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Official Documents: Translation
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the cost to the Northern Ireland departments and the Northern Ireland Office of the translation of documents from English into Irish. [HL872]
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Lord Rooker: The average cost to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and the Northern Ireland Office for the translation of documents from English to Irish is 14 pence per word.
Recycling
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take further steps to encourage product life cycle research into an expansion of inputs from recyclable and renewable items to reduce the incidence of unnecessary waste in finished industrial and commercial products. [HL1475]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Defra is developing a holistic approach to tackling the most significant environmental impacts of products across their whole life cycle. This includes, but is not restricted to, addressing the waste impacts of products.
The Market Transformation Programme (MTP) supports government policy on sustainable products. The Government are funding the MTP through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme to do more work aimed at reducing waste impacts through action taken at the design stage of the supply chain.
In addition, the Department of Trade and Industry Technology Programme funds research and development into new technologies. Funds provided via the BREW Programme are helping to encourage more innovative approaches to product design to reduce unnecessary waste in their manufacture and use.
Remanufacture involves re-engineering end-of-life goods into as-new condition. It offers potential for improving business resource efficiency and profitability. An on-going pilot project under the BREW Programme is helping to expand knowledge in this area. We are currently discussing, with managers of the pilot project, how this work can be taken forward.
The government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has also been established to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products, removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
WRAP's market development work includes developing new uses for recycled materials. For example, in its Manufacturing Programme, WRAP has committed to deliver three major projects over the next two years which aim to switch significant manufacturing processes from using virgin material to recycled material input. WRAP is also undertaking research and feasibility studies to identify further opportunities for manufacturers to use production based on recycled, rather than virgin, materials.
The Innovation Fund established under WRAP's Retail Programme aims to stimulate innovation in packaging and product design. Examples of innovation
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The Review of England's Waste Strategy will discuss further the Government's approach in these areas.
Roads: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take steps to improve traffic flow at peak times at the Knocknagoney roundabout in East Belfast. [HL1384]
Lord Rooker: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the noble Lord in response to this Question.
Letter from Dr Malcolm McKibbin to Lord Laird.
You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question about whether they will take steps to improve traffic flow at peak times at the Knocknagoney roundabout in East Belfast. As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
As you will be aware, the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan (BMTP), published in November 2004, takes forward the strategic initiatives of the Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland, which was accepted by the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2002. The BMTP sets out transport proposals for the Belfast metropolitan area to be implemented or commenced by 2015. It also supports the development proposals contained in the draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, which was published by the Department of the Environment in 2004.
The BMTP identified a number of road improvement schemes considered necessary to remove existing bottlenecks and improve traffic flows on the road network. Although none of the improvement schemes directly affects the Tillysburn/Knocknagoney junction, there are proposals to widen the Sydenham bypass that will assist traffic flows in this area. Details of the proposals in the BMTP can be obtained from the BMTP website https://pronet.wsatkins.co.uk/bmtp/.
In the more immediate future, Roads Service has approved road modifications, as part of a planning application submitted by Tesco, which will amend the A2 approach to the junction from the Holywood direction and provide additional capacity at the A2/Knocknagoney Road junction. Subject to the availability of funding, Roads Service is also considering improvements to the road layout at the A55 Outer Ring/Holywood Road junction and the lane configuration between this junction and Tillysburn, as part of our 2007-08 traffic management works programme.
When completed, it is anticipated that these schemes will contribute to an improvement of traffic conditions in and around the Tillysburn junction and help reduce congestion in the area.
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Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the noble Lord in response to this Question.
Letter from Dr Malcolm McKibbin to Lord Laird.
You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question regarding what proposals they have to improve traffic flow in Donemana, County Tyrone. As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
The traffic problems encountered in the village of Donemana are relatively minor, when compared with traffic problems generated in the larger towns and cities across Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, it is recognised that problems are occasionally experienced within the village. It is also noted that, although some waiting restrictions are in place in the village, a lack of enforcement has resulted in these being abused.
You will be aware that Roads Service has recently taken over responsibility for enforcement of waiting restrictions across Northern Ireland. I am pleased to confirm that, as a result of this, villages such as Donemana will be given increased levels of enforcement. Given the rural nature of the village and the relative lack of traffic problems, future enforcement action will not be on a full-time basis, but it should be sufficient to encourage those currently ignoring the waiting restrictions to use the adjacent car park, where there is clearly adequate capacity to meet the village's needs.
Saudi Arabia: Ahmadiyya Community
Baroness Tonge asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have made to the Government of Saudi Arabia following the arrest and deportation of 49 members of the Ahmadiyya community, including an eight-month old child. [HL1332]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Our embassy in Riyadh found no evidence to support the claim of illegal detention and deportation of 49 members of the Ahmadiyya community.
Schools: Sport
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the mandate for the Youth Sport Trust initiative to establish the National Council for School Sport Secondment; what is the membership of the council; what is its annual budget; what outcomes it has delivered; and what was the tender process which led to the award of this initiative by the Government.[HL1398]
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Lord Davies of Oldham: The National Council for School Sport (NCSS) is not a government body. Requests for details regarding the membership of its council, its annual budget and the outcomes it has delivered should be addressed directly to the NCSS, 1st Floor, Sir John Beckwith Building, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE1 1 3TU.
The Youth Sport Trust (YST) is a registered charity that supports the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in delivering the National School Sport Strategy. This work includes the modernisation of competitive sport in schools, through the introduction of competition managers into school sport partnerships and the local implementation of the national schools competition framework.
The YST agreed to second a member of its staff to work with the NCSS on the competitive sport element of the strategy. Since 2002-03, DfES has allocated the following grants to the YST from the National School Sport budget to support this secondment.
| Year | DfES grant |
Secret Services
Baroness D'Souza asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they have taken to further the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe's recommendation to create an ad hoc committee of experts to consider in depth the subjects of secret services, air traffic and state immunity. [HL1558]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We have carefully considered the recommendations made by the secretary-general. However, as stated in the Written Answer my honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kim Howells, gave to the honourable Member for Chichester (Mr Andrew Tyrie) in another place on 23 November 2006 (Official Report, col. 245W), the Government believe that domestic legislation and international legal instruments already exist to deal satisfactorily with the concerns he has raised. We stand by this statement and continue to believe that there is no need to create new mechanisms such as those the secretary-general proposes. My honourable friend the Minister of State, Kim Howells, sent a letter to the secretary-general on 23 January outlining the Government's position in detail.
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Sport: Discounted Travel Scheme
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much of the £1 million per annum six-year discounted travel scheme announced by UK Sport on 2 June 2006 has been spent so far by the Olympic governing bodies of sport; and how much has been claimed by each of the 35 Olympic governing bodies for the 450 athletes announced to be beneficiaries of this scheme.[HL1394]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Flying Start scheme announced on 2 June 2006 is a partnership between UK Sport and Virgin Atlantic to offer discounted flights and other in-kind benefits to Olympic and Paralympic athletes on the UK Sport Podium Programme, their coaches and support staff. Initially launched for one year only, Virgin considered the total value of the scheme overall to be £1 million per annum.
In the time since launch, more than 650 flights have been booked under the scheme. Virgin estimates the combined value of the flight discounts and other in-kind benefits taken so far to be £290,000. Fifteen sports have benefited from the scheme, which are as follows:
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any employees of UK Sport or the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have benefited from the discounted travel scheme announced by UK Sport on 2 June 2006.[HL1395]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Virgin Flying Start scheme announced on 2 June 2006 is not open to any employees of UK Sport or the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is provided solely for podium-level athletes on UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme, together with the chief executive, performance director and up to three nominated coaches or managers from the Olympic and Paralympic governing bodies.
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Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the value of the discounted travel scheme received by the 12 “future champs” identified by UK Sport in the first six months since the launch of the scheme; and who are the recipients of the allowances.[HL1396]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The 12 athletes were selected independently by Virgin Atlantic and are not part of the joint partnership with UK Sport. There is therefore no information available on the value of the scheme to them. The 12 athletes selected independently by Virgin Atlantic are: Caitlin McClatchey, David Carry, Mark Cavendish, Oliver Freeman, Emily Pidgeon, Rachael Gatford, Nathan Stephens, Shelly Woods, Giles Scott, Martyn Rooney, Jane Campbell and Wade Bennett-Jackson.
Sudan: 2005 Agreement
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have evidence of violations of the 2005 agreement concerning southern Sudan; and, if so, what action they will propose. [HL1594]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The parties have made some progress on implementing the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) but there have been delays and deadlines have been missed. There have also been clear violations of the CPA's security arrangements which have been reported to the well established and effective ceasefire monitoring mechanism. Such violations have mostly related to failures to redeploy troops, integrate non-regular armed groups and form joint integrated units on time. There has also been a serious outbreak of violence in Malakal, southern Sudan, in late November 2006—representing the most severe violation of the CPA's security arrangements to date. The UK supports the parties in delivering their security commitments under the CPA by chairing the Security Working Group in the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC).
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