Written Answers of 22 June 2001

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Departmental Expenditure Limits
  Andy Burnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to amend her Department's departmental expenditure limit for 2001–02. [777]

  Tessa Jowell
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) for 2001–02 will be increased by £18,700,000 from £1,123,396,000 to £1,142,096,000.

  The changes are to provide an additional resource of £18,000,000 to the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council towards the costs of promoting tourism to counter the adverse effects of foot and mouth disease on the industry; to provide an additional resource of £100,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund toward the development of internet access to the British Museum's Timeline of History and for the linking of this to Culture Online, the National Grid for Learning and local systems; and to provide an additional resource of £600,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund toward the development of the English Tourism Council's Modernising English Tourism Destination Services, an electronic data sharing network using the web to link tourism providers and customers.

  The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

PRIME MINISTER

  Queen's Golden Jubilee
  Mr. Hendrick
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has relating to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's accession to the throne; and if he will make a statement. [408]

  The Prime Minister
  I am pleased to be able to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has approved a number of recommendations for the programme of celebrations during 2002, the focal point of which will be the "Jubilee weekend" covering 1 to 4 June. As I announced on 23 November 2000, Tuesday 4 June will be a bank holiday in place of the spring bank holiday that would otherwise fall on 27 May 2002 and Monday 3 June will be an additional bank holiday for the Golden Jubilee.
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  Following the recent reorganisation of Government Departments, the Ministerial Committee set up last year to help co-ordinate arrangements with Buckingham Palace is now being chaired by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

  This significant national anniversary of 50 years of the Queen's reign will offer people of all ages and cultures and from all walks of life the opportunity for celebration, and the events surrounding the Jubilee will provide numerous opportunities for voluntary and community service. It should be a time for looking forward as well as back—including at the great changes that have taken place in the nation's life during Her Majesty's reign.

  The main features of the programme approved so far by Her Majesty are as listed. Further details will be announced later.

  The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh plan to travel as widely as possible around the United Kingdom during the year 2002, including visits to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These tours around the UK will be focused on the summer months. The Queen will visit each English region, although it will not be possible to visit all cities and counties. The outline itinerary is as follows:

  1–2 May

  South West of England (including Cornwall, Devon and Somerset)

  7–8 May

  North East of England (including Tyne and Wear and Durham)

  10 May

  South East of England (Buckinghamshire and Berkshire)

  23–29 May

  Scotland

  1–4 June

  Jubilee Weekend in Windsor and London

  7 June

  South East of England (West Sussex)

  11–13 June

  Wales

  27 June

  Visit to the Armed Forces, Portsmouth

  2–3 July

  West Midlands (including Staffordshire and Warwickshire)

  11–12 July

  Yorkshire and the Humber (including West Yorkshire and the East Riding)

  17–18 July

  East of England (including Suffolk and Norfolk)

  24–26 July

  North West of England (including Merseyside and opening the Commonwealth Games in Manchester)

  31 July-1 August

  East Midlands (including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire), and Yorkshire and the Humber (North Lincolnshire)

  4 August

  Close the Commonwealth Games in Manchester

  5 August

  North West of England (Lancashire)

  In addition, there will be a number of London visits.
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  To help local communities mark and celebrate the Jubilee, lottery funding will be available from the Arts Councils, the Sports Councils, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Community Fund, and the New Opportunities Fund. Voluntary organisations and local groups in the community will be able to apply through the cross-distributor "Awards for All" for grants of between £500 and £5,000 for Jubilee-related projects. Projects must meet existing criteria and involve one or more of the lottery good causes of the arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education or the environment. I hope people will take advantage of this opportunity to use lottery money as a means both of celebrating the Jubilee and providing a lasting legacy for their communities.

  The official Golden Jubilee website is being launched later today at http://www/goldenjubilee.gov.uk/. In due course it will include details of celebrations and events taking place throughout the United Kingdom during 2002, including the Queen's programme of visits. It will also provide members of the public with a central point for inquiries, suggestions and comments on any aspect of the celebrations. By the autumn of this year, it will incorporate, or give access to, other sites containing information about the plans for the Jubilee.

  The Queen has accepted a recommendation for the design for a Golden Jubilee Emblem which members of the public, commercial and public services and manufacturers may use, at no cost, to "brand" events, services, souvenirs and other items connected with the Jubilee. The Emblem, together with guidance on its use, will be obtainable from the Golden Jubilee website. A copy of the Emblem has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The Queen has made it clear that she wishes there to be no undue expenditure from public funds on the celebrations. The Queen has asked that those organisations or individuals wishing to celebrate the Golden Jubilee with some form of donation be encouraged to give either to one or more of the following five charities of which Her Majesty is Patron: Banardo's, CRUSE Bereavement Services, I CAN (national education charity for children with speech and language difficulties), the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, and the Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force Association (SSAFA)—or to the British Commonwealth Ex-Services League, of which the Duke of Edinburgh is Grand President. Further details will be available in due course on the Golden Jubilee website.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to abolish application fees for teacher training courses. [398]

  Mr. Timms
  Applications for undergraduate and postgraduate courses of initial teacher training are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and the Graduate Teacher Training Registry respectively. These bodies are in the private sector and it is for them to determine the level of any fees they charge to cover the handling of applications.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

  Housing Transfer
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will announce the 2001–02 housing transfer programme. [22]

  Ms Keeble
  I am announcing today the names of the 27 local authorities which, on a voluntary basis and subject to the approval of their tenants, will be able to proceed in 2001–02 with proposals to carry out 32 transfers of all or part of their housing stock to registered social landlords. Including authorities for which I am holding open places, the programme will involve over 328,000 dwellings in large-scale voluntary transfers over two years, generating capital receipts of over £1.1 billion for the authorities.

  The 2001–02 programme reflects this Government's commitment, re-stated in the December 2000 Housing Policy Statement "The way forward for housing", to support a continuing programme of housing stock transfers as a means of delivering our decent homes objective. Stock transfer offers benefits for tenants. The new landlord is committed to deliver proper maintenance and future repairs. Increased investment from private sources means that any backlog of repairs can be carried out more quickly than if the properties had remained in local authority ownership. Over time, tenants' rents will be similar to what they would pay to their local authority, due to the Government's policy of bringing greater fairness and cohesion to the structure of social rents, set out in the Housing Policy Statement.

  Housing transfers are voluntary, and may only take place if tenants are in favour. The consent of the Secretary of State is also required before a transfer can proceed, and that will only be granted if it appears that a majority of tenants wish the transfer to proceed.

  Local authorities on the 2001 programme will be assisted by the newly formed Community Housing Task Force, which will be available to provide expert guidance on the transfer process and to ensure that new social landlords created by the transfer process empower tenants, regenerate communities and make other cross-service links.

  Ealing LBC, Harrogate BC and Hackney LBC (for a second transfer comprising its sheltered housing stock) applied for places on this year's programme, but I am giving them more time to develop their transfer proposals. I am also holding open a place on the programme for Birmingham CC, pending the agreement of a minimum valuation. I welcome the application received from Sheffield city council and, while not securing a place on the 2001–02 transfer programme, I am inviting them to work with the Community Housing Task Force to refine their proposal with a view to submitting an application for a subsequent year's transfer programme.

  The authorities which have successfully gained a place on the programme, together with the intended recipient registered social landlord, are as follows:

  (i) a disposal by Mid Bedfordshire district council of not more than 3,3000 dwelling-houses to Aragon Housing Association;

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  (ii) a disposal by Bradford city council of not more than 26,136 dwelling-houses to a new registered social landlord comprising a group structure of six new local housing companies;

  (iii) a disposal by Braintree district council of not more than 8,862 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (iv) a disposal by Carlisle city council of not more than 7,687 dwelling-houses to Riverside Housing:

  (v) a disposal by Chelmsford borough council of not more than 7,043 dwelling-houses to Chelmer Housing Partnership;

  (vi) a disposal by Craven district council of not more than 1,630 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (vii) a disposal by Crewe and Nantwich borough council of not more than 6,000 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (viii) a disposal by Derbyshire Dales district council of not more than 3,281 dwelling-houses to Dales Housing Ltd.;

  (ix) a disposal by Dudley metropolitan council of not more than 26,702 dwelling-houses to a new registered social landlord comprising a group structure of five new local housing companies;

  (x) a disposal by East Hertfordshire borough council of not more than 5,988 dwelling-houses to Stort Valley Housing Association and Riversmead Housing Association;

  (xi) a disposal by Erewash council of not more than 6,114 dwelling-houses to Erewash Housing Ltd.;

  (xii) a disposal by the London Borough of Hackney of not more than six dwelling-houses to Canalside Housing Partnership;

  (xiii) a disposal by the London Borough of Harrow of not more than 518 dwelling-houses to Warden Housing Association, a subsidiary of the Home Housing Group.

  (xiv) a disposal by Herefordshire council of not more than 5,780 dwelling-houses to a registered social Landlord;

  (xv) a disposal by Knowsley metropolitan borough council of not more than 17,341 dwelling-houses to Knowsley Housing Trust;

  (xvi) three disposals by Liverpool city council of not more than 7,642 dwelling-houses to a new subsidiary of Liverpool Housing Trust; not more than 3,707 dwelling-houses to Berrybridge Housing, a new subsidiary of Riverside Housing; and not more than 2,833 dwelling-houses to another new subsidiary of Riverside Housing;

  (xvii) three disposals by Manchester city council of not more than 2,407 dwelling-houses on the Hattersley estate to Harvest Housing Group; not more than 3,418 dwelling-houses on the Langley estate to a new subsidiary of Riverside Housing; and not more than 3,291 dwelling-houses in East Manchester to a registered social landlord;

  (xviii) a disposal by the London Borough of Merton of not more than 9,612 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (xix) a disposal by Redcar and Cleveland borough council of not more than 11,803 dwelling-houses to Coast and Country Housing;

  (xx) a disposal by Reigate and Banstead borough council of not more than 5,659 dwelling-houses to Reigate and Banstead Housing Trust Ltd.;

  (xxi) a disposal by St. Edmundsbury borough council of not more than 6,308 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (xxii) a disposal by St. Helens metropolitan borough council of not more than 14,507 dwelling-houses to Helena Housing Ltd.

  (xxiii) a disposal by Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council of not more than 5,744 dwelling-houses to Severnside Housing Ltd.;

  (xxiv) a disposal by the London Borough of Southwark of not more than 2,518 dwelling-houses to a new subsidiary of South London Family Housing Associations;

  (xxv) a disposal by Vale borough council of not more than 7,201 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

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  (xxvi) two disposals by Walsall metropolitan borough council of not more than 24,283 dwelling-houses to Walsall Group Housing Trust and not more than 2,346 dwellings to WATMOS Housing Trust.

  (xxvii) a disposal by the London Borough of Waltham Forest of not more than 2,613 dwelling-houses to Forest Homes, a new subsidiary of London and Quadrant Housing Trust.

  Departmental Expenditure Limits
  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proposals there are to amend the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' departmental expenditure limits and administration costs limits for 2001–02. [775]

  Mr. Byers
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' Departmental Expenditure Limits for 2001–02 will change as follows:

  (a) The DETR Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased by £830,614,000 from £11,554,260,000 to £12,384,874,000. The net increase comprises £386,000 reduction in resources and £831,000,000 increase in capital and is the net effect of calls on the DEL Reserve of £831,000,000 and a transfer of £386,000 to the Cabinet Office Departmental Expenditure Limit. The changes are set out in greater detail as follows.

  (i) The change to Request for Resources 4 is a reduction of £386,000 reflecting a transfer of resources to the Cabinet Office in respect of recruitment of Fast Stream civil servants.

  (ii) As a consequence of the change to Request for Resources 4, the DETR gross administration costs limit will be decreased by £386,000 from £785,025,000 to £784,639,000.

  (iii) Provision within the non-Voted element of the DETR Main Programmes Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased by £831,000,000 from £3,648,363,000 to £4,479,363,000. This reflects the anticipation of end year flexibility of £80,000,000 and a call on the DEL Reserve of £335,000,000 to enable the payment of grants by the Strategic Rail Authority to Railtrack to be accelerated and to increase SRA provision for other purposes; anticipation of end year flexibility of £100,000,000 and a call on the DEL Reserve of £316,000,000 to ensure continued funding and increased investment in London Underground Ltd.

  (b) The DETR Local Government Departmental Expenditure Limit will be increased by £14,500,000 from £36,960,668,000 to £36,975,168,000 comprising £14,500,000 resources. This increase reflects the anticipation of end year flexibility of £14,500,000. The change is set out in greater detail.

  (i) The changes for Request for Resources 3 are as follows:
  The anticipation of end year flexibility of £14,500,000 to provide emergency financial assistance to local authorities of £13,500,000 and Local Government Public Service Agreement Administration Grant of £1,000,000.
  The transfer of £25,000,000 from the non-Voted element of the DETR Local Government Departmental Expenditure Limit to provide for Local Government On Line Grant.

  (ii) Provision within the non-Voted element of the DETR Local Government Departmental Expenditure Limit will be reduced by £25,000,000 from £134,649,000 to £109,649,000. This reflects the transfer of £25,000,000 to Request for Resources 3 to provide for Local Government On Line Grant.

  Following the Machinery of Government changes announced following the general election on 7 June, the DETR Main DEL will require restructuring to reflect the new departmental boundaries. The restructuring will be

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  effected later in the year when any necessary Transfers of Functions Orders and other administrative actions are in force.

  The net increase in the DETR Main Programme and Local Government Departmental Expenditure Limits will be a charge on the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Sub-post Offices
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made regarding the rural sub-post office start-up capital subsidy scheme; and if she will make a statement. [773]

  Mr. Alexander
  I have today laid a draft order to bring into effect the rural sub-post office start-up capital subsidy scheme. This scheme, announced earlier this year, reaffirms the Government's commitment to the rural sub-post office network by setting aside £2 million to support initiatives by volunteer or community groups to maintain or reopen post office facilities in areas where the traditional post office is closing or has recently closed. The fund will provide help with the one-off costs of relocating or refurbishing rural post offices.

TREASURY

  Financial Services Authority
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the annual report of the Financial Services Authority to be published. [774]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Financial Services Authority's annual report is being published today. It covers the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001. During this period the FSA regulated under legislation including the Financial Services Act 1986 and the Banking Act 1987. The report is being presented to Parliament as required under section 117(2) of the Financial Services Act and section 1(3) of the Banking Act. Copies are available in the Library of the House and on the FSA's website www.fsa.gov.uk.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Fisheries Council
  Vernon Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 18 June. [772]

  Mr. Morley
  I represented the UK at the Fisheries Council on 18 June together with Ms Rhona Brankin, the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, and Ms Brid Rogers, Northern Irish Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.

  The Council had a full discussion of the Commission's Green Paper on the 2002 Review of the Common Fisheries Policy. There was considerable support for the UK's major concerns: to work towards a policy which is economically and environmentally sustainable; to retain
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  the system of total allowable catches and quotas distributed according to relative stability; to continue with existing restrictions on access, in particular the six and 12-mile limits which we argued should be established permanently; to provide for increased involvement of fishermen in developing fisheries policy, in particular through a regionalised approach; to address more effectively the environmental impacts of fishing, reducing discards, recognising the value of low impact fishing and angling, and minimising the adverse effects of fishing on non-target species such as small cetaceans; to ensure more consistent and effective enforcement across all member states; and to tackle more effectively the imbalance between fishing capacity and stocks, not least by ending the use of subsidies by grant aiding more powerful and efficient vessels.

  The work on the Green Paper will continue under the Belgian Presidency and the Commission is expected to produce detailed legislative proposals later this year.

  The Council agreed conclusions on the Commission's action plan on biodiversity. We welcomed these, in particular the commitment to give priority for action for the most sensitive species listed in the Habitats Directive.

  The Commission introduced a communication setting out their thinking on the longer term multi-annual recovery plans for cod and hake stocks. There was also some discussion of the more immediate measures for North Sea cod which are currently being negotiated with Norway. The Commissioner emphasised the serious state of the stocks and the need to take substantial measures if the stocks are to be able to recover. We supported the development of action plans and the inevitable constraints on fishing which would be required if they were to be effective. But at the same time we stressed the importance of engaging the fishing industry in the development of plans and the need to take sufficient account of their impact on returns from fishing. The Commission is expecting to conclude negotiations on North Sea cod with Norway shortly and to introduce measures applicable in 2002; detailed proposals on longer term measures will be put to the Council for consideration in the autumn.

  In view of the failure to establish a new fisheries agreement with Morocco the Council agreed that the existing provision for structural funds to be made available to support the fishing fleets affected would be extended until the end of 2001. The Commission plans to make proposals shortly for a restructuring scheme.

  Finally, the Commission presented a proposal to extend the multi-annual guidance programme (MAGP IV) for one year until the end of 2002. This will be considered in detail by the Council in the autumn.

HEALTH

  Departmental Expenditure Limits
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to amend the Food Standards Agency departmental expenditure limit/administration costs limit for 2001–02. [776]
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  Yvette Cooper
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) the overall resource Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2001–02 will be increased by £7,803,000 (of which £363,000 is administration costs) from £103,440,000 to £111,243,000.

  The increase is the net effect of transfers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) of £7,308,000, to cover the estimated fall in Meat Hygiene Service income resulting from the revised charging methodology recommended in the Maclean report, and transfers of £363,000 administration costs and £132,000 programme costs from MAFF to reflect the cost of additional responsibilities transferred to the FSA. The accruals to cash adjustment figures have also been increased by £11,000 to bring them in line with the SR2000 settlement.

  As a result of these changes the gross administration cost limit for the FSA has increased by £363,000 from £41,237,000 to £41,600,000. With the exception of the increase of £11,000 in the cash to accruals adjustment, which will bring the figures into line with those agreed in SR2000, all increases will be offset by transfers from the MAFF Departmental Expenditure Limit (detailed above) and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Robert Thompson and Jon Venables
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will receive the Parole Board's decisions in the cases of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables; and if he will make a statement. [770]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The Parole Board has informed me today of their decision, subject to conditions, to direct the release on life licence of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables who were convicted in November 1993 of the murder of James Bulger. At the time of the murder both were 10-years-old and James Bulger was two. I would wish to make it clear at the outset that this means that Thompson and Venables will be on licence for the rest of their lives. They will be subject to strict licence conditions and liable to immediate recall if there is any concern at any time about their risk.

  First, I offer my deepest sympathy to the family of James Bulger. The circumstances of the killing were horrific and had a profound impact throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. We will never forget it and I can well understand how distressing it is for James's family now to hear this news. We all understand that their grief for the loss of their son in such horrible circumstances continues and our thoughts are with them as much today as over the whole period.
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  Decisions about the release of those convicted of murder when under the age of 18 are the responsibility of the independent Parole Board. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, decided on 26 October 2000 that the tariff for both Thompson and Venables should expire immediately. Before arriving at his decision he had carefully considered reports on Thompson and Venables and information provided by James Bulger's family. My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, accepted this recommendation as he was bound to do, for the reasons he gave in a statement to the House on 13 March 2000, Official Report, column 21.

  The tariff is the minimum period a person must serve for retribution and deterrence. Once it has expired an offender is released only where the Parole Board after a very thorough consideration is satisfied that there is no unacceptable risk to the public. A Parole Board panel under the chairmanship of a senior High Court judge and including a consultant psychiatrist and an experienced independent member considered both cases. I know that they will have given very careful attention to the detailed reports compiled in each of these cases. The panel also heard evidence from expert witnesses and will have reached its decisions about risk in accordance with its statutory responsibilities.

  It is not appropriate for me to comment on the arrangements for the release of Thompson and Venables as there is a High Court injunction in force to protect their identities and whereabouts from being revealed. However, I can say that the call on public funds will be the minimum necessary to ensure their self-reliance, further education and training and the safety of themselves and the public.

  The murder of young James Bulger was a terrible event for his family and the whole nation, but no public interest would be served by pursuing the perpetrators now that the Parole Board has decided that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that they should be confined. The injunction was granted because there was a real and strong possibility that their lives would be at risk if their identities became known.

  Thompson and Venables are not free—as I have said, they will remain on life licence for the rest of their lives and are liable to be recalled to custody at any time if there is any evidence that they present a risk to the public. The life licences include conditions which prohibit Thompson and Venables, whether directly or indirectly, from contacting or attempting to contact the family of James Bulger or each other. They will also be prohibited from entering the Metropolitan County of Merseyside without the prior written consent of their supervising officers.

  The national probation service now has the duty to supervise them and to review routinely the risk of re-offending. There are grave doubts about whether this duty could be carried out effectively without some degree of anonymity. I am assured that Thompson and Venables will be kept under very close supervision and scrutiny by the probation service whose principal aim is to ensure the protection of the public.