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Local Government: Economic Development and Regeneration
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): My honourable friend the Minister for Local Government (John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
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My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Pat McFadden) and I are today publishing the Government’s response to the consultation paper Prosperous Places: Taking Forward the Review of Sub National Economic Development and Regeneration.
The consultation paper proposed action on a number of conclusions set out in the review of sub-national economic development and regeneration that I announced to the House on 17 July 2007.
The Government’s response today confirms plans for more effective economic decision-making and planning in England’s regions and localities. We believe that these reforms will put in place a legal and policy framework which will assist regions, sub-regions and local areas in responding to current economic difficulties, preparing for the upturn and strengthening jobs and business growth in all areas in the longer term.
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The Government’s response is now available in the Libraries of both Houses and can also be accessed online at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/ citiesandregions/govresponseprosperousplaces.
Ministry of Defence: Winter Supplementary Estimate
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (John Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the Ministry of Defence departmental expenditure limits (DEL) will be increased by £3,434,312,000 (voted and non-voted) from £34,075,771,000 to £37,510,083,000. The administration cost budget will be increased by £64,108,000 from £2,294,141,000 to £2,358,249,000. Within the DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are as set out in the following table:
| Change | New DEL | ||||
| Voted | Non-Voted | Voted | Non-voted | Total | |
- *Depreciation, which forms part of Resource DEL, is excluded from the total DEL since capital DEL includes capital spending and to include depreciation of those assets would lead to double counting.
The changes to the resource and capital elements of the DEL arise from:
a net increase in the RfR2 of £2,302,000,000 Direct Resource DEL, £1,063,000,000 Capital DEL, and Indirect Resource DEL of £350,000,000 to reflect the forecast costs of peacekeeping operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Balkans; transfers in from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of £2,400,000 for Balkans funding (RfR2) and £2,800,000 for helicopter pilot training for counternarcotics operations (RfR1); a transfer in from the Cabinet Office of £209,000 in respect of future funding arrangements for the expansion of the parliamentary Counsel Office (RfR1);transfers out to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) of £4,000,000 being the MOD's contribution to BERR's chemical and nuclear weapons disposal pool (RfR1); transfers out to the FCO of £16,000,000 and the Department for International Development of £1,970,000 being the MOD's contribution to the Stabilisation Aid Fund (RfR2); a transfer out to the Cabinet Office of £40,000 being the MOD contribution to the Government Secure Zone Fund (RfRI); and a resource administration budget transfer of £45,000 to the Centre of Expertise for Sustainable Procurement (RfR1);a transfer within RFR1 of £1,000,000,000 Capital DEL to Direct Resource within RfR1 relating to Single Use Military Equipment (SUME) flexibility with no overall impact on DEL;to reflect the estimated indirect resource impact of the first stage of the International Financial Reporting Standards on derivatives and impairments of £215,000,000, with no overall impact on DEL; to revise sub-head provisions to reflect Resource and Capital revisions in allocations between Top Level Budget Holders to match required defence outputs, with no overall impact on DEL;additional fiscal Capital DEL provision of £50,000,000;to increase non-operating Appropriations-in-Aid to reflect a QinetiQ receipt of £200,000,000 and a receipt for the Defence Aviation Repairs Agency of £60,000, 000, with a corresponding and offsetting, increase in Capital Expenditure (no overall impact on Capital DEL);to re-allocate Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) costs of £9,232,000 from other current voted expenditure to non-voted expenditure;to re-allocate DEL Grants in Aid from DEL to Non Budget Grants in Aid (non-voted) to reflect a classification changes for the Council of Reserve Forces & Cadets Association of £55,522,000;25 Nov 2008 : Column WS141
National Savings and Investments: Winter Supplementary Estimates
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Ian Pearson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Subject to parliamentary approval of any necessary supplementary estimate, National Savings and Investments DEL will be increased by £152,000 to £166,299,000 and the capital element of DEL will be increased by £950,000. Within DEL change, the impact on resources and capital are set out in the following table:
| Change | New DEL | Total | |||
| Voted | Non-voted | Voted | Non-Voted | ||
- * Depreciation which forms part of resource DEL, is excluded from the total DEL since capital DEL includes capital spending and to include depreciation of those assets would lead to double counting.
The change in the capital element of the DEL arises from modernisation fund being drawn down of £950,000 to support running costs on capital expenditure on their estate.
The change in the resource element of DEL arises from:
A drawdown of £152,000 from the Modernisation Fund to support additional running costs associated with capital spending.
The change in the administration budget arises from the Modernisation Fund drawdown.
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NATO: Defence Ministerial Meetings
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (John Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I attended an informal meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Budapest, Hungary on 9-10 October 2008. It provided an important opportunity for discussions on operations and on the transformation of NATO capabilities, following the informal Defence Ministers’ meeting in London on 18-19 September 2008, which was attended by my predecessor as Secretary of State for Defence, the right honourable Des Browne.
The main focus of the meeting in London was the continuing transformation of the Alliance. Ministers expressed their strong support for NATO transformation and for proposals made during the meeting to increase the targets for Allies’ deployable capabilities. Over dinner, Ministers reflected on the implications for NATO of the events in Georgia in the preceding months. There was consensus that collective defence and discretionary, out-of-area operations required the same expeditionary capabilities.
The focus of the meeting in Budapest was on current operations. This was the first ministerial meeting in which Albania and Croatia participated fully. Ministers underlined the importance of the NATO operation in Afghanistan, and in response to a request from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, directed ISAF to take action, with the Afghan authorities, against narcotics facilities and facilitators supporting the insurgency within priority regions. Ministers stated their continued support for NATO’s KFOR mission and its work in providing a safe and secure environment in Kosovo. On Afghanistan, NATO Ministers also had a meeting with their counterparts from non-NATO nations making valuable contributions to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, together with the Defence Minister of Afghanistan, the United Nations Secretary-General’s special representative for Afghanistan and a European Union senior representative.
At the request of the United Nations, Ministers agreed that NATO will contribute to deter piracy in the waters off the coast of Somalia, by providing a number of ships from the Alliance’s Standing Naval Maritime Group to patrol the waters off the coast of Somalia and escort ships carrying food supplies for the World Food Programme.
At the meeting, Ministers re-affirmed the importance that they attach to developing deployable capabilities and agreed to increase targets for the deployability of allies’ land forces. In addition, the first ministerial-level meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission took place, where the Defence Minister for Georgia set out the Georgian Government’s priorities in security and defence policy.
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Non-Jury Trial Under the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
During the passage of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007, Ministers undertook to make a Statement to Parliament each year on the volume of non-jury trial cases under the legislation. This is the first such Statement.
During the period 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2008 inclusive, the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland issued 29 certificates, relating to 28 cases, under Section 1 of the Act. Some of those certificates relate to cases that were already in the system at the time the previous “Diplock” arrangements under the Terrorism Act 2000 were repealed, but where the indictment had not yet been presented.
During the same period, 48 non-jury cases have been dealt with before the Crown Court. This figure is made up of 13 cases under the 2007 Act, and a further 35 cases being dealt with under the transitional arrangements put in place for the repeal of Part VII of the 2000 Act. Under those transitional arrangements, cases where the indictment had been presented at the time of repeal continued to be tried under the 2000 Act arrangements.
A further 24 cases were in the system at 31 July 2008. This figure is made up of 15 cases where certificates have been issued under the 2007 Act and nine transitional Diplock cases. These nine cases will be the last tried under the Terrorism Act 2000 arrangements.
Northern Ireland Office: Winter Supplementary Estimates
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Shaun Woodward) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
Subject to parliamentary approval, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will be taking a 2008-09 winter supplementary estimate. The effect this will have is to increase the NIO’s DEL by £31,542,000 from £1,183,975,000 to £1,215,517,000.
| Change | New DEL | ||||
| £’000 | Voted | Non-Voted | Voted | Non-voted | Total |
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