Lords Hansard text for 20 Oct 200820 Oct 2008 (pt 0002)

Northern Ireland Office

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many staff and posts in the Northern Ireland Office will transfer to the Northern Ireland Civil Service if policing and justice are devolved. [HL5445]

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: On devolution of justice and policing, those staff and posts working on devolving areas will transfer to the Northern Ireland Executive. It is not possible to provide numbers until there is clarity about which functions will be requested by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Passports

Lord Brougham and Vaux asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Passport Office does not send reminders that a passport is due to expire, as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does for vehicle and driving licences. [HL5517]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): A reminder system is not currently practicable and is unlikely to be so until the issue of passports is linked to the proposed national identity register, when it will be possible for passport address details to be kept up to date. Driving licence holders are required by law to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency of any change of address, but there is at present no similar requirement on passport holders. Identity and Passport Service records therefore hold only the address given at the time a passport application was made and in many cases this will not be correct when the passport is due for renewal 10 years later.

People Trafficking

Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the UK Border Agency will implement the 17 action points in the report of the Asylum Aid and the Poppy Project Good Intentions, produced on 24 July. [HL5460]

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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The UK Border Agency welcomes the report and the positive findings around gender sensitivity and the case-owner model. The agency has already met the Asylum Aid and Poppy Project to discuss the action points and is currently working on the implementation of those actions that were agreed.

Planning: Appeals

Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Statement by Baroness Andrews on 30 June (WS 5—6), whether they will include in the list of cases where the Secretary of State will consider recovery of appeals those cases where the outcome will set a precedent for developments elsewhere in the country, even if the particular development under consideration is not major, substantial or significant. [HL5575]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): There is sufficient scope under the existing recovery criteria to recover appeals which might set a precedent for developments elsewhere in the country, including under the criterion “proposals which raise important or novel issues of development control, and/or legal difficulties” or under the general provision that “there may on occasion be other cases which merit recovery because of the particular circumstances”.

Whether a particular appeal merits recovery depends on the facts of the case.

Planning: Eco-towns

Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Housing Minister, Caroline Flint, on 3 July (Official Report, House of Commons, 1058—59W) whether the draft sustainability appraisal on proposed eco-towns has been published; and, if so, where it may be accessed. [HL5608]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government will shortly publish a sustainability appraisal together with the draft eco-towns planning policy statement for consultation. Copies of these documents will be placed in the House Library.

Police: Macpherson Report

Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the recommendations in the Macpherson report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence have been implemented; if so, with what results; and, if not, what action, if any, is proposed. [HL5480]

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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The police service has made substantial progress over the past nine years in increasing the proportion of minority ethnic officers and staff in its workforce. Currently, minority ethnic officers and staff together represent 5.6 per cent of the service.

The increase of minority ethnic officers to 4.1 per cent of warranted officers represents a doubling in representation since 1999. However, despite this progress, the service recognises that there is a lot more to do to achieve a truly representative service which is reflective of the communities it serves.

The policing Green Paper: Cm 7448 From the Neighbourhood to National: Policing Our Communities Together, http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/policereform/Policing_Green.pdf, sets out a shift in the Government's approach to targets, setting out performance management generally. In future, there will be a single top-down numerical target for forces relating to public confidence. The emphasis will be on national support with greater local responsibility.

The Green Paper also sets out proposals to develop an equality, diversity and human rights strategy. The strategy will include local setting of equality standards. The aim of these standards, which are currently being developed by the National Policing Improvement Agency, will be to assist the service to continue to improve performance and mainstream activity on equality and diversity. The standards will be set within a framework which will support authorities and forces in setting equality standards locally with national oversight retained through a new, more robust HMIC inspection regime including a proposed 2010 workforce inspection which will scrutinise (among other issues) the equality standards.

The Government are currently consulting on whether the equality standards should include local employment targets such as for race and gender. This shift from national target-setting will provide for targets being agreed locally by police authorities in consultation with communities. This local approach would provide more local ownership and help reflect the needs of local, diverse communities.

Post Offices

Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, Mr Pat McFadden, on 3 July (Official Report, House of Commons, 1142W), why, if the Post Office is responsible for the closure of post offices, it is not managing the process for the replacement of the Post Office card account. [HL5464]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): The Department for Work and Pensions has lead responsibility for arranging the payments of pensions and benefits, and for procuring such services and suppliers as are necessary to ensure that these payments are made to all its customers. The DWP is therefore the lead

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contracting authority for the existing Post Office card account, and will be the lead contracting authority for the replacement Government card account which is currently the subject of a tender process. The department is responsible for Post Office network policy and also manages the Government's shareholder interests in Post Office Ltd. It plays no role in the procurement process for the Government card account.

Prisons: Mental Health

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

In what respects provision for mental health in the Prison Service in Northern Ireland differs from England and Wales; and [HL5473]

What proposals they have for bringing mental health provision for prisoners in Northern Ireland in line with England and Wales. [HL5474]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): Prison healthcare was transferred on 1 April 2008 to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety within the Northern Ireland Administration and is therefore a matter for them.

Privacy

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals they have for reforming the law of privacy as it affects the media. [HL5475]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): The Government have no plans to legislate in this area. They believe that the balance to be struck between freedom of expression and the right to privacy is best left to the courts to determine on the basis of the individual circumstances of each case.