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27 Oct 2010 : Column WA281



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA281

Written Answers

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Artists' Resale Right

Questions

Asked by Lord Freyberg

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The artist's resale right directive 2001/84/EC is implemented into UK law by the Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006, as amended by the Artist's Resale Right (Amendment) Regulations 2009. The Government are aware that there is concern in some quarters about the impact on the UK art market of full implementation of resale right due in 2012 and I am in the process of meeting with those parties affected on both sides of the debate in order to better understand the likely effects of this legislation.

Asked by Lord Freyberg

Baroness Wilcox: The Artist's Resale Right (Amendment) Regulations 2009 delayed until 1 January 2012 the application of the artist's resale right directive 2001/84/EC to the estates of deceased artists in the UK. Under the terms of the directive, resale right will then become payable to estates of deceased, as it is now to living, artists. There is no possibility to extend this derogation unless the directive itself is reopened to negotiation.

Asked by Lord Freyberg

Baroness Wilcox: It has been estimated by the British Art Market Federation, and by independent research commissioned by the IPO (report published in 2008), that full implementation of resale right in the UK may increase the size of resale right payments (currently around £2.5 million per annum) about fourfold. It also seems reasonable to assume that the cost of administering resale right payments will rise in line with this. The total likely payment for full implementation of resale right was estimated in the 2008 report as being around £13 million per annum on auction house turnover of £1,789 million.

Under the terms of the directive, resale right will become payable to estates of deceased in 2012, as it is now to living artists. There is no possibility to extend this derogation unless the directive itself is reopened to negotiation.



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Asked by Lord Freyberg

Baroness Wilcox: The Artist's Resale Right (Amendment) Regulations 2009 delayed until 1 January 2012 the application of the Artist's Resale Right Directive 2001/84/EC to the estates of deceased artists in the UK. Under the terms of the directive, resale right will then become payable to estates of deceased, as it is now to living, artists. There is no possibility to extend this derogation unless the directive itself is reopened to negotiation.

The Government are aware that there is concern in some quarters about the impact on the UK art market of full implementation of resale right due in 2012 and I am in the process of meeting with those parties affected on both sides of the debate in order to better understand the likely effects of this legislation and what is the best way of ensuring the best outcome for the UK.

Asylum Seekers: Housing

Question

Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): No local authority in 2010 has withdrawn from a contract with the UK Border Agency to provide housing for asylum seekers. Birmingham is not, however, renewing its contract.

Broadcasting: S4C

Question

Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno

Baroness Rawlings: The figures are shown in the table.

YearTotal funding (£m)From DCMS (£m)From BBC (£m)

2011-12

90

90

0

2012-13

83

83

0

2013-14

83

6.7

76.3

2014-15

83

7

76

S4C will also be able to rely on its Public Service Fund reserves of £27.399 million.



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA283

Buses: Cambridge Guided Busway

Question

Asked by Lord Berkeley

Earl Attlee: Cambridgeshire County Council currently estimates the total cost of this project to be £161 million. When the Department for Transport granted the scheme full approval in 2006, the total cost was £116.3 million and the department agreed to provide a capped contribution of £92.5 million, which remains unchanged. At that time the scheme was due to complete in February 2009. I understand that the contractor's latest construction programme shows that it expects to complete building the final section of the route in January 2011.

The issue of how best to assess the delivery of the Cambridgeshire guided bus scheme, and how the contract for the scheme has worked, is a matter for the council. The council has recently agreed to undertake an independent public review into the scheme once construction has been completed. In the mean time, we recognise that there are a number of lessons that can be learnt from this scheme. As part of a wider review looking at how to make light rail and other such schemes more cost-effective, the Department for Transport will draw on the Cambridgeshire experience, among others.

China

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government are committed to expanding and deepening relations with China. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister's forthcoming trip to China will demonstrate the breadth of our political and trade relationship: he will take a delegation of 50 UK business leaders. We will continue to work actively for a strategic EU-China relationship which contributes to the prosperity and security of EU member states. There are a range of structural economic reforms that would help the Chinese Government to achieve their aim of rebalancing their economy towards domestic consumption.

Droit de Suite

Question

Asked by Lord Freyberg



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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): It has been common practice for some time to include a clause related to the adoption of artist's resale right (also known as droit de suite) in free trade agreements negotiated by the UK and the EU with third parties. There have been no substantive discussions with foreign Administrations outside of this mechanism.

It is acknowledged in the artist's resale right directive 2001/84/EC that it is a responsibility of the European Community to work towards broader international adoption of resale right through efforts to make Article 14b of the Berne convention compulsory.

Dunfermline Building Society

Questions

Asked by Lord Laird

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): Details of the financial support provided by HM Treasury to support the transfer of certain assets and liabilities of Dunfermline Building Society (DBS) to Nationwide Building Society (NBS) are set out in the Treasury's resource accounts for 2008-09 (HC 611) and for 2009-10 (HC 261).

HM Treasury provided just under £1.6 billion to NBS and has a claim in the DBS administration for this amount. To the extent that a proportion of this amount is not recovered in the administration, the Treasury may seek to recover that amount from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which may be required by the Treasury to contribute to the costs of the resolution of DBS. The amount that the FSCS can be required to contribute towards the DBS resolution is currently being calculated by Ian Smith of Smith and Williamson, who was appointed as independent valuer for DBS in December 2009. Details will be published in future Treasury resource accounts.

Asked by Lord Laird

Lord Sassoon: Richard Heis, Blair Nimmo, Mike Pink and Richard Fleming of KPMG were appointed joint administrators of Dunfermline Building Society on 30 March 2009. The joint administrators publish six-monthly progress reports. These include details of costs charged and services rendered. The third progress report was sent to creditors on 26 August 2010. The progress reports are available from the KPMG website at http://rd.kpmg.co.uk?WhatWeDo/18300.htm.



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Energy: Nuclear Power

Question

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): Government will not be developing new nuclear power stations. It will be for private sector energy companies to construct, operate and decommission nuclear power stations. Government's role, through the Office for Nuclear Development, is to remove any unnecessary obstacles to investment in new nuclear power, without public subsidy. The Government are confident that all the steps that they are taking will secure the necessary investment in new nuclear power and enable the first new station to be operating by 2018.

England and Wales Cricket Board

Question

Asked by Lord Williams of Elvel

Baroness Garden of Frognal: Like many sports governing bodies in the United Kingdom, the England and Wales Cricket Board is a private company limited by guarantee, a legal status that enables it to concentrate on maximising its funding of the sport rather than making a return for investors.

EU: Galileo Satellite System

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

Earl Attlee: In 2007, the budget for the Galileo infrastructure was set at €3.4 billion until the end of this financial perspective in 2014. A viable system can be completed with this budget. Contracts for the building of the system are being let so the annual costs will vary.

Galileo is funded from the core EU budget, to which all member states contribute. The UK's contribution to the EU budget from 2014 onwards will be decided during the forthcoming negotiations.



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The European Commission has not yet set out its proposal for the exploitation phase covering the operation, maintenance, marketing, improvement and renewal of the system from 2014 onwards. The Commission is required to undertake a feasibility study of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of contracts with private sector entities as part of this process, since that may save some public funds. The Commission's proposal may be made with the programme's mid-term review which the Commission is legally required to undertake this year.

EU: Solvency II Directive

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The European Commission is currently undertaking a fifth quantitative impact study (QIS 5) concerning the potential impact of the implementing measures that it is drafting for Solvency II. QIS 5 will provide evidence to support further development of the detailed measures, which are not due to be finalised until late 2011.

As part of the continued development of the Solvency II rules, the Government are seeking an appropriate approach in relation to the treatment of both existing and newly written annuity contracts and continue to consider the best way in which this can be achieved. The data obtained through the QIS 5 exercise will be a valuable source of information in this regard.

EU: Vehicle Insurance

Question

Asked by Lord Higgins

Earl Attlee: Under EU law, a motor insurance policy issued in one member state must cover at least third-party risk for use of the vehicle in the home state and visits to other member states. A vehicle registered in a member state should also be covered by an insurance policy taken out with an insurer authorised in that state.



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Finance: Clearing Houses

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): On 15 September 2010, the European Commission published a proposal for a European markets infrastructure regulation which covers issues relating to organisational and risk management standards for central clearing counterparties (CCPs). While this proposal is still subject to negotiations in the European institutions, it addresses the issue of segregation of client collateral by requiring CCPs to offer both designated and omnibus accounts to their members. It also requires clearing members to segregate their own margin collateral from that of their clients.

Gaza

Question

Asked by Lord Warner

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We have consistently made it clear that for the peace process to succeed it is imperative that there is progress on Gaza. We welcome Israel's decision to move from a list of permitted goods to a list of specific prohibited items. However, the economic reactivation and reconstruction remain limited. We continue to call on Israel to take further steps to improve access and throughput of goods.

General Pervez Musharraf

Questions

Asked by Lord Ahmed

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The Home Office does not hold the information requested by the noble Lord. I would direct the noble

27 Oct 2010 : Column WA288

Lord to the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police for information on the cost of policing the event organised by General Musharraf on 9 October in Manchester and whether any arrests were made.

Gift Aid

Question

Asked by Lord Bradley

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government recognise the importance of Gift Aid to charities and wish to improve the system to make it easier to understand and to encourage more people to give to charity, as well as to reduce the red tape and costs for charities. Representatives from the charity sector have been working with officials on HM Treasury's Gift Aid Forum to consider a number of options for reform. Their report was submitted on 13 October and we will now explore its recommendations before deciding on the best way forward.

Gifts: Art and Artefacts

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

Baroness Rawlings: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not collate this information for each national museum and gallery but has asked the chief executive of each one to write to the noble Lord directly. Copies will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

GMT: Clock Change

Questions

Asked by Lord Tanlaw

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Marland): The Government are aware of analysis dealing with this general issue. The broad conclusion is that the effects of clock change on carbon emissions are small in magnitude and may be uncertain in direction.



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA289

Asked by Lord Tanlaw

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): Time zones are an internal matter decided by the Government of Gibraltar and the Government of Portugal respectively.

Government Departments: Salaries

Questions

Asked by Baroness Thomas of Winchester

Baroness Rawlings: Following the spending review settlement for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, detailed workforce plans and pay bill allocations, on which such estimates would be based, are being developed and finalised. We are therefore currently unable to provide final estimates of savings for the years in question.

Asked by Lord Newby

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): No Treasury staff received or are due to receive an incremental pay increase in the year ending 5 April 2011. However, 12 per cent of staff (137 people) below Senior Civil Service grade, and whose salary was less than £21,000 per annum, have received an increase in base pay of £250 in the year ending 5 April 2011. The total annual cost of this will be £34,250, equivalent to 0.09 per cent of the base pay bill for those grades for the current year.

Asked by Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA290

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The terms of the recent final pay offer mean that, from a total of 26,489 Home Office and UKBA staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS), 19,977 (approximately 75.42 per cent) are due to receive pay progression, to which they have a contractual right. This represents an increase to the pay bill of 1.83 per cent at an estimated annual cost of £18.3 million. No members of the SCS received an increase in base pay.

Asked by Lord Newby

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): Department for Education staff in the Senior Civil Service (SCS) did not receive consolidated pay rises in 2009-11 as base pay was frozen. Departmental staff below the SCS received consolidated pay awards in 2010-11 based on performance for 2009-10. The awards are estimated to increase the pay bill by 2 per cent (£2,400,000) and were made to 94 per cent of the staff (2587). These payments were made as part of a multiyear pay settlement covering 2009-11 and therefore outside the 2010-11 pay freeze.

Government: Efficiency Review

Question

Asked by Lord Roberts of Conwy

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Francis Maude) and which I repeated on 11 October 2010 (Official Report, col. WS 18)

Government: Ministerial Visits

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Deputy Prime Minister's domestic travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Ministerial Code. The information requested is not separately available. However, the costs will be included in the overall operating cost statement of the Cabinet Office annual report and accounts at the end of the financial year.



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA291

Government: Training

Question

Asked by Lord Norton of Louth

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The National School of Government is a non-ministerial department for which the Minister for the Cabinet Office has responsibility in Parliament. Consequently, I have asked the chief executive for the National School of Government to respond directly to your PQ about training for new Ministers.

Since the election, the number of Ministers who have attended induction events organised by the national school, or who have commissioned expert briefings or other forms of leadership development, are as follows:

induction workshops: 31 Ministers;induction briefings to individual Ministers or to specific teams of Ministers: 32 Ministers;expert parliamentary briefings: nine Ministers;expert finance and governance briefings: three Ministers; andindividual work on leadership development: nine Ministers.

These figures are also available in table form on the national school's website (http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policy/MinisterialProgramme/Table.asp). The table is updated quarterly and the next update will take place at the end of October. The figures above are current to 15 October.

Gypsies and Travellers

Question

Asked by Baroness Whitaker

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): Local authorities will be offered incentives to deliver new housing, including Traveller sites, through the new homes bonus scheme. In addition, grant funding for local authorities to deliver new sites resumes next year; an announcement on quantum will be made shortly.

Higher Education: Funding

Question

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough



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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): Lord Browne's review of higher education funding and student finance did not propose a set level of fee for undergraduates in higher education institutions. However, if undergraduates were to be charged £6,000 and if the institution had previously been charging the higher level fee of £3,290, then the proportion considered to be replacement funding for the loss of teaching grant would be the difference between the two or 45 per cent.

Independent Commission on Banking

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The terms of reference for the Independent Commission on Banking were published on 16 June 2010. They are available from the commission's website at http://bankingcommission.independent.gov.uk.

Israel and Palestine

Question

Asked by Lord Hylton

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The UK deplores all civilian casualties which have resulted from this conflict. We recognise Israel's right to defend itself from acts of violence but call on the Israeli Government to act with restraint and in accordance with international law. We also call on the Palestinian Authority to prevent acts of violence from originating in the Occupied Territories.

Lebanon

Question

Asked by Lord Turnberg

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): We urged the Lebanese Government to ensure that the visit of President Ahmadinejad avoided unnecessary provocation at a highly sensitive time in the Middle East. We also reminded the Lebanese Government of their obligations to enforce UN Security Council resolutions concerning Iran.



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA293

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Question

Asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): As set out in the coalition agreement, this Government are committed to supporting local enterprise partnerships, brought forward by local authorities and businesses to promote economic growth and foster enterprise. We believe that these partnerships, based on natural economic geographies, are better placed than Whitehall and remote regional bodies to create the right environment for business and generate private sector jobs.

Local Strategic Partnerships

Question

Asked by Lord Greaves

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Hanham): Central government funding is not dependent on the existence of a local strategic partnership. As local strategic partnerships are purely voluntary, there are no sanctions or penalties on a local authority if there is no local strategic partnership in their area. Non-statutory guidance on local strategic partnerships is included in the statutory guidance, Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities. That guidance is to be reviewed as part of a wider survey of reducing unnecessary burdens and duties.

Merseyside

Question

Asked by Lord Fearn

Baroness Rawlings: National Museums Liverpool has a major capital project to build a new Museum of Liverpool, which will be located on Liverpool's waterfront area. The museum is scheduled to open in 2011 and will be a major physical legacy of Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture 2008.



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Other cultural projects currently in train in Merseyside, and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), include:

the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool-the Next Stage (Royal Court Theatre Trust)-a project that will restore the art deco interior, open the theatre up to new audiences and provide opportunities for learning about its rich heritage; andthe Florence Institute for Boys (known locally as "the Florrie")-a project to restore and repair the fire-damaged institute, a grade 2 listed building of significant heritage value.

Alongside these projects, English Heritage has offered funding to four churches for repairs under the regional grants for places of worship scheme, run jointly with the HLF. Under English Heritage's historic buildings monuments and designed landscapes scheme, funds have been provided to St James Church in Toxteth, a formerly redundant church that is being brought back into use.

In addition, the rebuilding of the Liverpool Everyman Theatre has been given capital support by the Arts Council, which is also co-ordinating the Artists Taking the Lead North West project.

National Mentoring Scheme

Question

Asked by Lord Ahmed

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The coalition Government recognise the importance for those starting and growing their businesses of mentoring support. Government will focus on raising awareness of the benefits of mentoring, improving accessibility for mentors and mentees, providing guidance on quality standards and investing to address short-term capability building. It is not the intention that this will be funded, owned or run by the Government; it should be business led. This work is being taken forward in consultation with the business representative organisations, major high street lenders, mentoring providers and volunteering organisations.

NHS: Specialist Groups

Question

Asked by Lord Boateng



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA295

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Engagement carried out through the Delivering Race Equality (DRE) in Mental Health Services programme (2005-10) involved work with a wide range of partners, including front-line staff and service users. A new mental health strategy is now being developed-equalities in general and race equality in particular are a key theme. The findings from the DRE programme are therefore an important part of the evidence base.

The NHS Plan (2000) required services to commission 500 community development workers and funding was included in primary care trust baselines for this-£5 million in 2004-05, rising to £16.3 million in 2005-06 and each year afterwards.

The department funds research through the National Institute for Health Research and the Policy Research Programme. The estimated funding over the period 2005-10 on research projects of relevance to the area of mental health provision and black and minority ethnic patients, where such information is held, is approximately £2 million.

Office for Budget Responsibility

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): All staff in the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) report to the chair, Robert Chote.

The establishment of the OBR involves transferring responsibilities from HM Treasury to the OBR. Once the OBR is established by statute, in line with the guidelines for reorganisation and transfers within the Civil Service set out in the Cabinet Office statement of practice on staff transfers in the public sector, January 2000 (revised 2007), a number of experts are expected to transfer permanently from HM Treasury to the OBR.

To date, two new posts have been filled in the OBR. These have been filled following a Civil Service-wide competition (for the OBR team leader) and a Treasury-wide competition (for the head of secretariat branch). This was necessary to ensure that the staff have the requisite skills and experience to deliver the work of the OBR. HM Treasury ran the process for these staff appointments but the chair of the OBR was consulted before the appointments were made.

Further positions are expected to be advertised in due course. The terms of reference agreed between the Chancellor and the chair of the OBR (published on 12 October) confirm that HM Treasury will provide the OBR with resources to draw on expertise outside government to support its remit.



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Olympic Games 2012

Question

Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick

Baroness Garden of Frognal: UK businesses are already able to access the contract opportunities generated by London 2012's procurement, including those in the supply chains of London 2012's contractors. Over 98 per cent of the Olympic Delivery Authority's contractors are UK-based businesses. The CompeteFor brokerage system is helping to open up contracts in the supply chains further than any other Games previously-to date over 7,000 contracts have been made accessible in this way. The Games are also inspiring many more businesses to access business support services-to date over 43,000 businesses have received business support as a result of registering on CompeteFor.

The Games also provide UK businesses with a unique showcasing opportunity for highlighting the UK's expertise-for example, in sustainability, construction and design. Through the Host2Host programme, the Government are using our special status as Olympic hosts to develop trade relationships with other host and bid cities of the Olympic Games and other major sporting events. To date agreements have been signed with Brazil, Russia, Canada, Singapore and South Africa.

Pakistan

Question

Asked by Lord Hylton

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): I welcome the recent report from the Parliamentary Human Rights Group on its recent investigation into the treatment of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan. I note the recommendations that have been made. We engage regularly with members of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group on the issue of the treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan and with the Ahmadiyya community in the UK.

The discrimination or marginalisation of any group because of their religion or belief is not acceptable. The UK condemns all such instances when this occurs. The Government are aware of, and critical about, the discrimination faced by the Ahmadiyya in Pakistan. We engage regularly at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan on the discrimination suffered by all religious minorities, including the Ahmadiyya community, both bilaterally and with our EU colleagues.



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Parliaments: Fixed terms

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): The Government have examined the arrangements for fixed-term parliaments in various countries and in the three devolved legislatures in the United Kingdom.

Peacebuilding Operations

Question

Asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government have been active in following up this report. In his statement to the UN Security Council summit on 23 September, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary called for completion of key peacebuilding reforms, more effective use of the Peacebuilding Commission and a lasting impact on the ground. The UK again pressed for continued progress on the peacebuilding agenda in our statement to the UN Security Council debate on post-conflict peacebuilding on 13 October 2010. We will continue to work closely with the UN's Peacebuilding Support Office, the Peacebuilding Commission and UN agencies to follow up on the implementation of the Secretary-General's report on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict, including improving the UN-World Bank relationship and pushing for the conclusion of the civilian capacity review in early 2011.

Pitcairn Islands: Sovereignty

Question

Asked by Lord Ashcroft

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): This Government have not entered into any discussions with the Government of New Zealand about the possibility of such a transfer. The Government are clear that the principle of self-determination applies to the people of Pitcairn, as it applies to all peoples of the overseas territories.



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Public Bodies

Question

Asked by Lord Beecham

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: All costs associated with public bodies reform, including redundancies, will be met from within each department's budgetary settlement as determined by the spending review.

Quangos

Question

Asked by Baroness Smith of Basildon

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: New non-departmental public bodies will need to satisfy the three tests which were set out by the Minister for the Cabinet Office in his Written Statement of 14 October 2010 (Official Report, cols. 26-28WS).

Railways: Bonuses

Question

Asked by Lord Myners

Earl Attlee: Having publicly reminded Network Rail's chairman in a letter of 28 May of the public mood on bonuses in the context of the wider economic climate, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State elected not to vote against a resolution which covered a wider range of issues than executive bonuses. These included the review of the company's management incentive plan for 2010-11 and a further annual pay freeze for Network Rail's executives. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State will continue to consider whether or not to use his vote on a case-by-case basis.

Regional Development Agencies

Question

Asked by Lord Liddle



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA299

Baroness Rawlings: Government's intention is to rebalance the economy to enable the private sector to deliver growth, including at sub-national level. The introduction of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), in place of regional development agencies (RDAs), will give councils, communities and local business a stronger role in driving enterprise and employment at local level. The recently announced regional growth fund, worth £l billion, will provide an important resource.

The department has not made an estimate of the likely impact of the abolition of the regional development agencies, but we fully recognise that they have successfully contributed support in the past.

This department is currently working with colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government to ensure that the interests of tourism, sport and the arts are addressed in the transition from RDAs to LEPs.

Schools: Special Educational Needs

Questions

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): There is no statutory definition of "low incidence special needs". The department commissioned Peter Gray of the Special Needs Consultancy to conduct a national audit of support, services and provision for children with low incidence needs, which was published in 2006. The categories included in the project specification were as follows:

multisensory impairments;severe visual impairment;severe/profound hearing impairment;profound and multiple learning difficulties;severe autistic spectrum disorders; andsevere behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

The report pointed out that the concept of low incidence special educational needs was not simply related to rarity but also has a functional element, with an emphasis on the complexity of the task of supporting and providing for the children concerned and the nature of the skills and organisation that are required to ensure that all their needs are properly addressed. These children will typically be provided for through local authority support services and in units or resource bases attached to mainstream schools, maintained special schools or in independent or non-maintained special schools.

The department collects data on the numbers of children with statements by type of need but does not distinguish by severity. However, being given a statement itself is an indication of the severity and complexity of

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need. As of January 2010 there were 88,400 children with statements for types of need listed above (see Table 11 of Statistical First Release: Special Educational Needs in England, January 2010 (DfE, 2010) http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000939/index. shtml). The total number of children with statements in January 2010 was 220,890.

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough

Lord Hill of Oareford: All schools, including maintained and independent schools, are required to comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which includes a requirement to prepare and implement accessibility plans. These accessibility plans provide for the implementation of improvements to the school premises to accommodate existing, and future, disabled pupils within a reasonable period. While the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was revoked by the Equality Act 2010 on 1 October, the requirement for all schools (including academies) to prepare and implement accessibility plans was replicated.

If a pupil with low incidence SEN attracts individually assigned resources through a statement of special educational needs, the local authority pays this to the academy from its schools budget and is responsible for monitoring the provision made. Academies, like maintained schools, are responsible for making the provision specified in the statement.

The Academies Act 2010 requires any new academy and any existing academy which moves to the new funding agreement (contract between the Secretary of State and the academy trust) to have exactly the same SEN obligations as the governing bodies of maintained schools.

Security Industry Authority

Questions

Asked by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): The Cabinet Office published the outcome of the Government's public bodies review programme on 14 October. This did not state that the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will be abolished, but that it would

27 Oct 2010 : Column WA301

"no longer be an NDPB" and that we would take forward a "phased transition to a new regulatory regime".

There will be costs associated with the changes to the SIA, including staff reduction costs, and covering current and future liabilities. There are many variables to take into account and we are continuing work on calculating these costs.

We are also working to produce accurate estimates of the extent of savings that the new regime will have for the private security industry, but more work is required on this. The industry itself will need to make decisions about costs of the new regime.

The Government and the industry have made significant investments in establishing the current regime. The phased transition will ensure that the industry can make its own decisions on ensuring that the regime is cost-effective in future.

The decision that the SIA would no longer be a public body was made by the Government as part of the wider public bodies review. Now that the public announcement has been made, the Home Office will start targeted consultations with stakeholders, including the industry, on the detail of the phased introduction of the new regulatory regime that will replace regulation by the SIA.

The details of the new regulatory regime for the private security industry have not yet been decided. The Government will consult with the industry and other key stakeholders about this and together with them examine how an effective new regulatory model would work. There will be a phased introduction of a new regulatory regime.

Asked by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale

Baroness Neville-Jones: None. The Security Industry Authority licenses individual workers, not businesses.

Senior Salaries Review Board

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The daily fees for chairmen and members of pay review bodies are £350 and £300 respectively. These amounts are taxable. The rates are set by the Government and have not been changed since payment for review body members was introduced in September 2003.



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA302

Shipping: General Lighthouse Authorities

Questions

Asked by Lord Berkeley

Earl Attlee: These are operational matters for the General Lighthouse Authorities, for which the Department for Transport does not hold detailed information.

Asked by Lord Berkeley

Earl Attlee: The following sanctions have been given to the General Lighthouse Authorities since 1 June 2010:

DateRecipientPurposeAmount

28 June 2010

Trinity House*

General Lighthouse Fund Administration

£305,000

1 July 2010

Trinity House

Carry-forward of capital expenditure

£1,875,000

9 July 2010

Northern Lighthouse Board

Carry-forward of capital expenditure

£528,000

30 July 2010

Trinity House*

Carry-forward of Research and Radio Navigation Department expenditure

£41,000

Asked by Lord Berkeley

Earl Attlee: No.



27 Oct 2010 : Column WA303

Squirrels

Question

Asked by Baroness Quin

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The red squirrel is a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. The conservation aim for this species is to maintain self-sustaining populations of red squirrels and wherever practicable to expand red squirrel populations where their sustainability is threatened. This is being implemented through a broad partnership of government, statutory conservation agencies and the private and voluntary sectors.

In England, the approach to red squirrel conservation is to secure long-term habitat and conditions favouring the red squirrel in areas that grey squirrels have not yet reached in significant numbers and to limit grey squirrel expansion into these areas.

The Government and their agencies are concentrating red squirrel conservation efforts, in partnership with landowners, non-government organisations (Red Squirrel Survival Trust and the wildlife trusts) and local volunteer squirrel groups, on carefully selected red squirrel reserves and surrounding buffer zones. There are several in Northumberland; these areas were selected in 2005 and are about to be reviewed to ensure that going forward we target our efforts most effectively.

The Government are supporting red squirrel conservation in Northumberland in several other ways-for example:

providing grant aid for grey squirrel control through the English Woodland Grant Scheme (£144,000 paid in 2009-10);

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undertaking grey control and habitat management in Forestry Commission woodlands; andthe launch of the Red Squirrels in North England partnership project.

Taxation: Non-domiciled Taxpayers

Question

Asked by Lord Ashcroft

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The UK has a system of independent taxation which means that individuals are taxed separately whatever their marital status. An individual's residence status for tax purposes is determined by the relevant facts of his or her circumstances, as outlined in legislation and common law. There is no specific provision that the tax residence status of an individual must be the same as that of their spouse.

Taxation: VAT

Question

Asked by Lord German

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): VAT is chargeable at the standard rate on all works of repair or maintenance to churches. From 4 January 2011, the standard rate will be 20 per cent.

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