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Israel and Lebanon: Hostages
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What new initiatives they will discuss with their European Union counterparts to help the Government of Israel to secure the release of the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped prior to the outbreak of Lebanon hostilities in July. [HL631]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Both the EU and we have called for the immediate release of the two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah. In the UN Secretary-General's letter of 1 December to members of the Security Council, he reconfirmed that he continues to make the unconditional release of the captured Israeli soldiers a top priority and that the facilitator he appointed to secure their release is engaged in an intensive effort with all parties to reach a resolution.
These negotiations are necessarily sensitive in nature and the Secretary-General has our full support for his efforts, which are best carried out by experienced professionals under UN auspices.
Local Government: Council Tax
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the expected average council tax increase in England in 2007—08 of less than 5 per cent is an average across all local authorities or a cap on each of them individually; and, if the former, what provision will be made for increases that are above 5 per cent in some authorities to be offset by increases in other authorities of less than 5 per cent.[HL545]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government have made it clear that they expect to see an average council tax increase of less than 5 per cent in England in 2007-08.
No decisions have been taken on capping principles, but the Government remain prepared to take capping action to deal with excessive increases if that proves necessary. This applies to all authorities, including police and fire authorities.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the statement by Baroness Andrews on 28 November (HL Deb, col 667) on the local government finance settlement for 2007—08, whether councils which publish three-year council tax figures will be able to modify those figures later in response to changes in local circumstances, such as changing needs, unforeseen events and the decisions of voters in local elections. [HL546]
Baroness Andrews: We believe that local authorities should use the funding stability provided by three-year settlements to give their council tax payers greater certainty as well. We therefore expect them to publish three-year council tax figures. Although authorities will not be bound by figures provided voluntarily, their value to council tax payers will be diminished by subsequent modifications and we would expect authorities to explain fully to their council tax payers the reasons for any changes.
Museums: V&A Theatre Museum
Lord Rix asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the proposal by the Victoria and Albert Museum to close the Theatre Museum on 7 January 2007. [HL435]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) are responsible for decisions concerning the location of the performing arts collection, part of which is currently housed in the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for ensuring that the V&A upholds its obligations to care for the performing arts collection and to maintain public access to it.
While it is disappointing that the site in Covent Garden will have to close and that those elements of the collection displayed at the site will no longer be in the West End, the department is confident that the V&A will ensure access to the collections is maintained, and ultimately enhanced through a new, dedicated gallery in the South Kensington Museum and through improved access at the study and storage facility in Blythe House—where the majority of the collection is currently stored. More investment will also go into digitising the collection and to touring displays which will improve access for those unable to visit London.
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Lord Rix asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Victoria and Albert Museum submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport detailed costings to show the savings from the proposed closure of the Theatre Museum.[HL436]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides grant in aid to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) to enable it to care for, and to provide access to, its entire collection. Distribution of this funding is the responsibility of the V&A directors and trustees. However the V&A has kept the department informed of the likely level of savings that it anticipates will result from the closure of the site in Covent Garden as well as providing an indication of the level of investment needed to make the site fit for purpose. Part of the savings created by the move back to South Kensington will be reinvested back into the performing arts collection.
Lord Rix asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make representations to the Victoria and Albert Museum about deferring the closure of the Theatre Museum's Russell Street site until proper consultation can take place with the theatre community and possible sources of further funding. [HL437]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) did undertake a consultation with those within the theatre community earlier this year and has followed up a number of suggestions and possible funding sources that arose from that consultation. The V&A has also sought to secure other sources of funding, but unfortunately has not been successful in securing the money that is needed to improve the premises.
Planning
Lord Baker of Dorking asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the decision of the Information Commissioner in the case of the Vauxhall Tower, it is now the practice of the Minister who makes a decision on a planning application to issue at the same time as the decision is announced a redacted version of the submission received from the department.[HL523]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): No. When the Secretary of State issues her decisions on planning applications and appeals, she concurrently releases a copy of the inspector's report, but does not routinely issue redacted versions of submissions from departmental officials to Ministers.
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Schools: Admissions
Lord Baker of Dorking asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House the admissions criteria for all the exclusive faith schools that have been approved since 1997.[HL524]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): Maintained faith schools have not been able to make their places exclusively available to children of their faith since 2002, although they can give them priority if there are more applications than places available. Between 1997 and 2002 they were able to reach agreement with their local authority to keep places empty in order to preserve their religious character.
Records of admission criteria for existing schools are not held centrally. Details of proposed admission arrangements for new schools are not currently required to be included in published notices. We are consulting on draft regulations flowing from the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that will make this a requirement.
Shipping: Merchant Navy
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 28 November (WA 50), how many British Merchant Navy officers and ratings are currently in training; and what intakes are proposed by the Merchant Navy Training Board of British trainees for 2007. [HL585]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Recruitment is a matter for the shipping companies themselves and, as such, there is no central collection point for information on the total numbers of officers and ratings currently in training.
The Government do keep figures on trainees under the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme. The number of new officer trainees starting under the scheme in 2005-06 was 562. The number of junior officers starting a course leading to a second certificate of competency under SMarT in 2005-06 was 337, and there were 2,851 new starters under the scheme who were on shore-based training programmes (of up to 52 weeks’ duration) for ratings, officers and other experienced seafarers. It is not within the remit of the Merchant Navy Training Board to propose the intake of trainees in any given year.
Sport: UK School Games
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the International Olympic Committee agreed to call the 2006 Youth Games Festival in Glasgow the School Sports Olympics, as stated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 25 October; if
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Lord Davies of Oldham: The UK School Games is a multi-sport event for the most talented young people in the country of school age. The first event was held in Glasgow in September 2006. Coventry will host the event in 2007. The International Olympic Committee's agreement was not required because neither of these events currently has any association with the London 2012 Games, the IOC or the Olympic movement more widely. The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is looking at how the UK Schools Games can be associated with the London 2012 Games from 2008 onwards
Sport: UK Sport
Lord Higgins asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many UK Sport employees have had competitive experience at either winter or summer Olympic Games. [HL350]
Lord Davies of Oldham: A total of four current UK Sport employees have had competitive experience at either winter or summer Olympic Games, with a further two board members having had Olympic and one having had Paralympic experience.
Sudan: Darfur
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have proposals (a) to support, or propose the earliest possible deployment of, a United Nations Force in Chad; (b) to call for the enforcement of a no fly zone over the whole of Darfur; and (c) to enforce existing and new sanctions against major officials in Khartoum. [HL548]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The UK strongly supported UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1706, which, inter alia, asked the UN to report on possible options for a UN operation in Chad. An assessment team has recently deployed to Chad and we expect the UN Secretary-General to report back to the Security Council later this month. We will consider all options with our Security Council partners.
Under UNSCR 1564 the Government of Sudan (GoS) are obliged to refrain from all “hostile military overflights” of Darfur. The GoS themselves committed to this in the Abuja Security Protocol, signed on 9 November 2004. We continue to press the Government to abide by this commitment. With our
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The UK strongly supported UNSCR 1672, passed in April this year, which imposed sanctions, a travel ban and an assets freeze, on four individuals from all sides to the conflict. We rigorously enforce all UN sanctions.
Taxation: Inheritance Tax
Lord Barnett asked Her Majesty's Government:
What the loss of tax revenue would be if the inheritance tax threshold was raised to £500,000. [HL610]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Raising the inheritance tax threshold to £500,000 with effect from 2007-08 would have the following impact on forecast revenue:
| Year | Reduction in receipts |
Waste Management: Recycling
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their estimates of the amount and proportion of commercial waste that is recycled in England, and where applicable in each waste collection authority, in the following categories (a) waste collected by local authorities; (b) waste collected by commercial organisations; and (c) waste disposed of directly. [HL543]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The table below shows the estimates of the amount and proportion of commercial waste recycled in England, and by each English region, in 2002-03; the most recent year for which figures are available.
| Commercial Waste | Thousand tonnes | ||
| Recycled & Reused | Percentage of Total | Total Commercial Waste | |
| Source: 2002-03 Environment Agency Commercial and Industrial Waste Survey | |||
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