Written Statement of 8 July 2003

TREASURY

  Statistics Commission
  The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey)
  The Statistics Commission's annual report and accounts, covering the 2002–03 financial year, are being published today, having been laid before both Houses of Parliament. Copies are available in the Vote Office.

  Commemorative Coins
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Gordon Brown)
  Her Majesty the Queen has been graciously pleased to approve my recommendation that the following commemorative coins should be issued in 2005:A pair of crown pieces for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson;
  A two-pound coin for the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot;
  A fifty pence piece to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the publication of Samuel Johnson's dictionary of the English language.

  Collector versions of these coins will be at a premium above face value and, during the course of the year 2005, the coins will also become available at face value from banks and post offices.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

  Legal Services Ombudsman Annual Report
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. David Lammy)
  The Legal Services Ombudsman has today published the twelfth Annual Report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Pakistan (Travel Advice)
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Stale for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Chris Mullin)
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has changed its travel advice for Pakistan with effect from 7 July 2003.

  We previously advised British Nationals other than those of Pakistani origin:
  against all but essential travel to Pakistan for which there is a compelling reason and where they have confidence in the security arrangements for the entire visit;
  against holiday travel to Pakistan and, to leave Pakistan unless they have a compelling reason to stay and unless they also have confidence in their security arrangements.
  46WS
  We are now advising British Nationals:
  against holiday travel unless they have family contacts there;
  if they are travelling to Pakistan for professional or holiday reasons, they should be very careful about, and confident of, their personal security arrangements throughout their visit.

  Our previous advice was drafted against the backdrop of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in 2002, a number of terrorist attacks against Western targets (including Pakistani Christian institutions) in 2002 and unrest in Pakistan following coalition action in Afghanistan and, more recently, in Iraq.

  We reviewed this advice taking into account the recent improvement in India/Pakistan relations, post-conflict stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the action taken by the Pakistani authorities against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups in Pakistan and the relative decrease in the number of terrorist attacks against Western targets thus far this year.

  We believe that our advice needs to reflect these improvements, but without underplaying the risks to the British public. Our advice continues to underline that Pakistan remains a hostile environment for Western interests. It also underlines the serious risk of terrorism throughout Pakistan and the risk of indiscriminate attacks against Western targets.

  Visibly Western targets and individuals are more vulnerable to attack than British citizens of Pakistani origin and our advice makes this clear. We are therefore advising British nationals against holiday travel unless they have family contacts in Pakistan. Our advice also highlights the need for all visitors travelling to Pakistan (for business, holiday, visiting family or other purposes) to be very careful about, and confident of, their personal security arrangements throughout their visit.

DEFENCE

  Defence Aviation Repair Agency
  The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram)
  The following key targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency for financial year 2003–04:

  Title

  Details

  Target

  KT 1—Financial Performance 1

  The measurement of DARA's ROCE.

  To achieve a minimum average ROCE of 6 per cent. over the first three years of trading (FY01/02-FY03/04 inclusive).

  KT 2—Financial Performance 2

  The measurement of value of contracts won.

  To achieve order intake to the value of at least £160 million.

  KT 3—Quality

  The measurement of attributable major customer concerns received from DM DARA's customers.

  To have no more attributable major customer concerns than the baseline set on DARA's performance of FY 01/02, less 10 per cent.

  47WS

  Title

  Details

  Target

  KT 4—Efficiency

  The measurement of the reduction in unit production price of a representative basket of DARA outputs.

  To achieve a cumulative reduction price of 7 per cent. in real terms, of the basket of products (weighted by value of annual task quantity), baselined from FY01/02.

  Army Base Repair Organisation
  The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram)
  The following Key Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of ABRO for Financial Year 2003–04. The targets build on the high standards of service already provided by the Agency:

  KEY TARGET 1:
  To achieve at least a 6 per cent. average Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) over the first three years of trading (FY 2002–03-2004–05).

  KEY TARGET 2:
  To complete delivery of 100 per cent. of the planned revenue projection (£150 million) in each of the next five years (FY 2003–04-2007–08).

  KEY TARGET 3:
  To introduce and have operational the new Material Management System (MMS) and to have detached from the Equipment Support Provision and Procurement Administration, Supply System by 31 March 2005. (A milestone has been set for FY 2001–04—the MMS pilot is to be operational at ABRO Bovington by 31 March 2004).

  KEY TARGET 4:
  To reduce the average equipment repair price, across the programme by 4 per cent. in the second year and by 12 per cent. over three years against the 2002–03 baseline.

  KEY TARGET 5:
  To maintain a closing order book of at least £80 million and total sales of £150 million for FY 2003–04, and to maintain this level over the next five years (FY 2003–04 to 2007–08).

  Operation Telic Medal
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)
  The House will be aware of the desire to issue a campaign medal to service personnel and entitled civilians engaged on operations in Iraq and supporting areas, collectively known as Operation Telic.

  I am pleased to confirm that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the award of a specific campaign medal to mark this operation. The detailed eligibility criteria for this award are being determined and will be published in due course.

  Armed Forces Recruitment (Ethnic Minorities)
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)
  In 1998 we instituted a series of recruitment goals to ensure that appropriate levels of recruitment from Britain's ethnic minority communities 48WS
  took place. Running for four years, the goals aimed at increasing the recruitment of ethnic minority young people incrementally by 1 per cent. each year until the Forces reached 5 per cent. In the event the outcome for 2001–02 was a very creditable 4.4 per cent., although this figure contains a large number of Commonwealth nationals recruited in this country. Given the nearness to publication of the National Census, and therefore access to new and up-to date- research data, an interim goal of a further 1 per cent. from the previous year's outcome was agreed.

  We have found that quite significant numbers of young people travel to the United Kingdom and join the Armed Forces, particularly the Army, which has the greatest number of trades open requiring relatively low security clearances. An internal provisional estimate of the recruiting outcome for 2002–03 makes this clear:
  Royal Navy—2.01 per cent. UK national and 1.06 per cent. Commonwealth recruited in UK.
  Army—2.8 per cent. officers and 2.4 per cent. other ranks UK nationals and 5.3 per cent. Commonwealth recruited in UK.
  Royal Air Force—2.47 per cent. overwhelmingly UK nationals.

  All figures exclude Commonwealth personnel joining as the result of RN and Army in-country selection team visits. All figures have yet to be statistically validated.

  The numbers of Commonwealth nationals of all ethnic backgrounds seeking to join the Armed Forces is a clear indication of the success of our race equality policies in recent years. Although we welcome the resulting increase in the diversity of the Forces, we should not forget that the original intention of the recruitment goals was to increase the proportion of UK ethnic minority recruits; this remains the objective today. Accordingly, the aim for the next three years is for each Service to increase incrementally each year the proportion of UK ethnic minority recruits by at least 0.5 per cent. with the tri-Service aim of reaching 5 per cent. as soon as possible. We will in addition seek to report the numbers joining from the Commonwealth in order to maintain the transparency of the recruiting process.

  These proposals have been discussed and agreed with the Commission for Racial Equality.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Independent Race Monitor
  The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes)
  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has today laid before the House a copy of the annual report produced by Mary Coussey, the independent Race Monitor, under section 19E of the Race Relations Act 1976, together with his response. The Race Monitor has a statutory duty to report to Parliament via the Home Secretary on Ministerial authorisations made under section 19D of the Race Relations Act enabling immigration staff to discriminate on the basis of nationality or ethnic or national origin in the exercise of their functions.

  Hazardous Materials (Detection Kits)
  The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes)
  The purpose of this statement is to confirm advice to businesses and inform the House of our view on the question of whether organisations should acquire their own equipment to detect chemical, biological or radiological materials as part of their contingency plans.

  The Government takes contingency planning for potential terrorist attack very seriously and is working with emergency services to ensure that they have the equipment they need to protect the public from the use of chemical, biological or radiological (CBR) materials. The Government are also ensuring that effective measures are in place to detect such substances on a routine basis, where required. Such equipment is regularly tested by independent scientists and by users in the relevant agencies, including the emergency services, to ensure that it is of the standard required. Staff are also well trained in its use.

  The Government's advice is, therefore, that other organisations, including businesses, leave the demanding and potentially dangerous job of detecting CBR materials to personnel in the emergency services and responsible agencies who are professionally trained in the necessary equipment. Any business considering measures to prevent or reduce the impact of terrorism should contact the counter-terrorist security adviser in their local police force who will be able to give further advice.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  President of Appeal Tribunals Annual Report 2002–03
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  I am pleased to publish today the third report by the President of appeal tribunals on the standard of decisions made on my behalf in cases which come before appeal tribunals. Of those cases where the appeal tribunal overturned or amended the decision the main reasons given were because new evidence was produced at the hearing, the tribunal took a different view of the same evidence or the presence of the appellant at the hearing shed new light on the existing evidence.
  50WS
  The President has highlighted some areas where improvements have been made since his last report. Some examples of these are; the increased use of the explanation and reconsideration routes to try and avoid an appeal, a general improvement in decision making and the agencies taking forward new initiatives.

  The President has suggested that the agencies should adopt a more flexible approach to decision making and encourage appellants to supply them with additional evidence which might prevent the case reaching an appeal hearing. I welcome the President's report which provides an independent view of the standard of decision-making in cases coming to the appeal tribunal.

  Copies of the report have been placed in the Library and are available on the internet at http://www.appeals-service.gov.uk/about_us/publications/ presidents_report0203/pres_rep03.pdf

  Performance Standards Fund
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Chris Pond)
  I am pleased to announce the first awards from the £200 million Performance Standards Fund. These total £33 million and will benefit 210 local authorities, who submitted applications for funding to support their local housing benefit improvement plans.

  These awards are the first step in the substantial investment we are making, as part of our housing benefit reform agenda. The performance standards fund of £200 million over three years represents the single biggest investment in housing benefit since the scheme began in 1988. We have established the fund to target additional resources in a focused way to help local authorities bridge the gap between current performance and the performance standards for housing benefit administration we published last year.

  The priority for the first awards of funding is to improve performance in the speed and accuracy of processing of claims and the prevention and recovery of overpayments. Much of the additional funding is going to help with the recruitment and training of new benefit staff and investment in new IT systems. These awards demonstrate that we are committed to working in partnership with local government to improve their performance. In return, however, we expect real improvements in the speed and accuracy of claims processing.

  A full list of the successful applications has been placed in the Library. We expect to be announcing further awards during the coming year.