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Department for Work and Pensions: Autumn Performance Report

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (John Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am publishing today the Autumn Performance Report of the Department for Work and Pensions. The report is intended to supplement the department's annual report published in June 2005 (Cm 6539).

The report provides the latest account of how the department is performing against its public service agreement targets. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Freedom of Information Act 2000: Central Government Implementation

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Today I have deposited copies of The Freedom of Information Act 2000—Statistics on Implementation in Central Government July to September 2005 in the Libraries of both Houses.

This is the third quarterly bulletin produced by DCA monitoring the performance of central government and associated bodies under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

G8 Gleneagles Summit

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The G8 Summit at Gleneagles Hotel took place on 6–8 July 2005. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister made a statement to the House on 11 July in which he outlined the successful outcomes of the Gleneagles Summit and the real benefits G8 leaders committed to, including delivering an additional $25 billion in annual aid to Africa by 2010 and agreement on a process to tackle climate change.

I am now able to release the organisational costs of this summit. Based on the final invoices and accounts received from our suppliers, as well as prudent estimates where final figures are not yet available, the organisational cost of the summit was £12.7 million. A breakdown of this figure will be placed in the Library of the House and then will be made available on the G8 website: www.g8.gov.uk.

Securing the summit was the responsibility of the devolved Administration and the Scottish Executive. This covered every aspect of policing operations, including specialist public order, search and other teams drawn from forces around the UK, and additional grants to the emergency services. I understand that Scottish Ministers released the figures for these costs yesterday.
 
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Immigration: Oakington Reception Centre

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My honourable friend the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality (Tony McNulty) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

An action plan containing all 54 recommendations from the investigation carried out by Stephen Shaw into the allegations contained in the BBC documentary, "Detention Undercover: the Real Story" has been compiled and is being published today. The recommendations are aimed at strengthening management, improving the monitoring of people at centres across the detention estate and improving staff's attitude towards detainees.

We have now implemented 30 of the recommendations and any outstanding recommendations relating specifically to Oakington will be implemented by March 2006. All contractors who operate centres under contract to IND have taken on board those recommendations not aimed specifically at Oakington to ensure consistency across the detention estate. All remaining recommendations will be implemented by October 2006.

We have always made it clear that there is absolutely no place for racism anywhere in our society, and particularly within the immigration system. Immigration staff will continue to work closely with the contractors to ensure that all those who are detained are treated with dignity and respect.

Interception of Communications: Wilson Doctrine

The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My right honourable friend the Prime Minister has today issued the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The Government have received advice from the Interception of Communications Commissioner, Sir Swinton Thomas, on the possible implications for the Wilson doctrine of the regulatory framework for the interception of communications, under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The Government are considering that advice. I shall inform Parliament of the outcome at the earliest opportunity.

Judicial Pensions

The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The judicial pension schemes are mainly governed by the Judicial Pensions Act 1981 and the Judicial Pensions Act 1993.

I have concluded that, as administrator of the judicial pension schemes, it would be in the best interests of the members that, for the future, the schemes should not be registered schemes for the purposes of the Finance Act 2004.
 
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The principal effect will be that lump sum benefits payable from, and members contributions payable to, the schemes will cease to attract tax relief from 6 April 2006. Income tax will, of course, also continue to be payable on pension benefits. Judicial pension benefits will consequentially not be taken into account for the purposes of the registered pension schemes provisions of the Finance Act 2004 as they will not receive the preferential tax treatment afforded to such schemes.

I also propose to make provision for judges to receive a long service award which will become payable when they near retirement. The level of the award, which will be a proportion of the lump sum, will reflect their years of service and their judicial grade and will ensure that their net position is maintained. I will amend judicial terms and conditions to reflect this proposal.

There will be an adjustment to the rate of contributions for dependants' benefits and certain technical changes to the schemes needed to reflect the terms of the Finance Act will be made under powers contained in that Act.

I am satisfied that these proposals are in accordance with the terms of the Finance Act 2004. They serve to maintain but not improve the overall remuneration package for the serving judiciary and to protect the principle of judicial independence in so doing. There will be no net cost to the Exchequer. In these circumstances, it is not necessary for me to introduce separate legislation for judicial pensions and I do not therefore propose to proceed with the Bill which was announced in May this year.

Local Government: Standards of Conduct

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Baroness Andrews): My honourable friend the Minister for Local Government has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The Government have today published a discussion paper about standards of conduct in English local government. It sets out our vision for a future comprehensive conduct regime for local authority members and employees. Such a regime would need to be part of our future strategy for local government, and hence this paper is published as part of the ongoing local vision debate begun by the Government last year.

The paper incorporates the Government's response to the recommendations on conduct in local government in Chapter 3 of the 10th report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Graham committee). It also incorporates our response to the report of the ODPM Select Committee on the role and effectiveness of the Standards Board for England, as well as a response to the recommendations of the board itself following its review of the code of conduct for members.
 
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We have largely accepted the recommendations of the Graham committee, in particular its central recommendation for a more locally based decision-making process for the conduct regime. Accordingly, we have not accepted the recommendation of the ODPM Select Committee to maintain the present centralised regime for handling allegations of misconduct by members. We have, however, largely accepted the other recommendations made by the Select Committee.

The paper also indicates the approach the Government are minded to follow on the conduct of employees, in particular on the political restrictions which apply to local government employees, the pay of political assistants and a code of conduct for employees. In reaching these views, the Government have had regard to the responses received to the consultation that the office undertook on these issues last year.

We believe that the approach set out in the paper would both deliver a clearer and more proportionate conduct regime for local government members and employees, and ensure that the public can continue to have confidence in those who serve them. We now intend to work with the standards board and other stakeholders to carry forward the changes identified in the paper, having regard to any comments and debate the paper itself generates. The Government recognise that certain of these changes would require primary legislation and they intend to seek this at the next convenient opportunity parliamentary time allows.

Copies of the paper have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

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