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Health Professions Order
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the statement by the Minister of State, Department of Health, in the House of Commons Fourth Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation on 26 November on the draft Health Professions Order, what proposals they have to ensure that all 12 allied health professions in the four United Kingdom countries will be effectively represented through professional advisory committees.[HL1778]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It will be for the new Health Professions Council to decide on membership of the professional advisory committees. The legislation provides for professional majorities and access to the council and its statutory committees.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the statement by the Minister of State for Health in Standing Committee in the House of Commons on the draft Health Professions Order on 26 November (col. 30), whether they are proposing that the professional advisory committees should hold regular meetings and be given adequate powers to perform their role.[HL1796]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Health Professions Order 2001 provides for the Health Professions Council to set up professional advisory committees (PACs) with a majority of professional members to advise the council or its statutory committees on matters affecting any relevant profession. The order also permits the council to delegate functions to the PACs other than rule-making. How the PACs actually function will be a matter for the new council.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether non-state registered chiropodists will be involved in the election of representatives on the new health professions committee only if they become registered.[HL1797]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It will be a matter for the new Health Professions Council to determine the election scheme by which professional members are elected to the new council. Only registrants will be able to take part in the election.
Chiropodists
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will provide indepedently audited evidence of the number of chiropodists in the non-state registered sector.[HL1798]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government do not keep records of the number of chiropodists in the non-state registered sector.
Physical Activity
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In which fora the Department for Culture, Media and Sport works jointly with the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health on policy issues regarding the promotion of physical activity.[HL1675]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): The Department for Culture, Media and Sport works jointly with the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health in the following fora: monthly cross-governmental ministerial meetings which are chaired by my right honourable friend the Minister for Sport; the School Sport Alliance; the Older People and Physical Activity Working Group; the Cabinet Committee on Older People; and the Qualification and Curriculum Authority group steering the review of PE and school sport. We are also working closely with the other departments on the joint spending review on children at risk and reducing health inequalities.
Apsley House
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have reached an agreement with regard to the transfer of Apsley House to a charitable trust; and, if so, whether such an agreement will require parliamentary approval.[HL1717]
Baroness Blackstone: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has decided to introduce new arrangements for the future management of both the fabric of Apsley House, the last historic building for which DCMS retains responsibility, and the Wellington Museum, currently run by the V&A. A contracting out order to be laid before Parliament will, if approved by both Houses, allow certain of the Secretary of State's functions under the Wellington Museum Act 1947 to be contracted out. The functions to be contracted out are intended to relate to the maintenance of the fabric of Apsley House and the running of the Wellington Museum. It is expected that expressions of interest in taking on the contract will be sought through an advertisement and that tenders will then be invited.
Republic of Ireland President: Police Escort
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether on a recent visit to the Belfast area by the President of the Republic of Ireland, Mary McAleese, her police escort were required to remove their remembrance poppies; and, if so, by whom and why. [HL1456]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The officers of the police escort who accompanied the President of the Republic of Ireland on a recent visit to the Belfast area were not required to remove their poppies. However, following a discussion between the officers it was agreed that poppies would not be openly displayed during an evening function.
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in view of the letter from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland of 24 March 1999 asking for advice on a Bill of Human Rights for Northern Ireland and indicating that there was no time limit, they consider the consultation period of less than three months set by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to be adequate; and, if so, why. [HL1529]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on Tuesday 27 November (Official Report, col. WA21).
Northern Ireland Police Service
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether candidates for recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland who because of their religious background are requested to resit the tests more than once will have all of their expenses paid, including loss of other earnings. [H1554]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Each police recruitment, competition is discrete. Candidates who were not successful in the first competition, for whatever reason, will not have their expenses paid should they decide to re-apply.
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
(a) what was the cost of the designs of the alternative proposals for badges for members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and
(b) whether consideration will be given to further proposals for the design of police badges for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [HL1558]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The aggregate costs for the sample emblem designs were £41,329.45 inclusive of VAT. This figure includes research, presentation materials and colour photocopying.
As the Minister of State, Jane Kennedy, said when she wrote to the statutory consultees on the emblems: Xthe Government has provided possible designs for the emblem or badge. These by no means cover all the possibilities. They are intended to assist the board in their consideration of this important matter. The board may well have ideas of their own".
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Applicants to the Police Service of Northern Ireland are not required to state their current occupation; this information is sought only from candidates who progress to a certain stage in the recruitment competition. It is not, therefore, possible to determine how many applicants were from other forces.
Lord Brett asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The terms of reference of the Senior Salaries Review Body have been revised as follows to allow the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the National Assembly for Wales and the Greater London Authority to ask for advice on the pay, pensions and allowances of their members and office holders.
The Review Body on Senior Salaries provides independent advice to the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Defence on the remuneration of holders of judicial office; senior civil servants; senior officers of the armed forces; and other such public appointments as may from time to time be specified.
The Review Body also advises the Prime Minister from time to time on the pay and pensions of Members of Parliament and their allowances; on Peer's allowances; and on the pay, pensions and allowances of Ministers and others whose pay is determined by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act 1975. If asked to do so by the Presiding Officer and the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament jointly; or by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly; or by the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales; or by the Mayor of London and Chair of the Greater London Assembly jointly; the Review Body also from time to time advises those bodies on the pay, pensions and allowances of their members and office holders.
In reaching its recommendations, the Review Body is to have regard to the following considerations:
How many applications they have had from serving officers in other police forces to join the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and whether he will list the forces and the numbers concerned. [HL1595]
If they will set out the revised terms of reference of the Senior Salaries Review Body.[HL1959]
the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able and qualified people to exercise their different responsibilities;
10 Dec 2001 : Column WA179
- Government policies for improving the public services including the requirement on departments to meet the output targets for the delivery of departmental services;
- the funds available to departments as set out in the Government's departmental expenditure limits;
- the Government's inflation target.
- differences in terms and conditions of employment between the public and private sectors and between the remit groups, taking account of relative job security and the value of benefits in kind;
- changes in national pay systems, including flexibility and the reward of success; and job weight in differentiating the remuneration of particular posts; and
- the need to maintain broad linkage between the remuneration of the three main remit groups, while allowing sufficient flexibility to take account of the circumstances of each group.
- to ensure that, as appropriate, the remuneration of the remit groups relates coherently to that of their subordinates, encourages efficiency and effectiveness, and takes account of the different management and organisational structures that may be in place from time to time;
- to relate reward to performance where appropriate;
- to maintain the confidence of those covered by the Review Body's remit that its recommendations have been properly and fairly determined; and
- to ensure that the remuneration of those covered by the remit is consistent with the Government's equal opportunities policy.
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