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Children's Workforce
Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment has been made of encouraging volunteers to enter the children's workforce; and whether they will consider this as part of the present children's workforce strategy consultation. [HL1307]
Lord Adonis: Over 4 million people work in the children's workforce, of which nearly 2 million are unpaid volunteers. We value that contribution enormously, in supporting parents, early years' provision, in schools, in social care and in providing opportunities for sports and leisure activities for children and young people.
We also understand and recognise the important role that volunteering can play as a stepping-stone towards paid employment.
We are about to start our analysis of the written responses—the consultation closed on 22 July—and would expect there to be a good deal of discussion about both the need to value and support volunteers in their own right and the need to offer appropriate career opportunities for volunteers wanting to move into paid employment in the children's workforce. We believe that the proposed single qualifications framework for the children's workforce, built around the common core of skills and knowledge and explicitly recognising prior experience and learning, will have an important role to play.
We intend to publish our response to the consultation later this year and I would expect that response to say more about both of these important, related but subtly different issues.
Climate Change
Lord Whitty asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the estimated total level of annual expenditure by central Government and their Agencies on combating, mitigating and adapting to climate change. [HL1508]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Climate change is a global issue and we have introduced many measures aimed at combating, mitigating and adapting to climate change. Some measures have been implemented directly to tackle climate change. Where the primary aim of the policy is not to tackle climate change, we have tried to ensure that impact on climate change is fully incorporated into the policy. At least £545 million is spent annually on spending policies that tackle climate change, but this is a conservative estimate as there are other spending policies that also have climate change benefits.
The figure of £545 million includes energy research and development, contributions to EU research programmes, national research councils and government department research spend, Warm Front and organisations (Carbon Trust and Energy Savings Trust) that help businesses and households be more efficient in their use of energy.
The Government also spend £570 million per annum on flooding and coastal defences each year, some of which will clearly be in response to pressures arising from the need to adapt to climate change.
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There are also a wide range of non-spending policies that help achieve the behavioural change required to move towards a lower carbon economy including for example the Climate Change Levy and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Common Agricultural Policy
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have discussed their proposals for the reform of the common agricultural policy with Frau Merkel of the German Christian Democratic Union Party; and, if so, what was her response. [HL950]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The Government maintain contact on EU issues with the German Government and opposition political parties. These discussions, as with other international partners, are held in confidence so as not to prejudice the UK's relations with such parties.
Community Energy Programme
Lord Whitty asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the total expenditure on the community heating project since its inception; and what is the projected expenditure to the end of the current spending round. [HL1507]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Bach): The budget for the first phase of the community energy programme is £50 million and the cut-off for expenditure is the end of the 2006–07 financial year. We have spent £13.7 million to date, including the costs of managing the programme. In 2004 Defra committed a further £10 million to a second phase of the programme for the years to 2007–08. We expect spending on it to begin next year, following a call for projects towards the end of this year.
Community Hospitals: General Practitioner Beds
Baroness Sharp of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which community hospitals with general practitioner beds, listed by primary care trust, have been opened in England during the past five years; and [HL1269]
Which community hospitals with general practitioner beds, listed by primary care trust, have closed in England during the past five years. [HL1270]
Lord Warner: The data requested are not available centrally.
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Community Renewables Initiative
Lord Whitty asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Community Renewables Initiative (CRI) was extended for a further year from April 2005. The CRI's sponsors (DTI, the Countryside Agency, Defra and the Forestry Commission) have recently commissioned a study to review options for renewable energy advice and support to communities, which is due to report in September. Following the results of this study, the sponsors will take a decision on the future of the CRI.
Community Service
Lord Taylor of Warwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consider the introduction of compulsory one-year community service work experience schemes for young people between the ages of 18 to 21. [HL1236]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government do not consider that compulsory community service for young people is necessarily the way forward. Measures to encourage non-compulsory volunteering however are currently under way.
In January this year the Government published Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society: the Government's strategy to increase race equality and community cohesion. This strategy was prepared after extensive consultation and includes a range of commitments to help young people grow up with a sense of common belonging, including measures to encourage citizenship and volunteering.
The Russell Commission was established in May 2004 by the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett and the Chancellor Gordon Brown. The commission was established to develop a new national framework for youth action and engagement and reported to Government in March 2005 with a recommendation to create a dedicated implementation body. This body will bring together young people, business, the voluntary and community sector and government in a shared purpose, to make volunteering a valued part of young people's lives. Young people will be able to choose between short-term volunteering, such as taster sessions and local taskforce activities, part-time volunteering and full-time programmes.
Most recently on 18 July 2005 the Government published the Youth Green Paper, Youth Matters. The paper addresses key issues relating to how teenagers are both supported and challenged. The proposals include expansion of opportunities for peer mentoring and longer-term volunteering opportunities.
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COTES Regulations
Lord Skelmersdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the letter from the Lord Whitty to the Lord Skelmersdale of 7 April, what was the result of the public consultation on the proposed COTES regulations. [HL1520]
Lord Bach: A summary of the responses is available at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/cotes/responses–summary.pdf. Officials are considering these responses and will issue a replacement for the COTES Regulations later in the year.
In the mean time, on 27 June 2005 the Government published the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement)(Amendment) Regulations 2005, which increase the maximum prison sentence for certain wildlife trade offences from two to five years. These increased penalties bring with them stronger powers for police officers, including a power of arrest.
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