United Kingdom Parliament
HOME
ABOUT
MEMBERS & STAFF
BUSINESS
PUBLICATIONS
A-Z INDEX
GLOSSARY
CONTACT
Publications & records
Advanced search
 HansardArchivesResearchHOC PublicationsHOL PublicationsCommittees
You are here: Publications and Records > Lords Publications > Lords Hansard > Daily Hansard
Previous Section Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page

Any final status issues will need to be negotiated between the parties. These negotiations should take into account all aspects of international law and key UNSCRs 242 and 338, and 1373, to which we remain committed.

Lord Turnberg asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Triesman: We do not believe that academic boycotts of Israel help the Middle East peace process. It is more likely that they will disrupt the links that foster peace discussions, of which research collaboration is a good example. The last boycott was of short duration and is not thought to have had a significant impact.

Kosovo

Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Organised crime networks in Europe, as elsewhere in the world, have become global. South-eastern Europe and the western Balkans are far from immune, not least because of the region's strategic location on the traditional heroin trafficking route from central Asia to Europe, as well as the widespread economic deprivation throughout the region.

Networks of organised crime traverse the Balkans. They have expanded from narcotics trafficking into human trafficking, human smuggling, counterfeit currency production, cigarette smuggling and trade in other illicit materials such as pirated CDs and DVDs. These problems are common to all the countries of the region.

Kosovo's provisional institutions of self-government and police force, with the support of the international community, are working to combat organised crime. We are confident that these efforts will be maintained and intensified following implementation of a status settlement in Kosovo. Indeed, clarity over its status will help Kosovo develop the modern and robust police, immigration services, border controls and customs procedures it needs successfully to deal with these problems, as well as to start to make progress on long-term economic development.

Licensing: Music

Lord Redesdale asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government agree that music and dance should not be restricted by unnecessary licensing regulations. We do not believe that the current licensing regime is damaging these sectors or that the current regulations are unnecessary. The Licensing Act 2003 has removed unnecessary bureaucracy, such as the need to renew licences or apply for several different permissions to put on events. More venues are also now able to put on performances involving more than two musicians. Recent research has indicated that most venues wanting to put on live music have secured a licence and very few highlighted licensing requirements as a barrier.

We are monitoring the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 and will consider changes only where firm evidence demonstrates unintended and detrimental consequences. That is why we set up the Live Music Forum to monitor the impact of the Act on live music and to recommend how the Government might better promote live performances. We look forward to receiving its report shortly.

Museums

Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is aware that Waltham Forest Council is conducting a service review of its museum, gallery and archive service. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in London (MLA London) recently met council officers in order better to understand the background to this review, the financial constraints, and the changes to the opening hours. MLA London will continue to work constructively with the council on its proposals to maximise accessibility for the local population and the quality of the museum and gallery service, while respecting that decisions on funding and opening hours are a matter for the elected members and local community of Waltham Forest.

People Trafficking

Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Thirty-six member states have signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. It requires 10 ratifications, eight of which must be by member states, to bring it into force. So far, seven states have ratified.

The UK signed the convention and published its national action plan on tackling human trafficking on 23 March. The Government will ratify the convention once the necessary changes to domestic legislation, processes and guidance are in place to ensure that we comply fully with its terms. We cannot specify when this will be but shall do so as soon as possible. Once the UK has ratified the convention, we shall encourage others to do the same. We shall meanwhile continue to urge other states to enter into the spirit of the convention and to implement as many of its provisions as possible, as the UK is itself doing through the action plan, until such time as the convention comes into force.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Rooker: The PSNI has advised that no police officers were injured during the incident on 8 November 2006.

One individual was arrested as a direct result of the incident and a second individual was arrested for obstructing police during follow-up inquiries.

Railways: Modernisation

Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Government will announce this summer their high-level output specification, statement of funds available and long-term strategy for the railways. This will set out the Government's intention to increase the capacity on the network, building on recent improvements in performance and reliability.

Included will be the Government's conclusions on their manifesto commitment to look at the feasibility and affordability of a new north-south high-speed link.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The Government of Sudan claim that the suspension of 52 local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in south Darfur was part of a re-registration process. The UN has sought and obtained an undertaking from the Government of Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission to establish a committee to hear appeals. Many of the 52 NGOs have lodged appeals against suspension and the committee will begin hearing the cases shortly. None of the NGOs has yet requested our assistance on this matter. We remain in close touch with the UN, which is monitoring the process and stands ready to intervene if necessary.

The Government of Sudan apologised to John Holmes for blocking access to Kassab camp, stating it was a case of misunderstanding. The incident, however, underlines the serious restrictions and daily obstructions that humanitarian agencies operate under in Darfur.

The UK played a prominent role in pushing for a joint UN-Government of Sudan communiqué on facilitating humanitarian operations in Darfur, eventually achieved on 28 March 2007. We are supporting the oversight committee and now look to the Government fully to implement their commitments.

Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We are deeply concerned by these reports by Amnesty International. Our mission to the UN is following up at the Sudan Sanctions Committee in New York.

These reports highlight the limitations in the UN arms embargo, which covers only Darfur. We are pressing Security Council partners to extend the embargo to the whole of Sudan, in line with the current EU arms embargo, if the Government of Sudan and the rebels in Darfur do not co-operate with the UN.

Tourism: European Social Fund

Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Davies of Oldham: The 2007-13 European Social Fund (ESF) programme for England, administered jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), aims to improve the employment prospects and skills of disadvantaged people in the labour market. It will help low-skilled people gain qualifications and skills needed by business, including those in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The devolved Administrations are responsible for their own ESF programmes, which support broadly similar activities.

Through the Sector Skills Development Agency, the DfES funds People 1st, the UK Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries, to improve skills and productivity levels. Core funding of £5.8 million has been given to People 1st over three years for UK-wide activity, with additional funds for specific projects. The devolved Administrations also made funding available to People 1st last year. UK funds are also made available by a number of other agencies such as the Learning and Skills Council and the regional development agencies.

As part of its research, People 1st estimates that approximately £600 million of public funding is invested in skills via all these agencies. The challenge is to ensure that this funding is directed to industry needs and priorities, which is the purpose of the Government's support for the industry-led national skills strategies and sector qualifications strategies.

While the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not directly fund skills and training for the tourism and hospitality industries, we recognise and value the importance of investment in skills and are working closely with People 1st to encourage public and private investment in sectoral priorities through better use of UK funds.

Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page