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Iraq: Airbridge
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many C-130J Hercules aircraft used as part of the airbridge to and from Iraq are fitted with defensive measures; and what progress has been made since October 2006 in fitting defensive measures to Tristar aircraft used as part of the airbridge. [HL2324]
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The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The C-130J Hercules are deployed on Operation TELIC for intra-theatre transport. Civilian charter aircraft fly the strategic airbridge to theatre and link with the Hercules, which complete the final leg of the airbridge into Iraq. All C-130J Hercules deployed in this role are fitted with defensive measures.
The Tristar are used for the airbridge to Afghanistan but are not used as part of the airbridge to Iraq. Work continues on the fitting of defensive measures to aircraft in the Tristar fleet. The majority of the RAF Tristars are now fitted with defensive measures. All Tristars that fly the Afghanistan airbridge are fitted with defensive measures.
Iraq: Withdrawal
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What contingency plans the Ministry of Defence has in place to organise any rapid withdrawals of United Kingdom military components from Iraq in circumstances of operational difficulty. [HL2453]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The UK is currently in Iraq at the request of the democratically elected Government of Iraq as authorised by United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1723. We remain committed to assisting the Iraqi Government and people in building a stable and secure nation for the future.
Military commanders in theatre and at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in the UK keep the operational situation and intelligence picture in theatre under constant review. Intelligence and operational information feeds the planning process, which takes into account current and predicted trends.
In the event that conditions on the ground required a withdrawal, there are contingencies available to military commanders. These include the use of the theatre reserve force and the ability to reassign assets as required.
Litigation
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
In what circumstances the costs of public law litigation brought in the public interest can be paid from central funds; and whether in such cases the costs of the judge and court can be met from fee income. [HL2430]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): There is no provision for any costs in either civil or family cases brought in the public interest to be met out of central funds (the
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Funding may be available from the CLS fund (legal aid) in judicial review cases. This is subject to tests of means and merits. The existence of a wider public interest in the outcome is a factor considered in the merits test.
The costs of the judge and the court in civil and family cases are generally covered by fee income. This is calculated on average cost across civil and family business as a whole and there are no specific fees or fee concessions for public interest cases.
In 2005-06, court fees across civil and family represented 79 per cent of the total cost. The remaining part of the cost not covered by fees is met by the general taxpayer as part of the resource budget of DCA. The taxpayer's contribution is made up of potential fee income forgone under the system of exemptions and remissions, and fees that are currently set well below full-cost levels.
Manchester
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): In the 2005 Annual Population Survey, 22.1 per cent of working-age residents in Manchester had no qualifications. The table below shows how this compares with wider geographical areas:
| Geographical area | Proportion of working-age residents with no qualifications | |
| 1. Local education authority | ||
| 2. Learning and Skills Council area | ||
| 3. Government Office region | ||
Olympic Games 2012: English Regions
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the commitment by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November 2006 that investment would be made in the English regions as a result of the 2012 London Olympics, whether they will provide budgets showing the benefit for each region that they expect to benefit. [HL2523]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Secretary of State's statement to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November 2006 that investment will
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A nations and regions group, chaired by Charles Allen, brings together representatives from every region and nation to drive forward work in this area.
Olympic Games: Special Purpose Vehicles
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they agreed to create special purpose vehicles for the Olympic governing bodies of boxing and basketball; whether this step is being taken with the unanimous agreement of the two Olympic governing bodies’ executive committees concerned; when the British Olympic Association was consulted on this initiative; and whether it gave its support to the special purpose vehicles. [HL2521]
Lord Davies of Oldham: There has been no such “vehicle” created for the sport of boxing. Funding is currently channelled through the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) and it is planned that this will be the formal route once final agreement between the British body and the ABAE has been reached. To support investment into the GB performance programme within the ABAE, UK Sport, the Government's lead agency for high-performance sport, has created a performance management group, the membership of which includes Sir Clive Woodward, director of elite performance at the British Olympic Association.
UK Sport has created a temporary subsidiary body to administer and manage its investment into the sport of basketball. This was necessary as two competing governing bodies were unable to determine which had jurisdiction of the British team. The decision to create the body—now known as British Performance Basketball (BPB)—was taken by the UK Sport board at its November 2006 meeting. Both governing bodies consented to the establishment of BPB. It is understood by all parties that this is a temporary solution and that responsibility will transfer back to the appropriately recognised British governing body when the issues within the sport have been resolved.
The British Olympic Association was consulted on this issue throughout the process, including ahead of the November UK Sport board meeting. However the decision to create a temporary subsidiary body lay with the UK Sport board.
Olympic Games: Winter 2010
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much of the £600 million six-year programme of support to Olympic athletes announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in
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Lord Davies of Oldham: A total of £6 million of UK Sport's total world-class pathway programme investment has been allocated to fund and support our winter Olympic and Paralympic ambitions through to Vancouver 2010. This investment is separate from the investment announced to support summer Olympic and Paralympic sport through to 2012. In addition, between 30 and 40 TASS scholarships of up to £10,000 each are currently being finalised with winter sport athletes for the year 2007-08.
Pay
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the average wage in (a) Northern Ireland, and (b) the United Kingdom. [HL2600]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested falls within the responsibilities of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, National Statistician, to Lord Laird, dated 19 March 2007.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to ask what the current average wage is in (a) Northern Ireland, and (b) the United Kingdom. (HL2600)
Average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and are provided for full-time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. This is the standard definition used for the ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self-employed and people who do unpaid work.
I attach tables showing average gross weekly earnings for 2006 for all full-time employees on adult rates. These statistics are already published on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13101.
The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a 1 per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
Schools: Reading and Writing
Lord Bilimoria asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many children in England and Wales leave primary school education without the ability to read and write to a proficient standard.[HL2621]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): In England, attainment at the end of key stage 2 is measured by national curriculum tests. These tests are a measure of achievement against the precise attainment targets of the national curriculum rather than any generalised concept of ability in any of the subject areas. The national curriculum standards have been designed so that most pupils will progress by approximately one level every two years. By the end of key stage 2, pupils are expected to achieve level 4 in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Assessment in English covers both reading and writing.
In 2006, a total of 594,100 pupils were eligible for assessment in English at the end of key stage 2. Of these pupils, 122,800 (21 per cent) did not reach the target level 4. This includes 4,300 pupils absent from the test and 500 pupils unable to access the test.
Assessment in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly.
Solicitors: Conditional Fee Agreements
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the practice whereby solicitors retain insurance commission and other payments derived from arranging conditional fee agreements; whether such moneys should be handed over to the clients; and whether they will introduce measures to prohibit such conduct in the future. [HL2515]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The conditional fee agreements (CFAs) regime was reviewed in 2004. This resulted in the changes introduced on 1 November 2005, when the regulations governing CFAs were revoked and the professional rules of conduct and client care code, which solicitors must comply with, were amended by the Law Society.
The professional rules require solicitors to act in the best interest of their clients including informing them about any interest that solicitors may have in
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Sport: Medicine
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people are working for UK Sport's sports science and sports medicine fast-track practitioners programme; how many are qualified doctors; what is their remit; and what is the 2007 budget for the programme. [HL2519]
Lord Davies of Oldham: UK Sport's sports science and sports medicine fast-track practitioners programme is a partnership with the national governing bodies of sport, with the remit to improve the delivery of key sports science and sports medicine services to high-performance athletes. It aims to develop a pool of elite practitioners, ensuring that we have a sufficient number as we move towards 2012 and beyond.
Two UK Sport employees co-ordinate the programme as part of their wider responsibilities. There are also a further eight course tutors drawn from various partner organisations, including the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association. Of the tutors, one is qualified to doctorate level.
The budget for the programme in 2006-07 is £380,000.
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
From which Olympic governing bodies they have received requests to establish (a) a sports technology and innovation programme; (b) a sports performance programme consultants team; and (c) a sports medicine fast-track practitioners programme. [HL2520]
Lord Davies of Oldham: UK Sport has not received any requests from Olympic governing bodies to establish the range of programmes mentioned. Rather, the provision by UK Sport of these programmes was contained within UK Sport's successful submission for funding to provide high-performance support to Olympic and Paralympic governing bodies in the build-up to London 2012.
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