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Moluccan Islands: Human Rights
Baroness Ludford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action they are taking to tackle human rights abuses in Indonesia's Moluccan Islands.[HL359]
Baroness Amos: Her Majesty's Government continue to be very concerned about events in Indonesia, particularly Maluku.
Our Ambassador to Indonesia has visited Maluku twice this year. These visits provided an opportunity to assess the situation at first hand. Together with other international partners we are working with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation in the province.
The Government welcome the commitment of the Indonesian leadership to resolve the country's regional conflicts through dialogue and reconciliation. The challenge for Indonesia is to build on the foundations laid by the recent democratic process and to deliver human rights that benefit everybody. Her Majesty's Government will play a full part in helping towards that goal.
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: Audibility of Proceedings
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will take steps to improve the audibility of proceedings before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.[HL241]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has a modern amplification system and complaints of inaudability have hitherto been fairly rare, but there have been one or two complaints recently. Investigations will be carried out to see what improvements can be made. If the noble Lord has any particular problems in mind perhaps he could let me have the details.
UK Parliament: Composition
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- To what extent they believe that the composition of the national legislature should reflect the will of the people in a representative democracy; and to what extent they consider the will of the people to be paramount in determining the composition of the United Kingdom Parliament.[HL394]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: We believe that the most essential requirement in a democracy is that the will of the people should determine who will form the Government. In the United Kingdom's parliamentary democracy, that is done through elections to the House of Commons, whose Members are the representatives of the people, and whose support the Government must receive if they are to continue in office. The Government believe that the composition of the United Kingdom Parliament must never be allowed to obscure or undermine that fundamental relationship.
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What they understand by the term "representative democracy" in the context of both Houses of Parliament.[HL395]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The United Kingdom as a whole is a democracy and the composition of Parliament as a whole must respect that. The Government believe that this is best achieved by allowing the voice of the people to be clearly heard in the choice of the Government.
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn) on 3 July (WA36) that the "necessary institutions and safeguards of a mature democracy extend well beyond those circumstances where it is appropriate for the will of the people to be paramount on every occasion and issues", on what occasions and issues they consider the will of the people to be paramount in Great Britain; and whether this extends to the composition of the national legislature.[HL397]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The United Kingdom's parliamentary democracy requires most importantly the will of the people to be paramount in the selection of the Government.
Lord Chancellor: Place in the Cabinet
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Given that the Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn) gave the "independence of the judiciary" (HL Deb, 21 June, col. 113) as a reason for his rejection of the proposition "that democracy is all about the will of the people to be paramount", what is the justification for the head of the judiciary, the Lord Chancellor, to hold a place in the Cabinet.[HL396]
Lord William of Mostyn: The value of a Lord Chancellor is that he upholds judicial independence and can mediate between the executive and judiciary when need be. The office of the Lord Chancellor is the guarantor of judicial independence in our constitution. It holds the different parts together and withstands pressure from all sides.
House of Lords Appointments Commission
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What the term of office is of the current chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.[HL435]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Three years from 2000.
Lord Jacobs asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many interviews were attended by each member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission when they interviewed 51 of the 3,166 applicants.[HL442]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The information requested is as follows:
| Lord Stevenson of Coddenham | 51 |
| Dame Deirdre Hine | 15 |
| Mrs Angela Sarkis | 16 |
| Ms Felicity Huston | 15 |
| Lord Hurd of Westwell | 13 |
| Baroness Dean of Thornton le Fylde | 11 |
| Lord Dholakia | 12 |
Gracious Speech: Cabinet Office Explanatory Briefing
Baroness Eccles of Moulton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in future, they will place in the Library of the House, at the conclusion of the gracious Speech, a copy of the Cabinet Office's explanatory briefing on the content of the gracious Speech, which is prepared and distributed to journalists; and why that material was not made available to Parliament on the opening day of the current parliamentary Session.[HL577]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Members of this House and another place have a full opportunity to scrutinise the contents of the Queen's Speech in a range of debates and as the legislation is brought before Parliament.
PIU Energy Review
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What their timetable is for the energy review and in particular over what period the interested parties will be able to submit evidence; how such parties will be informed of the timetable; and to whom they may make submissions.[HL271]
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): The Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) Energy Review was announced by the Prime Minister on 25 June 2001 and will report by the end of the year. Details of the timetable will be published shortly in the Review Project Management Plan to be posted on the PIU website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation).
The Project Scoping Note and a paper entitled 'How we will be conducting the review' have already been posted on the PIU website. Interested parties have been invited to submit written evidence, ideally arriving by 10 September 2001. Written submissions should be sent to The Energy Review Team, Performance and Innovation Unit, Cabinet Office, Admiralty Arch, The Mall, London SW1A 2WH, or by email to the energyteamcontact@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk. In addition, the Energy Review Team are organising a series of workshops and bilateral meeting to receive oral submissions, and interested parties have been invited to propose representatives to attend.
Hard copies of any material posted on the website can be received on written request to the above address.
Disability Issues: Ministerial Responsibility
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Who are the Ministers responsible for disability issues; and what are their respective responsibilities.[HL289]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Maria Eagle, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has responsibility for civil rights for disabled people, including the Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Rights Commission, for disability benefits, and for the promotion and co-ordination of disability issues across Government.
A number of other Ministers have responsibility for specific disability issues. Detailed information on ministerial responsibilities is set out in The List of Ministerial Responsibilities which is available in the Library of the House.
Long-term Developments: Role of Whitehall Directorates
Lord Redesdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in light of recent machinery of government changes, they will:
(a) list all Whitehall directorates whose role is to inform government thinking on the challenges and opportunities that may arise out of medium to long-term future developments in the social, environmental, commercial and scientific or technological spheres;
(b) state the aims and objectives of each of these directorates; and
(c) explain the interaction between them.[HL344]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: This information is not readily available because many parts of central government play a role in the development of forward thinking and policy on how to meet challenges in these areas and create or seize opportunities for positive change.
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