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Written Answers
Thursday 7 December 2006
Arms Trade: BAE Systems
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations the Attorney-General has received from BAE Systems, or from solicitors acting on its behalf, to block the investigations by the Serious Fraud Office into alleged corrupt payments made to secure arms deals with Saudi Arabia; and what response was made. [HL359]
The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): I have received certain representations from BAE Systems in relation to this case. The SFO investigation into the case is still live and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.
Aviation: Mixed Mode Arrangements
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the implications of mixed mode arrangements fom Heathrow airport runways on (a) noise pollution; (b) night-time flying; and (c) carbon dioxide emissions. [HL410]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Possible mixed mode operations at Heathrow are still being assessed and will be the subject of consultation next year. This will report on the noise and local air quality implications, with particular regard to the limits set out in the Air Transport White Paper. Other impacts, including CO2, will also be taken into account in the appraisal.
The Government have announced night-flight restrictions running until 2012. Further consultation is expected in due course on controls to apply from 2012. Introduction of mixed mode operation does not, of itself, imply any changes to night-flight restrictions.
Children: UN Conventions
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many and which government department websites hold information on (a) the Convention on the Rights of the Child; (b) the United Nations reporting process; (c) recommendations to the United Kingdom by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child; and (d) the Government's response to those recommendations; and [HL530]
Whether information is disseminated on (a) the Convention on the Rights of the Child; (b) the United Nations reporting process; (c) recommendations to the United Kingdom by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child; and (d) the
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): Information on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations reporting process and the recommendations to the United Kingdom by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is held on the Department for Education and Skills website: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/uncrc. This website also contains the 1999 UK periodic report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which responds to the 1995 recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The UK's response to the 2002 recommendations together with the UK's next periodic report will be published in July 2007.
Information on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child can also be found on the Government's Directgov website, as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.
The department does not disseminate information to schools, health centres, hospitals, courts, job centres, post offices, libraries and other similar establishments. However, there are opportunities within citizenship education to learn about human rights and how they relate to young people and could include the convention. Information on the convention can also be accessed through the websites described above.
Disabled People: Blue Badge Scheme
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many current beneficiaries there are of the blue badge scheme for parking concessions for entitled disabled people travelling either as drivers or as passengers; and what recent assessment has been made of how well the scheme is working. [HL399]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The results of the Department for Transport's annual survey into the issuing of disabled persons’ parking badges by local authority was published on the DfT website on 19 October and showed that some 2,258,000 badges were on issue to disabled people in England as at 31 March 2006.
A comprehensive review of the blue badge scheme was completed in 2002. The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), the department's statutory advisers on the transport needs of disabled people, was asked to look at the responses received and to submit recommendations to Ministers. Its report was put forward to Ministers and the majority of the recommendations were accepted by the Government in 2002. The department is working on those recommendations which require changes to regulations and plans to consult on the draft regulatory package early next year.
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Government Property: Northern Ireland
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which pieces of Ministry of Defence estate in Northern Ireland have been disposed of since 1994; whether they will provide details of each property; and, for each piece: (a) how long the Ministry of Defence owned it; (b) from whom and at what cost it was acquired, if acquired since 1970; (c) how the disposal was conducted; (d) who purchased it from the Ministry of Defence; (e) what were the sale prices and selling costs; and (f) where the resulting assets were placed. [HL164]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): I am placing the information that is available in the Library of the House. Selling costs are not readily available and will take time to collate. I will write therefore to the noble Lord once this information is finalised. All receipts from the disposal of surplus land come to the defence budget, which is voted on a net basis.
House of Lords: Cleaners
Lord Harrison asked the Chairman of Committees:
What proportion of cleaners are currently contracted to work outside normal office hours in the House of Lords. [HL608]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): Two groups of employees provide cleaning services within the House. Housekeepers employed directly by the House are contracted to work Monday to Friday from 6.30 am to 10 am, except for the head housekeeper, who is contracted to work from 6 am to 10 am. Two members of the housekeeping staff choose to work from 6 am to 9.30 am. Different and more conventional working hours apply to a small number of housekeepers who carry out special cleaning tasks in support of the Library and the Parliamentary Archives.
The House also employs the services of 24 Mitie contract cleaning staff. Their working hours are broken down as follows.
| Staff member | Working hours |
Judicial Review
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What policy changes they plan to make in the way judicial reviews are handled by Government in Northern Ireland. [HL367]
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The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): The policy of the Government is, and always has been, to handle judicial reviews with the high standards expected of all parties by the courts.
As I stated in my written reply to Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Official Report, col. WA 112), I have asked Mr Peter Scott QC to investigate concerns raised by Mr Justice Girvan in recent judicial review proceedings in Northern Ireland. His terms of reference include his making recommendations on how best to prevent a recurrence of any shortcomings identified.
Olympic Games: Medal Target
Lord Higgins asked Her Majesty's Government:
When consultation took place with the British Olympic Association's director of performance to agree the medal target for the British Olympic team in Beijing 2008; and where such discussions were held. [HL351]
Lord Davies of Oldham: No consultation has taken place with the British Olympic Association's director of performance to agree the medal target for the British Olympic team in Beijing 2008. The target was set by UK Sport, the Government’s agency for elite sport, in 2005, in agreement with DCMS. It will be finalised with the Minister of Sport in spring 2008.
However, UK Sport officials have met the BOA's director of performance a number of times since his appointment in September to discuss high-performance issues.
Railways: Franchise Operator Failure
Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What standby provisions they have in place to operate rail passenger franchises in the event that the incumbent operators fail. [HL439]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have powers under Section 30 of the Railways Acts 1993 as amended to step in as “operator of last resort” and take over the operation of a franchise in the event that a franchise holder should be unable to deliver the service. The Department for Transport has detailed contingency plans to cater for this eventuality. The plans are kept under constant review.
Roads: Safety Legislation
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Parliament retains the power to legislate on all matters of road safety without infringing European law.[HL460]
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Lord Davies of Oldham: Parliament has the power to legislate on all matters of road safety but legislation must be compatible with EU law where that applies. EU law exists in a number of areas that are relevant to road safety. The Government do not consider that there are any significant issues on which safety-related road traffic law is in conflict with EU legislation.
Roads: Warning Lights
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will issue advice to road users regarding the use of coloured warning lights and other high conspicuity markings that in normal use breach the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations (SI 1989/1796).[HL467]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have no plans to issue general advice on the use of special warning lights and conspicuity aids. However, the Highways Agency has produced a code of practice on the self-escorting of abnormal loads or abnormal vehicles (which includes sections on lamps and conspicuity markings), and the Highway Code (Rules 194 and 200) includes advice about emergency vehicles and flashing blue, red or green lights, and about the use of flashing amber lights.
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the proliferation of warning beacons or lamps and other high conspicuity markings being used on road vehicles in breach of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (SI 1989/1796), in particular those fitted to abnormal loads, abnormal-load escort vehicles and recovery vehicles.[HL468]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government are not aware of any proliferation of the use of lights or other conspicuity aids in breach of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (RVLR) 1989 as amended. Government policies, and the RVLR, restrict special warning beacons and high-conspicuity markings to specific definitions of vehicles and uses—for example, vehicles used for emergency or abnormal-load escort purposes—so as to avoid undermining their impact and effectiveness. Use of such beacons and markings in breach of the RVLR is a matter for enforcement by the police.
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which organisations applied for permission to use lamps or other high-conspicuity markings normally prohibited from use by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (SI 1989/1796) in each of the years 2000 to 2006; and, for each of those organisations, when the permissions will expire.[HL469]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Transport receives many applications every year from organisations seeking permission to use lamps or other high-conspicuity markings normally prohibited from use by the Road
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The following table summarises the special orders granted, and those expiring, in each of the years 2000 to 2006. A more detailed table, giving the names of each organisation and the coming into force and expiry dates of each order, has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
| Numbers of Special Orders Granted Each Year | ||
| Year | No. Granted | No. Expired |
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many warning lights and high-conspicuity markings permitted in circumstances specified by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (SI 1989/1796) are used regularly on road vehicles; and whether they have made an assessment of the potential for these markings to cause confusion to other road users.[HL470]
Lord Davies of Oldham: No count is made of the number of vehicles permitted to use these aids, but lawful use is restricted according to requirements specified in the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (RVLR) 1989 as amended, with occasional special orders to meet particular requirements (for example, for Highways Agency traffic officer vehicles). The aim is to avoid unnecessary proliferation of these aids, which could undermine their impact and effectiveness. We have not made any specific assessment of potential confusion caused to other road users by such aids; however, assessments have previously been made that demonstrate the conspicuity benefit of these lights and markings for high-risk and/or emergency vehicles.
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