HL Deb 14 October 1997 vol 582 cc121-32WA
The Earl of Northesk

asked Her Majesty's Government:

(a) how many task forces they have established in the period from 1 May 1997 to 29 July 1997; (b) what is the remit of each; (c) what is the membership of each; (d) how each is to be funded; (e) to whom or to which government department each is to report, and (f) to whom or to which government department each is accountable.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

As at 29 July, we had announced the following task forces:

  • Task Force on Youth Justice
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Norman Warner, Senior Policy Adviser, Home Office (Chair)
  • Mr. William Atkinson, Headmaster, Phoenix High School, Shepherds Bush
  • Mr. Jonathan Black, Magistrates' Clerk, Hampshire
  • Ms Cathryn Bowker, Youth Court, Prosecutor, Brighton
  • Mr. Tony Butler, Chief Constable, Gloucestershire
  • Mr. Paul Cavadino, Penal Affairs Consortium
  • Ms Anne Fuller, Lay magistrate, Outer London
  • Mr. Cedric Fullwood, Chief Probation Officer, Manchester
  • Mr. Ian Johnston, Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police
  • Mr. David Norgrove, Marks and Spencer plc
  • Ms Denise Platt, Local Government Association
  • Ms Teresa Reynolds, Victim Support
  • Ms Joan Webster, Chief Superintendent, Gwent
  • Mr. Geoffrey Wicks, Stipendiary magistrate, Inner London
  • Mr. Andrew Williamson, Director of Social Services, Devon
  • Mr. John Lyon, Home Office
  • Mr. Tom Luce, Department of Health
  • Ms Jenny Rowe, Lord Chancellor's Department

The remit of the task force is to advise Home Office Ministers on government proposals for the development of youth justice policies and, in particular, to provide advice on taking forward an action plan as agreed by the interdepartmental ministerial group on youth justice.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports and is accountable to Home Office Ministers.

  • The President of the Board of Trade's Competitiveness Advisory Group
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • The right honourable Margaret Beckett MP, President of the Board of Trade (Chair)
  • Sir Jeremy Beecham, Chairman, Local Government Association
  • Mr. C K Chow, Chief Executive, GKN plc
  • Sir Terence Conran, Chairman, Conran Holdings Ltd
  • Mr. John Edmonds, General Secretary, GMB
  • Dr. Chris Evans, Director, Merlin Scientific Services Ltd
  • Sir Richard Evans, Chief Executive, British Aerospace plc
  • Mr. Ian Gibson, Managing Director & Chief Executive, Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.
    • WA 123
  • Mr. Anthony Greener, Chairman, Guinness plc
  • Ms Jan Hall, European Chief Executive, The GGT Group plc
  • Mr. Terry Leahy, Chief Executive, Tesco plc
  • Ms Judy Lever, Director, Blooming Marvellous Ltd
  • Dr. Tony Marchington; Chief Executive, Oxford Molecular Group plc
  • Mr. John Monks, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress
  • Ms Rosemary Radcliffe, Head of Economics, Coopers & Lybrand
  • Mr. Bryan Sanderson, Managing Director, BP plc
  • Mr. Cob Stenham, Chairman, Arjo Wiggins Appleton plc
  • Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman and Chief Executive, Glaxo Wellcome plc
  • Mr. Adair Turner, Director General, Confederation of British Industry
  • Mr. Perween Warsi, Managing Director, S&A Foods Ltd.

The group's remit is to advise the President of the Board of Trade on the needs of business at home and abroad so that they may be taken into account by Government when developing and implementing policies to improve UK competitiveness.

The members of the advisory group receive no payment. The group reports to and is accountable to the President of the Board of Trade.

  • Interdepartmental Task Force on Competitiveness in Europe
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Lord Simon of Highbury, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe (Chair)
  • Ministerial and official representatives of:
  • Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
  • HM Treasury
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • Home Office
  • Department for Education and Employment
  • Department of Trade and Industry
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
  • Scottish Office
  • Ministry of Defence
  • Department of Social Security

The remit of the task force is to advise on the implementation of the Government's manifesto objectives to complete the single market and promote flexible labour markets across the EU.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force will report to Cabinet Ministers and is accountable to DTI Ministers.

  • Low Pay Commission
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Professor George Bain, Principal, London Business School (Chair)
  • Mr. David Metcalf, Professor of Economics, London School of Economics
  • Ms Stephanie Monk, Director of Human Resources, Granada Group
  • Mr. Paul Gates, General Secretary, Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades Union
  • Mr. John Cridland, Director of Human Resources Policy, Confederation of British Industry
  • Ms Rita Donaghy, National Executive Council, UNISON
  • Mr. Lawrence Dewar, Chief Executive, Scottish Grocers' Federation
  • Mr. Bill Callaghan, Head, TUC Economic and Social Affairs Department
  • Mr. William Brown, Professor of Industrial Relations, University of Cambridge

The commission's remit is to recommend to the Government the initial rate at which the minimum wage might be introduced and other matters referred to it by Ministers.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The commission will make its recommendations to the Prime Minister with the DTI acting as its sponsoring department.

  • Export Forum
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Tom Harris, Department of Trade and Industry (Chair)
  • Sir Andrew Burns, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Alternative Chair)
  • Mr. Peter Godwin, British Overseas Trade Board
  • Mr. Robert Beresford, Overseas Project Board
  • Mr. Ken Jackson, Trades Union Congress
  • Mr. Tony Bastock, Chemical Industries Association
  • Ms Glenys Goucher, Business Link, North Derbyshire
  • Mr. Ron Taylor, British Chambers of Commerce
  • Mr. Ian Campbell, Institute of Export
  • Mr. Emmanuel Cotter, North London Business Development Agency
  • Mr. Richard Brown, Aston Fittings Manufacturing Ltd
  • Ms Dorothy MacKenzie, Dragon International Consulting
  • Mr. Garry Campkin, Confederation of British Industry
  • Mr. Ted Dilley, Cable and Wireless
  • Mr. Hector Munro, British Council
  • Mr. Roy Leighton, British Invisibles
  • Mr. Victor Lunn-Rockcliffe, Export Credits Guarantee Department
    • WA 125
  • Mr. David Orchard, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
  • Mr. Richard Wood, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
  • Mr. Mark Conaty, HM Treasury
  • Mr. Martin Briggs, Government Office for the East Midlands
  • Mr. David Fawcett, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The forum's remit is to carry out a full assessment of how well the UK's export programmes work, by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of official support for trade fairs, trade missions, identifying leads, export market research, UK firms bidding for overseas projects, and other export promotion activities; and examining the current arrangements for interdepartmental consultation, the current arrangements for consultation with business, the interface between the overseas trade services and business links, the present system for establishing market and sectoral priorities, and the marketing and branding of official export promotional services.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The forum will report and is accountable to DTI and FCO Ministers.

  • EU Presidency Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • The right honourable Robin Cook MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Chair)
  • Ministers of State from other government departments, with the flexibility to invite others with an interest in presidency business.

The remit of the task force is to ensure a co-ordinated and coherent policy approach to the UK's presidency of the European Union (1 January to 30 June 1998); to maintain the right balance between the achievement of UK national objectives and chairing the EU's business in an efficient and impartial way; to set a presentational strategy for the presidency; and to respond rapidly to the unexpected during the presidency.

No extra costs are involved. The task force reports and is accountable to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  • New Deal Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Sir Peter Davis, Group Chief Executive, Prudential
  • Mr. Shami Ahmed, Joe Bloggs Jeans Ltd.
  • Mr. Christopher Haskins, Chairman, Northern Foods plc
  • Mr. Ian McAllister, Chairman, Ford UK
  • Ms Stephanie Monk, Group Human Resources Director, Granada Group plc
  • Mr. John Roberts CBE, Chief Executive, The Post Office and member of TEC Assessors Committee
  • Mr. Michael Wemms, Managing Director, Operations, Tesco plc
  • Mr. Rodney Bickerstaffe, General Secretary, Unison
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  • Sir John Harman, Leader, Kirklees Metropolitan Council
  • Ms Jenny Shackleton, Principal, Wirral Metropolitan College
  • Ms Helen Edwards, Chief Executive, NACRO
  • Mr. Tom Shebbeare, Director, Prince's Trust
  • Dr. Alison Millward, Chair, Groundwork Black Country
  • Mr. Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive, Centrepoint
  • Mr. Bill Morris, General Secretary, Transport and General Workers' Union

The remit of the task force is to give advice to the Cabinet committee on welfare to work, chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the key issues of programme policy and design; to market the new deal, particularly to the business and voluntary sectors and to stimulate action and commitment in their sectors; to receive regular reports on, and advise on, progress implementation of the new deal, to flag up emerging issues and to advise on their resolution.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports through and is accountable to DfEE Ministers.

  • Scottish Advisory Task Force on the New Deal
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Ian Robinson, Chief Executive, Scottish Power (Chair)
  • Mr. Jim Stretton, Chief Executive, Standard Life
  • Mr. Fred Goodwin, Chief Executive, Clydesdale Bank plc
  • Mr. Bill Neish, Manager, Marks and Spencer, Argyle Street
  • Mr. Hugh Henry, Leader, Renfrewshire District Council
  • Mr. Keith Geddes, Leader, City of Edinburgh Council
  • Mr. Michael Leech, Principal, Stevenson College
  • Mr. Alan Sinclair, Chief Executive, The Wise Group
  • Mr. Raymond Young OBE, Director, Forward Scotland
  • Mr. Martin Sime, Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
  • Mr. John Rafferty, Director, National Lottery Charities Board (Scotland)
  • Ms Anne Clark, Executive Director, Highland Community Care Forum
  • Ms Carmen McAteer, Regional Officer, Manufacturing Science and Finance Union
  • Mrs. Avril Ross Dewar, Chief Executive, Ross Campbell Consultants
  • Mr. John Gallacher, Managing Director, Cruden Estates Ltd.
  • Mr. Archie Bethel, Managing Director, Motherwell Bridge Holdings Ltd.

The remit of the task force is to give advice to the Secretary of State for Scotland on the key issues of programme policy and design of the new deal in Scotland; to promote the new deal in Scotland, particularly to the business and voluntary sectors, and to stimulate action and commitment in their progress on the implementation of the new deal, to flag up emerging issues and to advise on their resolution.

Costs will be met by the employment service. The task force reports and is accountable to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  • Welfare to Work Task Force for Wales
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Graham Hawker, Group Chief Executive, Hyder Plc (Chair)
  • Mr. Graham Benfield, Director, Wales Council for Voluntary Action
  • Ms Sheila Drury, Chief Executive, Kemitron Ltd.
  • Dr. Haydn Edwards, Principal, Coleg Menai, Bangor
  • Ms Margaret Evans, Director, Prince's Trust Volunteers, Cardiff
  • Mr. Gareth George, Wales Director, Barclays Cymru/Wales
  • Ms Jane Hutt, Director, Chwarae Teg
  • Mr. David Jenkins, General Secretary, Wales TUC
  • Mr. Roger Jones, Managing Director, Penn Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
  • Mr. Paul Loveluck, Chief Executive, Countryside Council for Wales
  • Mr. John Newton-Jones, Chief Executive, Farmworld
  • Ms Anne Poole, Director, NIACE Cymru
  • Mr. Adam Price, Executive Manager, Menter a Busnes
  • Ms Sue Price, Executive Director, Groundwork
  • Mr. Huw Vaughan Thomas, Chief Executive, Denbighshire County Council
  • Rev. Kevin Watson, Representative of CYTUN (Churches in Wales Together)
  • Ms Wendy Yates, Director of Personnel, City and County of Swansea

The remit of the task force is to help promote the welfare to work programme to business and other organisations in Wales and to monitor progress. It will also advise the Secretary of State for Wales on how the programme can be tailored to Wales' needs.

Costs will be met by the employment service. The task force will report and be accountable to the Secretary of State for Wales.

  • National Schools Standards Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • The right honourable David Blunkett MP, Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Chair)
  • Mr. Stephen Byers, School Standards Minister, Education and Employment (Deputy Chair)
    • WA 128
  • Prof. Tim Brighouse, Chief Education Officer, Birmingham (Vice Chair)
  • Mr. Chris Woodhead, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, OFSTED (Vice Chair)
  • Prof. Michael Barber, Standards and Effectiveness Unit, Department for Education and Employment (Secretary)
  • Sir David Puttnam CBE, Chair, Enigma Productions
  • Mr. John Baker, Chair, National Power
  • Ms Anthea Millet, Chief Executive, Teacher Training Agency
  • Dr. Nick Tate, Chief Executive Designate, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
  • Mr. William Atkinson, Head, Phoenix High School, Shepherds Bush
  • Ms Carole Evans, Head, Priory School, Slough
  • Ms Sue Pearson, Head, Lache County Infant School, Chester
  • Ms Janet Warwick, Head, Rhyn Park School, Oswestry
  • Dr. David Winkley, Head, Grove Primary School, Birmingham
  • Ms Carol Adams, Chief Education Officer, Shropshire
  • Mr. David Bell, Chief Education Officer, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Ms Chrissie Garrett, Assistant Principal, Banbury School, Banbury
  • Prof. David Hargreaves, School of Education, University of Cambridge
  • Prof. Stephen Heppell, Ultra-Lab, Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford
  • Ms Jill Kieran, Deputy Head, Whiteheath Infant School, Ruislip
  • Prof. Simon Lee, Liverpool Hope University College, Liverpool
  • Ms Janet Major, Teacher, Bungay High School, Bungay
  • Dr. Heidi Safia Mirza, South Bank University, London
  • Prof. John McBeath, Strathclyde University
  • Mr. Peter Owen, Schools Directorate, Department for Education and Employment

The remit of the task force is to unite the various educational interests in the new drive to raise standards in schools; be advocates for the spread of good practice to achieve higher standards; advise the Secretary of State for Education on the development and implementation of policies to improve school standards; keep the Secretary of State abreast of best practice nationally and internationally; and work with national agencies and others to achieve the national targets for literacy and numeracy.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports through and is accountable to DfEE Ministers.

  • Numeracy Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Prof. David Reynolds, Professor of Education, University of Newcastle (Chair)
  • Mr. Martin Armstrong, Deputy Headteacher, Marlwood School, South Gloucestershire
  • Prof. Margaret Brown, Professor of Mathematics Education, King's College, London
  • Prof. David Burghes, Professor of Education, Centre of Innovation in Mathematics Training, University of Exeter
  • Ms Margaret Dawes, KPMG
  • Mrs. Patricia Petch, Chair, National Governors Council
  • Ms Carol Robinson, Headteacher, William Ford Primary School, Barking and Dagenham
  • Prof. Christopher Robson, Professor of Pure Mathematics, University of Leeds
  • Mrs. Anita Straker, Director, National Numeracy Project
  • Mrs. Ann Waterhouse, Headteacher, Asmall County Primary School, Lancashire

The remit of the task force is to review the existing international and national evidence about achievement in mathematics, teacher effectiveness in mathematics and school effectiveness in mathematics; to investigate the educational and social factors which are determinants of that performance; propose appropriate policies for all parts of the education service to tackle under-achievement including classroom teaching, whole school practice, teacher training and development and action by local and national government and its partners.

Costs will be met by business sponsorship and from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports through and is accountable to DfEE Ministers.

  • NHS Efficiency Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. David Fillingham, Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust
  • Mr. John Flook, Executive Director of Finance, County Durham Health Authority
  • Mr. Peter Homa, Chief Executive, Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust
  • Mr. Philip Hunt, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation
  • Mr. Lionel Joyce, Chief Executive, Newcastle City Health NHS Trust
  • Mr. Peter D. Lees, Senior Lecturer and Director of R&D, Southampton General Hospital
  • Mr. Mike Marchment, Chief Executive, Warwickshire Health Authority
  • Dr. Ian Rutter, Westcliffe Surgery, Shipley
  • Ms Christina Edwards, Director of Nursing and Quality, Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust

The task force is working with the Minister of State for Health to explore more efficient and effective ways of delivering high quality patient care. It has no formal terms of reference but is being used to generate ideas, particularly about areas which are likely to produce benefits over the next couple of years. The task force will not produce a formal report: members have been asked to prepare papers on a number of topics which will be taken forward by Ministers and officials through the normal channels.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports to the Minister of State for Health.

  • Football Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • The right honourable David Mellor QC (Chair)
  • Representatives of:
  • The Football Trust
  • The Football Association
  • The FA Premier League
  • Professional Footballers Association
  • Commission for Racial Equality
  • Local Government Association
  • University of Liverpool, Football Research Unit
  • English Sports Council
  • Football Supporters Association
  • National Federation of Football
  • Supporters Clubs
  • National Association of Disabled Football Supporters
  • League Managers Association
  • Association of Premier and Football League Referees and Linesmen

The remit of the task force is to investigate and recommend new measures to deal with the public's concerns on issues such as racism, ticket prices, access for the disabled and the increasing commercialism in football.

The Football Trust will provide the secretariat to the task force. The task force reports and is accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

  • Creative Industries Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • The right honourable Chris Smith MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Chair)
  • Mr. Peter Mandelson MP, Minister without Portfolio
  • Ministerial representatives of:
  • Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
  • HM Treasury
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • Department for Education and Employment
  • Department of Trade and Industry
  • Scottish Office
  • Northern Ireland Office
    • WA 131
  • Welsh Office
  • Representatives of:
  • The British Council
  • No. 10 Policy Unit
  • The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
  • Industry advisers:
  • Lord Puttnam
  • Mr. Richard Branson
  • Mr. Alan McGee
  • Mr. Paul Smith
  • Ms Gail Rebuck
  • Mr. Eric Salama
  • Ms Janice Hughes
  • Mr. Waheed Alli

The remit of the task force is to maximise the economic and employment potential of the creative industries.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports and is accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

  • Ministerial Task Group on the home-buying process
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Geoff Hoon MP, Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Chair)
  • Ms Hilary Armstrong MP, Housing Minister, Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
  • Mr. Nigel Griffiths MP, Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry
  • Departmental officials

The Group will direct parallel cross-departmental efforts to identify the problems in the home-buying process and to develop detailed proposals for solutions in the interests of everybody involved. Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs.

  • Better Regulation Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Christopher Haskins, Northern Foods plc (Chair)
  • Ms Teresa Graham, Baker Tilly (Deputy Chair)
  • Other members will be announced in due course.

The remit of the task force is to advise the Government on action which improves the effectiveness and credibility of government regulation by ensuring that it is necessary, fair and affordable, and simple to understand and administer, taking account of the needs of small business and ordinary people.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force will report to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  • Task Force on Tax and Benefits
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Mr. Martin Taylor, Chief Executive, Barclays plc (Chair)
  • Official representatives of:
  • HM Treasury
  • Department for Education and Employment
  • Department of Social Security
  • Inland Revenue

The remit of the task force is to examine the interaction of the tax and benefits systems so that they can be streamlined and modernised to fulfil the objectives of promoting work incentives, reducing poverty and welfare dependency, and strengthening community and family life.

Costs will be met from within existing running costs of the departments concerned. The task force will report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  • Private Finance Task Force
  • MEMBERSHIP
  • Projects arm
  • Mr. Adrian Montague (Chief Executive of Projects)
  • Up to eight members representing the private sector will be announced in due course.
  • Policy arm
  • Mr. Peter Wanless (Head of the Treasury Private Finance Unit)
  • Mr. Ben Prynn, Price Waterhouse
  • Mr. Tony Whitehead, Coopers & Lybrand
  • Official representatives of HM Treasury

The remit of the task force, which comprises a projects and a policy arm, is to advance the private finance initiative and public/private partnerships across government. The projects arm, which is structured as a limited company under Treasury guarantee, will assess and support departments' efforts in securing good quality new transactions in the PFI field and help to deliver significant existing projects. It is envisaged that the company will have a limited life of two years, by which time expertise should be sufficiently well spread across the public sector. The policy team provides key policy advice to Ministers on the private finance initiative and public/private partnerships, and has lead responsibility for developing rules and promoting best practice in these areas.

Costs will be met from planned departmental costs. The task force reports and is accountable to the Paymaster General.