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As part of that role, I am today announcing that from 1 December 2008 the Homes and Communities Agency will take on responsibility for the Gypsy and Traveller site grant, which provides funding for the provision and refurbishment of Gypsy and Traveller sites. This approach will bring delivery of homes for Gypsies and Travellers into line with the arrangements for housing and accommodation delivery for the rest of the community. It reflects our determination to address the existing shortfall in accommodation for all in society, tackling the problems that can be caused by unauthorised camping and the poor life chances of Gypsies and Travellers themselves.
The HCA will be responsible for administering the Gypsy and Traveller site grant to meet ambitious but realistic targets for the delivery of pitches across England. Through its close relationship with local authorities and other delivery partners, the HCA will be well placed to step up the pace of delivery for the benefit of both Gypsies and Travellers and the settled community. This approach responds to the findings of the independent task group on site provision and enforcement, chaired by Sir Brian Briscoe, whose report issued in December found that the policy framework for site provision was sound, but that delivery was slow.
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Ministers will continue to have oversight of the programme, ensuring that it achieves the Government’s objectives of meeting Gypsies’ and Travellers’ accommodation needs and supporting community cohesion. We will also be asking the HCA to recommend any changes to the programme for 2010-11 that may be necessary to improve delivery; £97 million was allocated for the grant through the CSR07 period, and funding for 2009-10 and 2010-11 will be transferred in full to the HCA on its establishment.
NHS: Health and Social Care
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): The Minister of State, Department of Health (Ben Bradshaw) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
On 11 August 2008, I published a consultation document, which is the latest stage in the development of the new system we are introducing for the regulation of health and adult social care.
Changes to Arrangements for Regulating NHS Bodies in Relation to Healthcare-associated Infections for 2009-10: A Consultation for the NHS takes forward our commitment to allow the Care Quality Commission to regulate NHS bodies with respect to healthcare associated infections from April 2009. A copy has been placed in the Library and copies are available for honourable Members from the Vote Office.
The NHS has been working hard to tackle healthcare-associated infections. We are on course to halve the number of MRSA infections from 2003-04 levels and reduce C. difficile infections. Patients keep telling us that contracting a healthcare-associated infection is one of their biggest concerns. It is crucial that we focus on bringing infection rates down even further and protecting patients, staff and visitors from the risk of infection.
Patients are looking for assurances that no matter who provides their care, they will receive a safe and quality service. They also look to the regulators of health and social care to support and encourage improvements in the services they use.
The NHS next stage review final report, High Quality Care for All, emphasises the important role that regulation plays in improving quality.
The Health and Social Care Act establishes the Care Quality Commission on 1 October this year and it will take over responsibility for regulating health and adult social care from April 2009. It will operate under a new legislative framework, with a wider range of enforcement powers. These include powers to inspect and investigate, to issue statutory warning notices and financial penalties and, in the most serious cases, to prosecute, suspend or cancel registration.
This document sets out how we plan to carry forward the existing code of practice for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections into this new environment, and further details the full range of enforcement powers that will be introduced under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
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This publication encourages all NHS organisations to engage with this process and provides an opportunity for them to comment. However, it will also be of interest to anyone working in health and adult social care and to patients and service users who are interested in how the reforms are going to improve the services they use. The consultation will close on 20 October 2008.
Hong Kong
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (David Miliband) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The latest report on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong was published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the report is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk). The report covers the period from 1 January to 30 June 2008. I commend the report to the House.
Learning and Skills Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): My honourable friend the Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education (Bill Rammell) has made the following Statement.
I would like to inform the House that Section 2 of the Further Education and Training Act 2007, which inserts Section 18A of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, placing a duty on the Council to establish regional councils, has been enacted. The Learning and Skills Council has been successful in appointing members to each of its nine regional councils. The regional councils became operational on 10 September 2008. The chairs of the regional councils are:
North-west: Roger HoyleYorkshire & Humberside: Rachel MannEast Midlands: Roger BegyWest Midlands: Ben ReidEast of England: Chris PaveleySouth-east: Norman BoylandSouth-west: John SavageLondon: Claire Ighodaro**Claire is a member of the LSC’s national council undertaking the role on an interim basis.
The Government have announced plans for replacing the LSC with a new structure for 16 to 19 and post-19 funding. Those plans would require parliamentary approval of new legislation. These appointments are being made pending the introduction of that legislation. Full details of all regional council members can be found on the LSC website (www.lsc.gov.uk)
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Manufacturing
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Baroness Vadera): On 8 September, the Government unveiled a new strategy for the UK’s manufacturing sector—New Challenges, New Opportunities—to help UK firms take advantage of changing global trends in manufacturing. A summary document is also available.
In bringing forward their refreshed manufacturing strategy, developed by the Department for Business and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, in partnership with industry, the Government are reaffirming their commitment to the sector as a key part of a mixed and balanced UK economy in the future.
The refreshed strategy is intended to set out a dynamic framework that will shape further new policies and programmes in the future. It builds on the Government’s manufacturing strategy of 2002, which was the first strategy for the sector for more than 30 years.
The environment facing manufacturers has undergone and continues to face significant change. To understand what is powering these shifts we have conducted consultations with the Ministerial Advisory Group on Manufacturing and other stakeholders, and drawn upon academic and survey evidence. This has revealed the importance of five interrelated dynamics that have been and continue to be instrumental in reshaping global manufacturing.
The increasing prevalence and complexity of global value chains, underpinned by developments in information and communication technology, and consequent fragmentation of processes, encouraging specialisation.The accelerated pace of technology exploitation as the pace and demand for change implementation has increased.The growing importance of investment in intangibles such as design, branding and R&D.The increased recognition that investment in people and skills is among the most important for companies to make.The move to a low-carbon economy as the response to climate change creates both new challenges and opportunities for manufacturing firms.These dynamics are described in detail in the economics paper, Five Dynamics of Change in Global Manufacturing, which accompanies the strategy. The strategy itself sets out Government’s view of what the sector needs for success in the long-term. It includes the following.
Global Value Chains: International fragmentation of production—Manufacturing attracts more FDI to the UK than any other country in Europe and globally the UK is second only to the US. Manufacturing growth in other countries means opportunities for the UK. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will allocate additional resources to target a package of new support for 600 UK companies of all sizes to identify
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Technology exploitation: Accelerating the spread of new technologies—In addition to the existing centre in Yorkshire and the centre currently being built in Glasgow, there will be a new manufacturing technology centre in Coventry. It will have industrial scale pre-production and demonstration facilities, which could lead to £130 million of investment in business-led applied research and its exploitation over the next 10 years. And the Technology Strategy Board will invest £24 million into research central to high value-added manufacturing.
Intangibles: Competitive advantage from non-traditional elements of manufacturing—Firms in the UK are using other areas of leading British skills and industry to make them more globally competitive. UK and global businesses are growing their investment in intangible or knowledge assets, such as software, design and brand building in order to improve their global competitiveness and to meet the changing needs of customers. The Design Council and regional development agencies will implement the findings of the current review of the Designing Demand programme to increase penetration of the programme across the regions. We have supported the creation of the UK Design Skills Alliance and will work with the alliance to help ensure the world-leading UK design sector has the skills required by manufacturers to compete in global markets.
People: Improving the skills base and attracting talent into manufacturing—The strategy sets out a renewed focus on apprenticeships, including the extension and expansion of high-quality apprenticeships by approximately 1,500 new places, in addition to the 9,000 places announced earlier this year. We will expand apprenticeships by inviting bids from larger manufacturers to train additional apprentices, including for their supply chains. And for manufacturers, there will be a clear focus on simplifying their experience of the skills system so they can quickly and easily access the skills and training support they need. The memorandum of understanding published alongside the strategy sets out how delivery partners will work together to simplify the offer to employers.
A new body, Manufacturing Insight, will be tasked with making the public perception of manufacturing reflect the reality of a successful, modern and broad sector and ensuring young people are aware of the exciting career opportunities available. There will also be a Manufacturing the Future schools campaign to promote manufacturing career prospects to young people.
Low-carbon Economy: Opportunities for manufacturing —Next year, a low-carbon industrial strategy will address the challenges facing manufacturers as they try to reduce their carbon footprint and the huge opportunities from investment in energy and a shift to a low-carbon economy. The Office of Nuclear Development will work with industry partners to develop the nuclear supply chain and maximise high value-added work captured by UK manufacturers from an estimated £20 billion capital expenditure in nuclear. And a new Office for Renewable Energy Deployment will be
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Related documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These are:
Manufacturing: New Challenges, New Opportunities (summary document)
Manufacturing: New Challenges, New Opportunities (full strategy document—printout of document published on the BERR and DIUS websites)
BERR Economics Paper No. 2: Five Dynamics of Change in Global Manufacturing—Underpinning Economic Analysis
Memorandum of Understanding: Education and Training Support in the Manufacturing Sector.
National Audit Office: Public Accounts Commission Report
Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Angela Eagle) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I welcome the work of the Public Accounts Commission (TPAC) on the new governance arrangements for the National Audit Office (NAO) as set out in its 16th report (HC 1027) published on 24 July.
The Government will continue to work with TPAC, the NAO, the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Counsel to prepare provisions for the Constitutional Renewal Bill to implement the commission’s recommendations.
Police: Injury Awards
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): My honourable friend the Minister of State for the Home Department (Tony McNulty) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
On 25 August I published a consultation document, Review of Police Injury Benefits: Government Proposals, which sets out proposals for a revised police injury awards scheme in the UK. We intend that the new scheme should be in place as early as possible in 2009, following agreement of the key issues in the Police Negotiating Board by December this year.
The review of the current police injury awards scheme has given us the opportunity to ensure that we have a system of benefits with criteria suitable for modern-day conditions and which ensures that the financial support currently given to police officers and their families for injury or death in the line of duty is properly targeted and is effectively and consistently administered by police forces. The proposals in the consultation document cover a range of issues, including the eligibility criteria for receiving an award, the structure of benefits under the scheme for both former officers and their survivors, and the role of police authorities and medical practitioners involved in considering claims for awards.
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Key proposals set out in the consultation document include:
the introduction, as announced by the Home Secretary to the Police Federation conference in May this year, of life-long adult survivor benefits and the extension of survivor benefits to nominated unmarried and unregistered partners in cases where an officer dies in the line of duty. At present survivor benefits for death in the line of duty are restricted to bereaved spouses and civil partners and are stopped on remarriage or cohabitation;simplifying injury and survivor awards so they are easier to understand and apply. For instance, if an officer dies or is totally disabled within one year of an injury in the line of duty, the lump sum payment made will as a matter of course be five times the officer’s pensionable salary. Currently financial support is set at four times the officer’s actual total salary if that works out to be the lesser amount;making injury and death payments fairer. The pensionable salary on which lump sum awards are based will be changed so that it is based on average pensionable pay. This will take account of a person’s working hours averaged over his or her police career rather than simply the pensionable pay at the time the officer ceased to serve. This will protect those who may have just reduced their hours before being injured;revising the eligibility criteria and clarifying the definition for injuries received in the line of duty. This clarification will mean that officers will be specifically covered for injury benefits as a result of a terrorist attack and will focus benefits on those injuries received in the line of duty. Proposals will also include withdrawing cover for injury or death sustained on a journey to or from work where the cause was not related to police duty—to bring injury benefits for the police service in line with injury benefits for other public servants;a clearer link between injury awards and police duty, by introducing a five-year time limit for new post-retirement claims, except in the case of specified progressive illnesses and specified conditions with a long incubation period;a clearer link between injury awards and compensation for loss of earnings, by introducing an absolute cut-off for new claims at age 65 or state pension age at the time if over 65;replacing injury pension reviews at age 65 (or the state pension age at the time if over 65) by introducing a new minimum retirement income guarantee. Under the current system officers injured early in their career can suffer a large reduction in financial support in their retirement if the review takes them to the lowest pay banding. The new retirement income guarantee will protect against this;and no longer paying injury pensions in cases where a former officer has suffered only a very slight loss of earning capacity as a result of the injury. In cases where the loss of earning capacity is 10 per cent or less the former officer will receive a lump sum29 Sep 2008 : Column WS168
Any changes made as a result of the review will apply to officers serving at the time of implementation, regardless of whether they have already sustained an injury. They will not apply retrospectively, however—that is, to officers who have already retired when the changes come into force; they will still be dealt with under the system as it currently stands, even if they have not yet applied for an award.
Our aim is to create a transparent, fair and effective system that provides police officers reassurance to deal with the difficulties that 21st-century policing brings. I hope that a constructive and active debate ensues on the proposals we have announced.
The consultation exercise is being conducted on a UK-wide basis in co-operation with the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Office. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library. Further copies can be downloaded from www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/haveyoursay/current-consultations/. Comments have been requested by 18 November 2008.
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