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12 Jan 2009 : Column WA83
12 Jan 2009 : Column WA83
12 Jan 2009 : Column WA83
Monday 12 January 2009
Agriculture: Farmland
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, on 6 November (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 346), where the protection of productive farmland has been placed on the Environment Agency's priority list; whether it is prioritised countrywide; and, if not, in what areas it has been downgraded. [HL192]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Environment Agency prioritises investments in flood and coastal risk management projects on the basis of their contributions to meet national outcome measure targets set by Defra. Agricultural benefits are typically quantified, along with a wide range of other benefits, in economic analyses and contribute to outcome measure 1 (economic benefits). This means that the protection of productive farmland, alongside other benefits, is reflected in the scheme priority.
Defra issued guidance in May 2008 which provides an improved basis for the valuation of agricultural land and output for appraisal purposes and the Environment Agency published its proposed prioritisation approach in August 2008. These are both applied consistently across England.
Airports: Heathrow
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the reply by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 4 June (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 149), what changes they have introduced to raise standards of care in the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport. [HL231]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): As per the previous Answer, an action plan has been introduced to address the recommendations accepted by the UK Border Agency to address those issues raised in the first annual report by the Independent Monitoring Board for Heathrow.
A number of improvements have been made, which include the creation of separate rooms for families and vulnerable people in all of the holding facilities, the provision of hot meals and an improved range of snacks, and a range of toys and activities for children held with their parents. Toiletry packs are also being sourced for those detainees who arrive without luggage.
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The escorting contractor has established a working group to improve standards of detainee care, which is attended by officials from the agency; and welfare issues also feature regularly on the agenda for meetings with the contractor.
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 6 May (WA 41—42) on the feasibility of installing showers in the holding room at terminal 5 and the facility which will replace the removals room in Queen's Building at Heathrow Airport, whether such showers have now been installed. [HL232]
Lord West of Spithead: It has been decided that it is not feasible to install showers in the holding room at terminal 5. The facility which will replace the removals room in Queen's Building at Heathrow Airport will have showers when it opens in March 2009.
In the mean time there is currently a shower in the removals room at Queen's Building.
Armed Forces: Equipment
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what matters are taken into account by the Ministry of Defence in planning for the through-life capability management of new equipment. [HL368]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): Through-life capability management translates the requirements of defence policy into an approved programme that delivers the required capabilities, through life, to the front line. In developing the programme, the department balances future capability requirements with commercial, industrial, financial and research considerations, across all defence lines of development.
Armed Forces: War Pensions
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek a time limitation on Armed Forces veterans' claims or appeals made under war pensions and compensation legislation pre-dating the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2004; and, if so, for what reasons. [HL201]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): Since 9 April 2001 the war pensions scheme has had in place time limits for making appeals against entitlement and all other (specified) decisions.
We have no current plans to seek a time limitation on claims for a war pension. We are in the early stages of a review of the war pension scheme to ensure it is fit for purpose for the next stage of its existence. Any
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Aviation: Flights to Pakistan
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons flew direct (a) from the United Kingdom to Pakistan, and (b) from Pakistan to the United Kingdom, in the past 12 months. [HL402]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Latest monthly data available from the Civil Aviation Authority show that in the past 12 months (October 2007 to September 2008) there were 384,000 passengers who flew direct from the UK to Pakistan, and 390,000 passengers who flew direct from Pakistan to the UK.
Bees
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 26 November (WA 295), how the estimates of the average incomes of bee-keepers were calculated. [HL337]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The average incomes of bee-keepers were derived from estimates published in the economic evaluation carried out by ADAS Consulting Ltd in 2001, namely a total revenue per annum of £2.6 million for the 400 commercial bee farmers and £8.7 million for the 32,900 non-commercial bee-keepers.
British Shipbuilders
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the reports and accounts for 2002—03, 2004—05, 2005—06 and 2006—07 of British Shipbuilders were not laid before Parliament until 30 October 2008; and whether the report and accounts for 2003—04 have been laid. [HL277]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): It is not clear whether those British Shipbuilders reports and accounts listed above were laid before Parliament. However, when the department laid the 2007-08 report
12 Jan 2009 : Column WA86
We can confirm that the 2003-04 report and accounts were laid before Parliament on 14 July 2005.
Buses
Question
Asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities are receiving less in government grants for operating the concessionary bus fare scheme than it costs them to operate; and what is the greatest shortfall. [HL427]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government are confident that there is sufficient funding in total for statutory concessionary fares.
Additional funding of £212 million, £217 million and £223 million will be provided to local authorities over the next three years to cover the extra cost of the new concession. This brings the total spending on concessionary fares to approximately £1 billion per year.
The special grant is solely to cover the additional cost of the new concession. Funding for the existing elements of the concession, which make up the bulk of the costs, will continue to be provided through revenue support grant and is not separately identified.
Census
Questions
Lord Patel of Bradford: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply to the noble Lord. A copy of its response will be placed in the Library.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have reviewed the 2001 census; if so, what that review concluded; and what instructions they gave the Office for National Statistics or its successor as a result. [HL298]
Lord Patel of Bradford: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply to the noble Lord. A copy of its response will be placed in the Library.
12 Jan 2009 : Column WA87
Letter from Karen Dunnell, National Statistician, to Lord Hanningfield dated 18 December 2008.
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Questions asking what preparations have been made for the 2011 Census and whether a review of the 2001 Census was conducted, what the review concluded and what instructions have been given to the Office for National Statistics. (HL297, HL298)
There have been a number of extensive reviews of the 2001 Census, including those by the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee and Public Accounts Committee. In addition there were reviews by the National Audit Office, the former Statistics Commission and other bodies such as the Local Government Association. All these reviews have been published. In summary, some of the key issues raised in these reviews covered the need to:
develop robust field management and torn-tracking systems to enable better central control of field processes and activities;agree earlier those contractual arrangements with external suppliers for aspects of the census operation that are to be outsourced, and ensure that all such suppliers are selected through rigorous procurement procedures and early enough so that systems are able to be fully tested before the Census; anddevelop a high quality and up-to-date address list to increase the efficiency of the delivery of Census forms.We also conducted our own post-census evaluations and the main findings of all these reviews were set out in the general report on the 2001 Census published in 2005 and laid before Parliament. The conclusions from all these reviews have helped to shape the design of the 2011 Census.
On Thursday 11 December the White Paper on the 2011 Census Helping to Shape Tomorrow was published. This sets out the UK Statistics Authority's proposals which include a number of major changes in the design for 2011, primarily:
new questions are proposed on: national identity; citizenship; second residences; language; civil partnership status; and (for non-UK born) date of arrival into the UK and length of intended stay, to meet changing needs for more information on, for example, short-term economic migration and social identity and diversity;returning the completed information online—we estimate that 20-30 per cent of households will respond in this way;Census forms will be delivered to around 95 per cent of households by post. They will, however be delivered in areas with high levels of multi-occupied addresses; an innovative form-tracking system to control the field operation;the contactor for the main data processing activities was appointed in 2008 in time to work on the 2009 rehearsal;12 Jan 2009 : Column WA88
Copies of the White Paper were laid in Parliament and it can also be accessed from this link which also includes the news release: www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/news-and-events/index.html.
Charities: Fraud
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Patel of Bradford on 17 December (WA 37), where an allegation of fraud involving a charity comes from a serious source, but is hearsay, and can be investigated and proved or disproved by a study of the accounts of the relevant charity for an identified past year, what factors determine whether such an investigation is carried out by the Charity Commission. [HL495]
Lord Patel of Bradford: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the commission to reply.
Letter from Andrew Hind, Chief Executive, Charity Commission, to Lord Morris of Manchester, dated 7 January 2009.
As the chief executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on the commission's response in cases of alleged fraud.
As outlined in my response to your previous Question, any allegation of fraud or other financial abuse is a matter of serious concern to the commission. Our response will depend on the facts of the case but will align with the criteria within our published risk and proportionality framework.
Using this framework, we rapidly assess the most appropriate and proportionate course of action to take. This means we will determine whether we will engage further with the issue, the level of priority, attention and the resources we give to it and where in the commission it will be dealt with. This is based on the particular circumstances, the seriousness and scale of the problem and the available evidence.
Our assessment of concerns of a variety of types, including questions which come to our attention concerning accounts, involves evaluating the likelihood of a risk occurring and the potential impact on the charity and more widely. This is informed by our past casework experience. Using our risk and proportionality framework ensures that we prioritise our actions and target our resources where the risks are greatest.
I hope this is helpful. I note that you are shortly meeting senior colleagues from the commission and I trust that you will find this meeting useful.
12 Jan 2009 : Column WA89
Children: Residential Homes
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support Essex County Council's undertaking to adopt the social pedagogy model across all its children's homes; and whether they will consider the results when assessing the pilot schemes established by the Care Matters White Paper. [HL331]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): The Government welcome the efforts of all local authorities that are working to improve the outcomes for looked after children. We are particularly interested in the social pedagogy model, which is why we are inviting local authorities across the south-east and the north-west to apply to be part of a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) pilot programme to assess the impact of a pedagogic approach in English residential children's homes. The evaluation of the programme will examine the impact of the pilots, which are being designed to enable us to test the benefits of a social pedagogic approach in the English care system, and inform the longer term approach. We would of course also welcome further information and evaluation evidence from Essex to add to our learning from the pilots.
Common Agricultural Policy
Questions
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the remarks by the European Union Budget Commissioner, Dalia Grybauskaite, about the effect of the common agricultural policy on protectionism and on prices for European Union customers; and whether they will press for reform of the common agricultural policy or the repatriation of agricultural policy to the individual countries of the European Union. [HL15]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the remarks by the European Union Budget Commissioner, Dalia Grybauskaite, that three-quarters of common agricultural policy payments go to 14 per cent of beneficiaries, many of whom are businesses and not farmers; and what action they will take regarding this situation. [HL16]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Despite its huge cost, the common agricultural policy (CAP) is very inefficient at providing ongoing support to farmers. Market price support cost EU consumers around €34 billion in 2007, but the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates only 10 per cent of this reaches farmers in their capacity as farmers.
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Far reaching reform of CAP is a long-standing priority for the UK and we set out our vision for CAP in 2005. We want to see the elimination of Pillar 1 (all direct payments and market management measures) of the CAP by 2015-2020. Remaining expenditure would be based on the current Pillar 2-and rural development measures, including those targeted on protection and enhancement of the rural environment, would have a central rather than a peripheral role under a future CAP.
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