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2 Dec 2004 : Column WA13
Written Answers
Thursday, 2 December 2004.
Waterways Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many individual members of staff of Waterways Ireland have complained to either sponsoring departments about (a) alleged bullying; (b) alleged harassment; and (c) other management problems, since the creation of the implementation body. [HL40]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): Twenty-one staff, in two separate representations to the sponsor departments, have complained about (a) alleged bullying, (b) alleged harassment and (c) other management problems at Waterways Ireland.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the report into the complaints of bullying of staff in Waterways Ireland has been completed; and, if it has not been completed, when the report is expected. [HL97]
Baroness Amos: I can confirm that the report has been completed.
Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has decided to reduce over the next three years the annual budget of the Northern Ireland Events Company. [HL43]
Baroness Amos: No final decision has been made. The proposals set out in the Draft Priorities and Budget 2005–08 are currently the subject of consultation.
Road Safety
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress has been made towards fulfilling the European Commission Recommendation on Enforcement in the Field of Road Safety (2004/245/EC). [HL82]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The recommendation was adopted by the European Commission on 21 October 2003. Since then the UK has participated in an expert group on enforcement in June this year and a meeting of a sub-group on seat belts. Further sub-group meetings on speeding and drink-driving are planned. The aim of these groups is to identify common ground, encourage collaboration between member states and to establish good practice in road traffic enforcement.
2 Dec 2004 : Column WA14
Road traffic enforcement was discussed recently at an informal meeting of EU road safety Ministers in Verona (October 2004), which was attended by the Minister for Road Safety (David Jamieson). The meeting underlined the importance of enforcement for road safety and the conclusions are due to be considered at a forthcoming meeting of the Transport Council.
Nobel Peace Prize: Llangollen International Eisteddfod Nomination
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will support the nomination of the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod for the Nobel Peace Prize. [HL69]
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: The Norwegian Nobel Committee asks that those submitting nominations should not publish their proposals. It would, therefore, not be appropriate for the Government to express a view on any individual nomination.
I am, though, pleased to have this opportunity of acknowledging the valuable work done by the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, over more than half a century, in fostering world-wide cultural links through a shared love of music.
VAT: Cultural Organisations
Lord Smith of Leigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why charitable cultural organisations are now required to change established governance arrangements to retain their exemption from VAT. [HL23]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): The VAT exemption for cultural services applies to those bodies which are "managed and administered on an essentially voluntary basis by persons who have no direct or indirect financial interest in its activities". Following the 2002 judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the case of the Zoological Society of London, VAT exemption now applies to an increased number of cultural organisations. Any organisation that was previously eligible for the exemption remains eligible as a result of the ECJ's decision without changing its governance arrangements.
Money Laundering
Lord Goodhart asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take into account the criticisms made by the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners of the draft European Union Directive (No. 14149/04) on the prevention of the use of the financial systems for the purpose of money laundering when negotiating the terms of the directive. [HL31]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Government have been working with several UK private sector stakeholders to ensure that the Third Money Laundering Directive is clear and workable. The Government are currently considering STEP's concerns and will continue to engage with STEP as part of its wider consultation with key stakeholders to inform negotiations on the directive at EU level.
Department for Work and Pensions: Customer Conversion Centre
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chris Pond, on 18 October (HC Deb, 478W), whether the temporary, dedicated customer conversion centre is located in the United Kingdom. [HL147]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): Yes. The premises and operating activities of the customer conversion centre are wholly based in the United Kingdom.
Human Rights Instruments
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 16 September (WA 201), whether they will publish their evaluation of the case law of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and of the experience of states which have accepted the First Optional Protocol, which led to the conclusions set out at Appendix 5 of their review of international human rights instruments. [HL99]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The Government's conclusions in relation to rights of individual petition are set out in Appendix 5 to the report on the review on international human rights instruments which the Government published on 22 July 2004. The Government do not intend to publish the international advice and analysis which were considered by the Ministers during the review.
Referendum Campaigning: Ministerial Involvement
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is the case that no material relating to any referendum can legally be published by Ministers, government departments or local authorities during the 28 days before polling day and whether publication includes speeches, press interviews and press statements. [HL64]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) governs the material that can be published by Ministers, government departments or local authorities in the 28 days before a referendum.
Material is described as "published" if it is made available to the public at large, or to any section of the public, in whatever form and by whatever means. Section 125 prohibits, among others, Ministers (in their official capacity) and their departments making available to the public at large, or any section of the public, any material which provides general information about the referendum; deals with any of the issues raised by the referendum question; puts any arguments for or against any particular answer to the referendum question; or is designed to encourage voting at the referendum. It is our view that this includes speeches and press interviews when carried out in a ministerial capacity, but that it does not prevent Ministers speaking in a personal or political capacity.
Section 125(3) of PPERA contains certain exceptions to the general restrictions, which cover material made available to persons in response to specific requests for information or to persons specifically seeking access to it; anything done by or on behalf of the Electoral Commission or a designated organisation; the publication of information relating to the holding of the poll; or the issue of press notices.
By virtue of the Bill of Rights, Section 125, does not restrict Ministers as to what they can say during proceedings in Parliament.
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