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Baroness Hollis of Heigham moved Amendments Nos. 295 and 296:
"(4) Regulations—
(a) may enable a person who has made an election under sub-paragraph (2) (including one that the person is treated by sub-paragraph (3) as having made) to change the election within a prescribed period and in a prescribed manner, if prescribed conditions are satisfied, and
(b) if they enable a person to make an election under sub-paragraph (2)(b) in respect of a period of deferment after receiving any increase of pension under paragraph 4 by reference to that period, may for the purpose of avoiding duplication of payment—
(i) enable an amount determined in accordance with the regulations to be recovered from the person in a prescribed manner and within a prescribed period, or
(ii) provide for an amount determined in accordance with the regulations to be treated as having been paid on account of the amount to which the person is entitled under paragraph 7A."
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Page 332, leave out lines 1 to 4 and insert—
"(3) Regulations—
(a) may enable a person who has made an election under sub-paragraph (1) (including one that the person is treated by sub-paragraph (2) as having made) to change the election within a prescribed period and in a prescribed manner, if prescribed conditions are satisfied, and
(b) if they enable a person to make an election under sub-paragraph (1)(b) in respect of a period of deferment after receiving any increase of pension under paragraph 2 by reference to that period, may for the purpose of avoiding duplication of payment—
(i) enable an amount determined in accordance with the regulations to be recovered from the person in a prescribed manner and within a prescribed period, or
(ii) provide for an amount determined in accordance with the regulations to be treated as having been paid on account of the amount to which the person is entitled under paragraph 4."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
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[Amendments Nos. 297 and 297A not moved.]
Clause 314 [Parliamentary control of subordinate legislation]:
Baroness Hollis of Heigham moved Amendment No. 298:
"( ) an order under section 241(A1) (power to provide for minimum fraction of member-nominated trustees or directors to be one-half);"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Housing Bill
Bill returned from the Commons with certain amendments agreed to; with certain other amendments agreed to with amendments; with another amendment disagreed to but with amendments in lieu thereof; and with the remaining amendments disagreed to with reasons for such disagreement; it was ordered that the Commons amendments and reasons be printed.
House adjourned at seventeen minutes before eleven o'clock.
Written Statements
Monday 8 November 2004
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Northern Ireland Education and Library Boards: Accounts 2000–01
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.
The statements and summary of the 2000–01 Education and Library Boards accounts were deposited in the Libraries of both Houses today.
Northern Ireland: Weights and Measures Triennial Report 1999–2002
Baroness Amos: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.
Today I have deposited a copy of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment's weights and measures triennial report for the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2002 in the Libraries of the House. The report gives an overview of the department's proceedings under the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 and generally about the operation of the order. It also includes details of the provisions enacted by the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2000.
Northern Ireland: Education, Research And Technology Transfer
Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Ministerial Statement.
On 31 March 2003 I announced the Government's final decisions in response to the O'Hare report on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's arrangements for the provision of agri-food education and research and development (R&D) in Northern Ireland.
I am today announcing my intention to set up an advisory non-departmental public body to provide independent advice on education, R&D and technology transfer in response to one of the O'Hare report recommendations. The body will be called the DARD Research and Education Advisory Panel.
The body will comprise a chairperson and 11 members, five with scientific or education expertise, one with economics expertise and five with knowledge and experience of one or more of the four themes underpinning the DARD business strategy 2004–05: competitiveness of the agri-food sector; animal, fish and plant health; environmentally
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sustainable activity and development of the rural economy and society.
Members will be appointed by an open and transparent process, following the Commissioner for Public Appointments code of practice. It is intended that these positions will be advertised in a range of local and national publications during week commencing 8 November 2004. Details of the appointments will also be placed on the DARD website, www.dardni.gov.uk and the Public Appointments Unit website www.publicappointments.gov.uk.
It is anticipated that the body will meet four times per year and will consider such strategic issues as:
Research needs over the short, medium and long term of agri-food, agri-environment, animal health and welfare, fisheries and forestry sectors and rural development;
Priorities in light of the competing demands for the total budget available across all DARD-funded R&D;
Technology transfer of relevant local, national and international research;
The level and extent of the required education and training programme for the sector, and
Progress on achievement of education, R&D and technology transfer targets.
It will play a key role in the development of the department's forthcoming strategies for agri-food education, R&D and technology transfer in Northern Ireland and, in doing so, will be required to consult industry and other stakeholders.
The body will perform a purely advisory role. It will not have a budget or employ any staff. A review of the body will be carried out before the end of its first four years of existence.
I am confident that this new body offers the best option for the provision of consistent, high quality and independent advice to the department about the future provision of agri-food education and research.
Further Information
The O'Hare review was conducted by an independent panel, consisting of three ministerial appointees. The panel's report was completed in April 2002. Public consultation on the Government's response to the O'Hare report took place between 25 November 2002 and 28 February 2003.
The O'Hare report made a total of seven recommendations for the future provision of undergraduate and postgraduate education and R&D in agriculture and food science in Northern Ireland. One of these, in relation to a new central decision-making process, recommended the setting up of an independent expert advisory committee consisting of an independent chairman and approximately 10 members to provide advice on education, R&D and technology transfer. The report also suggested that the committee would receive representations from consumers and from industry, education, R&D and other stakeholders including through ad hoc working groups. The Government accepted this recommendation.
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Work is continuing within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement the remaining measures arising from the Government's final response to the O'Hare report announced by Ian Pearson on 31 March 2003.
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