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Net Year
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria will be used to assess the success of Net Year. [24006]
Dr. Howells:
UK Net Year is a private sector initiative developed and funded by industry, and it is not for the Government to set criteria to judge its success. The Government does, however, welcome the contribution of UK Net Year to promoting progress towards the targets outlined in its consultation paper "Connecting the Learning Society".
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Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what budget his Department has allocated to Net Year and what proportion of the total budget for Net Year will be covered by (a) public and (b) private funds. [24005]
Dr. Howells:
UK Net Year is a private sector initiative funded by industry with no Departmental funding. As with numerous other private sector projects, it is planned to be complementary to the Government's National Grid for Learning initiative.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will legislate to abolish the threshold exempting employees from the employment provision of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [23765]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on the review of the exemption provisions on 9 December 1997, Official Report, column 519. The threshold cannot be abolished by regulation, but could be lowered to two. We will be considering whether to lower it and, if so, to what level following the outcome of our consultations and review.
The Government have no plans for primary legislation to abolish the threshold. We will await the recommendations of the Disability Task Force before considering what form of primary legislation may be necessary to secure comprehensive, enforceable civil rights for disabled people.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the regulation-making process of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 that the Government (a) are currently using and (b) have plans to use and to improve the effectiveness of the Act. [23617]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
Regulations have been already been made in exercise of the following powers of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA):
Section 30(3) of Part IV of the DDA amends the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and regulations have been made under sections 5 (7A) and (7B) and 89 (4) of that Act. Regulations have been made under sections 30 (7) and (8) of Part IV of the DDA. Those sections have been repealed but consolidated into section 528 of the Education Act 1996.
Regulations have been made under sections 30 and 32 of the Industrial Tribunals Act 1996. Section 63(2) of the DDA has been replaced by section 32 (2) of that Act.
A regulation would be needed under section 7(2) if, following the current review of the threshold exempting small employers from the employment provisions in Part II of the Act, it is decided to lower the threshold.
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Regulations are expected to be needed under the powers in section 15 when it is decided to implement the duty on trade organisations to make reasonable adjustments. Proposals for regulations would be subject to consultation.
A number of regulations are expected to be needed to help clarify the operation of the remaining rights of access to goods and services under Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act. Proposals for regulations will be subject to consultation in due course.
The Government will be using their powers under Part V of the DDA to require that in future buses, coaches and trains and taxis are fully accessible to disabled people including those who need to travel in their wheelchair. The first stage of the consultation on taxis was completed at the end of November 1997. Consultation on the proposals for buses and coaches is now under way and will be followed by consultation on the draft regulations for rail vehicles.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much interest was accrued on funds received from the European Social Fund under Objective 5b, before they were distributed to projects via the regional Government Offices in (a) 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996, (d) 1997 and (e) 1998. [23855]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
The funds received under the European Social Fund are not held in interest bearing accounts and therefore do not accrue any interest; like other Government cash balances they reduce the interest payable on total Government debt.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the annual cost of abolishing all trunk road bridge tolls in Scotland. [19795]
Mr. Dewar
[holding answer 12 December 1997]: As this matter is not under consideration, no estimate of the cost of abolition has been made. Such costs in respect of the Erskine and Skye Bridges, the only tolled bridges on trunk roads in Scotland, would be calculated in terms of the contracts that exist between The Scottish Office and the operators of the bridges. The Scottish Office would also incur the on-going costs of maintaining the bridges.
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings of the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the European Union he has attended. [23584]
Mr. Macdonald:
My noble Friend the Minister with responsibility for agriculture, the environment and fisheries in Scotland has attended two meetings of the Agriculture Council.
19 Jan 1998 : Column: 439
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimate he has made of the financial resources and compensation required to abolish feudal superiors' rights; [23537]
Mr. McLeish
[holding answer 16 January 1998]: Until the Scottish Law Commission formulates its final recommendations, it is not possible to estimate what, if any, financial resources will be required to abolish the feudal system or what will be the public expenditure consequences. Similarly, it is not possible to estimate what, if any, financial resources and compensation will be required to abolish feudal superiors' rights until the Commission has come to a view on this matter and until Ministers have had an opportunity to consider the Commission's recommendations.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the apportionment of Forest Enterprise's assets; what agreement has been reached on the apportionment; and if he will make a statement. [23485]
Mr. Macdonald
[holding answer 16 January 1998]: Land managed by Forest Enterprise is owned by the three Forestry Ministers (the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food). After devolution, it is proposed that, in Scotland and Wales, such land will be transferred to the Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly respectively.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to authorise sales of standing timber belonging to the Forestry Commission prior to the Scottish Parliament taking responsibility for this matter. [23743]
Mr. Macdonald:
The Forestry Commission fells and restocks areas of woodland as part of the sustainable management of its estate. About half the trees which are felled are sold standing, and the purchasers make their own arrangements to fell and market them. This routine forestry practice does not require specific authorisation by Ministers.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to authorise further sales of Forestry Commission land prior to the Scottish Parliament taking responsibility for this matter. [23764]
Mr. Macdonald:
Last May, we imposed a moratorium on the sale of forest land managed by the Forestry Commission. This moratorium is still in place. We are currently considering the Commission's future activities as part of its Comprehensive Spending Review. We will announce our conclusions in due course.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when his Department was first informed of the crack in the reactor at Chapelcross Magnox station; [23397]
19 Jan 1998 : Column: 440
Mr. Wilson:
The existence of a defect in a weld in a heat exchanger in reactor two at Chapelcross was detected during the reactor's annual refuelling, maintenance and inspection shutdown. It was reported to the Scottish Office on 26 June 1997.
In accordance with normal procedures, details of the weld defect were contained in the Chapelcross newsletters, dated 3 July and 11 December 1997, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Details were also contained in the Health and Safety Executive's Quarterly Statements of Incidents at Nuclear Installations, published on 30 September 1997.
I understand that the age of the reactor at Chapelcross was not a factor in the defect which has been in place since the original manufacture of the vessel concerned. The preferred option for repair has been discussed between BNFL and the NII which will involve the isolation of the affected heat exchanger. In the meantime, the NII has given approval for the reactor to operate.
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library the reports by consultants on the various aspects of the competing sites for a Scottish Parliament. [23539]
Mr. McLeish:
The design feasibility studies for each of the four sites were placed in the Library on 12 January along with a summary of the Comparative Transport and Environmental Assessment.
sections 3(9), 5(6) and (7), 6(8)(a), (c) to (g) and (10), 12(3), 8(6) and (7), 16(3), 19(5)(c), 20(7) and (8), 24(5), 50(8), 54(6), 52(8), 56(2) and (4), 60(6), 62(2), 67, 68(1) and 70(3) and paragraphs 1(2), 2(4), 3(2) and (3), 4(2)(a) and 5(a) of Schedule 1, 3(a) and (b) and 4 of Schedule 4, and 4(4) and 7 of Schedule 5.
(2) pursuant to his oral statement on 12 January 1998, Official Report, column 22, what is his estimate of the financial resources required to abolish the feudal system; and what are the public expenditure consequences. [23312]
(2) to what extend the age of the nuclear reactor at Chapelcross was a contributory factor to the crack which was publicised by BNFL in December. [23399]
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