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Lord Rooker: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Carlisle, is absolutely right. The total number of sentences received by juveniles—that is, young people between the ages of 10 and 17—in the year 2000 in England and Wales was 91,000. Community sentences accounted for 39 per cent of that number. There were probation orders and supervision orders, and community service orders made up 5.3 per cent of the grand total, which is very high. With attendance centre orders, combination orders, curfew orders, reparation orders, action plan orders, and drug treatment and testing orders, community sentencing forms 40 per cent. That is a considerable improvement on what went on in the past. We are always looking at other systems, and I believe that the work carried out by the Youth Justice Board during the short time that it has been in existence has made a considerable contribution.
Baroness Howells of St Davids: My Lords, is the Minister aware that Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal takes an active part in an organisation called Crime Concern, which works in the most deprived parts of Britain? Some of its resources come from the Youth Justice Board, but at present it is trying to increase its funding. Does my noble friend believe that he will be able to get the Home Office involved far more in such funding? Crime Concern works not only with young people who have not committed crimes; it also works with families in the most deprived areas. I am pleased to tell noble Lords that it is also getting young people to write their own plays about their lives and to act them out with others. They are highly supervised.
Lord Rooker: My Lords, I want to answer my noble friend's question about funding. It is a very sensitive matter at present. If I say that the Home Office does not have enough funds, that will be construed as an attack on the Treasury, which it is not. If I say that we have all that we need, we shall be told, "Well, you don't need any more", and our funding will be cut back. Therefore, I shall have to take away for consideration the suggestion about funding.
My noble friend is right about the amount of work that is taking place. Of course, the Home Office is also part of the regional government machinery. Together with the Home Office agencies, it works with people in the regions so as to be more in touch with what is going on on the ground. I believe that in that way it will also make an important contribution.
Lord Lucas: My Lords, will the noble Lord join me in celebrating the success of drama in prison and, in particular, that of Shakespeare in prison, which engages the most resistant learners? It brings them out of themselves and starts them on the path to learning. It has a long and successful history. Will he also
celebrate the success of Shakespeare rather early in his time in writing in rap rhythm, which is extraordinarily helpful when one is trying to work in prisons?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, I am happy to support and agree with what the noble Lord said, but I shall certainly not get into Shakespeare and rap.
Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill
2.59 p.m.
Lord Skelmersdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have referred the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill to the European Commission under Directive 98/34 EC as amended by Directive 98/48 EC.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My Lords, we notified the Bill on 28th March. The notification is without prejudice to the Government's view that the Bill does not contain any technical regulations.
Lord Skelmersdale: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for confirming what was slipped out by Written Questions in both Houses of Parliament. Does the noble Lord agree that this is an extraordinary situation as the Government have made a complete U-turn, having resisted such a proposition on no less than five different occasions?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No, my Lords. We have always taken the view that this is not notifiable. We have listened carefully to the arguments put forward by many noble Lords during the passage of the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill through your Lordships House. As a result of the points that were raised, we decided, as a precaution, that it would be sensible to notify, as we have done. We remain of the view that it is not notifiable, but as a result of the discussions in your Lordships' House, I believe that we are justified in notifying as a precautionary measure.
Lord Clement-Jones: My Lords, I congratulate the Minister and his colleagues on adopting the Bill in the other place, where today it has its Second Reading. Will he join with me in deploring the decision of the Conservative Front Bench in the other place, which is in stark contrast to the decision of the Conservative Front Bench in this House, to oppose a Second Reading for the Bill on the spurious ground that there is a lack of evidence that the Bill will be effective and on the ground that the stand-still provisions under the technical services directive will apply?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, for his initiative in bringing forward a Bill in this place. I pay tribute to the skills of his draftsmanship in so doing. On the position of the party opposite, I must express
my great disappointment that it does not seek to support the intent of the Bill. If the Bill passes in another place, I have no doubt whatever that it will have an enormous impact in terms of reducing smoking among the people of this country.
Lord Bruce of Donington: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the two directives cited in the Question have little other than general relevance to the Question? At the moment the matter is in the hands of the Conciliation Committee of the European Parliament and the Council. Once the Council reveals its decision, it has to be laid before the Scrutiny Committee of both Houses before it can become effective.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, I doubt that anyone knows more than my noble friend of the intricacies of European legislation. I believe that he refers to the European advertising directive. In 1998 we supported a directive that provided for a comprehensive tobacco advertising ban in Europe. That was challenged in the courts and in October 2000 it was struck down by the European Court of Justice. As a result, the Government decided to deliver its commitment by way of UK legislation, which, if the current Bill passes in another place, we will have done. However, my noble friend is right. Since then the European Commission has brought forward further proposals for a directive on tobacco advertising and sponsorship. That is still subject to discussion within Europe.
Lord Naseby: My Lords, as the Minister has indicated that notification of the Bill was in response to the protestations made from noble Lords on this side of the House, will he tell the House whether in the interim he has also considered the situation of treating all sports equally, or is Formula 1 motor racing the only sport to be allowed a long period in which to comply whereas every other sport is to be treated on a short timeframe?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, I had thought that the issue of notification had been raised by noble Lords from various parts of your Lordships' House, including the Cross Benches. On sponsorship, the noble Lord knows that our intent is that sponsorship events with a view to promoting tobacco advertisements need to stop, but we do not want the ban to harm sports. When the original Bill was debated, we made it clear that we believe that it is right, subject to consultation, to expect most tobacco sponsorship of sporting events to end as soon as possible, but that global sporting events which receive considerable income from tobacco interests should be given a certain period of time to phase out the use of tobacco sponsorship. That remains the position of the Government.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, is it the case that there are no European Union or WTO free trade rules that prevent governments from making
exemptions in order to protect health? As the Bill when enacted will have the effect of saving at least 3,000 lives a year, it falls into that category.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, my noble friend puts the matter correctly. From the evidence that I have seen, both from the World Bank and from Clive Smee, the economist commissioned by the previous government to look at the impact of a ban on tobacco advertising, there is no doubt that the effects of the Bill, if passed by another place, will have a positive impact on our overall strategy to reduce smoking in this country.
Business
Lord Carter: My Lords, at a convenient moment after 4.30 p.m., my noble friend Lady Amos will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement that is being made in another place on Israel and the Occupied Territories.
The Queen's Golden Jubilee
3.6 p.m.
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn) rose to move, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty to congratulate Her Majesty on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of Her Accession to the Throne.
The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords, this is an historic occasion. The whole House will agree with me when I say that, as the fifth longest serving monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has had an exceptional reign.
Over the past 50 years she has met more people in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and overseas than any other monarch. She has been advised by 10 Prime Ministers, including Lord Home of the Hirsel, the last Prime Minister to sit, even if briefly, in this House. She has given Royal Assent to no fewer than 3,135 Acts of Parliament and has opened Parliament on 49 occasions. Those statistics bear witness to the quantity of work that Her Majesty has performed, but they do not describe to us the grace and dignity with which Her Majesty has reigned. It is those qualities that we celebrate today.
The past months have not been exclusively happy. We hope that tomorrow's ceremonies will mark the beginning of a brighter period for Her Majesty. We can look forward to a great season of celebrations over the coming months. We shall see country and Commonwealth join together to celebrate 50 years of Her Majesty's reign. There will be street parties, concerts, parades and tributes as all join together, with the Royal Family, to mark this splendid anniversary.
I know that your Lordships will wish to join together to thank Her Majesty for half a century of service, to offer her our affection and support. In
agreeing this humble Address, we express our hopes that the years ahead will be rich in joy and fulfilment for her and for the nation. I beg to move.
Moved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty to congratulate Her Majesty on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of Her Accession to the Throne.—(Lord Williams of Mostyn.)
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