. Copies of both reports will be placed in the Libraries of the House on publication. The documents will also be made available via the Identity and Passport Service website, www.ips.gov.uk.
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