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Rural Payments Agency
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What targets they have set for the Rural Payments Agency 2001-02.[HL813]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): We have set the Rural Payments Agency the following performance targets for 2001-02.
| Issues and Aims | 2001-02 Target |
| Operational Service Performance | To process at least 98.5% of valid claims correctly and in doing so: |
| To process at least 96.14% of IACS claims by value within the EU deadline. | |
| To process at least 98% of CAP claims within ministerial deadlines and all claims within the set EU Commission deadlines or in their absence 60 days. | |
| To carry out 100% on-the-spot inspections for CAP schemes in accordance with EU targets, subject to agreed derogations. | |
| To meet all targets set for customer service. | |
| Financial and Control Performance | To operate within the resource and cash allocations in RPA's request for resources (RfR), as agreed with DEFRA. |
| To agree and implement a comprehensive RPA risk management plan by 31 March 2002. | |
| To implement procedures for the production of a statement of internal controls as part of the audited annual report and accounts for 2001-02. | |
| To obtain full paying agency accreditation from the competent authority from 16 October 2001. | |
| To ensure that disallowance within the control of RPA remains below 0.5% of the value of CAP payments made by the agency. | |
| Fair, Responsive Quality Services Performance | To develop and operate a procedure for handling complaints that will be transparent and efficient and compliant with best practice as identified by the Cabinet Office. RPA will also participate in any mechanism that is operated by the department and the devolved administrations that provides an opportunity for independent evaluation of an appeal. |
| To develop the use of the Industry Forum set up in August 2001, and by 31 March 2002, to establish additional further specialist sub-groups in support to enable close and effective communication with, and involvement of all RPA customers. | |
| To develop and implement a RPA quality strategy by 31 March 2002. | |
| Efficiency Performance | RPA change programme to deliver change programmes as identified in programme plan and in the corporate plan for 2001-02. |
| To deliver key milestones of the RPA change programme, as agreed with the Regional Overview Board. | |
| To maintain/ensure business continuity and customer satisfaction during the RPA change programme. | |
| Policy Advice | To meet the needs of policy divisions in providing operational advice in support of CAP policy formation. |
| Valuing Staff | To implement an action plan to remain accredited following the IiP review in February 2002 and the plan for the culture change programme. |
| To continue the roll out of diversity workshops with the intention to achieve 80% coverage of all management staff by 31 March 2002. |
Women: Election to Parliament
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood asked Her Majesty's Government;
- Whether they have undertaken any research into the reasons for the small number of women elected to the House of Commons during the last 25 years; and, if so, what conclusions they have drawn.[HL726]
The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Baroness Morgan of Huyton): There has been extensive research into the reasons for women's under-representation in politics and the Government are currently considering whether they need to commission further work. The most recent study was published by the Equal Opportunities Commission in August 2001, entitled Women in Parliament: a comparative analysis. This concluded that the use of positive measures was the decisive factor in determining levels of women's representation. The Fawcett Society has also been working on a project studying the experiences of women in parliamentary selections. Interim findings note that experience in the UK and elsewhere in Europe indicates that it is only through the use of positive action mechanisms that women's representation can be significantly increased. Copies of the EOC document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have identified good practice within political parties in other member states of the European Union which have resulted in a significant increase in the number of women elected to their national parliaments; and, if so, whether such practice could be applied in the United Kingdom.[HL727]
Baroness Morgan of Huyton: The Government are aware of a variety of methods used by other member states to increase the representation of women in parliament. Both the Constitution Unit at University College London and the Equal Opportunities Commission have produced work that highlights methods. The Minister for Transport, Local Government and the Regions has today introduced legislation so that the principle of reducing inequality
in the numbers of men and women elected within political parties may be applied in the UK just as it is in many other member states. Many parties in countries such as Sweden, Germany and France use some form of positive action. Due to different electoral systems, examples of good practice cannot always be applied directly, and it will be for the political parties to choose what practices, if any, they wish to use.
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What conclusions can be drawn from the number of women elected to the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the European Parliament; and how these conclusions might be applied to elections to the House of Commons. [HL728]
Baroness Morgan of Huyton: The Government are aware that women's representation in both the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament is significantly higher than in the House of Commons because of positive measures used in these elections by certain political parties. The Government have introduced legislation today in the other place to enable parties to use positive measures to seek to reduce inequality between numbers of men and women elected to all legislatures and councils in the UK and to the European Parliament.
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What legislative changes they propose to ensure that the proportion of women elected to the House of Commons reflects the proportion of women in the population; and what targets would be appropriate to measure progress.[HL729]
Baroness Morgan of Huyton: The Minister for Transport, Local Government and the Regions announced legislation to reduce the inequality in the numbers of women and men elected in the other place today. The Bill proposes to exclude from the operation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 positive measures political parties may take to reduce inequality in the numbers of men and women elected when selecting candidates. Equivalent amendments will be made to the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, which covers Northern Ireland. The elections covered will be those to Westminster, to devolved bodies, to local government in the UK and to the European Parliament. The legislation will be permissive and enable parties to use positive measures to reduce inequality in the representation of women and men within that party in an elected body; political parties are therefore free to determine their own targets and monitor progress.
Personal Medical Data
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 16 July (H.L. Deb., col. 1261), whether the Technical Regulations and Standards Directive are relevant to the transmission and use of personal medical data for research purposes; and, if so, in what ways.[HL419]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Technical Standards and Regulations Directive might apply to any technical regulations governing the transmission and use of personal medical data for research purposes if they fall within the information society service provisions of Directive 98/48/EC. At present no such technical regulations exist.
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