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South Mimms and Clacket Lane Services: Lorry Parking
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the provision of service area facilities for drivers of heavy goods vehicles at South Mimms and Clacket Lane services on the M25 is adequate.[HL4128]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Although the facilities at South Mimms and Clacket Lane, including the number of lorry parking spaces, meet the requirements which we place on their operators, traffic growth has increased pressure on lorry parking at both service areas. Proposals exist for further services on the western side of the M25 to help relieve the pressure but finding a site which is acceptable in planning terms has proved difficult. The department is meanwhile due shortly to meet representatives of the haulage industry, lorry drivers and service area operators to review ways of improving both the quantity and quality of lorry drivers' facilities throughout the motorway network.
Lorry Routeing
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will advise drivers of heavy goods vehicles in general to avoid using B class roads when there is an alternative route that uses exclusively A roads and that alternative route is not disproportionately longer.[HL4129]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Any lorry journey will inevitably require a driver to use different classses of road. The Government made clear in Sustainable Distribution: A Strategy published in 1999 that lorries should not travel on unsuitable roads unless they have to use them for collection or delivery. Local traffic authorities can make traffic regulation orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to ensure that lorries do not use unsuitable roads. The Government expect authorities to address issues such as lorry access and routeing through their local transport plans.
Flight BA 2069
Lord Grenfell asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made in reviewing the circumstances of the incident on board flight BA 2069 on 29 December 2000 when a mentally disturbed passenger seized the aircraft controls.[HL4241]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Civil Aviation Authority has reported on the outcome of its review of the incident on 29 December 2000 and we placed in the Libraries of both Houses a report of the authority's findings. We are satisfied that the security and safety lessons from the incident for the travelling public have
already been fully taken into account in the actions taken since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.Digital Switchover
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to mount a public information campaign on analogue switch off, including a reminder to every analogue television purchaser that if the target date for analogue switch off is met, their television will be not be capable of receiving television transmissions without the use of a set top box or decoder.[HL4037]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): One of the key tasks of the Digital Television Action Plan is to keep under review the timing of any government-led information campaign on digital switchover, taking into account the rate of take-up of digital services, the availability and range of digital equipment and choice of platform. The Market Preparation Group is developing a strategic marketing and communication plan to prepare consumers for the switchover to digital and we will look to its advice on information campaigns.
Performing Arts: ATW Benefit
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the statement by Lord Davies of Oldham on 29 April (HL Deb, col. 547), what measures they propose to take to ensure that
(a) applications for access to work (ATW) benefit are processed swiftly enough so that those in the performing arts who are on short-term or part-time contracts can make a successful claim; (b) ATW benefit will cover personal assistance needs of those employed in the performing arts who are travelling to work in non-office environments; and (c) ATW will be available to disabled people who are on work experience or placements in training in the performing arts.[HL4095]
Baroness Blackstone: Access to work benefit is managed by Jobcentre Plus, which has sought to improve the delivery of access to work over the past 12 months by introducing improvements to the applications process. These include creation of access to work business centres in the English regions, Scotland and Wales: specialist access to work advisers; and improved access channels to contact the business centres telephone, e-mail and textphones.
One outcome of these changes is that, where possible, support is approved by telephone. If support is needed at particularly short notice, for example travel costs to get to work, access to work advisers can now agree temporary costs immediately by telephone while a fuller appraisal of need is undertaken.
Access to work support is not restricted to specific occupations or work environments. Support workers, including personal assistants, and travel needs are growing areas with access to work. During 2000–01 over half the money spent and a third of new applications to access to work were for travel and human support.
Extending access to work in the way suggested could have an unintentionally adverse effect by limiting the resources Jobcentre Plus has available to help disabled people already in, or about to start, paid jobs and encourage employers to recruit disabled people. Separate funds already exist to provide additional support to disabled people undertaking work experience, placements or training through a Jobcentre Plus programme, such as the New Deal for Disabled People.
Performing Arts: Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the debate on 29 April (HL Deb, col. 533), what measures they are taking to assist educational bodies which offer courses in the performing arts to adjust their recruitment policies, their courses and their buildings so that they can comply with the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.[HL4096]
Baroness Blackstone: One hundred and seventy-two million pounds have been allocated in 2002–04 for the implementation of the new post-16 educational duties. This will help publicly funded further and higher education institutions, including those which offer courses in the performing arts, to improve disabled access to buildings and in the provision of specialised equipment.
Wholly privately-funded post-16 providers and providers of work-based training are not covered by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, but remain subject to Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act on goods, facilities and services. The Disability Rights Commission has prepared codes of practice to help schools and providers of post-16 education plan for the new duties coming into force from September 2002. Subject to parliamentary approval for the codes, the commission intends to publish them in early summer.
National Stadium
Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will make an announcement on the national stadium project.[HL4157]
Baroness Blackstone: I refer my noble friend to the statement I made to the House on Tuesday 7 May (Official Report, col. 1031–33).
Peerages: Agreement of the Government of Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 26 March (WA 44) concerning the consultation of the Irish Government on the conferment of peerages, whether they will explain what is meant by the term Irish national.[HL3791]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): Irish nationality, and qualification for Irish nationality, is a matter for the Government of Ireland.
Questions for Written Answer
Lord Peyton of Yeovil asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish a table showing department by department the length of time taken to reply to Questions for Written Answer during this session and stating which department is most frequently in default of what is required by courtesy as well as by the rules of the House.[HL4005]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The information requested is not currently available for this session.
A new computer database has recently been installed in my office which will enable this information to be provided in the future.
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to find out the reason why on 1 May, 65 Questions for Written Answer were still awaiting answer for longer than 21 days; and[HL4150]
Whether 14 days remains the length of time during which Questions for Written Answer in the House of Lords should receive a reply.[HL4151]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The longstanding problem of the time taken to reply to Parliamentary Questions is an issue of concern. I am taking a number of steps to address this problem.
A new computer database has recently been installed in my office which is helping my office to chase progress on late Answers and provide more helpful replies in future to Questions raised on this issue.
I have also asked the house authorities whether they will look into the feasibility of designating the answering department when the Question appears on the Order Paper. This would not necessitate any change in the House of Lords' practice of addressing Questions to ''Her Majesty's Government'' but it would help with the administrative process of ensuring that departments are aware of their responsibilities.
I can confirm that departments are still expected to reply to Written Questions within 14 days.
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