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Written Answers
Tuesday, 13 January 2004.
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many quangos currently exist in Northern Ireland; and how much they cost.[HL180]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The information on the number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) in Northern Ireland is available in the Public Bodies publication produced annually by the Cabinet Office. The current edition, Public Bodies 2003 is available in the Library.
Information on the cost of NDPBs was not included in Public Bodies 2003 and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office with responsibility for this matter (Mr Ian Pearson) will write to the noble Lord separately with that information.
North/South Language Body: Budget
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 20 November (WA 354), concerning the budget of the Language Implementation Body, whether they will list the various stages in the administrative procedures for the setting of the 2003 budget, including dates of discussion, the persons involved, the location and the outcome.[HL190]
Baroness Amos: A working group meeting took place in Armagh on 25 October 2002 involving officials from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and representatives from the two agencies of the language body. On 30 January 2003, the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat was advised by DFP of the budgets for 2003 for all the North/South implementation bodies. Ministers subsequently approved those budgets on 26 February 2003.
Northern Ireland Act 1998: Ministerial Accountability to Assembly
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In what way Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive were answerable for their decisions to the elected Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly prior to its dissolution.[HL514]
Baroness Amos: Ministers in the Northern Ireland Assembly were answerable to the Assembly by the means set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998. These
arrangements are supplemented by the standing orders and working procedures developed by the Assembly.Ulster-Scots Agency: Business Plan 2004
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On what dates and with whom the business plan for 2004 of the Ulster-Scots Agency was the subject of consultation with representatives of the Eire Government.[HL599]
Baroness Amos: The draft business plan for the Ulster-Scots Agency for 2004 has been the subject of ongoing consideration by officials in the sponsoring departments and the finance departments, North and South, since its receipt by the sponsor departments on 20 August 2003.
Iraq: Samarra Incident
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What information they have about the identification of civilians killed or injured in the recent Samarra engagement by coalition forces in Iraq.[HL251]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): UK Armed Forces were not involved in the incident in question which is a matter for the United States authorities.
Parking Enforcement: Contracts
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 17 September 2003 (WA 188–190), whether their advice to local authorities on setting up and operating decriminalised parking enforcement addresses the need for vigilance in supervising the behavioural standards of employees of the contractors appointed by local authorities to administer parking penalties in their areas.[HL626]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Local authority circular 1/95 Guidance of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement outside London gives detailed guidance to authorities on all aspects of taking on parking enforcement powers. Chapter 7 covers the role of parking attendants. Among the recommendations it notes the need for attendants to present a professional image, with qualities of firmness and sensitivity coupled with common sense and patience. It also emphasises the need for adequate training for parking attendants, their supervisors and managers so that they provide accurate, fair and consistent enforcement. This requirement applies whether parking attendants are employed by a local authority or by a contractor carrying out enforcement on their behalf.
National Service Framework for Children
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which specific conditions will be mentioned in the Children's National Service Framework; and what criteria have been used to support their inclusion.[HL617]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Children's National Service Framework (NSF) will set standards for children's and young people's services. The standards will outline what support should be available to children and their parents in managing a wide range of conditions and problems. This will emphasise the promotion of evidence-based clinical guidelines and will provide examples of good practice. In addition, the NSF will include a small number of exemplars, which use particular problems to illustrate what the standards mean for children and their
families. These will include asthma, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, and epilepsy in pregnancy; these have been selected on the basis that they affect large numbers of families and involve a wide range of services. Other exemplars may also be produced as part of the ongoing work on the NSF.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Children's National Service Framework will support the recommendations made in the Department of Health's Good Practice in Continence Services.[HL619]
Lord Warner: It is not intended that the Children's National Service Framework will set standards for the treatment of specific conditions, but rather will outline what support should be available to children and their parents in managing a whole range of problems, including continence problems. In doing so it will emphasise the promotion of evidence-based clinical guidelines and provide examples of good practice.
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