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Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many London bus route contracts are let on single routes.
Baroness Hayman: I am advised by London Transport Buses that, at present, 410 contracts are let as single routes.
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which are the London bus route contracts, by route and operator, let in groups of routes.
Baroness Hayman: I am advised by London Transport that 67 contracts are multi-route. These are mainly area networks which, although put out to tender as individual routes, were awarded to a single operator under a joint contract option in order to secure best value for money. Details of routes and operators involved are commercial matters for London Transport.
Medical Devices Agency: Annual Report and Accounts
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the 1996-97 annual report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency.
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington): We have received the report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of Section 5(2) and 5(3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work
Lord Monkswell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans for the quinquennial review of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.
Baroness Jay of Paddington: The Department of Health will conduct a thorough review of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work on behalf of the United Kingdom sponsoring departments. The review, which is now due as part of the regular five yearly examination of non-departmental public bodies, will take the form of a prior options study. It will assess the extent to which the functions of the council are necessary for the achievement of the Government's policies and whether there is scope for rationalisation, market testing, privatising, contracting out or transferring all, or part, of its functions to another body. We will consult widely with all parties who have an interest in the work of the council.
The review will have regard to and take account of:
- the implications of the Government's National Training Organisation initiative for the personal social services sector;
- the recommendations of the report of the Dearing Inquiry into Higher Education;
- the Government's proposals for devolution in Scotland and Wales, and
- the Government's intention to establish a General Social Services Council.
Tax and the Budget
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the recent Budget increased tax at all.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The revenue effects of the Budget tax measures are shown in Table 2.2 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, July 1997.
Married and Unmarried Couples: Capital Gains Tax on Houses
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- With reference to the reply "None" given by Lord Simon of Highbury on 7 July 1997 (WA 55) to the question "What advantages accrue to an unmarried couple, as opposed to a married couple, under the present taxation system", whether it is possible for a couple who own two houses to claim exemption from capital gains tax on both if they are unmarried (and satisfy the necessary conditions), but not if they are married.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: An individual may claim exemption in respect of his or her "principal" private residence. A couple living together would each have to be able to show that the property on which exemption was being claimed was in fact his or her principal private residence. However, the presumption would be that the place where they lived was their principal residence. A married couple living together may claim exemption on one residence only. However, if they are separated, each may claim in respect of a different residence.
University Museums
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will reconsider their decision to exclude university museums from the current review of admission charges to national museums and galleries; and if not, what steps they will take to ensure that university museums are not closed or dispersed through lack of funding.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government's review of admission charges, which is already under way, is confined to the national museums and galleries. Evidence about admission charges at university and other non-national museums will be included in the research by Glasgow Caledonian University which has been commissioned by the Museums and Galleries
Commission. The emerging findings of that research will inform the Government's review of admission charges at the national museums and galleries. However, the decision on whether or not to charge for admission to museums and galleries is for the governing bodies of each one to make. Universities themselves are responsible for funding university museums.Wild Mammal Deaths
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the best estimates of which they are aware of the number of wild mammals killed annually in the United Kingdom by (a) domestic cats, (b) dogs, (c) birds, (d) other wild mammals or (e) humans.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The information requested is not collected centrally and we
are not aware of any such estimates. The Scottish Office and Northern Ireland Office similarly have no knowledge of the numbers requested.Mr. Mohammed Raya
Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect to make a decision on the asylum application of Mr. Mohammed Raya, recently convicted and jailed at Harrow Crown Court for fraud of £1.7 million on British Telecom.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: We will take a decision in Mr. Raya's case once we have completed consideration of it in the light of the requirements of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The aim will be to do this before the applicant's release from prison.
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