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Written Answers
Tuesday, 17th March 1998.
Public Trust Office: Framework Document
Lord Taylor of Blackburn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether a review of the Public Trust Office's Framework Document has been carried out, as stated in their original Framework Document published in July 1994.[HL1062]
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): The Public Trust Office's Framework Document has now been reviewed. As the interval between agency reviews has been extended from three to five years since the Public Trust Office attained agency status, the new document is designed to cover the interim period until the Public Trust Office's first Quinquennial Review, to be completed by the end of 1999. Copies of the revised Framework Document have been placed in the Library of both Houses of Parliament.
Kosovo
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their policy for the ending of the conflict in Kosovo. [HL930]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): I refer the noble Lord to the statement I made on 10 March on behalf of the Foreign Secretary. (Official Report, cols. 128-138).
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ask the Chairman in Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to visit Belgrade and Pristina with a view to achieving a ceasefire and an end to repression in Kosovo.[HL931]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The 9 March Contact Group statement on Kosovo supported the OSCE role in resolving the conflict. The OSCE Permanent Council decided on 11 March to support a new mission by former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez as Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with a mandate for addressing the problems in Kosovo.
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What role they consider that the European Union Troika has in preventing the conflict in and around Kosovo.[HL932]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: While the EU Troika as such has not played a role in relation to recent events in Kosovo, the Presidency has been active on
behalf of EU member states: a Presidency declaration on Kosovo was issued on 2 March; the Foreign Secretary visited Belgrade on 5 March; the Minister of State, Mr. Lloyd, visited the region on 11-12 March as Special Representative of the Presidency; and EU Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in Kosovo in Edinburgh on 13-14 March. I also repeated a statement in your Lordships' House on 10 March which provided details of the previous day's Contact Group meeting in London.House of Lords: Attendance Data
Lord Rowallan asked the Leader of the House:
- Whether he will provide a breakdown of the average number of peers attending the House of Lords each week into life peers, peers by succession and by party affiliation (if any).[HL949]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Richard): The information is not available on the basis asked for. However, an analysis of the attendance figures for a recent day chosen at random (Tuesday 10 March 1998) shows that the breakdown on that day was as follows:
| Hereditary Peers | |||||||
| Party | Life Peers | Of First Creation | By Succession | Lords Spiritual | Total | ||
| Conservative | 97 | 1 | 134 | 0 | 232 | ||
| Labour | 110 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 125 | ||
| Liberal Dem. | 26 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 43 | ||
| Cross Bench | 32 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 87 | ||
| Other | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| Total | 268 | 2 | 222 | 3 | 495 | ||
Work is in progress to introduce new computer software into the House of Lords to enable such information to be provided. It is hoped that the new software will be in use by the end of 1998.
Lord Merlyn-Rees asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): Curfew orders under Section 12 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, enforced by electronic monitoring, are at present available to the courts as a penalty only in restricted pilot areas. It is our intention that these orders should in due course be made available to all courts in England and Wales.
There is a competitive tender for the provision of electronic monitoring services underway throughout England and Wales. The primary purpose of this service, which will be provided, as at present, by the private sector, is to provide electronic monitoring for prisoners
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The handling of this or any other appeal under the Firearms Acts is entirely a matter for the chief constable concerned. The Home Office has no locus in the operational affairs of police forces.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The processing of applications for firearms certificates is a matter for
the chief officer of police for the area in which the applicant resides.
The Home Secretary has no powers to intervene in individual cases or to issue directions. It is open to a person who is dissatisfied with the performance of
a force in relation to a particular aspect of its duties to pursue the matter with the police authority concerned or to write to Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for that particular region. Details of outstanding applications are not kept centrally.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The membership of
the Firearms Consultative Committee, including the background and qualifications of individual members, has been published each year in the Committee's Annual Report, copies of which are available in the Library.
Details of attendance have been published in the Committee's Annual Reports since 1995, but attendance records for individual members since the Committee was established in 1989 could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Members are appointed for a fixed period. Reasons for resignation are a confidential matter between the Home Secretary and the member concerned. No appointments have been terminated prematurely by the Home Secretary.
The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 2 March (WA 132), whether they will list, for each of the last 10 years, the members of the Association of Chief Police Officers' committees on the administration and licensing of firearms for England, Wales and Scotland, indicating:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The membership of these sub-committees is a matter for the Association of Chief Police Officers for England and Wales, and for Scotland. The detailed information requested is not kept by the Home Office.
What plans they have to extend to all courts the power to make curfew orders enforced by electronic monitoring.[HL1080]
Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of all documents requested from the Chief Constable of Derby, by resolution of the Derby Police Authority, at their meeting held on 19 February at 10.30 am at Butterly Police Headquarters in relation to the firearms appeals by Arthur Newton and
Albert Goodman heard by H.H. Judge Morrison on 15 January; how many and which documents have been supplied to date; and by what date the chief constable will supply all other outstanding and relevant documents.[HL1010]
What action they are able to take, or can be taken, against Chief Officers of Police who refuse to process the grant, renewal or variation or formal refusal of applications for firearms certificates in reasonable time or at all; how many cases are awaiting decision for each force in England, Wales and Scotland; and whether they will give the reason for such delays in each case for Hampshire Constabulary.[HL980]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Williams of Mostyn on 2 March (WA 131), whether they will list all past members of the Home Office Firearms Consultative Committee, giving their background
and dates of service with their attendance record and reason for resignation or termination for whatever reason; and whether they will give the attendance records of all current appointees.[HL1008]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 2 March (WA 132), whether they will list the dates of appointment and job title or rank, whether civilian, uniformed or plain clothed, of the current members of the Association of Chief Police Officers committees on the administration and licensing of firearms for England, Wales and Scotland; and [HL978]
(a) their names and positions on the committee;
(b) their constabularies;
(c) their dates of appointment;
(d) their job and rank;
(e) the dates of the termination of appointment giving reasons;
(f) whether civilian, uniformed or plain clothed.[HL979]
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