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Moreover, county councils retain their role as waste and minerals planning authorities and as a statutory body in preparing initial proposals for sub-regional aspects of the regional spatial strategy. County councils may also, where agreed with the regional planning body, undertake elements of the regional planning body function, including the monitoring of the regional spatial strategy.
No other functions that were delivered or provided by local authorities in 1997 are now delivered or provided by agencies or bodies at a regional level.
Government: Diary Secretaries
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether the Secretary of State for Scotland has a diary secretary provided at public expense. [HL813]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: There is one diary secretary who provides support for both the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of State for Scotland.
Government: Secretary of State for Scotland
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list the public engagements of the Secretary of State for Scotland and of the Minister of State for Scotland respectively, for the month of November. [HL642]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Throughout the period 1 November to 30 November, the Secretary of State had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MoD and Scotland Office. On Thursday 1 and Friday 2 November, he was overseas visiting service personnel serving in Iraq. On Monday 5 November, he met HBOS in Scotland. On Tuesday 6 November, he attended the State Opening of Parliament. On Wednesday 7 November, he hosted the French Defence Minister for bilateral discussions in London. On Thursday 8 November, he attended the British Torch of Remembrance ceremony at Westminster Abbey and met National Grid. On Friday 9 November, he visited Diageo with the honourable Member for Ochil and South Perthshire. On Saturday 10 November, he attended
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The Minister of State for Scotland’s official engagements throughout the period 1 November to 30 November included various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office. On Thursday 1 November, the Minister of State was in his constituency in Scotland. On Friday 2 November, the Minister of State visited Working Links in Glasgow. That evening, the Minister of State attended the IBM Innovation Awards, Greenock. On Monday 5 November, the Minister of State attended the Prime Minister’s eve of Session reception. On Tuesday 6 November, the Minister of State attended the State Opening of Parliament. On Wednesday 7 November, the Minister of State attended the Shell UK reception in the afternoon and that evening he attended the Highland and Islands Enterprise annual dinner reception. On Friday 9 November, the Minister of State was in his constituency in Scotland. On Sunday 11 November, the Minister of State attended the Remembrance Service in Edinburgh. On Monday 12 November, the Minister of State attended the Scottish and Southern Energy board of directors’ dinner. On Tuesday 13 November, the Minister of State gave evidence to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee on the Gould report. On Thursday 15 November, the Minister of State met members of Highland Council to discuss the Crown Estate working group. On Friday 16 November, the Minister of State was in Glasgow where he met LINC Scotland, followed by meetings in his constituency that afternoon. On Tuesday 20 November, the Minister of State participated in the Westminster Hall Adjournment debate on economic development in Falkirk. On Wednesday 21 November, the Minister of State participated in the SI debate on the Criminal Proceedings Etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 (Powers of District and JP Courts) Order 2007. On Thursday 22 November, the Minister of State had a telephone conversation with the Scotland manager of Digital UK. On Friday 23 November, the Minister of State
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Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 25 November that the amount of time that his departmental responsibilities takes comes out of what was his private life, his family life or his constituents’ time, whether Scottish affairs are given adequate consideration in government at Westminster. [HL949]
Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Yes.
Gypsies and Travellers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which local authorities in England have brought forward development plan documents containing Gypsy and Traveller site alterations in advance of the regional consideration of pitch members, as advised by paragraph 43 of Circular 1/06; and whether they will give the number of pitches in each of these development plan documents. [HL659]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Sheffield Heeley, wrote to all local housing authorities in June 2007 asking for information on the progress made to implement Section 225 of the Housing Act 2004 and Circular ODPM 01/2006 “Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Sites” in respect of addressing the accommodation shortage of Gypsy and Traveller caravan sites.
In response to this letter, a number of planning authorities have indicated that they have started this work as listed below.
There are no adopted development plan documents containing specific land allocations for Gypsy and Traveller sites yet.
| List of local authorities bringing forward specific land allocation development plan allocation documents for Gypsy and Traveller sites | ||
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in light of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of DH and others v Czech Republic concerning access by Roma children to the ordinary state educational system, they will review their policies to ensure that more Gypsies and Travellers receive secondary education. [HL981]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): The European Court of Human Rights judgment of 13 November 2007 on application no. 57325/00 found evidence of adverse discrimination by the Czech Republic because children of Roma origin were disproportionately assigned to special schools and thereby denied access to mainstream schools. This judgment has no direct relevance to England since parents have free choice of schools, and the issue is rather how to encourage greater take-up of schooling by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, whether in mainstream or special schools.
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