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European Directives
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the statement of the Secretary of State for the Environment of 21 November, Official Report, column 454, if he will make it his policy to review past legislation in respect of additional burdens imposed by regulations implementing European directives. [5072]
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Mr. Hague: It is the policy of my Department to ensure that we do not add any unnecessary burden when implementing European directives in the United Kingdom. We will take every opportunity to look at existing legislation in the light of this policy.
Welsh Regional Consumer Committee
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh customer services committee of the Office of Water and Sewerage, in relation to the impact of water and sewerage service customers of the agreed takeover of South Wales Electricity. [5417]
Mr. Hague: None. The Director General of Water Services has, jointly with the Director General of Electricity Supply, issued a consultation paper on the issues raised by the bid by Welsh Water plc for South Wales Electricity plc. The views of the Welsh customer services committee will be taken into account by the DGWS in formulating his advice to the Director General of Fair Trading.
Training for Work
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultation he has had with the chairman of the Welsh training and enterprise councils concerning flexibility between the last day of training and the first day of employment in the approval and funding for outcome and output-related payment methods under training for work schemes for the long-term unemployed. [5421]
Mr. Hague: None. However, with effect from 27 March 1995 arrangements have been agreed with training and enterprise councils in Wales for outcome-related payments to be made in respect of training for work trainees who get a job within six months of leaving the programme.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what monitoring systems he has available to him and what proposals he has to improve the monitoring systems with respect to the output and outcome of related funding methods for training for work schemes in respect of the numbers of former training for work trainees still in work three months or longer after completing their training for work training programmes; and if he will make a statement. [5420]
Mr. Hague: My Department's agreement with training and enterprise councils requires them to retain evidence of job outcomes achieved by training for work trainees, for whom a job outcome payment may be payable. A payment can be made in respect of a trainee gaining employment within six months of leaving the programme.
The administrative arrangements for training for work in 1996-97 are currently under review and my officials are in consultation with training and enterprise councils about potential changes to the programme.
Welsh Water
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to removing the 15 per cent. maximum shareholding in Welsh Water. [5414]
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Mr. Hague: None. This is a matter for the shareholders.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he has made of the effects on financial markets of the 15 per cent. maximum shareholding rule incorporated in perpetuity by his Department into the articles of association of Welsh Water plc at the time of privatisation. [5415]
Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the Welsh Development Agency concerning the funding of already signed contracts for commencement during the period November 1995 to 31 March 1996, and the consideration of abrogation; and if he will make a statement. [5422]
Mr. Hague: None. These are operational matters for the agency.
Departmental Correspondence
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the Western Mail as regards the form of publication of letters from Ministers and civil servants on behalf of Ministers and signed as approved by the relevant Minister; what proposals he has to clarify the distinction between the responsibility of Ministers for instructing and approving letters and civil servants for drafting and dispatching letters; and if he will make a statement. [5419]
Mr. Hague: It is standard practice across Whitehall for letters dictated by or approved by a Minister to be signed by a civil servant on behalf of the Minister in his absence. This is always made clear on the letter and is used to avoid delays in transmission. This happened with the letter from my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Member for Clwyd North-West (Mr. Richards) printed in the Western Mail on 4 December. The newspaper incorrectly carried the name of the civil servant rather than that of my hon. Friend whose letter it was. When the error was pointed out by an official the Western Mail carried a correction the following day.
It is also standard practice for officials to provide advice to Ministers on matters of official business, including letters.
Mr. Ron Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the original letter, relating to the health service in Wales, published in the Western Mail on 4 December in the name of the Welsh Office civil servant Richard Morgan. [5255]
Mr. Hague:
I am today placing a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
Sir Wyn Roberts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is able to announce his decision on whether there should be an inquiry into the various allegations of child abuse in north Wales and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Richards:
On 5 May the previous Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood), appointed Miss Nicola Davies QC to undertake an examination of relevant papers held by the various agencies concerned and to advise on whether an inquiry was required.
Upon the evidence contained in the documents examined Miss Davies has recommended that a public inquiry cannot be justified. The documents held by the North Wales police do contain allegations of abuse but the majority of the allegations relate to the period 1980 to 1988. The police investigations were triggered by letters from Clwyd and Gwynedd county councils and all the issues raised in those letters were properly investigated. With limited exceptions, children in care after 1989 were not interviewed by the police. Since 1989 there has been a radical revision of existing procedures.
An inquiry into events prior to 1989 would be primarily of historical interest. The documents examined by Miss Davies do not demonstrate that the problems of the pre-1989 period have continued. In the absence of such core evidence Miss Davies feels unable to recommend that reasonable grounds exist which would provide the basis for a public inquiry.
However, she has concluded that there should be a detailed examination of the practices and procedures of the social service departments of both Clwyd and Gwynedd county councils and of private homes in those areas to ensure that they are adequate and working effectively. She has recommended that this work be undertaken by an independent person experienced in social work and child care. This person should: (a) examine documents held by the statutory agencies and all the private agencies in Clwyd and Gwynedd who provide residential care for children which are relevant to such provision for the period 1991 to the present. The purpose of the examination would be to scrutinise the procedures and to comment on their adequacy and effectiveness; such an examination should address the following issues:
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I am also accepting Miss Davies' other recommendations and am appointing, under section 80 of the Children Act 1989, Miss Adrianne Jones to head this examination.
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Miss Jones is to start work immediately. I shall be asking her, in addition, to advise me upon the proposedpractices and procedures of the six new unitary authorities in north Wales who will take over full responsibility for social services matters in April 1996.
I am grateful to Miss Davies and to all of the various agencies who co-operated fully with her.
(i) management, supervision and monitoring of staff at all levels;
(ii) personnel procedures, recruitment of staff, induction, probationary periods, promotion, redeployment of staff, training plans for staff of residential homes, overall planning and individual profiles;
(iii) implementation of care planning and review process, examination of children's records for supporting documentation;
(iv) implementation of complaints procedures for children and staff; assessment of child protection procedures;
(v) assessment of all books, diaries and logs kept in the various homes;
(vi) the understanding of the various procedures and systems on the part of staff, parents, children and carers. Such procedures to include planning and review, children's rights, complaints, advocacy and independent visitors.
(b) interview any individual whose knowledge and experience is deemed to be of relevance to such an investigation. The interviewing of any such individual would be in private;
(c) investigate the area of foster care;
(d) investigate the units in Clwyd county council and Gwynedd county council responsible for registering and inspecting homes.
I accept Miss Davies' conclusion that no case for a public inquiry has been established. That is the basis upon which I am proceeding unless any new compelling factor should come to light.