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Prisons: Male and Female Use
Lord Tomlinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans to change prisons for men to female use.[HL1607]
Lord Rooker: The number of women in prisons continues to rise steeply, dramatically exceeding the most recent population projections. Extra capacity is urgently needed and the Prison Service has decided that the best way of providing this is a further change of function of male accommodation. Buckley Hall prison near Rochdale has been selected as the most suitable option in terms of suitable accommodation, geographical location, staffing arrangements and other related factors. The prison is expected to be ready to accept female prisoners from early next year.
Red Diesel
Lord Donoughue asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 31 October (WA 162)—
Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 31 October (WA 162) stating that XCustoms data ... do not indicate the end use", how it is officially decided that a user is or is not within the categories qualified legally to enjoy this privileged rate of duty.[HL 1354]
(a) which categories of off-road vehicles (including railways) qualify for the privileged use of Xred diesel"; and
(b) which category Customs assesses to be the largest user of red diesel; and [HL 1353]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The categories of off-road vehicles entitled to use red diesel are set out in Schedule 1 to the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act (HODA) 1979. Customs has made no assessment of the quantities of red diesel used by different categories.
In deciding eligibility to the rebated rate of duty, the user (the individual or company buying rebated oil) must be satisfied that the end use to which the rebated fuel is put is an eligible one, based on the definitions set out in HODA (and explained in Customs and Excise Notice 75 (Fuel for diesel vehicles)). For the majority of users, this decision is clear cut and is based on the type of vehicle the fuel will be used in and where it will be used (HODA Sections 11-12 and Schedule 1). Where there is any doubt, they should consult their supplier for advice and contact the Customs National Advice Service if unsure.
Customs' road fuel testing units provide checks, targeted to particular risks, which aim to detect and discourage misuse of these fuels as road fuels. In doing so, they will seek evidence in support of the user's judgment of eligibility.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): I invited the Information Commissioner to express her views on a timetable for the implementation of the Act based on the practical considerations for her office in advance of a decision being taken by the Government. She said that it would be sensible to implement the publication scheme and right of access provisions together on a phased timetable, largely following the structure of Schedule 1 to the Act. She also made it clear that it was for Government to decide on a timetable for implementation.
Though I took into account the Information Commissioner's views, I also had to take into account the views of those who will be implementing the Act in the public sector and those of ministerial colleagues. The Government reached the view that it was right to implement the publication scheme provisions of the Act first as set out in the schedule I have placed in the House Library.
The Information Commissioner has welcomed the announcement of a firm timetable for the implementation for the Act.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Chancellor: The Government have decided that the publication scheme provisions of the Act will be implemented for central government in November 2002 at the start of a rolling programme of implementation across the public sector. The individual right of access to information will be implemented for all public authorities at the end of this process in January 2005. This is the Government's preferred approach because it allows time for the required training to be undertaken and appropriate procedures to be put in place to ensure a workable Freedom of Information Act is implemented in a changed culture. It also aligns the implementation of the right of access provisions with the Government's target for the electronic records management project. This initiative will enable the fast retrieval and accurate creation and storage records that will be necessary to meet the demands of the Act.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Chancellor: Her Majesty's Government will consider the concluding observations and any recommendations the committee may make once they are available in their final form.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): I deeply regret that the Turkish Government continue to deny entry to that country by the noble Lord, as we regret all bars on travel to Turkey imposed on British citizens. We have raised the noble Lord's case on a number of occasions this year, most recently by myself on 18 September during my meeting with the Turkish Minister of State, Dr Kemal Dervis. I also spoke with the Turkish Ambassador to London about this matter in July. The issue was also recently raised with the Director General for Human Rights in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs by our Embassy in Ankara. We have not received a satisfactory response; merely the information that the ban has been reviewed twice yet kept in place. The European Council has made clear that Turkey cannot start negotiations to join the EU until it has fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria.
Lord Palmer asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): It will be possible to give the final estimated cost of the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme after it has closed to applicants. The scheme closes on 31 December 2001 and will not be repeated next year. To date, the combined costs of the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme and Light Lamb Scheme are approximately £400 million. A little over half of this has been payments to farmers and the rest is made up by the costs of processing the animals, including transport, slaughter and disposal of carcases. The final cost will depend on demand for the scheme between now and the end of the year.
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have received from
the Information Commissioner about the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.[HL 1296]
What obstacles, if any, are impeding the bringing into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by October 2002 in relation to central government departments.[HL1297]
Whether they will accept the recommendations by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in its concluding observations of 29 October, on the fifth periodic report submitted by the United Kingdom, to consider, as a matter of priority, how persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom may be guaranteed effective and consistent protection for the full range of rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including accession to the first Optional Protocol.[HL1298]
On what occasions in the present calendar year they have taken up with the Turkish authorities the prohibition on certain British citizens entering Turkey; what reply they received on each of these occasions; and whether they will ensure that, in considering the progress made by Turkey towards meeting the Copenhagen criteria for accession to the European Union, the Council of Ministers are informed of this matter.[HL1237]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 24 October (WA 134) about the cost to public funds of the foot and mouth epidemic, when they will be in a position to give the cost of the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme.[HL1092]
What initiatives they have taken since June to reduce youth unemployment.[HL815]
26 Nov 2001 : Column WA9
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): Our policies, built on a foundation of a strong and stable economy, have helped to reduce long term youth unemployment by almost three-quarters since 1997.
The New Deal for Young People is continuing to play an active part in helping young people improve their job prospects and move into work. The programme has already helped 326,300 long-term unemployed young people move into work, over 25,000 of those between June and August 2001.
In our Green Paper, Towards Full Employment in a Modern Society, published in March, we outlined our strategy for building on the success of the New Deal for Young People and improving its performance even further. Since June we have introduced Recruit, a pilot initiative to help employers in deprived areas employ more people through the New Deal's employment option; broadened training within New Deal to allow training that leads to a certificate recognised by employers in their occupational areas; increased the permitted length of work experience placement for New Dealers to eight weeks to enhance their employability; and revised the entry conditions for the New Deal employment option so participants can enter the option from the day they enter the programme.
We also extended our action teams for jobs initiative to cover 53 areas by October 2001 and 63 areas by January 2002. Action teams provide locally tailored solutions to help people into work.
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