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HM Prison Weare: Ministers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many visiting ministers, and of which religions, have been appointed to Her Majesty's Prison Weare.[HL1151]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Weare currently has four ministers, a full-time Church of England chaplain, a part-time Roman Catholic priest, a part-time free-church minister and a sessional Imam.
In addition, the prison has a Rabbi and Buddhist minister visiting when required and a Quaker Prison Visitor. The prison has been seeking a Hindu minister but has so far been unsuccessful.
Juvenile Prostitution
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect to issue new guidance to police forces, probation and social services, concerning best practice in preventing juvenile prostitution and in caring for and rehabilitating those at risk or already involved.[HL1121]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: New guidance on how best to deal with the problem of children involved in prostitution will be issued in the autumn. It will take account of the Association of Chief Police Officers' guidelines on dealing with children involved in prostitution, any effects of the Crime and Disorder Bill and responses to the Government's consultation paper, Working Together to Safeguard Children: New Government Proposals for Inter-Agency Co-operation, issued last month, together with prevention, care and rehabilitation of children involved in prostitution or those at risk of prostitution.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What evidence they have that rises in fuel duty have reduced the growth in carbon dioxide emissions; and whether they will place in the Library of the House any studies or reports that will confirm this.[HL1156]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Baroness Hayman): In the March 1998 Financial Statement and Budget Report, which is placed in the Library of the House, it was estimated that the total impact of road fuel duty increases from implementation in 1993 to 2002 will reduce CO2 emissions by around 10MtC and road use by 29 billion kilometres by 2010. It is estimated that the recent increase in road fuel duty (4.9 pence per litre on petrol and 4.4 pence per litre on diesel) alone will result in an annual saving in CO2 of 1.7MtC by 2010.
Airfields Environment Trust: Grant Application
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to make any grants to the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) or related bodies.[HL1144]
Baroness Hayman: The AEF's sister organisation, the Airfields Environment Trust, has applied to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' Local Projects Fund, which supports local environmental activities, for a grant to develop its London information service. The grants panel established by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions will consider this application at its next meeting on 22 April 1998. I will write to the noble Lord advising him of the panel's decision.
Education Action Zones
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On what authority the Secretary of State for Education and Employment stated on 19 March (HC Deb., col. 864) that, "I can further confirm that we will be expanding rapidly our education action zone programme. We shall fund a five-fold increase to establish 25 zones by January 1999", when the policy of education action zones has not yet been approved by Parliament.[HL1187]
The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone): We want to get the first education action zones started quickly in order to allow local partnerships to begin making the improvements we expect to see. Twelve will start in September 1998 and 13 in January 1999. We will not create formal education action zones before Royal Assent, but if necessary the zone consortia will be able to make a start based on agreements between the relevant parties.
"powerhouse::uk" Exhibition
Lord Wigoder asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is currently taking place on Horseguards' Parade and why.[HL1122]
The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Clinton-Davis): powerhouse::uk, which is an exhibition being mounted by my department about British creativity. It is being held in conjunction with the Asian Europe Summit (3-4 April), which brings together government leaders from the European Union and key Asian nations. Each of the leaders will be accompanied by business delegations and large media teams. The occasion therefore presents an opportunity to demonstrate, to an influential audience, how British creativity has led to world class products and services in design, fashion, technology, engineering and scientific research. The exhibition will also be open to the public from 4-19 April, so they will be able to see how British talent leads to success for Britain in world markets.
Smoking Controls in the Civil Service
Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will prohibit smoking in all government buildings except for certain designated smoking areas; why certain senior staff in government departments have permission to smoke in their offices under so-called "Grandfather's Rights"; and whether these arrangements will now be reviewed.[HL1120]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Within the Civil Service it is common practice to create non-smoking working environments with separate facilities for those who wish to smoke. Departments and agencies are responsible for devising their own policies. In the majority of the major employing departments smoking is not allowed in single occupancy rooms.
Government departments and agencies make full use of guidance issued on health and safety and best practice to promote the health and safety of all civil servants; and regularly review their policy on smoking in the workplace.
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