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2 May 2007 : Column WA212
Equality
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to extend current legislation against age discrimination in order to protect those working as volunteers in charities and voluntary associations. [HL3381]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): We have no plans to change our current approach. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 implement the age strand of the European Employment Directive. Unpaid voluntary work does not fall within the scope of the directive. The age regulations cover people working under the direction of another in return for remuneration. Practical work experience is covered as it constitutes vocational training. This follows the common definition of employment under existing legislation on race, gender and disability. We are committed to maintaining consistency in approach and definition across existing as well as new areas of equality legislation wherever practicable.
EU: Commission Accounts
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why a pre-financing figure of €28 billion was not recorded as an asset in the European Commission's 2004 annual accounts; and [HL3366]
Whether they came to a conclusion on the accuracy of the €28 billion pre-financing figure given in the 2004 annual accounts of the European Commission, bearing in mind the absence of a double-entry book-keeping system; and, if so, what was that conclusion; and [HL3367]
Whether the European Commission's pre-financing figures in their 2004 annual accounts were collected by means of spreadsheets submitted by the directorates, based on their conversations with beneficiaries and intermediaries; if so, which body checked the resultant figures; and whether they were reconciled by the European Commission with their own accounting records; and [HL3368]
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What is their response to the view of Mr Brian Gray, the European Union's chief accounting officer, as expressed in the Sunday Telegraph of 4 February, that a figure of €28 billion was excluded from the European Commission's 2004 annual accounts because it did not represent cash. [HL3369]
Lord Davies of Oldham: According to the explanation provided in the Final Annual Accounts of the European Communities 2004, pre-financing amounts for operational purposes are included in the year's expenditure and do not appear as assets in the balance sheet. Pre-financing amounts which had not been received by the final beneficiary at 31 December 2004 and which are included in the year's budget expenditure are entered as short-term assets on the balance sheet under “Sundry debtors”. This amounted to €4,140 million at 31 December 2004.
Following a modernisation of the accounts of the European Communities in 2005 and the change to an accruals accounting system, (as outlined by Mr Brian Gray, the Commission Chief Accountant, in his letter to the Sunday Telegraph of 4 February), an asset entitled pre-financing is now recognised on the balance sheet and represents the advances paid to beneficiaries. In the 2005 accounts, the restated amounts of long and short-term pre-financing are given as €21,285 million (as at 31 December 2004) and €6,728 million (as at 31 December 2004) respectively—totalling some €28 billion.
In accordance with European Council Regulations on Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and the European Fisheries Fund, national authorities provide the Commission with forecasts of requests for payment for current and the following years. These forecasts may be provided in spreadsheets and should include payments concerning pre-financing. It is for the Commission to decide how it compiles, checks and presents the annual accounts, which are then analysed and reported on by the European Court of Auditors.
Government: Law Officers' Advice
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the remarks by the Attorney-General on 19 March (GC 131—32), what is their policy and practice on seeking the Law Officers' advice before making a statement of compatibility under Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998. [HL3282]
The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): The circumstances in which it will normally be appropriate to consult the Law Officers are set out in paragraph 6.22 of the Ministerial Code.
Gypsies and Travellers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which Gypsy and Traveller accommodation assessments have been completed; whether they will identify those which have not included the needs of travelling show people; and how the needs of this latter community are to be covered by the regional spatial strategies. [HL3459]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): Information collected in March showed that accommodation needs assessments for Gypsies and Travellers were underway, or had been completed, in 90 per cent of local authorities. We do not hold information centrally on whether these assessments have included the needs of travelling showpeople.
Consultation on revised planning guidance for travelling showpeople has recently ended. We are analysing the responses to this consultation, and will be publishing a final version in due course. The issues raised by the noble Lord on regional spatial strategies will be among those considered in this process.
Health: Food Supplements and Herbal Remedies
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 16 April (WA 15-16), why, when Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the European Union and United Kingdom consumers can obtain food supplements and herbal remedies via the internet, they exerted pressure on those territories to conform with European Union obligations concerning the composition, presentation and marketing of such products. [HL3430]
The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Jersey and Guernsey are not members of the European Union, but have a relationship with the EU provided by Protocol 3 of the UK's treaty of accession to the European Community. This relationship provides for free movement of goods and trade between the islands and member states and directives apply to the Channel Islands where the principal purpose of the directive is to remove obstacles to the free movement of goods. The UK view is that both the Medicines Directive and the Food Supplements Directive apply because they are concerned with removing barriers to the free movement of goods by regulating content, sale and labelling.
Health: Unlicensed Medicines
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
What powers are available to postal and advertising authorities to prevent the marketing to United Kingdom mainland consumers of unlicensed medicinal products by companies based in the Channel Islands. [HL2316]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): Advertisements issued from within the Channel Islands are the responsibility of the relevant authorities within those islands. There are no powers in the Postal Services Act 2000 to control direct mail advertising from the Channel Islands. In those cases where such advertising
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Housing: Low Carbon Buildings
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
What promotional work they are undertaking to publicise the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2; and, in particular, how they are bringing the scheme to the attention of housing associations, local government and the Ministry of Defence. [HL3455]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The Department of Trade and Industry has ensured that relevant officials across government, including in the Ministry of Defence, are fully aware of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2. This has been achieved, in particular, through communication through the Office of Government Commerce's regular meetings of procurement representatives from different departments. We have also informed Regional Development Agencies and the Local Government Association about the existence of the programme. We have also directly contacted the National Housing Federation, a representative body for housing associations in England, and the Development Trusts Association, a representative body of community regeneration organisations across the UK.
The programme manager, BRE, has created a website with relevant information and links, distributed flyers at relevant events, released information to networks of contacts focused on carbon and energy efficiency within local authorities, health services, higher education and the government estate and included information about the programme in relevant publications and press releases. Framework suppliers have also been encouraged to undertake their own promotional work of the programme in the course of their usual business.
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 it is acceptable, in order for the end user to receive a grant, for that end user to place an order directly with an installer rather than a framework supplier, as long as the installer uses the equipment of an approved framework supplier. [HL3456]
Lord Truscott: Customers applying to receive a grant for a microgeneration technology installation under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 must place orders through and enter a contract with a framework supplier. The framework supplier may then subcontract the fulfilment of that order to an installer.
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Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
How long on average it takes to approve grant applications under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2. [HL3457]
Lord Truscott: Grant applications received up to 27 April 2007 under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 have taken an average of five working days to process.
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many applications have been received under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 since its inception. [HL3458]
Lord Truscott: At 27 April 2007, 51applications had been received under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2.
Human Rights: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the remit provided to the chair of the Bill of Rights Forum is confined to producing agreed recommendations to inform the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's advice to the Government on the scope for defining, in Westminster legislation, rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights, to reflect the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland. [HL3311]
Lord Rooker: The Bill of Rights Forum’s terms of reference are to produce agreed recommendations to inform the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s advice to Government on the scope for defining, in Westminster legislation, rights supplementary to those in the European Convention on Human Rights, to reflect the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland, drawing as appropriate on international human rights instruments and experience. These additional rights to reflect the principles of mutual respect for the identity and ethos of both communities and parity of esteem, and—taken together with the ECHR—to constitute a Bill Rights for Northern Ireland.
Iraq and Afghanistan: Military Casualties
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish in the Official Report the names, ages and, where appropriate, the regiments of all military and civilian British nationals who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 28 May 2006. [HL3242]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The MoD is committed to openly publishing statistics on the number of service casualties on operations. Information on military
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Casualty data on the MoD website are updated on a two-weekly basis, two weeks in arrears, with the fatality data updated following incidents in line with the next of kin informing process.
Between 28 May 2006 and 24 April 2007 the following British service personnel died (from any cause) in Iraq:
| Name | Age | Regiment |
|
1st Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry (1 DDLI) | ||
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