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24 July 2006 : Column WS129
Written Statements
Monday 24 July 2006
Advisory Committee on Business Appointments: Eighth Report
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has today published the eighth report of the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. The report provides an account of the work of the committee in advising former Ministers and Crown servants on the acceptance of appointments after leaving Crown service. The report covers the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. We are grateful to the chairman, Lord Mayhew of Twysden, and to the members of the committee for giving their time and expertise so generously.
Armed Forces: Arrangements in Germany
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.
The then Secretary of State for Defence, John Reid, announced on 30 January 2006 (Official Report, col. 3WS) the move of 4 Mechanised Brigade (4 Armoured Brigade) to the UK from Germany. At the same time, we made it clear that we would take the opportunity to make further adjustments to our forces in Germany where it made sense to do so. I want today to announce that an initial review of the opportunities for further rationalisation of our basing arrangements in Germany has developed proposals for the possible return to the UK of Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC), 102 Logistic Brigade (102 Log Bde) and 1 Signal Brigade (1 Sig Bde), over the period 2008-2012, including identifying exactly where these units will be based in the UK. A project team is being established to assess these proposals in greater detail and to determine whether they are practicable and offer value for money. An important part of the team's remit will be to consider in more depth where in the UK we could relocate HQ ARRC and the two brigades. The team will produce an initial report around the end of the year; it is unlikely that we will be in a position to announce final decisions until well into 2007.
I have notified our NATO allies, including the German Government as host nation, of our plans, and the Chief of the Defence Staff has written to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe in view of the HQ ARRC's assignment as Headquarters NATO Rapid Deployment Corps (UK).
Separately,
we also plan a series of minor moves within Germany, which will lead to
the closure of OsnabrĂ1/4ck Station from early 2009. This will
entail moving 1 Close Support Medical Regiment (1 CSMR)
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We also plan to return 12 Regiment Royal Artillery from Paderborn to the UK as early as summer 2007, as we reorganise our air defence regiments and capitalise on UK-based facilities for High Velocity Missile Stormer vehicles. As a result, 12 Regiment will collocate with 47 Regiment Royal Artillery at Thorney Island. Consequently, 16 Regiment Royal Artillery, which we had previously envisaged moving from Woolwich to Thorney Island, will now be based in North Luffenham in summer 2007. In order to enable the necessary rebalancing in Germany, 12 Regiment's barracks in Paderborn will be occupied by another unit, the identity of which will be determined by further analysis.
We will continue to make further modest adjustments to our force levels in Germany, but our plan remains to base UK forces in the country, in the form of 1 Armoured Division and its supporting units, for many years to come. These moves and the work of the project team in no way signal a change in either our commitment to the NATO alliance or our overall defence policy, nor do they in any way devalue the continued close bilateral relationship between the UK and Germany.
Armed Forces: Medical and Dental Officers Pay
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The supplement to the 2006 report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, making recommendations on the pay of service medical and dental officers, has been published today. Copies of the report are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. I wish to express my thanks to the chairman and members of the review body for their report.
The review body recommended a pay increase of 2.2 per cent for junior doctors and cadets, and 2.4 per cent for associate specialists. In addition, the review body recommended that there should be an increase of 2.2 per cent in the values of trainer pay and distinction and clinical excellence awards. These recommendations are to be accepted in full, with implementation effective from 1 April 2006.
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All regular and reserve defence medical services consultants, general medical practitioners, general dental practitioners and higher medical management personnel will also receive a 2.2 per cent increase effective from 1 April 2006. In addition, and closely matching the recommendation of the AFPRB, the Government have agreed to a further consolidated payment effective from 1 November 2006 to ensure that the levels of pay are comparable to their counterparts in the NHS.
The agreed pay award will be met from within existing departmental expenditure limits.
Armed Forces: Operational Capability
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I have made clear my determination to ensure that the Armed Forces on operations have the resources that they need to do the job. I said that I would update the House on developments in two particular areas of operational capability: additional options for armoured vehicles and helicopter support for Afghanistan.
As I told the House on 26 June, I ordered an urgent review of our armoured vehicle fleet, particularly focused on the evolving threat in Iraq, but covering the whole operational picture, including Afghanistan, to ensure that we were providing commanders with the best options.
That review has now concluded. It has confirmed that there is a growing requirement for a protected vehicle with capabilities between our heavy armour, such as Warrior, and lighter patrol vehicles, such as Snatch. The review has also identified feasible options to address the gap in the short term. We have now completed a very rapid assessment of those options and have identified three complementary ways forward. Two of these build on and accelerate work that is already ongoing in the department. The third is new. The necessary funding will come in part from acceleration of existing funding within the defence budget and in part from substantial new funding from the Treasury.
The first element is an additional buy of around 100 Vector, our new Pinzgauer-based protected patrol vehicle, for Afghanistan, on top of the 62 already on contract. Vector provides good protection and, importantly, increased mobility and capacity compared with Snatch, which makes it very suitable for the rugged terrain and long patrol distances in Afghanistan.
The second element
is to provide around 70 additional up-armoured and upgraded FV430 to
equip a mechanised infantry battlegroup for Iraq by the spring of 2007,
again on top of the 54 that we have already ordered. The FV430 will be
delivered incrementally, with the first vehicles currently expected to
be delivered this autumn. Significantly smaller and lighter than
Warrior, the up-armoured
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The third, new element is the Cougar, manufactured by Force Protection Incorporated of Charleston, South Carolina. We judge that this vehicle meets our requirement for a well protected, wheeled patrol vehicle with a less intimidating profile than tracked vehicles such as Warrior or FV430. We are arranging to rapidly procure around 100 vehicles through US military sources. We have received excellent co-operation from the US Government, military and industry—an example of the special relationship bringing real benefits for our soldiers on the ground. Once we take possession of the vehicles, we must then customise them with Bowman radios and electronic countermeasures, and then fit additional armour beyond the standard level, to ensure that they have the best possible protection. This procurement and enhancement process takes time. But we expect to be able to deliver the vehicles, in batches, with an effective capability in place before the end of the year and continuing through the next six-month rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These three vehicles will complement existing Warrior and Snatch. Warrior will continue to provide the capability to deal with the most demanding threats, but its profile and weight make is unsuitable for some operations and situations, such as Afghanistan. Snatch, with a much less intimidating profile, enables troops to interact with locals and promotes a sense of normality, and it will remain a key tool for building and maintaining consent. The up-armoured FV430, the Cougar medium PPV and Vector fill the requirements for varying degrees of protection, mobility and profile between these two extremes. But I am confident that together these vehicles provide commanders with the right range of options to deal with the situations and threats that they face.
In my Afghanistan Statement on 10 July 2006 (Official Report, cols. 1131-35), I detailed the additional forces that we shall deploy to southern Afghanistan. I also undertook to provide further details of the enhancement of the support helicopter force deployed as part of the Helmand task force once I had received definitive advice on the needs of our commanders on the ground. I have now had that advice, as endorsed by the Chief of the Defence Staff, and I have directed that those needs be met in full. I have therefore directed that two extra CH-47 Chinook be deployed, the first in early September 2006 and the second in October. Helicopter force levels will remain under constant review.
I also wish to update
the House on the units assigned to provide additional forces for
Afghanistan. Force protection for 28 Regiment, Royal Engineers will be
provided by W Company, 45 Commando, Royal Marines—not a
composite unit as has been suggested. Finally, I erroneously referred
in my earlier
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Army: Royal Irish (Home Service)
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 9 March 2006 (Official Report, col. 961), I announced the settlement package for the Royal Irish (Home Service) (R IRISH (HS)) personnel being discharged as a result of the normalisation process in Northern Ireland. Included within the settlement package was an alternative to redundancy: a taxable £10,000 engagement bounty offer to all those eligible R IRISH (HS) personnel who wished to transfer and are accepted for a general service engagement in the wider Army. We had anticipated that around 250 such personnel would take the opportunity to continue with their military career in the Army, but, to date, only a handful of the R IRISH (HS) personnel are in the process of being accepted into general service Army.
I very much meant what I said back in March that I was eager for as many Home Service personnel as possible to take the opportunity to continue with their military career in the Armed Forces. As a result, I am announcing today a one-off increase to the general service engagement bounty to a taxable £20,000. This decision to increase the bounty was taken to encourage more eligible R IRISH (HS) personnel to opt for transfer rather than redundancy.
British Council Trustees: Annual Report
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Copies of the British Council trustees’ annual report and accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2006 have been placed in the Library of the House. During the period, the council received £189,210,000 grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Clinical Trial: TGN 1412
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): My honourable friend the Minister of State, Department of Health (Andy Burnham) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
On 25 May 2006, I
informed the House that the Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had published its final report on the
investigations into the incident that occurred with the phase 1
clinical trial for a drug in development known as TGN 1412 (Official
Report, col. 95WS). I also announced the membership of the expert
group established by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State
under the chairmanship of Professor Gordon Duff, to consider what the
incident
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That interim report is being published tomorrow, 25 July, together with the minutes of all its meetings, the documents submitted for its consideration and details of the evidence given by a wide range of stakeholders, all of which have contributed to its preliminary findings. A copy of the interim report will be placed in the Library.
It is important to recognise that this is an interim report, that a public consultation will take place on its proposals and that further opportunities for interested parties to give evidence will be available in the autumn.
The Government are very grateful for the great deal of progress already made on this important issue by the expert group in the two months since it first met. The group anticipates completing its work in the autumn and I will provide a further report to the House when this report is available.
Coal Authority: Annual Report
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Energy (Malcolm Wicks) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I have today laid a copy of the Coal Authority report and accounts for 2005-06 before Parliament.
Criminal Records Bureau: Annual Report
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.
I announce that the 2005-06 annual report and accounts for the Criminal Records Bureau have been laid before Parliament. Arrangements are now in hand for their publication and copies will be placed in the House Library.
Data Protection
The
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional
Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): I have
today published a consultation paper on proposed custodial penalties
for breaches of Section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998. In an
environment where concerns about identity fraud are growing and where
the widespread use and exchange of data are increasingly important to
the economy and to society as a whole, it is essential for people to be
confident that their personal data will not be wilfully or recklessly
abused. We are determined that the regulatory regime properly
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Department for Work and Pensions: Executive Agency 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 reports and accounts for three of its executive agencies: Child Support Agency (HC 1402), the Disability and Carers Service (HC 1336) and the Appeals Service (HC 1542). Copies are available in the Printed Paper Office and the Vote Office.
Publication of the Jobcentre Plus annual report and accounts has been delayed until after the Summer Recess.
Electoral Administration Act 2006
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Electoral Administration Act received Royal Assent on 11 July 2006. The Act aims to tackle four areas at the core of a healthy democracy by improving access, by improving confidence, by extending openness and transparency of party financing and by maintaining professional delivery of elections.
In line with the Government's commitment to bring as many of the important provisions in the Act into force as soon as possible, a commencement order has been made which includes the following key provisions:
new rules for transparency and permissibility of loans;registration provisions to apply to the 2006 annual canvass process;a package of offences in relation to postal voting applications and conduct of elections;provisions in relation to the regulation of political parties; and24 July 2006 : Column WS136
The provisions in the Act to bring a similar regime of transparency and permissibility to that set out for donations in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) to loans from political parties will come into force on 11 September 2006. The Government consider that it is important for the new regime to be brought into force at the earliest opportunity. Political parties will be required to report to the Electoral Commission all regulated transactions existing at that date and any entered into between that date and the end of that month, within 30 days from the end of September. Taken together, the existing donations regime and the new regulated transactions regime provide a robust and transparent mechanism to ensure that significant financial benefits to political parties are disclosed.
We have also brought into force a package of offences in the Electoral Administration Act that aim to improve the security and confidence of the electoral process. These will come into force on 11 September 2006 and relate to the application for postal and proxy votes as well as to offences around the conduct of elections. We believe that it is vital that we tackle potential problems of fraud in relation to elections. Along with other provisions in the Act that will be brought into force in time for the May 2007 elections, we believe that this represents a comprehensive set of legislative changes that will improve the confidence in the electoral system.
The Government are also committed to improving the accuracy of the register and to tackling potential registration fraud at the earliest opportunity. We have therefore commenced those provisions in the Act that relate to the annual canvass process so that they can be in place for the 2006 annual canvass. This includes the new duty on electoral registration officers (EROS) to carry out necessary steps to maintain the register and the new registration offence of supplying false information in connection with registration. Both these provisions will come into force on 11 September 2006.
In addition, the Electoral Administration Act contains miscellaneous provisions in Part 7 that are designed to simplify and streamline procedures for the regulation of political parties. Many of these will come into force on 11 September 2006.
The power for the Electoral Commission to set performance standards in relation to electoral activity will also come into force on 11 September. This will allow the Electoral Commission to carry out the important preparatory work in relation to the performance standards scheme.
We aim for the Electoral Administration Act to be implemented in full, where possible, for the May 2007 elections. We will therefore be making subsequent commencement orders to commence the remaining provisions in the Act.
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EU: Finnish Presidency
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): My right honourable friend the Minister for Europe (Mr Geoff Hoon) will today lay before the House Foreign and Commonwealth Office Command Paper 6896 on prospects for the European Union 2006. This is the latest in a series of forward looks to the work programmes of the respective European Union presidencies.
Copies will be placed in the Library of the House. Additional copies can also be obtained from the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office. A copy will also be available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk).
The last White Paper was published in January at the conclusion of the UK presidency of the EU. This was a retrospective of our presidency as well as a forward look to the year ahead. The White Paper that I am laying before the House today is an update to the spring paper and sets out in more detail the priorities of the Finnish presidency over the next six months.
The Finnish presidency began on 1 July. The Finns have presented an ambitious programme for the next six months, which builds on the work of previous presidencies and addresses many important challenges for the European Union. We agree with the challenges identified by the Finns and welcome their proposed priority actions. In particular, we welcome the focus on follow-up to the Hampton Court agenda initiated under the UK presidency in October 2005. The informal meeting of the European Council in Lahti on 20 October will focus on innovation and energy and will be an opportunity to look at the next steps that we collectively need to take to meet Europe's needs in the 21st century.
The Finnish presidency also plans to take forward work in key areas such as tackling climate change, enlargement, competitiveness, security and migration. For example, we will see an open dialogue on the best way to drive international action on tackling climate change. This presidency will host a discussion on the Commission report on enlargement progress in the autumn. It will also oversee the mid-term review of the 2004 Hague programme, which will, among other issues, look at stronger EU co-operation to tackle illegal migration. The Finns hope to reach agreement on a number of important measures to boost European competitiveness, including final adoption of the services directive and increased investment in research and development.
This agenda demonstrates the EU's commitment to delivering on issues of concern to our citizens. We welcome these priorities and look forward to working with the Finnish presidency over an important six months.
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