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Lord Dixon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What schemes they have introduced to assist the shipbuilding and ship repair industries since 1997.[HL1712]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: No new schemes to assist the shipbuilding and ship repair industries have been introduced since 1997. However, considerable improvements have been made within existing schemes to assist those industries to improve their competitive performance. In addition to those through department's innovation budget (see the answer to PQ 2001/1602), we have made substantial enhancements to the two sector-specific schemes—the Shipbuilding Intervention Fund (SIF) and the Home Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme (HSCGS).
SIF ceased at the end of last year, as did all other forms of shipbuilding operating aid across the EU, but during the final phase of the scheme we extended its scope and made other changes to make it more attractive to the shipyards. We permitted an element of profit in the calculations of grant levels and broadened eligibility, both geographically and by class of ship.
As regards the HSCGS under which the DTI provides soft credit facilities to ship owners in the form of loan guarantees, we have made the scheme more flexible by providing support for loans in US dollars and euros and by providing guarantees at floating rates.
Lord Dixon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans to set up a high-level interdepartmental working group to consider a maritime policy for the United Kingdom embracing shipping, shipbuilding and ship repairing.[HL1713]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A high-level interdepartmental committee already exists to support the work of the Shipbuilding Forum. This latter body was established in the summer of 1998 to bring together all interested parties in the UK shipbuilding and ship repair industries. Membership includes the Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association, the Society of Maritime Industries, the Chamber of Shipping, the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, the Engineering and Marine
Training Agency and officials of interested government departments (Defence, Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Trade and Industry, Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Executive). The report of the Shipbuilding Forum was published in December 1998 and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.Northumberland: Foot and Mouth Status
Baroness Maddock asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will designate the Berwick Borough and Alnwick District areas of Northumberland as foot and mouth disease-free areas.[HL1584]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The reclassifying of a county to free status firstly requires that county to have had no new cases of foot and mouth disease for a period of at least 90 days and for the necessary serological testing to be complete and to satisfy the Chief Veterinary Officer's requirements. The last confirmed case in Northumberland was on 29 September. It cannot be reclassified as foot and mouth disease-free until 28 December at the earliest. With regard to the possibility of splitting the county, local interests have been consulted in Northumberland and the majority viewpoint is that the county should remain a single entity for the purposes of the AMLS.
Hound Trailing
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will consider, at an early date, issuing licences to permit the training of puppies in the Lake District, bred and kept solely for the sport of hound trailing (which is not a blood sport), where the trail is no more than a mile in length and confined to only one agricultural holding, on no more than seven sites on a regional basis around that area of Cumbria where hound trailing is an historic activity.[HL1679]
Lord Whitty: Hound trailing comes within the definition of hunting in the Foot and Mouth Disease Order 1983 (as amended) and is currently prohibited throughout England and Wales by virtue of that order and the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Declaratory (Controlled Area) (England and Wales) (No. 3) Order 2001. The activities associated with hound trailing create a similar risk of spreading foot and mouth disease to other forms of hunting and will be treated the same for that reason.
A veterinary risk assessment has been prepared on hunting with dogs, which has been published together with detailed proposals to ease the current restrictions on hunting. These documents have been placed in the Library of the House. From 17 December, hunting with dogs, including hound trailing, will be allowed
under a temporary permit system in foot and mouth disease free counties, except onto premises subject to Form A or D restrictions or any like restrictions under Article 38 of the Foot and Mouth Disease Order. It is not proposed to permit the resumption of hound trailing or any other form of hunting with dogs in Cumbria until that county attains the status of a foot and mouth disease-free county.Defra: Strike Action
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many working days have been lost to strike action in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since the department was launched.[HL1818]
Lord Whitty: Between the launch of the department and 4 December, a total of 16,020 working days has been lost due to strike action by departmental staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services Union.
Defra: Staffing
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the current levels of staffing within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[HL1819]
Lord Whitty: As at 1 November 2001, the department had 8,157 members of staff plus a further 5,952 in its agencies, making a total of 14,109.
Rent Restructuring: Local Authorities
Baroness Hanham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to publish examples of the impact of rent restructuring on individual authorities.[HL1623]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Local authorities are responsible for deciding rents. It is therefore a matter for individual authorities.
Safeway: Plough Lane Application
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will announce their decision relating to the planning application by Safeway plc on land at Plough Lane, London SW19; and what has been the reason for the delay of over a year since their inspector concluded his report and submitted it.[HL1807]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The decision to refuse planning permission for mixed use development by Safeway plc on land at Plough Lane, London SW19 was issued on 6 December 2001. The public inquiry into this called in planning application closed on 27 September 2000. The inspector's report was received by the Government Office (GOL) for London on 1 February 2001. GOL's target for issuing a decision was 20 June 2001. The issues involved in the case were complex and a detailed examination was warranted. It should not have taken so long. As the noble Lord will be aware, we plan to issue a Green Paper on the future of the planning system very shortly and we shall be looking closely at ways to speed up the process.
English Speakers of Other Languages Teachers
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect the completion of the development of a package of training and support materials for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) teachers; and when they expect to deliver an intensive programme, which will train all teachers who work six hours or more to deliver the new core ESOL curriculum; and[HL1509]
When they expect to produce the support package for all those who teach refugees and asylum seekers; and[HL1510]
Whether the funding for the development of the national core curriculum for ESOL's final version will be available in December 2001.[HL1511]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): As part of Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills, the Government are fully committed to providing good quality English language provision for adults who do not speak English as their first language. The core curriculum for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), based on the National Standards for Adult Literacy, has been developed following consultation and will be published by my department on 20 December 2001.
An intensive teacher training programme to train all teachers who work six or more hours per week to deliver the ESOL core curriculum began in September: 2,500 teachers will have completed their training by April 2002. As part of this work, a report on the use of existing ESOL diagnostic assessment tools will be produced to inform the production of a new ESOL diagnostic assessment instrument by September 2002. Guidance for teachers will also be produced on how to report learner progress against the national standards and ESOL curriculum. In addition, we intend to develop ESOL learning materials and train teachers in their use.
We are currently producing a support pack for people working with asylum seekers and refugees. This will include advice and guidance for workers, managers and teachers and will be available in April 2002. Further guidance to support the education of children of asylum seekers and refugees is also being developed.
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