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Pensions: Personal Accounts Delivery Authority
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have advertised for non-executive appointments to the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority; and, if so, where. [HL5733]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The non-executive posts of chair and first non-executive director of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority were advertised in the Sunday Times, the Times and on the Cabinet Office public appointments website.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they considered any other candidates as non-executive directors for appointment to the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority before the appointment of Ms Jeannie Drake. [HL5734]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Before the appointment of Ms Jeannie Drake all applicants for the post of non-executive director of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority were considered by a selection panel, which included an Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments independent assessor.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What terms and conditions, including pay, will apply to the chairman and the non-executive directors appointed to the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority. [HL5735]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Terms and conditions for the chairman and non-executive directors of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority are based on the model in the Cabinet Office's Making and Managing Public Appointments—A Guide for Departments.
The chairman of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority will receive remuneration of £150,000 per annum for a time commitment of two days work per week.
The first non-executive director of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority will receive fees of £20,000 for an overall time commitment of 15 days per year.
People Trafficking: Cocoa
Baroness Northover asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will support the sustainable cocoa chain programme, announced by Cargill and others on 10 October, which intends to help tackle child trafficking in the global cocoa industry. [HL5699]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Vadera): The Government have not been asked to support this programme. We welcome initiatives from the private sector to ensure the elimination of child trafficking and any form of exploitative labour practice in the global cocoa industry. We encourage co-ordination and co-operation between all those working on this issue.
Baroness Northover asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the attempts by the International Cocoa Initiative to combat the use of the worst forms of child labour in cocoa supply chains. [HL5700]
Baroness Vadera: The Government have not made an assessment of the International Cocoa Initiative. This is a programme set up and funded by the cocoa industry to take forward the Cocoa Protocol: a voluntary commitment by the industry to eliminate child labour from cocoa production.
The International Cocoa Initiative has provided updates on its progress through the Cocoa Task Force hosted by the FCO.
Baroness Northover asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they plan to introduce legislation to ensure that all United Kingdom chocolate manufacturers adopt minimum standards of transparency, independent inspections, fairer pricing, and child welfare in their cocoa supply chains. [HL5701]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): The Government have no plans to introduce legislation to ensure such standards, as there is no consumer safety dimension. But in their contacts with the industry the Government will encourage chocolate manufacturers to respond voluntarily to the growing public concern about sourcing and standards in their supply chains. The actions of consumers will also help shape manufacturers’ decisions in this regard.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has regular stakeholder meetings with representatives of the food sector, including the confectionery industry.
Post Offices: Closures
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the impact on the rural economy of the current and future rounds of post office closures being undertaken by Post Office Limited. [HL5628]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): In developing its area plan proposals for post office closures. Post Office Ltd takes into consideration the impact on the local economy of each community affected. In addition the Government have introduced
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Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Jones of Birmingham: Post Office Limited (POL) is responsible for implementing the post office transformation programme at a local level. It is developing a rolling programme of some 50 local consultations on detailed area plans, based on groups of parliamentary constituencies.
The first area plans went out to local consultation on 2 October this year and will continue to be rolled out at regular intervals until next July, with the whole programme scheduled to take around 15 months to complete. The area plans for Northern Ireland are scheduled to go to public consultation in April 2008. The Government do not have a role in proposals or decisions for individual post offices. The final decisions on which post offices will close will be taken by POL in light of the responses received to the area consultations.
Post Offices: Public Relations
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the cost of the “People's Post Office” public relations campaign, including the figure for advertising spend. [HL5710]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. Alan Cook, the managing director, has been asked to reply direct to the noble Lord.
Railways: East Coast Main Line
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many times in each of the past four years significant delays have occurred on the east coast main line as a result of problems with the overhead lines between (a) London and Peterborough; (b) Peterborough and Doncaster; (c) Doncaster and Leeds; and (d) Doncaster and Edinburgh. [HL5683]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Train delay data for the rail network as a whole are collected and processed by Network Rail. The noble Lord may wish to contact Network Rail’s chief executive for a response at the following address: Iain Coucher, Chief Executive, Network Rail, 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EE.
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Research and Development
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the level of growth in research and development in the renewable energy sector since 2005. [HL5496]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Lord Triesman): Research Council, Government and Technology Strategy Board expenditure on renewable energy technologies research and development since 2005 is as follows:
| Research Councils | |
The above figures include support for CO2 sequestration. In addition, the research councils have supported further research relating to energy in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which has some £15.6 million funding from research councils over 2000-09, and in the work of the UK Energy Research Centre which commenced operation in 2004, with a budget of £13.9 million for 2004-09.
Russia: EU Summit
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What items are on the agenda for the European Union/Russia summit on 26 October; and whether they will propose or raise additional items, either formally or informally. [HL5662]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The agenda for the EU-Russia summit covers: the situation in the EU and in Russia; relations under each of the four “Common Spaces” (Economics; Freedom, Security and Justice; External Security; Research, Education and Culture); future perspectives for the EU-Russia relationship (including Russia's World Trade Organisation accession); and regional and international issues.
EU member states prepare for the summit by discussing and agreeing a paper on key outstanding issues in the relationship. This paper forms the basis of issues to be raised by the EU delegation (the presidency, the Council Secretariat and the Commission) and sets out the terms in which they should be raised. The paper is extremely comprehensive, covering almost 40 high level issues, and is updated for each summit. We have been actively involved in discussions on these issues, including on updates to the paper made to reflect developments since the last summit. We are satisfied that the paper effectively covers priorities for the UK.
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Smoking
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in light of the conclusion of the Foresight report that obesity is more dangerous than smoking, they plan to introduce a policy to recommend moderate tobacco smoking as an effective appetite suppressant. [HL5661]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Smoking is known to be the principal avoidable cause of premature death, killing 87,000 people in England each year. Over 80 per cent. of deaths from lung cancer are the direct result of smoking. Therefore, the Government have no such plans.
Sport: Flags and Anthems
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they gave advice to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union by the Northern Ireland Office concerning the branch's decision not to fly the union flag or sing the national anthem at the recent international match at Ravenhill in Belfast.[HL5585]
Lord Rooker: The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 legislate for flag-flying in Northern Ireland and apply only to government buildings, not to sporting venues. Responsibility for sport is a matter for the devolved administration in Northern Ireland. No such advice was given by the Northern Ireland Office, nor would it have been appropriate for it to be given.
Sri Lanka: Navy
Lord Naseby asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they will take to ensure supply of ammunition to the Sri Lankan navy for use in equipment sold by the United Kingdom, in order to enable effective policing of sea lanes around Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan navy. [HL5677]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): Supplies of military equipment going to Sri Lanka, as with all destinations, would be assessed on a case-by-case basis against our national export licensing criteria and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. We would not issue a licence where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression or might aggravate existing tensions or conflict in the country of final destination. We acknowledge the need of the Sri Lankan navy to police the sea lanes around Sri Lanka. However, we are concerned about reports of serious human rights violations by the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Sri Lankan navy's failure to take adequate steps to prevent the loss of innocent civilian life. These considerations would have to be factored into any decisions concerning exports of military equipment.
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St Helena
Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans for a parliamentary presence at the installation of the new Governor of St Helena on 11 November. [HL5668]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): There are no plans for a British parliamentary presence at the inauguration of the new Governor of St Helena on 11 November.
Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development (Baroness Vadera): The closing date for submission of bids to design, build and operate an airport in St Helena is 30 November 2007.
Sudan
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their assessment of the level of conflict in the constituent regions of Sudan and the prospects for resolution. [HL5696]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The conflicts in Sudan are becoming increasingly complex. The announcement on 11 October by the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM)—the leading political party in the south of Sudan—to suspend its participation in the government of national unity has the potential to undermine national stability. The foundation for peace and stability throughout Sudan is the comprehensive peace agreement and we remain committed to its implementation.
Although the conflicts in the south and east of Sudan have now formally ended they could still flare up again. We continue to press the Government of Sudan, the SPLM and rebel groups from eastern Sudan to implement the peace agreements they have reached. We also continue to press the Government of Sudan and Darfur rebels to agree an immediate cessation of hostilities and to work towards a lasting peace agreement for Darfur.
Sudan: Darfur
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
In light of the shooting dead on 17 October of three contract truck drivers working for World Food Programme in Darfur, what additional measures can be taken to improve the security and safety of humanitarian aid workers. [HL5675]
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The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): We are calling for a full cessation of hostilities to be agreed by all parties at the 27 October political talks in Libya. We have made it clear that any party that breaches this will face tough consequences.
We will use our observer seat on the high level committee that monitors the joint UN-Government of Sudan humanitarian communiqué of 28 March 2007 to press the Government of Sudan to comply with their commitments.
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