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EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council
The
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional
Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): My
honourable friend the
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The Justice and Home Affairs Council will be held today, 24 July 2006, in Brussels. I am attending on behalf of the Home Office. I thought that it would be useful if I were to outline the main issues that I expect to be discussed.
The Council will take an initial presentation by the Commission on The Hague programme review. There will also be discussion of migration issues and, in the mixed committee format, the second generation Schengen information system. On the first of these, the Commission will present four communications: the future direction of The Hague programme, which includes a proposed use of Article 42 TEU (the passerelle clause); reviewing the implementation of The Hague programme to date (the scorecard); options for better evaluation of the impact of EU policies in the area of justice and home affairs (JHA); and a legislative proposal based on Article 67(2) TEC adapting the provisions of the European Court of Justice under Title IV (immigration, asylum and civil law matters). The presidency has indicated that it will focus on procedure and handling and is not looking for substantive discussion on these items at this Council. Detailed discussion, including in relation to the more controversial aspects, such as the possible use of Article 42 TEU (the passerelle clause) and Article 67(2) TEC (adapting the remit of the ECJ in Title IV) will take place later in the year, including at the September informal JHA Council in Finland. Those aspects aside, the Government’s initial view is to welcome the focus on implementation and more effective evaluation contained in the communications.
There will be information items on the EU preparations for the UN high-level dialogue on international migration and development and the report on the outcome of the Euro-African ministerial conference on migration and development held in Rabat on 10 and 11 July 2006. The Government welcome the adoption of the EU common position at the General Affairs and External Relations Council last week, on 13 July; we will continue to feed into preparations for the UN high-level dialogue on international migration and development, which takes place in September. There will also be a presentation by the Commission and Frontex (EU border agency) on the situation in the Mediterranean and Africa. We expect there to be a focus on the continuing influx of illegal immigrants to the Canaries and Malta. The UK strongly supports EU joint operational activity in the Mediterranean and has offered technical assistance to the Spanish and Maltese authorities.
There will be
discussion on the management of migration flows, specifically on the
two Commission communications on a policy plan for legal migration and
a common policy on illegal immigration. The presidency will be seeking
a first exchange of views on both items. The UK will be encouraging
solutions of sharing best practice and establishing common principles,
while advising against inflexible, detailed
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In the mixed committee format, the presidency will be hoping to agree a general approach on the key outstanding issues in the three legal instruments establishing SIS II—a regulation covering immigration aspects, a Council decision covering law enforcement aspects and a regulation covering access by vehicle registration authorities—with a view to reaching a First Reading deal with the European Parliament in September. This is the last opportunity to resolve the major outstanding issues within the Council before the expected EP vote in September. The UK will not participate in the regulation covering immigration but will participate in the other two legal instruments.
Two further presentations by the Commission are expected in the margins of the meeting. These are on (i) a proposal for a regulation setting up the powers and the financing of teams of national border control experts of member states (rapid border intervention teams) to provide joint EU technical and operational assistance at the external EU border, co-ordinated by Frontex; and (ii) a proposal for a Community code on visas—a Schengen measure in which the UK will not participate. Although the UK will not participate in the first proposal, we support the concept of nominated experts deployed at short notice to respond to emergencies to help to enhance the security of the EU external border, but will wish to look carefully at the detail.
Finally, there is likely to be a lunchtime presentation by Commissioner Franco Frattini on the issue of CIA rendition flights.
Fire Safety: Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): My right honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Careless handling of smokers' materials continues to be one of the major causes of UK accidental fire deaths in the home. Evidence has shown that reduced ignition propensity (RIP) cigarettes decrease the risk of inducing ignition or progressive smouldering in materials, therefore reducing the number of accidental fire deaths in the home.
RIP cigarettes have been
legislated for in New York State, California, Vermont, Illinois, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts and are all now in place, as well as in
Canada. The legislation requires that all cigarettes conform to
American Society for Testing and Materials Standards (ASTM
International).
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At the request of the UK, supported by Sweden, the European Commission undertook to look into the case for developing an appropriate technical standard for RIP cigarettes. The Department for Communities and Local Government will be working very closely with the Department of Health, which has led government work on tobacco regulation, and the Department of Trade and Industry, which leads on consumer product safety. It is expected that further discussion on the case for developing a European technical standard for RIP cigarettes will take place at the next general product committee meeting in Brussels this September.
Fraud Review
The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): The final report of the fraud review is published today and I have placed copies in the Libraries of both Houses. The Government are issuing it for consultation and seek responses by 27 October 2006.
The report outlines current arrangements for dealing with fraud, identifies gaps and shortcomings in the system and makes recommendations for dealing with them. The recommendations are wide-ranging and are aimed at improving fraud deterrence, prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution and penalties. Benefits will include reduction of fraud losses to taxpayers, consumers and businesses, and a reduction in the harm that fraud causes to individuals and communities.
The Government accept the analysis of the report and are sympathetic to the broad conclusions and recommendations, but we believe that the report would benefit from a wider public consultation. Implementation of the recommendations will be considered in the light of consultation responses and after further evaluation of the funding and legislative implications.
Government Departments: Payment Performance
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.
The overall payment performance of Government is 96.87 per cent. Figures for the financial year 2005-06 show that there has been a slight fall compared to last year's figure of 97.09 per cent. Some 54 per cent of departments improved on their performance of last year.
Government departments and their agencies are required to monitor their payment performance and to publish the results in their departmental or annual reports. The table lists, by department, the proportion of bills paid within 30 days, or other agreed credit period, on receipt of a valid invoice.
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The Government take this issue very seriously and are committed to improving the payment culture in the UK in order to create fair and stable business transactions. The Government's own payment performance is an important element in this policy.
| Main Departments 2005-06 | Paid on Time |
Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Chancellor’s Department) | |
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Government Departments: Special Advisers
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): Listed below are the names of special advisers in post at 24 July 2006, the special advisers’ pay ranges for 2006-07, the number of special advisers in each pay band by department and the total pay bill of special advisers for 2005-06.
All special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, providing assistance on the full range of their appointing Minister's departmental responsibilities. Where a special adviser has a specific expertise or works mainly in a particular area of the department's work, this is indicated.
The pay bands and pay ranges for special advisers for 2006-07 are as follows.
At 24 July 2006, the number of special advisers in each pay band by department is as follows.
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