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Committee on Standards in Public Life
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to appoint a new chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and, if so, when they will make this appointment. [HL2806]
Lord Davies of Oldham: An announcement on successor arrangements for the chairmanship of the Committee on Standards in Public Life will be made shortly.
Crime: On-the-runs
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they propose to bring forward legislation to deal with on-the-runs from Northern Ireland. [HL2787]
Lord Rooker: The Government continue to accept that the position of on-the-runs is an anomaly, and we believe that the anomaly will need to be addressed at some stage. However, we have consistently made clear that we have no plans to bring forward any legislation on on-the-runs, or to introduce an amnesty.
Cyclists: Regent's Park
Lord Dubs asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Royal Parks has been looking at ways in which to improve its cycling provision. Following a recent feasibility study, it plans to open a cycle path in the Regent’s Park within the next six months.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Human Rights
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo about the deaths caused in Kinshasa last week by fighting and civil unrest. [HL3003]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): On 23 March, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary issued a statement deploring the violence that was taking place in Kinshasa. Our ambassador in Kinshasa, with his EU colleagues, made a public statement on 27 March condemning the disproportionate force used during the fighting, the civilian lives lost
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With international partners, we continue to encourage both sides to settle their differences through negotiation. This is vital not only for peace, but for the innocent lives of their fellow citizens, who have suffered enough. We are encouraging the Congolese Parliament to play a constructive role to ensure that the progress towards democracy represented by the recent historic elections is not undermined.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the outcome of the representations made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo about the safety and health of the human rights lawyer and opposition Member of Parliament, Mrs Marie Thérèse Nlandu, following her imprisonment. [HL3004]
Lord Triesman: The Government are closely following the continued detention of Mme Nlandu. Our ambassador in Kinshasa has raised the case with President Kabila and Congolese Ministers. In December 2006, we and European partners raised our concerns that Mme Nlandu’s human rights, particularly her access to legal representation, were not being respected. Subsequently Mme Nlandu was granted access to a lawyer. But her trial continues to be delayed. Following our most recent representations, in February and March, President Kabila has promised to look into the case. Embassy officials in Kinshasa have attended some of Mme Nlandu’s court hearings and visited her in prison last month. We continue to monitor her situation and treatment closely.
Department for Transport: Meetings
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many times Ministers or officials from the Department for Transport have met representatives from Golden Arrow Communications since March 2005; and what was the date and nature of each meeting. [HL2866]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Since March 2005, Ministers and officials have attended several events organised by Golden Arrow Communications.
An official gave an introductory address about the department’s review of ports policy at a seminar on 5 July 2006. As part of the consultations on that review, the Minister of State, accompanied by officials, attended a lunch on 18 July 2006 to hear the views of ports and shipping interests.
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On 21 February 2007, both Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State attended a parliamentary reception at which one spoke about the Government’s broad transport priorities.
In addition, Ministers and officials have attended conferences, receptions and other such events not organised by Golden Arrow Communications but at which individuals employed by them may have been present. No record is kept of such encounters.
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many times Ministers or officials from the Department for Transport have met representatives from the Passenger Transport Executive Group since March 2005; and what was the date and nature of each meeting. [HL2867]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Passenger Transport Executive Group is key to the delivery of transport services in our larger urban areas, and Ministers and officials from the Department for Transport meet its representatives very frequently, with meetings covering a wide range of subjects related to rail, buses and local transport matters. The department meets from time to time with the Passenger Transport Executive Group or its representatives to discuss matters of collective interest, while representatives of the group are also often invited to wider discussions where there is a range of interested stakeholders. It would not be practicable to list every such occasion.
Elections: Rallies
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is permissible under electoral law to serve substantial meals or other food at election rallies and other meetings; and, if not, what are the penalties for so doing. [HL2667]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Section 114 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 provides that “treating”, or corruptly influencing a person to vote by providing them with meat, entertainment or other provision is an offence punishable by up to one year in prison, or an unlimited fine, or both.
Energy: Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate they have made of the extent to which demand for domestic grants under the low carbon buildings programme is likely to exceed supply in the next two financial years. [HL2465]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The low carbon buildings programme has been successful in demonstrating the potential of microgeneration technologies in the domestic setting. We have therefore seen an increase in the willingness of householders to install microgeneration technologies.
In the Budget 2007, it was announced that a further £6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than £18 million.
We aim to continue funding until June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
At what level they intend to limit monthly grant allocations under stream 1 of the low carbon buildings programme over each of the next two financial years. [HL2466]
Lord Truscott: In the Budget 2007, it was announced that a further £6 million will be made available to the household stream of the low carbon buildings programme, taking the total available for householders to more than £18 million.
Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be reshaped. Proposals will be brought forward in May.
Energy: Radioactive Waste Management
Lord Broers asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the role of Mr Mark Higson, Head of nuclear consultation and liabilities at the Department of Trade and Industry, with regard to the Government's policy on radioactive waste management. [HL2689]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): Mr Higson is, among other things, responsible for DTI staff working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs colleagues on the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely programme and the development of a consultation document, and for those overseeing the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which now has a responsibility for taking forward work on the proposed waste repository. As one would expect, therefore, he has an interest in the ultimate disposition of waste, and is involved in consideration of key issues regarding radioactive waste as they emerge.
Energy: Renewables
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How they propose to meet their renewable transport fuel obligation without importing ethanol from Brazil or palm oil from Indonesia. [HL3052]
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Lord Bassam of Brighton: It will be up to individual transport fuel suppliers to decide what biofuels to supply to comply with the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO). In order to claim credit in respect of any biofuel, however, they will be required to report on the carbon savings associated with, and the wider environmental impact of, that fuel. The Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders on the precise scope and format of these reports. The information in the reports will be publicly available, providing a real incentive to transport fuel suppliers to source only the most sustainable biofuels.
In the longer term, the Government’s intention is that only those biofuels meeting certain minimum environmental standards should qualify for credits under the RTFO. The Government are consulting on how and when it might be feasible to do this without breaching international trade rules: copies of the consultation document are available in the House Libraries or via http://www.dft.gov.uk/roads/rtfo.
Fishing: Drift Nets
Lord Dear asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by Lord Rooker on 18 December 2006 (Official Report, col. 1826), why the information that Lord Rooker undertook to provide to Lord Dear had not been provided by 19 March; and when that information will be provided. [HL2839]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): I apologise for the delay in providing this information to the noble Lord; unfortunately, this was due to an administrative error. I have now written to him and will also place a copy of my letter in the House Libraries.
Flags
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the building of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at the Mall, Armagh City, has been provided with a union flag; whether advice has been given about the appropriate dates when the union flag should be flown; and whether it was flown on St Patrick's Day on 17 March. [HL2878]
Lord Rooker: Defra does not have any buildings in Armagh City.
Food
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many United Kingdom food products are registered under the European Union’s protected regional food scheme; and how many other products have been denied registration under this scheme. [HL2922]
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The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The protected food name (PFN) scheme of the European Union (EU) provides farmers and producers with a way to add value to their product and to meet consumers’ demand for more regional and local food. To date, 36 UK products, including Stilton cheese, Scotch beef, Welsh lamb, Cornish clotted cream and Arbroath smokies, have been registered under the EU PFN scheme as either protected geographical indication (PGI), protected designation of origin (PDO) or traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG). A number of other products, including traditionally grown indoor Yorkshire rhubarb and Cornish sardines, are seeking protection.
Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their application with officials before completing the application form. If the product is not eligible, officials will advise the applicant at that stage to avoid any unnecessary effort on their part. We do not keep records of the number of potential applications that are deemed ineligible.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many regional food products are listed as protected within the European Union, broken down by member state. [HL2923]
Lord Rooker: The number of regional food products that, to date, have been afforded protection under the European Union’s protected food names scheme as protected geographical indications (PGI) and protected designation of origin (PDO) is set out in the following table.
| Protected geographical indication (PGI) | Protected designation of origin (PDO) | Total | |
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