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Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 10 June, what are their reasons for considering that it is inappropriate to create an independent supreme court for the United Kingdom with equivalent resources and facilities to the supreme courts of other common law countries.[HL4703]
The Lord Chancellor: It is not necessarily inappropriate; nor are the current arrangements inappropriate, and they work well. As far as a new supreme court building is concerned, the Government do not presently attach a sufficient public expenditure priority to its creation.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 10 June (WA 3) whether they will consider the views of the Joint Select Committee on House of Lords Reform before reaching a conclusion as to whether a new supreme court for the United Kingdom should be created, independent of the House of Lords.[HL4704]
The Lord Chancellor: The Government are not presently convinced that there is a sufficient case for making a change in the existing arrangements. If the joint committee on reform of the House of Lords makes proposals in this area, the Government would of course consider them.
Guantanamo Bay
Lord Dubs asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether officials have recently visited the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay.[HL4724]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Deau): British officials paid a third visit to Guantanamo Bay between 27 and 31 May. The purpose of the visit was to ask questions relevant to national security, to confirm the identity and nationality of two British detainees transferred there in May and to check on the welfare of all seven British detainees. The officials were from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Security Service.
The officials met the detainees individually. US officials were able to observe the interviews. One detainee had sustained injuries in Afghanistan. He and the US authorities confirmed that he was receiving medical treatment for them. The other detainees appeared to be in satisfactory physical health, though some of them complained of ailments which are being addressed. Some detainees raised concerns about their status and other aspects of their detention and conditions at Guantanamo which British officials discussed with the camp authorities. The officials saw no visible sign of mistreatment.
British officials delivered to the camp authorities letters from some of the detainees' families to be passed to the detainees. Some of the detainees asked the officials to relay oral messages to their families. We
have passed them and the details of the detainees' circumstances to their families. Personal details are not disclosed in this Answer for reasons of privacy. The detainees confirmed that they were able to send and receive letters to and from their families through the camp authorities and through the International Committee of the Red Cross.All detainees were now housed in recently built indoor accommodation including individual sleeping, toilet and washing facilities and air-conditioning. The detainees confirmed that they were able to practise their religion and take exercise. The detainees also have access to reading and writing material.
The visiting team found the US camp authorities open and co-operative.
The ICRC continues to maintain a presence at Guantanamo Bay and has access on demand to the detainees.
EU Internal Market Council: Procurement Rules
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What representations they will make to the Internal Market Council of the European Union on 21 May when it considers new European Union public procurement rules.[HL4408]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Government believe that the proposals for amending the EC public procurement rules, which were agreed at the Internal Market Council on 21 May, are consistent with our objectives of simplifying, clarifying and updating the existing EC directives. They will open markets without imposing unnecessary burdens or constraints and will, in particular, be helpful in clarifying the scope to enter into dialogue with tenderers and to make use of electronic systems and framework agreement.
Furniture Fire Safety Regulations: Manchester
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 20 May (WA 79), whether they will publish in the Official Report the text of the Department of Trade and Industry's response to the representations made by the Manchester Evening News about evasions of the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1998 in Greater Manchester, and when they expect to be able to announce the action they are taking on this issue.[HL4881]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The department expects to respond to the Manchester Evening News shortly and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
Mines Rescue Service
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will provide financial support for the mines rescue service in South Wales from the surpluses available to them as guarantors of miners' pension funds.[HL4579]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A statutory mines rescue service is supplied, throughout the country, by Mines Rescue Services Ltd, a private company which derives the bulk of its income through a tonnage levy from the deep-mine companies to which it supplies its services. There are no plans by the Government to provide financial support for these services.
Age of Eligibility for Election to Public Office
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to lower the age of eligibility for election to public office in the light of the age strand of Employment Directive 2000/78.[HL4590]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Employment Directive (2000/78) includes proposals for outlawing discrimination in employment and in vocational training on the new grounds of not only age but also sexual orientation and religion or belief. We have already undertaken widespread consultation in Towards Equality and Diversity to identify what age-related practices employers have and why they might need to retain them. We will be consulting again on a specific set of proposals in the light of responses and legal advice. Differences of treatment on the grounds of age are capable of objective justification under the directive in certain circumstances. The question of whether the age of eligibility for election to public office should be lowered in the light of the directive is one we are considering currently.
Broadband: eEurope 2005
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to the suggestion from the European Commission, in its eEurope 2005 report, that governments of member states should use regional aid and other financial incentives to boost high-speed Internet to remote and underdeveloped areas where the delivery of broadband would not otherwise be commercially viable.[HL4607]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government welcome the emphasis in eEurope 2005 on the role of competitive markets for broadband. EU structural funds support rural development in less favoured areas and continue to be potentially available for broadband access under the Commission's proposed action plan, provided these do not prejudice competition rules. It remains the decision of devolved administrations and
the government offices whether or not to use this source of funding for broadband projects, provided that they meet the criteria set out in the single programming documents agreed for each region.The Government set out broadband strategy in the UK Online Annual Report 2001. They have made £30 million available to all RDAs and the devolved administrations for pilot schemes to extend broadband access.
Imports from the Philippines
Lord Hoyle asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which are the top five importers from the Philippines; and what products they import.[HL4618]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: HM Customs and Excise is the department responsible for collecting and recording statistics on the movement of goods with other countries. Information on individual importers and consignments is recorded from Customs documents submitted at import. For reasons of confidentiality, Customs does not as a matter of course publish information at the level of detail required by this Question.
The main products imported from the Philippines in 2001 were:
| SITC Description | £ million |
| Electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, nes and electrical parts thereof | 506.8 |
| Office machines and automatic data processing equipment | 461.6 |
| Articles of apparel and clothing accessories | 64.4 |
| Telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus | 37.8 |
| Road vehicles | 14.6 |
| Total imports | 1,198.6 |
Notes:
SITC—Standard International Trade Classification.
nes—not elsewhere specified.
Source:
Published Overseas Trade Statistics of the UK.
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