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Hong Kong: Second Report to Parliament
Baroness Turner of Camden asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they plan to publish the second of the reports to Parliament on Hong Kong and the implementation of the Joint Declaration.[HL220]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The second report in this series, covering the period July-December 1997, was published today and a copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The report includes a foreword written by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary. I commend the report to the House.
Anglo-Irish Co-operation
Lord Shepherd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made on the potential areas for co-operation between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom identified in the joint statement by the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach in the margins of the European Council at Noordwijk on
23 May 1997.[HL221]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My right honourable friend the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach discussed progress in the margins of the European summit in Luxembourg on 13 December. Copies of their joint statement and report summarising progress since the European Council in May have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Crown Copyright
Lord Williams of Elvel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect to publish the Green Paper on the future of Crown copyright.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: A consultation paper, Crown Copyright in the Information Age, has been published today (Cm 3819). The Green Paper sets out a number of options for the future management of Crown copyright on which comments are invited by 31 March 1998. The Green Paper takes account of various representations received over the last year and meetings which officials have had with representatives of the UK information industries.
The Government believe there to be considerable scope for reform designed to provide a lead and act as a catalyst for enabling effective dissemination and distribution of official information; and to aid the development of our information industries.
The Government look forward to receiving comments on the options and questions aired in the Green Paper. At the end of the consultation period the Government will announce their conclusions. It is our clear intention, however, to place the management of Crown copyright on a simplified and sure footing which will serve the citizen and user of government-originated material well. The demands of the Information Age, with electronic delivery increasingly substituting for print on paper, require a new approach. This Green Paper provides the basis for devising that approach.
Helplines
Lord Rowallan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (WA 119), how they were able to assess the value for money, and the fitness to run the CALM helpline, of Network Scotland as compared to other agencies, when only four organisations were asked to tender and one of these (the Samaritans) did not tender; and[HL103]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (WA 119), which four organisations were asked to tender for the CALM helpline, besides Network Scotland, and what were their tender bids; and[HL104]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (WA 119), why they held a closed tender to run the CALM helpline when they are committed to open tendering; and[HL105]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (WA 119), what is the Official Journal of European Tenders; where it is published and by whom; how existing charities can be disqualified from tendering when they have not been informed of this journal's existence; and how long the European Union Framework Agreement contained therein has been in existence; and[HL106]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (WA 119), why, when the CALM helpline project is a local Manchester pilot study, it was necessary to have a Europe-wide invitation, and why the Central Office of Information were considered to be the vehicle through which this tender should be awarded; and[HL107]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 12 January (WA 119), why SANE were not warned that they needed to be on a special list in order to tender for government projects about which they had a specialised knowledge, given that they have previously received European Union funds for European projects.[HL108]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington): The bids were assessed for value for money and fitness using evaluation criteria based on the Treasury's Procurement Practice and Development Unit's (PPDU) best practice guidance. Details of the bids, including the company names, cannot be given, as this is commercially restricted information.
It is established government purchasing policy that where purchases exceed the EU finance threshold, departments must give all suppliers within the EU, including those with charitable status, an equal opportunity to express an interest in tendering for the business by placing a Tender Notice in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC), which is published by the Official Publications Office in Luxembourg. The journal is published daily in the language of each member state. It has been in existence since 1971 and was developed further in 1993 to cover all procurement requirements. The Department
of Trade and Industry produce information for suppliers on obtaining business in Europe.The Central Office of Information (COI) was appointed to manage the CALM project because it had a current EU Framework Agreement for the provision of a telephone response facility, enabling the department to meet its timescale for delivery. COI used the open procedure, which meant all respondents to the Tender Notice who met the technical and commercial criteria were invited to tender. After a full evaluation of the suppliers bids, contracts were awarded in August 1994. By using COI's existing agreement, proper purchasing procedures were followed.
It is the threshold limit of the project that dictates the procurement procedure, not the location of the work.
William Morris Academy
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the status of the William Morris Academy in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the statutory framework under which it operates; and in particular what are:
(a) the arrangements for capital and recurrent funding;
(b) the costs which have been incurred in setting up the academy, including the provision of the premises, administrative costs and professional and legal fees, and the funds from which they were met;
(c) the complement of (i) teaching staff and
(ii) non-teaching staff, and by whom they are employed;
(d) the status of the principal;
(e) the arrangements for the admission of pupils appeals against admission decisions, exclusions and appeals against permanent exclusions;
(f) the aggregate examination results, subject by subject, achieved by pupils attending the academy on roll in January 1997 (Form 7 count); and
(g) the arrangements for inspecting the academy.[HL21]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): As the noble Baroness is aware, the William Morris Academy was established in September 1994 by Hammersmith and Fulham Local Education Authority. The Secretary of State considers that the authority has no power to establish or maintain this institution. The control of the academy, and all aspects of its operation, are matters for the authority. The previous Secretary of State invited the Further Education Funding Council to consider the possible incorporation of the academy as a further education institution. The outcome of that consideration is awaited. In the meantime, the academy stands outside the statutory framework for schools and FE establishments, and the normal processes that apply to the collection of information. It is also outside the scope of the School Inspections Act 1996. So far as examination results are concerned, the Department for
Education and Employment does not publish this information in the form requested. I will write to the noble Baroness to let her know the Secretary of State's decision in the light of the FEFC's advice.
Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
(b) the incidence of BSE or its equivalent in sheep under two years old during 1997 or the latest 12-month period for which figures are available;
(c) the incidence of BSE or its equivalent in sheep over two years old for the period 1988-97 inclusive or the latest 10-year period for which figures are available.[HL25]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue): There have been no cases of BSE reported in cattle under three years old during 1997 which have subsequently been confirmed, although not all results for the year have been received from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. There was, however, one case of BSE in a beef animal under three years old from a mixed herd reported in 1996, which was subsequently confirmed in 1997.
There is as yet no evidence that BSE is present in the national sheep flock. The naturally occurring BSE in sheep is scrapie.
Cases of scrapie have been formally recorded since 1993, when the disease became notifiable. The following table shows the numbers of cases confirmed in each year since 1993 and the numbers of cases which are recorded as over and under two years of age. In many cases the owner of an animal is unclear as to an animal's age; this is reflected in the final column of the table below.
(1)Provisional
It is not possible to express these figures as incidence in the absence of information on the numbers of animals in each of the age categories concerned.
What was (a) the incidence of BSE in cattle under three years old during 1997 or the latest 12-month period for which figures are available;
Year Number of cases confirmed Number of cases in sheep over 2 years Number of cases in sheep under 2 years Number of cases where age has not been recorded
1993 328 273 2 53
1994 235 164 2 69
1995 254 123 5 126
1996 453 317 11 125
1997 (1)394 300 4 90
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