Written Statement of 2 December 2002

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Local Government Reviews (Consultation)
  The Minister for Local Government and the Regions(Mr. Nick Raynsford)
  I am today launching a soundings exercise on the level of interest in each English region (outside London) in holding a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. I will be writing to all Members in the English regions outside London about the soundings exercise to invite their views. Copies of the document have also been deposited in the Vote Office for convenience.

  I am also publishing today, for consultation, a draft of the guidance to the Boundary Committee for England on local government reviews.

  Copies of the soundings and consultation papers have been deposited in the House Libraries. They are also available on the ODPM web site. Responses to both the soundings exercise and the consultation on the guidance are requested by 3 March 2003.

  The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill currently before Parliament enables the Secretary of State, by order, to specify the region (s) to hold a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. Before the Secretary of State can order a referendum, the Bill requires that the Boundary Committee for England has been directed to carry out, and has made recommendations arising out of, a local government review of the region. The level of interest in holding a referendum will be a key factor in deciding where a review is to be carried out. So this policy gives people a choice.

  Our proposals for elected regional assemblies will increase democracy, not bureaucracy. In regions where people vote to have an elected assembly we intend to streamline government by moving to a wholly unitary local government structure. Before an order causing a referendum to be held in the region can be made, the Boundary Committee will have conducted a review of local government in the region and made its recommendations for the best unitary structure for those parts of the region that currently have both a county and district council.

DEFENCE

  Afghanistan (International Security Assistance Force)
  The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)
  We welcome the decision by the United Nations' Security Council on 27 November 2002 to adopt Resolution 1444, extending the authority of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to deploy for a further twelve months, from 20 December 2002. The extension comes in 60WS
  recognition of the valuable work undertaken by the ISAF in helping to provide a secure environment in Kabul, allowing the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, headed by President Karzai, to pursue the difficult task of rebuilding the country.

  The new Resolution reaffirms the remit of the ISAF as covering Kabul and its immediate environs. The Resolution recognizes that security within Afghanistan is primarily a matter for the Afghans themselves and commends their efforts to establish representative, professional and multi-ethnic security forces.

  Germany and the Netherlands have offered to assume jointly the role of ISAF Lead Nation upon the completion of Turkey's tenure in command. The United Kingdom anticipates remaining a significant contributor to the ISAF. At a Force Generation Conference on 27 November, the United Kingdom offered to provide Staff Officers, an Infantry Company and a Bulk Fuel Installation. Together with their associated support forces, these total over three hundred troops, which is consistent in size with our current deployment.

  Medical Preparedness
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Lewis Moonie)
  Smallpox is a deadly and highly contagious disease that could be used as a biological weapon. Currently, we do not assess that there is any immediate threat to our Armed Forces from smallpox. But the consequences of any release of smallpox could be very serious, so we continue to monitor the threat closely, and take precautions.

  We continually review the package of defensive measures against chemical and biological attack available to our armed forces, which includes vaccination. We have decided to offer vaccination against smallpox to a small number of specialist military personnel who face a greater risk of exposure to smallpox by virtue of their specialisation. This will include those NBC specialists and specialist medical personnel who would form the spearhead of our defensive response, including vaccination teams, in the event of a confirmed, suspected or threatened release of smallpox. The Department of Health, with whom we are working closely, is planning to vaccinate a similar cohort of healthcare professionals.

  As with other vaccines, vaccination against smallpox will be voluntary and on the basis of informed consent.

  This work has been taken forward under the cross-Governmental Civil Contingency machinery for which the Home Secretary has overall responsibility.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Council of the European Union
  The Minister for Europe (Mr. Denis MacShane)

  DECEMBER

  2—Brussels—Meeting on Macro Economic Dialogue (Ministerial Troika)

  3—Brussels—ECOFIN

  2–3—Brussels—Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council

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  4— Brussels—Meeting of the Presidium

  5–6—Brussels—Transport, Telecom & Energy Council

  9—Brussels—General Affairs Council

  9–10—Brussels—Environment Council

  12–13—Copenhagen—European Council

  16–19—Brussels—Agricultural & Fisheries Council

  19—Brussels—Meeting of the Presidium

  20—Brussels—Justice & Home Affairs & Civil Protection Council

  20–21—Brussels—Convention Plenary—External Action & Defence Working Group Conclusions

  Date

  Location

  Event

  JANUARY

  9

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  9

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council (to be confirmed)

  16

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  20

  Brussels

  EUROGOUP (evening)

  20

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  20–21

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  21

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  24

  Nafplion

  Employment Council (Ministerial Informal)

  27–28

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations Council

  28

  Brussels

  EU-ASEAN Ministerial

  30

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  FEBRUARY

  5

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  6–7

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  10–11

  Brussels

  AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES Council (to be confirmed)

  13

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  17

  Brussels

  EUROGROUP (evening)

  18

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  20

  Brussels

  EDUCATION, YOUTH & CULTURE Council (to be confirmed)

  22

  Thessaloniki

  Energy Council (Ministerial Informal)

  24–25

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations Council Agriculture & Fisheries

  26

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  27–28

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  27–28

  Brussels

  Justice & Home Affairs Council

  28

  Brussels

  Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council

  MARCH

  1–2

  Ioannina

  Informal Education

  3

  Brussels

  Competitiveness Council

  4

  Brussels

  Environment Council

  6

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  6

  Luxembourg

  Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council

  6

  Luxembourg

  EUROGROUP (evening)

  7

  Luxembourg

  ECOFIN

  7

  Luxembourg

  Transport, Telecom & Energy Council

  13

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  14–15

  Athens

  (Informal Defence Meeting)

  17–18

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  17–18

  Luxembourg

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  18–19

  Luxembourg

  General Affairs & External Relations Council

  21

  Brussels

  European Council

  27

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  27

  Veria

  Justice and Home Affairs Council (Ministerial Informal)

  27–28

  Luxembourg

  Transport, Telecom & Energy Council

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  Date

  Location Athens

  Event

  27–28

  Athens

  EU-Rio Group, EU-MERCOSUR

  28–29

  Veria

  Informal Justice & Home Affairs (Veria)

  31

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries council (to be confirmed)

  APRIL

  2

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  3–4

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  4

  Brussels

  Justice & Home Affairs

  4–6

  Hania (Crete)

  Informal ECOFIN (Ministerial)

  5

  Lisbon

  Europe—Africa Summit

  5

  Ioannina

  Ministerial Meeting on Education (Informal)

  10

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  11–13

  Chania

  ECOFIN (Informal)

  14

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations

  14

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries

  16

  Athens

  European Conference

  16

  Athens

  Signature Of The Accession (Provisional Date)

  23

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  24–25

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  MAY

  2–4

  (Greece)

  Gymnich (Informal Foreign Ministers)

  5

  Athens

  Informal Environment (Ministerial)

  5–6

  Brussels

  Education, Youth & Culture Council (to be confirmed)

  8

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  12–13

  Corfu

  Agriculture (Ministerial Informal)

  12–13

  Brussels

  Competitiveness

  12

  Brussels

  EUROGROUP

  13

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  14

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  14

  Brussels

  Transport, Telecom & Energy Council

  15–16

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  16

  Brussels

  EU—ACP Ministerial

  16–17

  Halkidiki

  Informal Regional Policy (Ministerial)

  16–18

  Cruise off Greece

  Informal Transport & Merchant Marine (Ministerial)

  17

  Brussels

  EU—W. Balkans (Zagreb Process)

  19

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations (+ Defence)

  20

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations

  22

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  24

  Thessaloniki

  Informal Culture (Ministerial)

  26–27

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  26–27

  Athens

  EUROMED Conference (Mid Term Ministerial)

  27

  Brussels

  Environment Council

  28

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Praesidium

  30–31

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

  31

  St. Petersburg

  EU—Russia Summit

  JUNE

  2

  Brussels

  EUROGROUP

  2–3

  Alexandroupoli

  Development Co-operation (Ministerial Informal)

  2–3

  Brussels

  Transport, Telecom & Energy

  a

  Council

  3

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  4

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Presidium

  5–6

  Brussels

  Convention Pleanry

  5–6

  Brussels

  Justice & Home Affairs Council

  5–6

  Brussels

  Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council

  11

  Brussels

  Meeting of the Presidium

  11–12

  Brussels

  Agriculture & Fisheries Council

  12–13

  Brussels

  Convention Plenary

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  Date

  Location

  Event

  17–18

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations

  20–21

  Thessaloniki

  European Council

  22

  Brussels

  General Affairs & External Relations

  24

  Brussels

  Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council

  Iraq (Human Rights)
  The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw)
  Today I am publishing a report on human rights abuses in Iraq. It is based on intelligence material, first hand accounts of Iraqi victims of torture and oppression, and reports amassed by NGOs over the past decade. The report examines Iraq's record on torture, the treatment of women, prison conditions, arbitrary and summary killings, the persecution of the Kurds and Shia, the harassment of opposition figures outside Iraq and the occupation of Kuwait.

  The Iraqi regime's contempt for international law and its attachment to weapons of mass destruction were documented in the government's dossier published on 24 September. Its dreadful human rights record is widely known. But I consider it important that Parliament and the public should have accurate information about the awful reality of Saddam Hussein's policy of regime terror, which sustains his rule inside Iraq

HEALTH

  Contingency Planning
  The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Mutton)
  Since the tragic events of September 11th, the Department of Health has strengthened its plans against any deliberate release of biological agents, including smallpox. We have no evidence of a specific threat of a smallpox attack on the UK. However, it is sensible and prudent to ensure that the NHS can deal effectively with any potential threat.

  There are three components to the Department's preparation for response to a possible smallpox emergency: improved vaccine stocks, a plan of action and a cohort of immunised staff who could deal safely with any potential smallpox cases.

  We have already taken action to substantially increase our stocks of smallpox vaccine and we have recently begun a second procurement to add to these stocks.

  The Department of Health is today publishing an interim plan of action for discussion and comment over the coming month. Under this plan, it is intended to establish 12 Regional Smallpox Response Groups around the UK. They will consist of Infectious disease physicians and paediatricians, public health physicians, microbiologists/ virologists, acute care and communicable disease control nurses and occupational health staff.
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  This core group of NHS staff will need to be immune to smallpox and therefore able to react quickly and work safely with patients with actual or suspected smallpox. Preparations for the vaccination of these key workers is now underway. I expect these vaccinations to be completed by the end of next month. It is intended to vaccinate around 350 health care staff across the UK. This will be on an entirely voluntary basis with informed consent. The Ministry of Defence, with whom we are working closely, is planning to vaccinate a similar cohort of specialist military personnel.

  The Plan also explains how smallpox cases would be handled in various scenarios. The Department of Health's primary strategy would be to contain and 'ring vaccinate' around any outbreak. The teams of vaccinated health care staff are central to delivering this strategy.

  These plans are a practical precaution designed to ensure the UK is prepared for any possible smallpox emergency. They are in line with World Health Organisation advice and will be kept under active review.

  Similar interim plans are being prepared for publication by the Devolved Administrations. This work has been taken forward under the cross-Governmental Civil Contingency machinery for which the Home Secretary has overall responsibility.

  National Health Service Pay Modernisation
  The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)
  I am pleased to be able to announce that on 28 November negotiators representing the UK Health Departments, NHS employers and NHS trades unions successfully concluded negotiations on a new pay system for NHS staff (with the exception of those within the remit of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body and the most senior managers). It represents the most radical transformation of the NHS pay system since the foundation of the service in 1948. The proposed new system will now go out for consultation with organisations representing NHS staff.

  Over the three year period from 2003–04 to 2005–06 the overall package will mean an average increase of 12.5 per cent in basic pay for NHS staff. It will give a 10 per cent pay increase over three years for all staff, plus an average 5.9 per cent in the longer run linked to modernisation.

  The proposed new pay system will be based on a new system of job evaluation. This means that the basic pay that NHS staff receive will reflect the knowledge, responsibility, skills and effort required in their job, rather than their historic job title or occupational group. To progress fully in the new pay system, staff will need to demonstrate a level of applied skills and knowledge appropriate to their level of responsibility.

  The new system will also introduce clearer rewards for staff who work flexibly outside traditional working hours. It will give extra flexibilities for local NHS employers to create new types of jobs and to make extra payments to reflect recruitment and retention pressures. Instead of almost 650 different staff grades and thousands of different allowances, there will be a simple

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  set of core terms and conditions based on 8 pay bands, including simple, harmonised arrangements for working hours and annual leave.

  The new system is designed to ensure fair pay for staff, based on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, and a clearer system of career progression. It will also directly support modernisation of patient care. It will provide new opportunities for staff to take on new responsibilities, breaking down old-fashioned demarcations and enabling jobs to be re-designed around the needs of the patient. It will produce a more sensible division of labour, with nurses, therapists and health care assistants taking on new roles that improve NHS productivity and free up more of doctors' and other senior clinicians' time for direct patient care.
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  Clearer rewards for flexible working will help make NHS services more widely available to patients in the evenings and weekends. Improvements in pay, career and training prospects will help recruit an estimated 10,000 more nurses and other health professionals and an estimated 27,000 health care assistants by 2006–07 in England, particularly in high cost areas such as London. A clearer link between pay and development of knowledge and skills will help deliver higher and more consistent standards of NHS patient care.

  If the new system is approved following consultation, implementation will start in twelve NHS sites in Spring 2003 with full implementation starting in October 2004.

  A summary of the proposed new pay system has been placed in the Library.