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Settlements are illegal under international law and settlement construction is an obstacle to peace. The road map is clear that Israel should freeze all settlement construction including the “natural growth” of existing settlements, and dismantle all outposts built since 2001. The EU will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed by both parties. The Government support this.
Local Government: Unitary Councils
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment the Department for Communities and Local Government has made of the possible risk of the increased costs and complexity of local government through creating new small unitary councils. [HL594]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The unitary proposals have been assessed against the five criteria set out in the invitations to councils issued on 26 October 2006, and involved consideration of the costs, complexity and risks such proposals would be likely to give rise to if they were to be implemented.
Ministry of Defence: Sale of Accommodation
Lord Selkirk of Douglas asked Her Majesty's Government:
Where the Ministry of Defence (MoD) receives a financial windfall as a result of the sale of MoD land, whether best use of the money is made by the MoD for MoD purposes. [HL669]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The MoD endeavours at all times to ensure that all financial resources received by the department, from whatever source, are used cost-effectively.
People Trafficking
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will use their discretion to grant residence permits to adults and children who have been trafficked; and whether taking this step would assist and bring forward their ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. [HL761]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): Discretion may already be used to grant limited leave to victims of trafficking but as part of our implementation of the Council of Europe convention we are considering whether any amendment to existing arrangements is necessary. The Government are committed to ratifying the convention as soon as possible as part of our ongoing anti-trafficking strategy, set out in the comprehensive UK action plan on tackling human trafficking. But we will not ratify the convention until we have implemented it in full because our legal system, unlike in some other signatory countries, requires full compliance with an international treaty before ratification.
Police
Lord Dear asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 15 November (WA 33), what assessment they have made of the debate on policing in the House of Lords on 7 June (Official Report, cols. 1247—91), particularly in respect of concerns raised about the quality of leadership in the police forces in England and Wales; and whether they have any plans to introduce a mandated development path for police officers. [HL606]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Association of Police Authorities (APA), the Home Office and the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) have been working together closely since April this year to build a new leadership framework. Proposed to start in 2008, this will include a substantially revised national high potential development scheme (HPDS). The HPDS will be a complete new set of national leadership training programmes and systems to ensure the continuous professional development at ACPO level for intermediate to senior police officer ranks and police staff equivalents.
The new national leadership training and development programme will focus on dynamic education and leadership development, to recognise the broad and diverse nature of police leadership. A new accreditation process will be developed which will ensure the officer's competence to an agreed standard in any area of leadership.
The strategy is in the final stages of development and will be rolled out in phases through next year, subject to available funding.
Lord Dear asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 15 November (WA 32), what plans they have to address those aspects of level 2 crime that do not involve cross-border activity between separate police forces, having particular regard to the comments made by Mr Peter Neyroud, chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency, in an address to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies on 24 September. [HL608]
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Lord West of Spithead: The measures to improve the national capability and capacity for the delivery of protective services, which were set out in my Answer of 15 November, encompass those services described under the term level 2 whether they are dealing with cross-border crimes or crimes that fall within a single police force's boundaries. The approach which we are encouraging through .joint working between forces is focused on achieving greater effectiveness and efficiency in addressing all level 2 crime rather than being focused necessarily on particular crimes that only have an impact on more than one police force area.
Police: Merseyside
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the numbers of police officers on the beat in Merseyside have increased or decreased in 2007 to date; and by how many. [HL773]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The deployment of police officers to different functions is an operational matter for the chief constable. The latest available data, which are collected annually as at the last day of the financial year, show that the number of full-time equivalent police officers in Merseyside whose primary function is foot, car or beat patrol fell from 2,167 as at 31 March 2006 to 2,105 as at 31 March 2007.
The available data relate to the number of police officers whose primary function is “foot, car or beat patrol”; defined by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) working group on patrol as:
“The overt presence, whether on foot or mobile, of a locally accountable uniformed constable who provides public reassurance and who is approachable and available to ensure an appropriate response from all the resources of the police service, to the needs and demands of the general public”.
Postal Service
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Approximately how many items posted before and during the recent postal strike remain undelivered. [HL776]
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 which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the noble Viscount. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many items of mail posted before and during the recent postal strike are currently being held in High Wycombe and in London warehouses. [HL777]
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Lord Jones of Birmingham: This is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the noble Viscount. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.
Prisoners: Deportation
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they intend to take in regard to foreign national ex-prisoners due for deportation from countries to which they cannot currently be returned. [HL725]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): In her letter to the Home Affairs Committee of 20 November, the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency, Lin Homer, provided details of the agency’s management of sentence-expired FNPs and the position on enforced removal. A copy of this letter was placed in the Library of the House.
Public Service Agreement Targets
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration, Mr Liam Byrne, on 24 October (Official Report, 343W), how many of the public service agreement targets entered into by them (a) are considered to have insufficient rural impact to justify a full impact assessment; (b) have had impact assessments carried out and published; and (c) have not yet had an impact assessment published. [HL433]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The public service agreements published on 9 October 2007 will come into effect on 1 April 2008. Those which the Home Office leads relate to migration, safer communities, alcohol and drugs, terrorism and the criminal justice system (led jointly with the Attorney-General and the Secretary of State for Justice). Each PSA priority outcome is underpinned by a single delivery agreement shared across all contributing departments and developed in consultation with delivery partners and frontline workers.
In response to (a), individual impact assessments were not produced for PSAs as each delivery agreement represents a range of co-ordinated activity ranging from existing and new legislation, which follows the normal parliamentary route, through to new or ongoing publicity campaigns to promote specific initiatives such as tackling anti-social behaviour. Impact assessments, previously called regulatory impact assessments, are only required when the Government bring forward specific new proposals. These are intended to assess the full impact of such proposals—for example, the
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In response to (b) the new PSA delivery agreements are cross-government and may relate to policies for which other departments are responsible. Previous assessments of policy areas for which the Home Office is responsible are published on the Home Office website at www. homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/regulatory- impact-assessments/
In response to (c) any new assessments will also be published there or, where we are consulting on new proposals, the assessment will accompany the consultation documents at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/haveyoursay/
Equality impact assessments were prepared for our new PSAs, as a legal requirement, and are published at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/regulatory-impact-assessments/#assess2007.
Railways: Channel Tunnel Link
Lord Soley asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many flats and houses were demolished during the construction of (a) the Channel Tunnel Rail Link; and (b) St Pancras International railway station. [HL757]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: A total of 60 dwellings (houses and flats) were demolished during the construction of the CTRL. This figure of 60 included 14 dwellings in the area of St Pancras International station, where one block of the Stanley buildings and the Gas Works Cottages were demolished.
Railways: Closures and Diversions
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much revenue is lost on the railways as a consequence of route closures and diversions at weekends caused by engineering works.[HL786]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Her Majesty’s Government do not hold the detailed information requested. The compensation regime between Network Rail and the train operating companies is set out in the relevant track access agreements between the parties and as such is a contractual matter for them.
My noble friend should contact Network Rail’s chief executive at the following address for further information on his question: Iain Coucher, Chief Executive, Network Rail, 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EE.
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Railways: Reopening of Lines
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimates they have made of the costs of reinstating passenger services on the rail routes from Uckfield to Lewes, Oxford to Cambridge and Skipton to Colne, and of the social and environmental benefits which would accrue from each reopening. [HL785]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government have not carried out studies into the cost of reinstating passenger services on these three lines. However, they are aware of studies initiated by other parties promoting their reopening.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will establish an annual fund specifically for the purpose of reinstating railway services on lines closed to passenger trains.[HL787]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government have no proposals for establishing a fund specifically for reinstating railway services on closed lines.
Reopening regional or rural lines will not normally be the most effective way of delivering the capacity increases which, as the rail White Paper explained, are our priority. We remain willing nevertheless to consider any reopening proposal which is supported by a proper business case and can be funded.
Sport
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What policies and programmes are being pursued to encourage more children to participate in sport; and [HL741]
Whether resources will be made available to enable children from early years, through their school years, to participate in all forms of sport and recreational activities; and [HL742]
How much expenditure will be incurred in 2006—07, 2007—08 and 2008—09 on programmes to promote sport and encourage increased participation; and whether such expenditure will be adequate to achieve the targets set for increased participation in sport, particularly among children and young people. [HL743]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): The Departments for Culture, Media and Sport, and Children, Schools and Families, are working together to deliver the national school sport strategy. The strategy’s current aim is to increase the percentage of five to 16 year-olds participating in at least two hours a week of high quality PE and sport at school
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As part of the early years foundation stage (EYFS)—a single framework for learning, development and care for children from birth to age five, which will become statutory in all settings from September 2008)—the physical development of babies and young children is one of the six areas of learning and development which practitioners must encourage, through play, and by providing opportunities for physical and recreational activities. Implementation of the EYFS is funded through grants for training and delivery primarily through the free offer for three and four year-olds.
This department has allocated £135.5 million in 2006-07, £150.5 million in 2007-08 and £155.5 million in 2008-09 to deliver the national school sport strategy and its targets. DCMS has allocated £44.75 million annually in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to deliver the strategy. The allocation for 2008-09 is being finalised. This investment has helped us to increase the proportion of children aged five-16 participating in high quality PE and school sport from 62 per cent in 2003-04 to 86 per cent in 2006-07, achieving our target for 2008 of 85 per cent a year early.
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