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9 Jan 2008 : Column WA199
9 Jan 2008 : Column WA199
9 Jan 2008 : Column WA199
Wednesday 9 January 2008
Airports: Passport Queues
Baroness Valentine asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to monitor queues at passport control at United Kingdom airports; and whether they will publish the most recent information. [HL202]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): We recognise that we have a responsibility to process genuine passengers without delay but the safety and security of the public is our priority.
Border Control is currently monitoring queues at the Immigration Control at 10 airports across the UK (Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Stansted, Luton, Bristol, Cardiff and Newcastle) to benchmark performance. The ports in question are using a 45 minutes (non-EEA) and 25 minutes (EEA) queuing time as such a benchmark. This in turn informs staff deployment as well as informing considerations on further investment. We are clear that the averages are well within these benchmarks but will continue to reduce the number of occasions that exceed those figures.
Border Control currently undertakes manual measurement of the queues at UK airports. However, these figures are currently unavailable due to data quality and collection issues.
Ascension Island
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals they intend to make to the people of Ascension about effective governance and democratic representation when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Meg Munn MP, visits the island on 3 January 2008. [HL1042]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Meg Munn, met with representatives of the employing organisations, private sector and former councillors on her visit to Ascension Island on 3 January 2008. She reinforced the Government's hope that those working and living on the island would re-engage with the democratic process. A number of views were expressed by the representatives as to how the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ought to take that process forward. Those views will be taken into account. The public consultation on the future of the Island Council was launched by the then governor, Michael Clancy, in October 2007 and is continuing.
9 Jan 2008 : Column WA200
Energy: Renewables
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the cost of purchasing a buy-out has compared with the market cost of purchasing a renewables obligation certificate from another supplier since the inception of the scheme. [HL874]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): The buyout price was set at £30/MWh when the renewables obligation was introduced in 2002 and rises each year with inflation. The table below sets out the buy-out price for each of the years since its introduction.
| Obligation Period | Buyout Price per MWh |
The price of renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) is set by the market and so will vary. A general indicator of market prices is provided by the Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency (NFPA), which holds quarterly ROC auctions. The average price of a ROC sold at these auctions is set out below.
| Date | Price per MWh |
A nominal price for a ROC can also be calculated by adding together the buy-out price for an obligation period and the recycle payment for the same period. Where a supplier has not paid more than this price for their ROCs there will be a net benefit to them from meeting their obligation by presenting ROCs rather than simply paying the buy-out price.
9 Jan 2008 : Column WA201
EU: Reflections Group
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to make specific contributions in terms of personnel resources and ideas to the Reflections Group established by the most recent European Council on the long-term development of the European Union. [HL1054]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): At the December European Council, EU heads of government agreed the chair and the two vice-chairs of the Reflection Group and a forward-looking mandate that focuses on the challenges the EU faces in the medium to long term.
The wider membership of the group has not yet been established but will include no more than nine members selected from across the EU on the basis of merit. The chair and the vice-chairs are invited to submit a list of names for consideration by the European Council in the second half of 2008.
EU: Select Committees
Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many times European Union legislators have altered legislation as a result of recommendations from Select Committees of either House of Parliament; and whether they will identify those occasions. [HL935]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The information requested by the noble Lord cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
European Neighbourhood Policy
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take steps to ensure that the European neighbourhood policy increases its emphasis on helping the development of civil society and fuller participation by women, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. [HL1046]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Commission's non-paper (http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/non-paper_civil-society-dimension_en.pdf) on “Strengthening the Civil Society Dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy” of 4 December 2006 sets out proposals on developing civil society and promoting women's rights. These include strengthening EU dialogue with civil society and supporting civil society capacity building. The UK supports the Commission's proposals.
9 Jan 2008 : Column WA202
Extraordinary Rendition
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consult Mr Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Council of Europe, on the impact on worldwide perceptions of states of the use of torture and extraordinary renditions for interrogation. [HL960]
Lord Rooker: The UK has an ongoing dialogue with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights on a range of human rights issues. The commissioner will meet my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary on 6 February 2008. However, we have no plans to consult him in the precise terms set out by the noble Lord.
The Government unreservedly condemn the use of torture and we work hard with our international partners to eradicate this abhorrent practice. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to establish new international standards aimed at preventing torture and has encouraged states to sign up to these obligations. We also played a key role in bringing the Optional Protocol to the Torture Convention into force.
We have not approved and will not approve a policy of facilitating the transfer of individuals through the UK to places where there are substantial grounds to believe they would face a real risk of torture.
Flags
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which flags are flown at the London buildings of (a) the Scotland Office; (b) the Wales office; and (c) the Northern Ireland Office. [HL1068]
Lord Davies of Oldham: In July 2007, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport decided that government buildings in England, should have the freedom to fly the union flag when they want, until a longer-term decision is taken following the consultation on flag flying. Since then, the Scotland Office in London has been flying the union flag and the saltire at all times and the Welsh Office in London has flown the union flag and the Welsh dragon at all times. The Northern Ireland Office does not occupy its own building but is a tenant of another Crown agency whose policy is to fly the union flag.
Gershon Review: DCSF
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
In the case of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, how many (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancies have been taken to date as a result of the Gershon review; what is the total departmental bill for each type of redundancy; and what is the natural wastage during the Gershon period to date for the department.[HL1016]
9 Jan 2008 : Column WA203
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): My department was formed as part of the machinery of government changes announced on 28 June 2007.
During the period 28 June to date, there have been three voluntary early releases costing my department a total of £80,996. There have been no compulsory redundancies in my department.
Over 500 staff from the former Department for Education and Skills have transferred to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills as part of the machinery of government changes. Since 28 June 2007, 127 staff have joined and 160 staff have left my department, resulting in a net reduction of 33 staff in that period. Information about natural wastage is not available in the form requested.
My department is committed to achieving its net workforce reduction target, shared with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, by the end of 2007-08.
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