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War Memorials: National Inventory
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What help they have given, or will be giving, to the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials in support of its three-year project to record the names on every memorial, so as to make it possible to trace a war cemetery abroad from a name on a local war memorial and to discover the action in which the service man or woman died. [HL1377]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The Government recognise the great value of the work of the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials in raising public awareness and appreciation of the nation's war memorials and monitoring their condition. The new project will be a major enhancement of that work and we wish it every success.
It has, however, been a long-standing policy of successive governments that war memorials are not funded by public money but by private donations or subscriptions. This policy extends to the work of the national inventory. The organisation understands the policy and has recently launched a public appeal to raise the £2.2 million which is required.
Future Aircraft Carrier
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
28 Feb 2005 : Column WA6(c) what will be the proportionate share of each of them in the project;
(d) how their respective responsibilities will be allocated and defined;
(e) how each of them will be represented in the direction and management of the project;
(f) what form the documentation of this arrangement will take;
(g) when that documentation will be agreed and signed; and
(h) whether they will ensure that the National Audit Office reviews and reports on that arrangement and its documentation as one element in the major projects report for 2005. [HL1414]
Lord Bach: The future aircraft carrier project is managed and executed by an integrated team drawn from the resources of each participant in the alliance. It is directed by an alliance management board, which has a lead representative from each participant and is chaired by the Ministry of Defence, as the client.
Alliance participants are likely to include the Ministry of Defence, BAe Systems, KBR UK and Thales UK. Depending on developments, the inclusion of others is not ruled out. Final membership will be confirmed when we take the major investment decision to move into the demonstration and manufacture phases—currently targeted for the latter half of 2005. To achieve this, we will need to have finalised an alliance agreement and works contracts which, among other things, will document: the roles and responsibilities of each participant; and the risk and reward incentive scheme. These items will be defined through ongoing work with the companies.
The National Audit Office commented on the carrier project and the alliance strategy in the 2003 and 2004 major projects reports. It is expected that this level of scrutiny will continue, although we would not wish to direct or prescribe the audit role of an independent body.
Schools: Europe Day
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Filkin on 1 February (WA 31), whether they will further consider taking steps to celebrate Europe Day on 9 May 2005, in line with proposals for a programme for such celebrations in Italian schools. [HL1314]
Lord Filkin: The department has no plans to organise a national celebration of Europe Day in schools. Children gain most from special events which are organised by schools themselves to support and contribute to the learning experience. We encourage schools to do this, as I pointed out in my previous Answer.
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Commonwealth Institute
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will delist the Commonwealth Institute, in accordance with the unanimous wish of the trustees, in order to allow the trustees to eliminate the maintenance costs, realise the capital value of the site, and apply the resulting funds to the proposed new Centre for Commonwealth Education at Cambridge. [HL1389]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has received an application to remove this building from the statutory list, and has sought the advice of English Heritage, her statutory adviser on listing. She will decide, in due course, whether this building continues to meet the criteria for listing.
The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 allows the Secretary of State to take into account only factors relating to the building's architectural or historic interest, when deciding whether it should remain on the list.
Gambling Bill
Lord Smith of Leigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
What impact they expect the provisions of the Gambling Bill to have on the numbers of those addicted to gambling; and whether they and the gambling industry have plans to address any problems which may arise. [HL1479]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We believe that the substantial new safeguards introduced by the Gambling Bill should prevent an increase in problem gambling; and the system of regulation established by the Bill is flexible enough to enable the Gambling Commission and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to use their respective powers to strengthen those safeguards further should the need arise. The industry has already established, as recommended by the Budd report, an independent charitable trust dedicated to the prevention
28 Feb 2005 : Column WA8
and treatment of problem gambling, and is on course to fund it to the level recommended in the report. We are also confident that the industry will co-operate with the commission in the formulation and implementation of the codes of practice for responsible gambling which the Bill requires it to issue.
Post Office Card Account
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why those wishing to open a Post Office card account cannot complete the process entirely by post. [HL1305]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Customers who opt for a Post Office card account are issued with a letter, the personal invitation document (PID), from the appropriate government department, inviting them to apply for a card account. Post Office Limited is required to ensure that only genuine benefit, pension and tax credit recipients open a card account. To ensure this, customers must present the PID in their local Post Office branch where they will be handed a Post Office card account application form, which they are required to complete. The Post Office will use a PID as one form of identification for opening a card account. The majority of customers applying for a card account are already collecting their pension or benefit from the Post Office.
A1: Colsterworth Roundabout
Lord Monson asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many recorded traffic accidents there have been at the intersection of the A1 and the B6403 north of the Colsterworth roundabout in each of the past 10 years; how many of these were serious or fatal; and whether there are any plans to improve safety at this intersection. [HL1350]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Only traffic accidents that involve personal injuries are recorded. There were five serious and one fatal accident recorded over the 10 year period. A tabular breakdown, into categories, of the number of injury accidents recorded at the location in question follows:
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| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 (up to 31/8/04) |
| Fatal 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Serious0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Slight 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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As part of the targeted programme of improvements scheme for the Colsterworth roundabout, the Highways Agency has proposals to improve safety at the intersection of the A1 and the B6403 north of
28 Feb 2005 : Column WA8
Colsterworth roundabout. Under these proposals a new bridge is to be constructed to carry B6403 traffic over the A1. The existing gap in the central reserve will be closed.
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