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Police: Northern Ireland
Lord Morrow asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland has to bid for the money received from the sale of a police station in Northern Ireland. [HL5918]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Disposal proceeds from stations are a departmental resource, but the PSNI may retain receipts derived from the sale provided that:
the NIO and the Treasury are content for the PSNI to retain these receipts;they are used to finance other capital spending;the NIO receives prior notification of individual sales; andtotal sales in any financial year do not exceed a limit agreed with the department.Lord Morrow asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland recoups the full amount from the sale of a police station in Northern Ireland. [HL5919]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The PSNI recoups the full amount from the sale of police stations provided that:
the NIO and the Treasury are content for the PSNI to retain these receipts;they are used to finance other capital spending;the NIO receives prior notification of individual sales; andtotal sales in any financial year do not exceed a limit agreed with the department.14 Nov 2008 : Column WA159
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Police Service of Northern Ireland stations have closed in each of the past 10 years; how many station closures are planned; and how many of these would be designated “border stations”; and [HL6129]
How many police officers in Northern Ireland have been advised to leave their homes due to paramilitary threats (a) from January to November 2008; and (b) in each of the previous 10 years. [HL6131]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: This is an operational matter for the chief constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the noble Lord and will arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
Public Prosecution Service
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the speed of processing cases by the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service; and what proposals they have to improve its performance. [HL6046]
The Attorney-General (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer provided on 13 October 2008 (Official Report, col. WA39).
Railways: Crossrail
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the main locations of spoil arising from tunnel and station construction of the Crossrail project; and what proportion of such spoil is planned to be removed by road, rail or water; and [HL6227]
What assurances the promoters of the Crossrail project have given them about the removal of excavated material from tunnels and stations by rail or water. [HL6228]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The main locations from which excavated material arises are the three bored tunnelling locations (Westbourne Park, Limmo Peninsula and Plumstead) and the eight underground stations across London (Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Isle of Dogs and Woolwich).
It is currently envisaged that 14 per cent of excavated material will be transported by rail, 39 per cent by water and 47 per cent by road. Further opportunities are being explored to reduce the percentage transported
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Cross London Rail Links has been appointed as nominated undertaker and is required by the Secretary of State for Transport to comply with the controls set out in the environmental minimum requirements (EMRs). The EMRs set out construction strategy objectives and one of these objectives is to remove, where reasonably practicable, excavated material and demolition waste by rail and water transport.
Railways: First Great Western
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the source of the vehicles which First Great Western is to receive for Paddington suburban services. [HL6210]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government expect that First Great Western as train operator will lead in the procurement of the additional vehicles, and will therefore be responsible for decisions on their source.
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
What consideration they have given to the compatibility and interoperability with the existing First Great Western Paddington suburban fleet of new and transferred vehicles for Paddington suburban services. [HL6211]
Lord Adonis: Discussions are currently taking place with First Great Western (FGW) regarding the introduction of additional vehicles to increase capacity. Upon successful completion of these discussions, the Government will issue a request for proposal. Operational deliverability will be an important criterion in evaluating the First Great Western proposal.
Railways: West Coast Main Line
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the capital and anticipated acceptance costs of the 106 additional vehicles being procured for the West Coast Main Line. [HL6212]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): For the manufacture, testing and acceptance of the 106 cars the cost is £81,307,000 plus €231,484,000. This is to be paid to Alstom from Angel Trains and includes both factory and infrastructure testing to ensure the trains can be safely accepted into passenger service.
In turn, Angel Trains converts the purchase price into a monthly rental payable by the train operator. This price includes both financing, currency and interest rate hedging and the management costs of the delivery programme. These costs have been fixed within the signed contract agreement.
14 Nov 2008 : Column WA161
Schools: Academies
Lord Bates asked Her Majesty's Government:
What consideration they have given to locating one of the proposed new enterprise academies in the north-east of England. [HL6160]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (Lord Young of Norwood Green): The national enterprise academy (NEA) is looking to develop its first operational centre (hub) in the south-east, with satellite centres across the other English regions. The south-east hub and a satellite centre in the north-west are both scheduled to open to students in September 2009. In its third year of operation, the academy plans a rapid expansion to the other seven regions in England.
It is not for Government to determine the precise location of national skills academies, but all are expected to have a national reach. National skills academies are employer-led organisations and the boards of each academy will decide how best to meet the needs of employers within each region. This will include whether the region should have a physical centre, virtual or mobile facility.
Trees: Bleeding Canker
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the extent of the spread of bleeding canker (Phytopthora cactorum and P. citricola) in horse chestnut trees and other species in the United Kingdom; what is the extent of the threat of that disease to horse chestnut trees and other species; and what action they are taking against that threat. [HL5893]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Infection of horse chestnut trees by both Phytophthora cactorum and P. citricola is relatively uncommon and gives no cause for concern. It has also been recorded on lime. However, in recent years bleeding canker of horse chestnut has been more widely reported throughout the country and this is now known to be caused by a bacterial disease, Pseudomonus syringae pathovar aesculi, not previously recorded in this country.
Bleeding canker can sometimes kill its host, or it can weaken it until it becomes unsafe and needs to be felled. Some trees do show signs of remission, although it is not yet known if this leads to permanent recovery.
The Forestry Commission carried out a survey of 2,629 horse chestnut trees in 2007 to determine the
14 Nov 2008 : Column WA162
There is currently no known treatment against bleeding canker. The Forestry Commission is now testing whether healthy trees, growing in close proximity to infected specimens, have a degree of genetically inherited resistance which raises the possibility that these trees could form the basis of future generations.
Water Primrose
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they plan to ban the import, sale, growing and introduction into the wild of water primrose (Ludwigia species) in the United Kingdom. [HL5895]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal to plant or otherwise cause to grow in the wild any plant listed on Schedule 9 to the Act. It also contains the power to ban by order the sale of specified non-native species. In 2007-08 Defra and the Welsh Assembly consulted publicly on proposals which included adding Ludwigia grandiflora and Ludwigia peploides to Schedule 9, and also banning their sale. Consultation responses are currently being considered. There are no powers under the Act to ban importation or growing in a contained environment.
In Scotland, amendments to Schedule 9 and proposals to ban the sale of certain species are being taken forward separately under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. The Scottish Executive recently consulted on proposals to add Ludwigia species (except Ludwigia palustris) to Schedule 9 and banning their sale.
In Northern Ireland, proposals to ban the sale of certain species are being taken forward under a review of the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985. The Department of Environment in Northern Ireland recently consulted on proposals to add Ludwigia species to Schedule 9 to the order. The schedule identifies non-native species which, if established, could impose considerable risk to biodiversity. In that respect they are subject to enhanced control and enforcement measures. There are no powers under the 1985 order to ban the importation or growing in a contained environment.
As stated in the Invasive Non-Native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain, we plan to identify what further legislative powers may be needed to tackle the issue of invasive non-native species.
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