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Written Answers
Wednesday, 3rd February 1999.
Eurostar: Amsterdam
Lord Harris of Greenwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect the Eurostar service to be extended to Amsterdam.[HL700]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): We understand from Eurostar that they already provide a connecting service to Amsterdam via the European rail network, and that they have no current plans to launch a direct service.
Planning Applications
Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many directions have been made by the Secretary of State under Article 14(1) of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 (SI 1988/1813) since 1 May 1997; and how many directions were made in the equivalent period prior to that date.[HL727]
Lord Whitty: From 1 May 1997 to 31 December 1998, some 536 directions were made under Article 14(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995*. In the equivalent period prior to 1 May 1997 (1 September 1995 to 30 April 1997), some 506 directions were made. (The latter figure does not include directions made in the SW Region or in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire or Oxfordshire in the SE Region prior to 1 April 1996, or in respect of applications referred under departure and retail directions in the London Region, for which information is not available.)
* Article 14(1) of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 was replaced by Article 14(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 (SI 1995/419).
Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many planning applications have been called in for decision by the Secretary of State since 1 May 1997; and how many applications were called in during the equivalent period prior to that date.[HL728]
Lord Whitty: From 1 May 1997 to 3 December 1998, my right honourable friend called in some 246 planning applications. In the equivalent period prior to 1 May 1997 (1 September 1995 to 30 April 1997), some 228 applications were called in. (The latter figure does not include any applications called in the SW Region in September 1995, for which information is not available.)
Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there has been any change in policy since April 1997 with regard to the use of directions under Article 14(1) of the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 (SI 1988/1813) and to the calling-in of planning applications.[HL729]
Lord Whitty: There has been no change in policy since April 1997 in the use of directions under Article 14(1) of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 or in the calling in of planning applications.
It remains the policy that use of Article 14 directions and of the power to call-in applications should be used sparingly.
Allotment Sites
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many allotment sites have been (a) approved for sale and (b) sold; and whether they will name the sites and specify the "new use" where data are available.[HL765]
Lord Whitty: Further to the Written Answer by my noble friend Lady Hayman on 5 May 1998 (WA 56-57), the Secretary of State has given his consent for the sale of the following statutory allotment sites. The department does not record whether sites are actually sold after consent for sale is given. The proposed new use is not necessarily a factor which is taken into account in deciding whether to grant consent for the sale of allotment land. In some cases, the proposed alternative use may require planning consent.
| Date | Allotment Site | New Use (Where known) |
| 9 February | Clough Road, Rotherham | Property Development |
| 4 March | Longbarrow, Bournemouth | Residential |
| 4 March | Higher Lane, Liverpool | Housing |
| 6 March | Duke Street, Sutton | Housing |
| 2 April | Moss Hall Lane, Lytham St. Anne's | Road improvements |
| 7 April | Moreland Road, Gosport | Sports Facilities/Car Park |
| 11 May | Vange, Basildon | (Not known) |
| 12 May | Hey Street, Rochdale | Housing |
| 9 July | Wharf Road, Woodston | Residential |
| 31 July | Castleman Road, Chichester | (Not known) |
| 10 August | Broadwater Gardens, Hillingdon | Housing Consortium |
| 17 August | Efford Crescent, Plymouth | Housing Association |
| 17 August | Green Street, Eastbourne | Housing |
| 2 October | Woodhall, Chelmsford | (Not known) |
| 16 October | Bartram Avenue, Braintree | Meeting/Play Area |
| 17 November | Mimms Hall Road, Potters Bar | Meeting Hall |
| 30 November | Hawcliffe Road, Mountsorrel | (Not known) |
| 9 December | Hengrove Farm, Bristol | (Not known) |
| 16 December | Wilton Road, Camberley | (Not known) |
| 5 January | Yorktown Trading Estate, Surrey Heath | (Not known) |
| 26 January | Townsends North, Brent | Housing |
Sewage: Dumping at Sea
Baroness Wilcox asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the United Kingdom has stopped all dumping of sewage waste at sea from 1 January 1999; and whether any public announcement has been made of this action.[HL846]
Lord Whitty: In accordance with the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and Annex II to the OSPAR Convention 1992, all UK licences permitting the dumping of sewage sludge at sea terminated, at the latest, on 31 December 1998. No sewage sludge has since been dumped at sea. My right honourable friend, the Minister for the Environment, issued a press statement explaining this on 30 December 1998.
Lords of Appeal: Appointment of Women
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why no woman has been appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.[HL644]
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. It is a long-established convention that my advice to the Prime Minister on individual appointments is confidential.
Appointments must be on merit. In determining my advice on the appointment of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary I give careful consideration to the merits of eligible women. I wish to see more women appointed to the judiciary at all levels and I have taken steps to promote equal opportunities in judicial appointments and appointment to silk.
Lords of Appeal: Role in Constitutional Change
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they regard the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary as having a role in promoting constitutional change.[HL645]
The Lord Chancellor: The Lords of Appeal in Ordinary have an important part to play in interpreting and applying any legislation made by Parliament which brings about constitutional change and, when the substantive provisions of the Human Rights Act come into force, in developing the common law compatibly with the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Constitutional Court
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are developing proposals for a constitutional court.[HL646]
Sex Offender Treatment Programmes
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, given doubts about the success rate of sex offender treatment programmes in the United States, the similarity of United Kingdom programmes to the United States models, and the significant investment in these programmes, they will commission independent research into their effectiveness.[HL691]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The sex offender treatment programmes used by the Prison Service are based on Canadian rather than United States models. Neither the Government nor the Prison Service is aware of doubts about the success rates of those models.
Independent research into effectiveness is an integral part of the Prison Service's offending behaviour programme policy, since it would clearly be wasteful to devote resources to programmes which cannot be shown to reduce recidivism. As I said in my reply to the noble Lord on 16 December last (Official Report, col. WA 149), interim outcomes from independent research into the Prison Service's sex offender treatment programme, relating to attitudinal and other change predictive of changes in recidivism, are available, and were reported in Home Office Research Findings No. 79 (ISSN 1364-6540). I will send a copy to the noble Lord.
Prisoners Under 17: Education
Lord Tope asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the event of a 16 or 17 year-old boy being sentenced to imprisonment under the existing age of consent legislation, he would have, during his detention, educational opportunities suited to his academic abilities.[HL817]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: There is a statutory requirement to provide sentenced prisoners under the age of 17 years with 15 hours academic education including English, Mathematics, life skills relevant to their age, and Information Technology. In the case of sentenced prisoners aged 17 years with learning difficulties, there is a requirement to provide education appropriate to their needs.
Prison education for all prisoners focuses on the core curriculum of basic educational skills (literacy and numeracy), life and social skills and computer skills.
The Prison Service is currently developing new regime standards for young people under the age of 18. They will include the development of a broader
education curriculum for young people under school leaving age which will take into account their particular learning difficulties, especially dyslexia, attention deficits and hyper-activity disorder and any statement of educational needs. The Comprehensive Spending Review has made additional funds available for achieving the new standards.
The Prison Service is also planning to introduce an individual programme for each young person. It will be based on a thorough assessment and will include an action plan and programme suited to individual needs, ability and aptitude.
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