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Local Government Reorganisation: North-east
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they are intending to provide to the public about the costs of the options for the six counties in the north of England where it is proposed to introduce new local government structures as part of the referendum process; and [HL3825]
Whether they will provide information about (a) the ongoing costs, and (b) the transitional costs, including service costs, for each of the options for the local government structures proposed by the Boundary Commission in its report of May 2004. [HL3826]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister shall, for each of the options to be put to the electorate in the north-east on 4 November, provide information about the transitional costs of implementing local government reorganisation and the potential for running cost savings.
Gypsies and Travellers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What calculations they have made of the cost of funding a statutory duty to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers, as mentioned by the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Mr Keith Hill MP, in evidence to the Select Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 13 July; and what further calculation they have made of the present-day value of reductions in future payments of housing benefit arising from the capital subsidies they envisage would be required under the new burdens policy. [HL4009]
Lord Rooker: Calculations of possible costs and benefits relating to a statutory duty to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers, along with consideration of other options, have been carried out as part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Gypsy and Traveller policy review. The review is still in progress and we are therefore not in a position to release further information at this time.
Depleted Uranium: Aircraft Industry
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What accounting procedures are in place for depleted uranium within the aircraft industry which satisfy the requirements of RSA93 registrations and the Ionising Radiations Regulations. [HL3433]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Premises that maintain or dismantle aircraft containing depleted uranium will need to hold
7 Sept 2004 : Column WA125
registrations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. Copies of these registrations can be made available to the public through Environment Agency offices. Copies are also sent to local authorities so that they can be made available to the public. The Environment Agency is encouraging the replacement of radioactive aircraft components with those made of non-radioactive materials.
RSA93 requirements would apply to depleted uranium in storage, but would not apply to aircraft in service. RSA93 does not apply to depleted uranium in military aircraft. However, the Ministry of Defence has instituted arrangements for accounting for depleted uranium that are parallel to the RSA93 requirements.
Accounting procedures are a matter for the aircraft industry, but the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive need to be satisfied that RSA93 and Ionising Radiations Regulations (1999) requirements are complied with.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether premises that maintain or dismantle aircraft containing depleted uranium have to be registered; and whether any such list is available to the public. [HL3434]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville : Premises that maintain or dismantle aircraft containing depleted uranium will need to hold registrations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. Copies of these registrations can be made available to the public through Environment Agency offices. Copies are also sent to local authorities so that they can be made available to the public.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What discussions government agencies and departments have had with representatives of United Kingdom airlines and the aircraft manufacturing, serving and dismantling industries to ensure all participants are aware of the issues surrounding depleted uranium use within the industry and the applicable United Kingdom law. [HL3432]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville : The Environment Agency has contacted major UK airlines and organisations involved in aircraft maintenance and recycling regarding the issues surrounding depleted uranium use within the industry and regulatory requirements under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The Environment Agency is encouraging the replacement of radioactive aircraft components with those made of non-radioactive materials.
Wind Farms
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
7 Sept 2004 : Column WA126- offshore wind farms received only £500,000 of climate change and renewables obligation invoices. [HL4001]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville : Offshore wind farms had received only around £0.5 million in support from the renewables obligation and climate change levy by May of this year because of the limited amount of offshore capacity actually in place at this point.
Only two offshore wind farms existed when the original Question was tabled, a third at Scroby Sands was under construction and is currently undergoing final testing. The first of the two, a small 3.8 MW facility at Blyth, was constructed in 2000, and the second, the 60 MW facility at North Hoyle, was completed in November 2003, and hence had only been receiving support for just six months.
This needs to be contrasted with the amount of onshore capacity receiving support at this point, around 650 MW, almost half of which had been in place since the start of the renewables obligation.
Incitement to Religious Hatred
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ensure that there is (a) public consultation about, and (b) pre-legislative scrutiny of, their proposal to introduce legislation banning incitement to religious hatred. [HL3759]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): No decision has been taken on the handling and procedures for this proposal, which will be determined in part by the circumstances which pertain when a legislative vehicle is identified. However, the issues surrounding the case for a new offence were the subject of extensive examination during the review by the Select Committee on Religious Offences and the debate on the committee's report which took place on 22 April. The Government recognise that this is an issue of widespread interest and concern to many people. We will of course listen carefully to all views.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend the proposed legislation banning incitement to religious hatred to include only traditional religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam. [HL3760]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Details about the scope of the offence will be set out when we are in a position to publish our proposals.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the proposed legislation banning incitement to religious hatred will permit a novelist to be prosecuted in circumstances similar to those which arose in Mr Salman Rushdie's case for writing The Satanic Verses; and [HL3762]
Whether they intend the proposed legislation banning incitement to religious hatred to extend to secular commentators or satirists who express disdain for all religious worship using language that causes offences to believers in religious worship. [HL3761]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The legislation will be targeted at conduct which incites hatred of people because of their religion or beliefs. Its purpose will not be to curb utterances merely because some people may regard them as offensive. As the Home Secretary made clear in his speech to the Institute of Public Policy Research on 7 July, we are confident that concerns that legislation might prevent people debating each other's religion, or from proselytising, will prove to be unfounded.
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