| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Disabled People: Rights
Baroness Darcy de Knayth asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Prime Minister on 25 March 2002 (HC Deb, col. 618—9W) reaffirming the Government's commitment to Rehabilitation International's Charter for the Third Millennium, presented to him on 5 July 2000, what developments there have been since then in regard to the charter's call for a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People; and what role the Government have played in giving it effect. [HL850]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer my right honourable friend the Prime Minister gave to my right honourable friend the Member for Manchester Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) in another place on Thursday 14 December 2006, Official Report, cols. 1287-1288W.
EU: Tax
Lord De Mauley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will seek sanctions against the officials of the European Commission who were responsible for the failure to prosecute the French authorities within the six-year time limit for the illegal tax advantage given to French companies under the economic interest grouping tax scheme between 1998 and 2005. [HL1118]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): No. The European Commission has the competence to launch investigations of allegations of illegal state aid. This will usually be triggered by complaints from affected businesses. Her Majesty’s Government will intervene, in support of such complaints, where appropriate.
16 Jan 2007 : Column WA139
There is no six-year time limit on the recovery of illegal state aid. The State Aid Procedural Regulation provides for a 10-year limit.
Firearms: Certificates
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the average cost of administering the issue or renewal of a firearm certificate compares with the fees charged. [HL1155]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The fees charged for granting or renewing a firearms certificate are calculated on the basis of the average costs of administration and are currently set at £50 and £40.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What procedures exist for an individual to appeal against conditions laid down by chief officers of police for the granting or holding of a firearm certificate. [HL1156]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: There is no statutory right of appeal against certificate conditions although unreasonable additions may be challenged by way of judicial review.
Food: Organic
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they will take to explain the official position on organic food following the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's most recent comments on the subject. [HL1186]
16 Jan 2007 : Column WA140
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): This Government are strongly supportive of organic food and will remain so, not least for its biodiversity benefits. We place significant value on the contribution made by organic production toward our sustainability objectives. We have provided considerable support to the organic sector in financial aid to organic farmers and through the organic action plan.
Government Offices of the Regions: Costs
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many staff the Government Office for the East of England has employed in each year since its creation. [HL1136]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government Office for the East of England is one of nine offices in the Government Office network.
Figures for the number of staff it has employed within the past 10 years are detailed in the table below for March of each year.
Staff in post figures detail the numbers of permanent, fixed term and casual staff who were working in the office at that time. Total headcount figures include additional employees of the Government Office for the East of England who were out of the office for any reason such as career breaks, maternity leave and secondments.
| March 1997 | March 1998 | March 1999 | March 2000 | March 2001 | March 2002 | March 2003 | March 2004 | March 2005 | March 2006 | |
Homelessness
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people in the United Kingdom were recorded as being unintentionally homeless in 1995, 2000 and 2005. [HL950]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): Information about English local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected by the Department for Communities and Local Government in respect of households (rather than people) at local authority level and on a quarterly basis. The department does not hold statistics for the devolved Administrations.
Households that are accepted by English local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need are owed a main homelessness duty by the local authority. Figures for 1995, 2000 and 2005 are provided for England in the table below.
The duty owed to a household accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
16 Jan 2007 : Column WA141
| Applicant households found to be unintentionally homeless and in priority need (i.e. accepted as owed a main homelessness duty)- England | |
| Note- (P) Provisional data | |
Other applicant households are found by the local authority to be homeless (some of which may be unintentionally so) but not in priority need, in which case a main homelessness duty is not owed. These are not included in the table.
House of Lords: Water
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked the Chairman of Committees:
How many bottles of water were purchased by the House of Lords during the past three years. [HL1305]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): Bottled water purchased by the House of Lords is sold for profit in the House's refreshment outlets and provided free of charge in committee and meeting rooms. Water sold in the refreshment outlets is available in 33c1 and 75cl bottles. Water provided in committee and meeting rooms is available in 75cl bottles.
The number of bottles purchased during the past three years is as follows:
| For sale in refreshment outlets | Provided free of charge in committee and meeting rooms | TOTAL | ||
Light Pollution
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 4 December (WA 103), what has been the cause of the delay in developing guidance on the avoidance of light pollution, following the announcement made by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2004; and by what date during 2007 the draft annex to Planning Policy Statement 23 will be published. [HL697]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The development of guidance on light pollution has had to be accommodated
16 Jan 2007 : Column WA142
The aim is to consult on a draft in summer 2007, taking into account the recommendations of the Barker review about the need to reduce the range of planning policy guidance.
Local Government: Comprehensive Performance Assessment
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is (a) the population and (b) the electorate of each of the non-metropolitan unitary authorities in England, and of each London borough; and what was the latest comprehensive performance assessment ranking of each authority. [HL1094]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): Population statistics for local authorities in England, including the non-metropolitan unitary authorities, are available from the Office for National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata /Spreadsheets/D9394.xls.
Details of the electorate in each local authority area are also available from its website at http://www.statistics. gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8887.xls.
Information on the latest comprehensive performance assessment ranking of each authority is available from the Audit Commission website at http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/index.asp? page=index.asp&area=hpcpa.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |