| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Horserace Betting Levy and National Lottery
Lord Hardy of Wath asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to publish the fourth report on the impact of the National Lottery on the horserace betting levy.[HL3974]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: An update on the impact of the National Lottery on the horserace betting levy has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library. This fulfils an undertaking made during the passage of the National Lottery Bill.
The paper, which has been prepared by the Economics and Resource Analysis Unit of the Home Office, examines continuing trends in off-course betting expenditure, on which the levy is closely dependent.
The statistical analysis suggests that, in 1998, approximately £1.1 billion was diverted from off-course betting expenditure as a direct result of the National Lottery. This equates to off-course betting expenditure being about 13.2 per cent. below the level it would have reached in the absence of the lottery. Horserace betting accounts for about 69 per cent. of off-course betting expenditure, and therefore the levy yield is likely to have been similarly affected. This can only be an approximate figure, and the effect of the lottery may vary over time.
Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 1996
Lord Evans of Watford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to amend the Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 1996.[HL3975]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction has been amended and copies have been placed in the Library.
It was necessary to amend the direction in order to:
- enable detention, where facilities have been specifically provided, at immigration offices which are not at ports of entry. This will allow our proposals for a new reporting centre at Becket House to be implemented in October of this year, when it is expected to be ready for operation;
- delete the "out of date" reference to Meadvale detention centre, which is no longer in operation; and
- amend reference to a "place of safety" in a Northern Ireland context to take account of the observations of the Legislative Counsel in Northern Ireland.
Home Office: Ethnic Minority Staff Targets
Lord Evans of Watford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish their race equality employment targets for ethnic minority staff in the Home Office and its service areas.[HL3976]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My right honourable friend the Home Secretary will tomorrow place a copy of Race Equality--The Home Secretary's Employment Targets in the Library. The paper sets out recruitment, retention and career progression targets for ethnic minority staff in the Home Office, the prison, the police, the fire and the probation services.
Child Protection: Interdepartmental Working Group Scheme
Lord Evans of Watford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress has been made by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Preventing Unsuitable People from Working with Children and Abuse of Trust on the details of their scheme to protect children following their report on 25 January.[HL3977]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Following its report on 25 January, we asked the Interdepartmental Working Group to work up the details of the scheme. It has now completed this work. My right honourable friend the Home Secretary will be placing a short summary in the Library on 29 July.
Prison-made Products: Internet Marketing
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have any plans for using the Internet to market prison-made products.[HL3772]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Prison Enterprise Services are responsible for the manufacture of prison made goods and services. Their website, which gives details of their products, has been on-line since September 1998 and can be found at http://www.hmpenterprises.co.uk.
Offender Supervision in the Community
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What meaning they attach to the phrase "a national roll-out of accredited programmes" in relation to the supervision in the community of offenders; whether both young people and adults will be included in work to be done from April 2000 onwards; and by when "best practice" will be available for the whole of England and Wales.[HL3693]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Based on evidence that properly targeted, well-designed and well-delivered programmes can result in significant reductions in re-offending, our "What Works" strategy is to deliver consistent improvements to work with offenders in prison and the community. For community based approaches, "What Works" was launched last year, with the publication by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation of Evidence Based Practice--A Guide to Effective Practice, to provide sound, practical advice on the design and delivery of effective programmes; and the setting up of three pilot programmes referred to under this initiative as "pathfinders".
From 1999-2002, additional funding of £14.5 million is being provided from the Crime Reduction Programme. This year, a further 32 pathfinder programmes are being set up and evaluated. The new joint prisons/probation service Accreditation Panel, under the chairmanship of Sir Duncan Nichol, will take on the first tranche of programmes for accreditation towards the end of this year. It is hoped that these will include three programmes suitable for the majority of persistent male offenders, a community reintegration programme for women offenders and a programme for sex offenders.
A new joint prisons/probation service offender assessment system, OASys is being developed. From August 2000, probation services will be able to use OASys to match offenders to appropriate programmes, and will have the first accredited programmes to deliver. Guidance, practice manuals and training will be provided. As other pathfinder programmes are designed, tested and accredited, they too will be made available, to provide a core curriculum of high quality accredited programmes for widespread delivery.
This initiative addresses adult offenders only. The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is developing an assessment tool to underpin the work with young offenders of the youth offending teams established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and is drawing up national standards for the provision of youth justice services. It is intended that the assessment tool and national standards will be in place from April 2000. The board is also administering a development fund of £85 million over three years to identify and develop good practice in work with young offenders and those at risk of offending.
Wales: Objective One Funding
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What arrangements are proposed for funding expenditure on projects in Wales approved and secured under Objective One criteria.[HL3742]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The funding from Europe for projects in Wales approved under Objective One will be channelled through the National Assembly for Wales.
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How Objective One projects in Wales are to be funded; and which sources may be drawn upon for matching funding.[HL3743]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The contribution from Europe for projects in Wales approved under Objective One will be channelled through the budget of the National Assembly for Wales. Match funding can come from a variety of sources, including the private sector.
Wales: Primary Legislation
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, following devolution of power to the Welsh Assembly, the United Kingdom Parliament remains responsible for primary legislation in Wales; and if so, whether all Welsh matters are of concern to both the United Kingdom Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.[HL3687]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The responsibility for making primary legislation in relation to Wales remains with the United Kingdom Parliament. Implementation of primary legislation is the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales where that has been conferred upon it under a Transfer of Functions Order approved by the United Kingdom Parliament or another enactment of the United Kingdom Parliament. It is not for the United Kingdom Government to answer to the United Kingdom Parliament on matters for which the United Kingdom Parliament has conferred responsibility on the Assembly.
Wales: Ministerial Responsibility
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In what way Members of both Houses of the United Kingdom Parliament can hold the Secretary of State for Wales and other United Kingdom Ministers accountable for Welsh matters.[HL3688]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Members of the United Kingdom Government are accountable to the United Kingdom Parliament for matters which are their responsibility. They are not answerable to the United Kingdom Parliament for matters for which the United Kingdom Parliament has conferred responsibility on a different body.
Pedal Cycle Lighting Offences
Lord Higgins asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many prosecutions of pedal cyclists riding without lights at night have been brought within the Metropolitan Police area in the latest period for which figures are readily available.[HL3706]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: In 1997 five people were proceeded against for pedal cycle lighting and reflector offences within the Metropolitan Police area (including city of London): 1998 data will become available later this summer.
The fixed penalty system is also used for several pedal cycle lighting offences but information specific to such offences is not recorded centrally or by the Metropolitan Police.
| Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |