---

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in view of the proposal in the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, to allow elected regional assemblies in England to precept on the council tax in their region, they intend to legislate

21 May 2002 : Column WA87

for a similar power for the National Assembly for Wales.[HL4304]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: No. There are significant differences between the responsibilities and budget of the National Assembly for Wales and those proposed for elected regional assemblies in England. We have followed the precedent of the Greater London Authority in proposing a precepting power for regional assemblies in England, but this does not mean that we believe that a precepting power is also necessary for the National Assembly for Wales.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many member countries of the United Nations have a smaller population than the North West of England region as defined in the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice.[HL4305]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Based on the most recent estimates of population, we believe that 97 of the 189 members of the United Nations have a population below that of the north-west region of England.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many and which quangos would be brought under the direct control of elected regional assemblies in the North East and the North West respectively under the proposals in the White Paper on regional government.[HL4333]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: An elected regional assembly would be responsible for the Regional Development Agency in its region. It would take on the strategic and resource allocation role of the local office of the Housing Corporation.

It is also the Government's intention that accountability and funding for the arts and sports which are regional in character will be devolved to an assembly in a way which protects national priorities. In putting this into practice on arts, the Government will take account of the experience of the new regional framework and any reviews of it. In deciding the best arrangements to apply this principle to sport, the Government will take account of the current review of sport in England by the Performance and Innovation Unit and the quinquennial review of Sport England.

In addition, elected regional assemblies will have influence over a range of public bodies, including the Learning and Skills Council, the Small Business Service, the Highways Agency, the Strategic Railways Authority, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Agency and English Nature.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many civil servants are currently employed by government departments with a specific north- west remit; and how many would be transferred to the direct employment of the North West Assembly under the proposals set out in the White Paper on regional government.[HL4334]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Approximately 325 staff work for the Government Office for the North West,

21 May 2002 : Column WA88

which carries out activities on behalf of nine government departments. The number of posts to transfer to an elected assembly for the North West will depend on the number of posts devoted to the relevant function at the time of transfer but might be in the region of 50 to 100 posts.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will lay down criteria such as minimum size for unitary local authorities that may be proposed as part of schemes for regional government in England; and, if so, what they will be.[HL4335]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: We will be asking the Boundary Committee for England to recommend the best 100 per cent unitary structure for a region, having regard to the twin criteria of needing to reflect the identities and interests of local communities and securing effective, convenient local government.

Baroness Hanham asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the estimated cost of introducing directly elected regional government in each of the eight regions.[HL4368]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Costs will vary from region to region, mainly because of the different sizes of their electorates. But we expect them all to fall in a range around £15 million to £30 million a region. This estimate includes all costs necessary to establish an assembly, including the cost of a referendum and of the first elections to an assembly.

As chapter 5 of the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, says, we expect regional assemblies to bring about savings and other benefits which need to be set against their costs. We believe that an elected regional assembly is a public investment that can have a major impact on a region's productivity and prosperity, as well as increasing democratic accountability over decisions taken at the regional level.

Baroness Hanham asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the regions as defined in the White Paper are those which equate to regions of the European Union.[HL4370]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Successive UK governments have established the boundaries of the regions that will now be used for elected regional assemblies. With some changes over time, they have been used for certain administrative and statistical purposes since the Second World War. They are now used by, for example, the Government Offices and regional development agencies and for the constituencies for European parliamentary elections. These UK boundaries are also recognised by the European Union for relevant purposes, but the boundaries are ones that the UK Government and Parliament have decided.

21 May 2002 : Column WA89

Vehicular Weight Restrictions: Enforcement

Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:

How European Parliament weight restrictions on lorries and other vehicles entering Britain are enforced in England and Wales.[HL4358]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) is responsible, in conjunction with other authorities, for enforcing HGV and other vehicles weight restrictions. The Vehicle Inspectorate uses fixed weighbridge sites, mobile weighpads and weigh-in-motion units to check compliance with weight restrictions. Overloading offences are dealt with by issuing a prohibition notice and by prosecution.

Bishopsgate Goodsyard

Lord Redesdale asked Her Majesty's Government:

Given the recent listing of the Braithewaite Viaduct at Bishopsgate Goodsyard, whether the demolition proposed by London Undergound Ltd at Bishopsgate Goodsyard requires listed building consent.[HL4391]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: It is for the local planning authority in the first instance to decide whether listed building consent is required for particular works on the basis of the facts of the case.

Railtrack

Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:

Who is the ultimate controlling party of Railtrack plc.[HL4340]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Since 7 October 2001, the special railway administrators (Alan Bloom, Christopher Hill, Scott Martin and Michael Rollings) have managed the affairs, business and property of Railtrack plc.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the nationalisation of Railtrack would be compatible with European Community law.[HL4348]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: European Community law does not prohibit the nationalisation of Railtrack. The Treaty of Rome requires EC law to be neutral as between different forms of property ownership and it is left to member states to decide whether they provide public services themselves or entrust that provision to a third party.

There are no plans to renationalise Railtrack.

Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:

21 May 2002 : Column WA90

When the Financial Services Authority is expected to report on insider dealing in Railtrack shares; and whether the report will be published.[HL4317]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Individual investigations on insider dealing are an operational matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and it is for the FSA not the Government to comment on investigations.

Northern Ireland: Customs and Excise Staff

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many Customs and Excise officers were based in Northern Ireland on 1 January of the past 10 years.[HL4233]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Figures for the number of staff employed by HM Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland on 1 January for the past 10 years are not available. However, figures are available for 1 April each year. The figures are full time equivalent (part-timers counted as proportion of the full-time post).

1 April 2002: 584

1 April 2001: 590

1 April 2000: 554

1 April 1999: 565

1 April 1998: 585

1 April 1997: 552

1 April 1996: 626

1 April 1995: 615

1 April 1994: 678

1 April 1993: 639

VAT on Digitally Delivered Products

The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are satisfied that the rules recently approved by the European Union requiring United States and other non-European Union firms to levy value added tax on digitally delivered products are not discriminatory and will not lead to tax discrepancies within the European Union.[HL4260]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: I refer the noble Lord to the Explanatory Memorandum (5954/02) published by the Paymaster General on 6 February 2002.

---