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13 Jun 2005 : Column WA101
Written Answers
Monday, 13 June 2005.
Europe Direct
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have rejected the proposed €840,000 annual budget provided by the European Commission to establish 40 Europe Direct centres in the United Kingdom, whose purpose is to provide information to businesses and charities on European Union legislation and on the availability of European Union grants; and, if so, what are the reasons for such rejection. [HL120]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The Government have asked the European Commission to postpone the opening of the network of Europe Direct centres pending discussions with the Commission about their purpose and development.
EU Constitutional Treaty
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consider proposing a series of radio and television broadcasts to reply to public queries on the proposed European Union Constitutional Treaty. [HL153]
Lord Triesman: No final decisions have yet been made on communication activities on the EU Constitutional Treaty for financial year 2005–06.
EU: Market Services
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What decisions they will make about the future of the Bolkestein directive for market services liberalisation in the European Union. [HL154]
Lord Triesman: Negotiations on the draft Directive on Services in the Internal Market (often associated with former European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein) are still at an early stage. The UK remains a strong supporter of the directive. We will be working with the Commission, the European Parliament and our EU partners to build on the progress made by the Luxembourg presidency.
G8: UK Presidency
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 7 March (WA 55), whether they are now in a position to publish a full
- breakdown of the costs of security for the United Kingdom's presidency of the G8, including those for the operation at the Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, in July. [HL180]
Lord Triesman: The provision of security at events for the United Kingdom's G8 presidency is the responsibility of the police force in whose area the event takes place. The final total cost of security for the G8 presidency, including that at Gleneagles, will not be known until all events have taken place and figures have been calculated by responsible police forces.
Working Time Directive
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that representatives of member states whose head of government is a member of the same political group as MEPs who support maintaining the United Kingdom opt-out from the working time limit will also support maintaining the opt-out in the European Union Council of Ministers; and [HL299]
What representations they are making to those representatives of member states whose head of government is a member of the same political group as the majority of MEPs who supported maintaining the United Kingdom's opt-out from the working time limit in the European Union Council of Ministers; and [HL300]
What progress they have made in persuading representatives of member states whose head of government is a member of the same political group as MEPs who were divided on the issue of preserving the United Kingdom's opt-out from the working time limit to support maintaining the opt-out in the European Union Council of Ministers; and [HL301]
Whether they anticipate that representatives of member states whose head of government is a member of the same political group as MEPs opposed to maintaining the United Kingdom opt-out from the working time limit will support maintaining the opt-out in the European Union Council of Ministers. [HL302]
Lord Triesman: We have been in regular and constructive dialogue with all member states across Europe about the importance of flexible labour markets for job and growth creation. We will continue to work closely with them, and with the Commission and European Parliament, to secure agreement on a legislative proposal that retain individual workers' freedom to choose to work more than 48 hours and that mitigates the impact of the European Court of Justice's rulings on the Working Time Directive on the Government's ability to deliver high-quality health and other public services.
13 Jun 2005 : Column WA103
Licensing Act 2003
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have yet made a decision on collating ambulance call-out statistics, accident and emergency department information, and crimes of violence against the person reported to the police, as a means of assessing the effect of the Licensing Act 2003 on the incidence of crime and disorder in local areas; and from what date and in what areas these statistics will be collected. [HL40]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): A number of measures will be drawn upon to assess the impact of the Licensing Act on levels of crime and disorder in England and Wales. These include the use of national surveys including (but not limited to) data on alcohol-related crime from the British Crime Survey. These national measures will be supplemented by local area case studies in five police force areas in England. It is intended to supplement this exercise in the five areas with information from ambulance call-out statistics and accident and emergency departments, and we are currently engaged in discussion with the Department of Health on the feasibility of this issue. The Home Office is leading on this work, in consultation with other government departments including the Department of Health and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Convention on Action against Human Trafficking
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will sign the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings; and, if not, what specific articles of the convention they object to. [HL291]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The UK has not yet taken the decision on whether or not to sign the Council of Europe convention on action against human trafficking. There are certain provisions in the convention which present concerns for the UK and which remain under active consideration. We want to resolve these issues before taking a decision on signature. We support fully all of the aims of the convention and we too want to see widespread action to tackle this abhorrent trade at source, to protect and support the victims and bring those responsible to justice.
National Firearms Licensing Management System
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
For which police forces the network audit of the central register of firearms required by Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 has been completed; and whether they will list those police forces which will implement the National
- Firearms Licensing Management System by the end of July 2005. [HL316]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: An initial audit of Lancashire Constabulary and West Midlands Constabulary took place at the end of 2004. In addition Hendon Data Centre was also audited. A report was received in February 2005. No distinct pattern of issues was identified and it was recommended that a full audit of all forces be undertaken to review force requirements to implement NFLMS and other applications of its type. The scope of work for this has been defined by PITO and it is in the process of identifying a suitable supplier. A successful "live" pilot at the beginning of July by two pilot forces, Lancashire Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police Service, should see these two forces implement NFLMS by the end of July
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can now estimate the total cost of putting the National Firearms Licensing Management System into full national operation. [HL317]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The total cost of the project to date is in the region of £5.4 million.
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