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Council Tax
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many pensioners were subject to legal proceedings during 2003–04 and 2004–05 for failure to pay their council tax. [HL5232]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government do not collect information on the number or breakdown of taxpayers against whom billing authorities apply to the magistrates' courts for the grant of a liability order to enable enforcement action for non-payment of council tax to take place.
Courts only have powers to imprison people who refuse to pay their council tax rather than those who cannot pay.
16 May 2006 : Column WA21
Council Tax: Replacement
Baroness Hanham asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, as recently reported, the council tax system is to be replaced by an annual levy of 0.78 per cent. of the value of a property; and [HL5519]
Whether, if a levy is introduced to replace the council tax system, they intend to promote an equalisation scheme. [HL5520]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government have no plans to replace the existing council tax system in England with a system of domestic property taxation based on a percentage of the value of the dwelling.
The final report of Sir Michael Lyons' independent inquiry into the funding of local government in England, in the context of its wider roles and functions, is due to be submitted to Ministers by the end of this year. The Government will consider what, if any, changes should be made to the existing council tax system in England in the light of this report.
Cyprus: Mine Clearance
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ask the Government of Turkey to co-operate with planned mine clearance in Cyprus, particularly along the green line and buffer zone. [HL5638]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): As the UN Secretary-General reports, continuing mine clearing activity in the buffer zone is progressing and the relevant Turkish authorities are co-operating with the UN. To date, 20 minefields have been cleared, a total 2,318 mines have been lifted and 1 million square metres of land released. This includes almost all the minefields in and around Nicosia. The EU provides financial support for mine clearance work in the buffer zone.
Drugs: Treatment Budget
Lord Adebowale asked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the total allocation for the pooled drug treatment budget in (a) 2006–07, and (b) 2007–08. [HL5471]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): An announcement on 2006–07 funding will be made in the near future. No decisions have yet been taken on funding for 2007–08.
Lord Adebowale asked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate they have made of the total amount of mainstream local expenditure spent on drug treatment services on top of the pooled
- treatment budget in (a) 2003–04; (b) 2004–05; and (c) 2005–06; and what the total amount is projected to be in (i) 2006–07, and (ii) 2007–08. [HL5476]
Lord Warner: The estimated amount of mainstream local expenditure for past and future years requested is as follows.
| Year | £ Million (estimate)* |
| 2003–04 | 200 |
| 2004–05 | 204 |
| 2005–06 | 208 |
| 2006–07 | 212 |
| 2007–08 | 216 |
* these data have been sourced from the National Treatment Agency
EU: Enlargement
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they next plan to discuss with other European Union member states renewed resistance to further enlargement of the European Union. [HL5611]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We expect enlargement to be one of the subjects discussed at an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Austria on 27 and 28 May. Enlargement is also on the agenda of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Committee on 13 and 14 June and the European Council on 15 and 16 June.
EU: Qualified Majority Voting
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 4 July 2003 (WA 141–42), under the Treaty of Maastricht, what areas of education, public health and culture (with unanimity) were made subject to qualified majority voting or the co-decision procedure. [HL5655]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): In the Treaty of Maastricht, the following areas of education, public health and culture were made subject to the co-decision procedure. All areas listed are subject to qualified majority voting unless otherwise stated. Reference is made to the current article numbers in the treaty establishing the European Communities (TEC) with the article numbers prior to the treaty of Amsterdam in parentheses.
Education (Article 149 TEC (ex Article 126))
16 May 2006 : Column WA23- dissemination of the languages of the member states;
encouraging mobility of students and teachers, inter alia by encouraging the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study;
promoting co-operation between educational establishments;
developing exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the education systems of member states;
encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socio-educational instructors; and
In addition, Article 150 TEC (ex Article 127) provides for a vocational training policy, with community action aimed to:
facilitate adaptation to industrial changes, in particular through vocational training and retraining;
improve initial and continuing vocational training in order to facilitate vocational integration and reintegration of the labour market;
facilitate access to vocational training and encourage mobility of instructors and trainees and particularly young people;
stimulate co-operation on training between educational or training establishments and firms; and
develop exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the training systems of the member states.
Culture (Article 151 TEC (ex Article 128)— all areas subject to unanimity)
Improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the European peoples;
conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance; non-commercial cultural exchanges; and
artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector.
Public Health (Article 152 TEC (ex Article 129))
Article 152 of the TEC as set out in the Treaty of Maastricht stated that the above actions,
"shall be directed towards the prevention of diseases, in particular the major health scourges, including drug dependence, by promoting research into their causes and their transmission, as well as health information and education . . . Health protection requirements shall form a constituent part of the Community's other policies".
This article has been revised and reordered by subsequent treaty amendments.
16 May 2006 : Column WA24
Housing: Building Regulations
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which suppliers of SAP2005 software for checking compliance of dwellings to part L 2006 of the building regulations have had their programmes approved by the Building Research Establishment and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; and on what dates. [HL5168]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): Building Research Establishment (BRE)/Office of the Deputy Prime Minsiter (ODPM) have approved the following software implementations of SAP 2005:
Survey Design Associates Ltd, 3 April 2006
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