Written Statement of 16 July 2003

DEFENCE

  Queen Victoria School
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)
  The Chief Executive of the Queen Victoria School has been set the following Key Targets for 2003–04:

  PUPIL POPULATION
  To maintain the staying on rate at School for S4 to S5 at a minimum of 4 per cent. above the Scottish national average for the current year.*

  EDUCATIONAL
  To maintain a percentage of pupils of the S4 roll gaining 5+ awards at level 5 or better (post-appeal) by the end of S4, at 2 per cent. above the Scottish national average. *
  To maintain a percentage of the S4 roll gaining 3+ awards at Level 6 or better (post-appeal) by the end of S5, at least equal to the Scottish national average.*

  FINANCIAL
  To achieve a pupil per capita cost of not more than £15,250 by 31 March 2004. The 2002–03 target was £14,000.
  To generate gross income to the School of at least £300,000 by 31 March 2004. The 2002–03 target was £295,000.
  *All Queen Victoria School statistics to be based on the School's results over the last three years, compared with the Scottish national average for the current year, those statistics being as published in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin.

  Sponsored Reserves
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)
  On 14 April 2003 a contract was signed between SERCo Aerospace and the RAF for the provision of Sponsored Reserves (contract support personnel who may be called out for service). SERCo Aerospace is a commercial company contracted to provide engineering support to the BAe 125 aircraft of the Comms Fleet, 32 (The Royal) Squadron, based at RAF Northolt. The new arrangement enables personnel to be deployed to an operational theatre with the protection of reserve status. Individual voluntary contracts have been signed and four personnel have been issued with call-out notices to deploy overseas.

  The use of Sponsored Reserves is designed to cover specialist support roles where the call-out is not dependent on a level of crisis. Delegation of call-out powers has been authorised to the Air Secretary and authorised officers on his staff, in the same way as for other Sponsored Reserves. Call-out notices are served routinely every few weeks under existing delegated powers, and there are currently other Sponsored Reservists under contract with the Royal Navy as well as with the RAF. Naval Sponsored Reserves exist as part of the Strategic Sealift project, as well as providing
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  hydrographic support to Survey vessels, and RAF Sponsored Reserves have signed agreements with the Mobile Meteorological Unit.

  The Duke of York's Royal Military School
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Ivor Caplin)
  The Chief Executive of the Duke of York's Royal Military School has been set the following Key Targets for 2003–04:

  To achieve 97.80 per cent. of 15 year old pupils gaining 5 or more passes graded A* to C at GCSE.

  To achieve 25.20 per cent. of GCSE passes at grades A* or A.

  To achieve an average GCSE points score per 15 year old pupil of 58.30.

  To achieve an average GCE points score per candidate of 255.

  To achieve 35.80 per cent. of GCE passes at grades A or B.

  To achieve a pupil per capita cost of no more than £12,542.

  To generate income of at least £700,000.

  To achieve at least 300 applications for September 2004 intake.

  Iraq
  The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Geoffrey Hoon)
  United Kingdom forces continue to make good progress in helping Iraq become a stable and united state.

  The vast majority of Iraqis welcomed the fall of the Saddam regime. The newly formed Governing Council has given Iraqis a representative voice after decades of oppression. The Coalition will work with the Governing Council to rebuild Iraq. It will hand over to an elected government as soon as possible. The UK is playing a major role, and has seconded experts to work in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad in a wide range of fields: political, financial, legal, security, health, education, roads, forensics, war crimes, prisons, culture and communications. We are also assisting in the training of a new Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police.

  Since the collapse of the former regime, and the announcement of the end of decisive combat operations on 1 May, the Coalition's main effort has been directed towards establishing a safe and secure Iraq. Security is an essential part of the political and economic rehabilitation of the country, and Coalition stabilisation operations continue. Those who violently oppose the Coalition represent a desperate minority. In the south, UK forces have developed close links with local communities, and have helped to improve the availability of water, food, power and medical supplies, which had previously been used as a means of control by Saddam Hussein. Iraqis are making the most of their new freedoms. However, the security environment remains difficult in places, particularly in Baghdad and the surrounding area. We are assisting our Coalition allies in a number of ways, including sharing British expertise in urban operations, derived from many years experience in Northern Ireland and the Balkans.

  The roulement of UK forces set out in my Written Statement of 11 June 2003, Official Report, columns 51–52WS. continues. Today, about 11,000 UK servicemen and women drawn from all three Services

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  remain in the Gulf region and Iraq. The deployment of 3 (UK) Division, 19 Mechanised Brigade and 101 Logistic Brigade is nearing completion. The Royal Navy is maintaining a presence of five vessels in the Gulf. The Joint Helicopter Force of 18 helicopters based at Basra continues to support forces on the ground. We are considering the scope for rear-basing two RAF Tornado GR4 in the UK, leaving six in theatre with a number of supporting aircraft, in line with the reduced requirement for sorties.

  UK forces are already working closely with military contingents from a number of countries, and further forces are due to deploy over the coming weeks. Headquarters 3 (UK) Division formally took over command of the Multinational Division (South East) (MND(SE)) on 12 July. This division is now responsible for Coalition forces in four provinces in Southern Iraq, namely Al Basrah, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Al Muthanna. Nine countries have committed troops, and discussions continue with a number of others. When fully assembled, non-UK multinational contributions to MND(SE) should total some 5,500 military personnel.

  In Al Basrah province, a Czech Field Hospital and a company of military police, over 300 Czech personnel in all, will be attached to Headquarters MND(SE). The Czech Field Hospital has been dosing valuable work in Iraq since May. 38 Engineer Regiment of 19 Mechanised Brigade will work alongside a 140-strong Norwegian company in the Al Basrah and Maysan provinces. We also expect the deployment of around 40 New Zealand engineers with a small support staff for humanitarian and reconstruction tasks. Also in Maysan province, a Danish battlegroup of some 450 personnel including a 30-strong Lithuanian contingent has for some weeks been operating out of Al Qurnah. In Al Muthanna province, a 1,100-strong Dutch battlegroup comprising a Marine battalion, engineer company, medical facility and a military police platoon, will be based in As Samawah. In addition, three Dutch Chinook helicopters will be deployed to Tallil. The Italian mechanised brigade in Dhi Qar province will be 2,800 strong, and will be supported by a Romanian mechanised battalion and military police company (520 personnel), and a 130-strong security force company of Portuguese National Guard in a policing role. These contributions to MND(SE) represent a powerful symbol of the international community's commitment to the future of Iraq.

  The rotation of the UK divisional headquarters, the deployment of international contingents, and the inception of MND(SE) makes this an appropriate juncture to take stock of planned force levels. This process is continuing. If necessary, we will make further adjustments to our deployed forces. We remain committed to maintaining appropriate forces in Iraq for as long as necessary and no longer.

  Armed Forces Initial Training
  The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Mr. Adam Ingram)
  On 10 February 2003 I published the report of an appraisal of the care of recruits in initial training, carried out by an independent earn. Today I am publishing the report of a follow-up appraisal carried 36WS
  out by the same team, which has continued to monitor progress, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The overall assessment arrived at by the re-appraisal is that the initial training system is proving highly successful in continuing to deliver a large number of high quality, motivated young people for service in the armed forces, most recently in the very demanding combat and environmental conditions of the Gulf. All three services' training organisations, however, are still very tautly resourced, notably in the area of supervisory and instructional manpower, for their very high throughput of trainees. The most significant risks are carried in the larger army training establishments. The team concludes that a good deal has been done, but that further progress will require additional investment of manpower and resources.

  Alongside the re-appraisal report, I am publishing a Departmental progress report, which provides an overview of the action we have taken since February. A wide range of measures has been set in hand to improve processes and procedures, in line with the recommendations of the first appraisal report. These have included work to identify the resource implications of the recommendations. One of the most significant criticisms in February was of inadequate numbers of instructors, especially at some of the large army training establishments. The army has identified a requirement for additional instructors and support staff—106 of these vacancies were assessed as urgent; most have been filled already, and all will be filled by 11 August. This is a significant achievement on the army's part, at a time of major operational commitment overseas, and reflects the very high priority that the army puts on the initial training and care of its soldiers.

  Inevitably, however, as the re-appraisal indicates, it takes time for all the policy changes that we are putting in place to be implemented, especially where extra resources or new infrastructure is required. As the reappraisal notes, the increased numbers of instructors and supervisory staff are still building up. They and other improvements we are putting in place, have the potential to significantly improve the training environment. But we are certainly not complacent and recognise that progress must be maintained and extended. In line with the latest recommendation of the team, we will carry out a further assessment of progress in summer 2004.

HEALTH

  Medical Devices Agency
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Miss Melanie Johnson)
  The 2002–03 report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency have today been laid before the House of Commons pursuant to section 7 of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Miss Melanie Johnson)
  The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease surveillance unit's 11th
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  annual report has been published today. The report documents the unit's findings in relation to sporadic, familial and iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), and also variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), up to 31 January 2003. Copies have been placed in the Library, and are also available on the Unit's web site at http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/.

  Clinical Trials Directive
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Miss Melanie Johnson)
  The draft regulations to transpose the clinical trials directive into domestic law are currently being discussed with stakeholders. The process of developing these regulations fully, at which point they can be laid before Parliament, should therefore be completed some time after Parliament reconvenes in October. I will aim to give a further update at around that time. Member States are required to implement the directive fully by 1 May 2004.

  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
  The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)
  The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency's annual report and accounts 2002–03 have today been laid before the House of Commons pursuant to section 7 of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000.

  Copies have been placed in the Library.

  NHS Estates and Facilities Management Development Agency
  The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)
  We have received the NHS Estates and Facilities Management Development Agency's annual report and accounts 2002–03, and copies have today been laid before Parliament in accordance with the requirements of section 5 of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have been placed in the Library.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Criminal Justice
  The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett)
  Technical notes for the remaining shared Criminal Justice System Public Service Agreement (CJS PSA) targets for the 2002 Spending Review period, have been published today. Copies are available in the Library and online at http:// www. homeoffice.gov. uk/inside/aims/index.html.

  In common with those for other targets, the technical notes define the terms used in the PSA targets, their territorial scope, measurement systems which will be used, and criteria for success. The purpose of the technical notes is to enable Parliament, and the public, to judge progress against the PSA targets. The measurement systems will be used by the three CJS departments to manage delivery of the new, challenging targets.
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  The majority of the CJS technical notes were presented to Parliament, as part of the Home Office technical notes, on 25 March 2003. The remaining technical notes, published today, relate to the targets (i) to improve public confidence in the CJS, and (ii) to increase value for money in the CJS. For convenience, the Home Office technical notes document has been republished to incorporate the revised public confidence technical note. The CJS Value for money technical note has been published a s a separate document.

  The Criminal Justice System PSA targets were presented to Parliament on 15 July 2002 as part of the Command Paper "2002 Spending Review: Public Service Agreements" (Cm 5571).

  Nationality, Immigration and Asylum
  The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration (Beverley Hughes)
  I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the official consultation process report following the public consultation exercise on the implementation of sections 134–139 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. These provisions will enable the immigration authorities to require employers and financial institutions to provide information in respect of specified individuals who are reasonably suspected of committing certain immigration offences. Their purpose is to strengthen our ability to deal with illegal working and fraud against the national asylum support arrangements. The new powers are closely drawn and are modelled on existing powers in social security legislation. A consultation paper seeking views on practical questions concerning the operation of the new powers was published on 19 March. The consultation process report summarises the comments received and our response. The new powers will come into force on 30 July, together with section 129 of the 2002 Act relating to the supply of information by local authorities.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Fire Authority
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy)
  The Report on Stage Two of the Quinquennial Review of the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland has been completed and made available in the House of Commons Library and on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's web site.

  The conclusion of the Stage One Report, published on 3 February, was that the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland should remain in being as an NDPB.

  Stage Two examined how the Authority operated and related to the Fire Brigade and its sponsoring Department. The consultants invited views from a range of respondents, including Authority members and personnel, the fire fighters' unions, and representatives of local government in Northern Ireland. Their report makes recommendations to improve the Authority's effectiveness and efficiency.
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  The Report's overall conclusion is that the Fire Authority has already begun to address effectively the problems identified in the Stage One Report. In particular, relations between Authority members and senior officers have improved significantly since last year.

  The Report recommends:

  A more strategic role for the Authority Board.

  A more compact Board.

  A new senior management structure, with greater emphasis on the personnel and financial management functions.

  The Stage 2 Report comes at a good time, when a major programme of change is under way across the UK in how our fire and rescue services are organised and delivered. The recommendations in the Report will help the Fire Authority for Northern Ireland to build on the positive start that it has already made, and to address the challenges of change with confidence and enthusiasm.

  The proposed changes in the composition of the Authority would require legislation. I intend to include them in a paper for public consultation, which I plan to publish later this year. That paper will also outline the Government's vision for the future development of the Fire and Rescue Service in Northern Ireland in light of the broad policy approach outlined by the Deputy Prime Minister in his Statement to the House of 30 June, tailored to Northern Ireland's particular needs and circumstances.

  Police Ombudsman
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy)
  The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland's annual report for 2002–03 is published today.

  Copies will be available in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Life Sentence Review Commissioners
  The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Jane Kennedy)
  I have today arranged for the Annual Report of the Life Sentence Review Commissioners to be laid in the House. Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. This document will not be published but will instead be made available on the Commissioners' website at http://www.Isrcni.org.uk/.

  Train Derailment
  The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. John Spellar)
  The report of the inquiry carried out by an Inspector of Her Majesty's railway inspectorate into a train derailment in County Londonderry on 4 June 2002 is being published today. Copies of the inspector's report have been placed in the Libraries of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Northern Ireland Assembly and copies will be made available to the public on request. I have also placed copies of the Northern Ireland Railways internal report on this incident in the Libraries and copies will also be available to the public from Translink on request. The HMRI report will also be placed on the Department for Regional Development's website http://www.drdni.gov.uk/transportpolicy/
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  The derailment occurred when the 12.50 pm train from Londonderry to Belfast hit a large rock that came to rest on the railway track following a rock fall from an adjacent cliff at Downhill, County Londonderry. Thankfully there were no fatalities and only the driver of the train suffered injuries that were sufficiently serious to require admission to hospital. Following the accident, Mr Peter Robinson MP, the then Minister for Regional Development, made a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 10 June 2002 advising that he had asked HMRI to conduct an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, to report the findings and to make recommendations.

  The report comes to a number of conclusions about the operations of Northern Ireland Railways that were a contributory factor to the accident and makes recommendations for improvements. It also contains conclusions and recommendations in respect of the Department for Regional Development's Roads Service, the Department of the Environment's Planning Service, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other duty holders. The report concludes that rock falls from the cliffs at Downhill were foreseeable, that further rock falls will occur, and that these pose a risk to residents and, to a lesser extent road and rail users.

  The conclusions and recommendations contained in the report are actively being considered for implementation by the relevant agencies in Northern Ireland. I will ensure that these bodies liaise closely with each other in this process. I have taken action to ensure that the recommendations are actively considered for implementation.

  I wish to express my appreciation to HMRI for their assistance and in particular to the inspector, Mr Gerald Kerr, for his detailed and careful examination of the issues and for his recommendations. I also wish to commend the public spiritedness of the eyewitness to the rock fall who contacted the emergency services and the residents of Downhill for the assistance they gave to the injured.

  Castlereagh Break-in
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Murphy)
  On 20 March 2002 my predecessor announced that he had launched an inquiry into the implications of the break-in at the Special Branch office in Castlereagh on 17 March. He informed the House that, in parallel with the criminal investigation that was under way, he had established a review to determine how the incident could have happened, to assess the extent of any damage caused to national security, to audit the measures taken in response to the incident and to identify any wider lessons on national security. The review was conducted by Sir John Chilcot, assisted by Mr Colin Smith.

  I very recently took receipt of Sir John's report. I should like to express my gratitude to Sir John and Colin Smith for producing a comprehensive report that provides a solid basis on which to move forward.

  I have today written to the Chief Constable, the Chairman of the Policing Board and the Chief Surveillance Commissioner with an account of the report's findings on matters which fall to their direct responsibility.
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  My predecessor commissioned the review in recognition of his responsibility for national security issues. In identifying weaknesses in national security arrangements exposed by the break-in, this report makes a number of observations and recommendations.

  There has, over the months, been a significant degree of speculation about who might have been involved in this incident, including allegations of collusion. I can confirm that the review did not uncover any evidence whatsoever that members of Government agencies were in any way involved in this incident, although the police investigation is continuing. The review was also able to provide a satisfactory assurance about the quality of the police investigation, confirming the conclusions of a separate review of the professional quality and standard of the investigation, carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service last year at the request of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

  The report came to certain conclusions about how the incident might have occurred and made recommendations about how to avoid any similar incidents happening in the future. I am sure that the House will recognise that I am constrained by the wider aspects and implications of national security from going into any details on these matters. But I shall be considering the matters raised in the report with the greatest care.

  Military Complaints Procedures
  The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Jane Kennedy)
  I have today arranged for copies of Jim McDonald's annual report for 2002 to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The report of the independent assessor continues to provide valuable reassurance to both the public and the Government that the army's complaints procedures stand scrutiny. I welcome Mr. McDonald's report and I will consider it carefully. I will respond as soon as possible.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud Office
  The Solicitor-General (Ms Harriet Harman)
  The Serious Fraud Office Annual Report 2002–03 has today been published and laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Local Government Finance
  The Minister for Local Government, Regional Governance and Fire (Mr. Nick Raynsford)
  Following a commitment in the 2001 Local Government White Paper, we are carrying out a wide-ranging review of the balance between central and local sources of funding for local government in England. This review is being steered by a high level group, chaired by me, which includes senior representatives of central and local government as well business, the unions, the academic world and the accountancy profession.
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  To inform the work of the group I am today issuing an invitation to all those interested to submit comments by 30 September. Copies of the invitation letter will be available in the Libraries of both Houses, the Vote Office and on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

TRANSPORT

  Aerodromes
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Tony McNulty)
  I have today laid before Parliament The Aerodromes (Noise Restrictions) (Rules and Procedures) Regulations 2003, which will come into force on 6 August 2003.

  The Regulations transpose into UK law Directive 2002/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 March 2002 on the establishment of rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions at Community airports. The Directive replaces the Hushkits Regulation (EC925/ 1999—which introduced a blanket ban on the noisiest aircraft types).

  The Directive and the new Regulations:
  are designed to ensure that consistent procedures governing the introduction of new noise-related operating restrictions at airports are established across the European Union.
  will initially apply to the following airports:

  Birmingham

  Edinburgh

  Glasgow

  London Gatwick

  London Heathrow

  London Luton

  London Stansted

  Manchester

  London City

  Belfast City

  do not require action to counter noise to be taken but set out a process that must be followed where such action is being contemplated;
  put in place a framework within which a "balanced approach" to managing aircraft noise can be implemented on an airport-by-airport basis.

  The balanced approach comprises four equally important elements:
  reducing noise a t source (taking account of the effect of existing and foreseeable noise standards for engines);
  using operational noise abatement procedures (in other words, flying aircraft as quietly as possible, consistent with safe operation);
  using land-use planning and management policies to prevent or limit noise sensitive development around airports;
  restricting, and in extremis banning, aircraft from operating ("operating restrictions"). If banning noisiest aircraft at non-City airports is contemplated it is limited to those that meet the present International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) noise limitation standard ("Chapter 3") by a margin of 5dB or less. City Airports may impose

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  more stringent bans provided that they do not affect aircraft which comply with the ICAO "Chapter 4" noise standards.

  The Department for Transport undertook a consultation with UK stakeholders between 31 July—31 October 2002 on those aspects of implementation of the Directive in the UK over which there was flexibility. A Summary of Responses to the Consultation and the Government's view on the issues raised by the responses has been placed in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Water Framework Directive
  The Minister for the Environment (Mr. Elliot Morley)
  The Government intend to publish a third consultation paper on the water framework directive at the end of July or early August.

  This third consultation will contain proposed draft transposing regulations, a revised regulatory impact assessment and a summary of responses to the second consultation paper with the Government's response.

  Rights of Way (Crime Prevention)
  The Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality (Alun Michael)
  I will shortly announce which areas the Government will include in the first designation order under section 118B of the Highways Act 1980 to enable highway authorities to make orders to close or divert rights of way to prevent crime.

  I shall write to each of the 15 authorities who applied for designation letting them know whether their applications have been successful and inviting those who have not been successful to provide more evidence. Defra will issue a press release to coincide with this and I will write to those MPs whose constituencies are directed affected to let them know what has been decided.

  The legislation provides the Secretary of State with discretion to designate areas for the purposes of preventing or reducing crime that would otherwise disrupt the life of the community. Local highway authorities are then able to make orders to close or divert individual rights of way that are affected by high levels of crime.

  The guidance that Defra issued to local authorities in February this year (Circular 1/2003) stated that whilst all applications for designation would be considered, the Government generally believed that a primary consideration must be that highway authorities were able to demonstrate that:
  there are rights of way in the area in question that are demonstrable causes of a persistent crime problem; and
  the realistic alternative options to tackle the causes of problems have been examined, prior to the application being made.

  In reaching decisions, we have considered, in consultation with the Home Office, whether these two tests have been met.
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  The quality and quantity of information accompanying applications varied considerably. I plan to include in the designation order those areas for which the applications generally reflected the requirements of the guidance and where the authority provided evidence of a link between the crime which is occurring and the right of way, such as a statement by the police or Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, backed up by statistics wherever possible.

  Applications which do not include the information set out in the guidance and do not contain sufficient evidence of a link will be deferred. Decisions on these will be deferred until October to enable authorities to provide additional information over the summer to support their applications. We will be making contact with each of these authorities individually to tell them what additional information is needed. One or two of those who are now being deferred were invited to submit additional information or evidence but failed to do so and I hope that such invitations will then be taken seriously in the future.

  The designation order will be subject to the negative resolution procedure and will be laid in August so that authorities can begin to use their new powers as soon as possible.

  It remains our view that, in general, rights of way do not cause or facilitate crime, but that we need to act vigorously where there is a connection. Their existence is frustrating attempts to deal with serious crime the Government will give local authorities the power to tackle.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Student Finance
  The Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education (Alan Johnson)
  The House will know that following the publication of The Future of Higher Education White Paper, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced that we would be reviewing the income threshold below which a student would be eligible to the new Higher Education Grant.

  I am pleased to be able to inform the House that the upper income threshold for receiving the full £1,000 grant will be £15,200. Those with incomes of between £15,201 and £21,185 will get a partial grant through a taper scheme. Based on the current student cohort we estimate about 30 per cent. of English and Welsh students will benefit from the full grant when it is introduced in the 2004–05 academic year. Approximately a further 10 per cent. of students should benefit from a partial grant.

  I can also provide details of the new package of support for part-time HE students.

  Eligible students will be entitled to a fee grant, capped at the equivalent of 50 per cent. of the full-time fee grant rate: in 2004–05 we estimate this will be £575. They will also be entitled to a grant of £250 for course costs.
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  Both grants will be available to those on low incomes who are studying at least the equivalent of 50 per cent. of a full-time course. Entitlement will be via a simple means test. Students who are on certain benefits would automatically qualify for full support.

  In 2004–05 the income threshold will be set at £14,600. Those with incomes of between £14,600 and £21,487 will get partial support through a taper scheme.

  Students will be entitled to support for a maximum of eight years depending on course length, rather than six years as is currently the case with loans for part-time study.

TREASURY

  Approved Share Schemes (Armed Forces Reservists)
  The Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo)
  The Inland Revenue will publish today an Extra Statutory Concession (ESC) to enable employers of armed forces reservists who participate in an Inland Revenue approved employee share scheme, to take action to maintain the reservist's participation in the scheme, for the period they are away on active service.

  The ESC will treat the employment with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as fulfilling the employment conditions for Inland Revenue approved employee share schemes and Enterprise Management Incentive.

  By concession, employers and scheme providers will also be allowed to take such action as is necessary to maintain a reservist's participation in an approved employee share scheme for the period they are away serving with the MOD, and this action will not compromise the approval of the scheme.

  The ESC applies from 7 January 2003, the date the first call up order was issued by the Secretary of State for Defence.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

  High Court Enforcement
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. David Lammy)
  I have today published a consultation paper detailing proposals for a new system for High Court writ enforcement,High Court Enforcement—The Enforcement Review: Writs of Fieri Facias and Possession. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Hong Kong
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell)
  The thirteenth Report on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong was published today and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the Report is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 46WS
  website http://www.fco.gov.uk/. The Report includes a foreword by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. I commend the Report to the House.

  Cayman Islands
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Bill Rammell)
  Following an open competition, Mr. Sam Bulgin has been appointed as the new Attorney-General for the Cayman Islands. He is currently the Cayman Islands' Solicitor-General, and has been acting as Attorney-General since the early departure of David Ballantyne in March 2003.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Science, Engineering and Technology
  The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Patricia Hewitt)
  I am happy to inform the House that I am today publishing the latest edition of the Forward Look of Government-funded science, engineering and technology (SET). The Forward Look is the Government's publication of Government-funded SET and R&D expenditure data compiled by the Office for National Statistics. Forward Look highlights the outcome of the latest spending review as well as historical trends in government expenditure.

  The theme for Forward Look 2003 is "making a difference". Entries from departments, Research Councils, learned bodies and devolved administrations set out to explain, with examples of tangible outcomes, how SET is helping them deliver policy and public services in their priority areas.

  Forward Look 2003 also aims to illustrate how the economy and society can benefit from science and technology, as we explore new areas of science and look for ways of exploiting technology. It helps Government in its efforts to engage the public in a meaningful way to learn about and express their views about the possible directions of science and its impacts on society. Forward Look 2003 will be of value to all of us interested in science, and government-funded research and science policy in particular. The accompanying tables provide an authoritative reference point to where government research spending his been going, what it is being used to achieve and where future spending is to be focused.

  Forward Look 2003 shows that there has been a further substantial increase in the overall Science Budget as a result of the 2002 Spending Review, with the Research Councils receiving new funding to increase the volume of top quality research and to take forward specific new projects.

  Forward Look 2003 sets out in detail how the Government's significant investment in science is being spent. Funding for science, engineering and technology is increasing from £8.46 billion in 2002–03 to £8.61 billion in 2004–05 in real terms. In particular we are focusing on investing in our excellent science base, because cutting edge science is at the heart of a successful economy.
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  Copies of Forward Look 2003 have been placed in the Library of the House and have also been sent to the Clerks of both the Commons and Lords Science and Technology Committees.

  Low Pay Commission
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Gerry Sutcliffe)
  I am pleased to announce that we have today given the Low Pay Commission new terms of reference. The Government has asked the Commission to consider whether the October 2004 upratings of the minimum wage recommended in their fourth report remain appropriate in the light of economic circumstances, and to consider the possible advantages and disadvantages of a minimum wage rate for 16 to 17 year old workers. The Commission has been asked to report to the Government by the end of February 2004. Copies of the terms of reference have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Government Payment Performance
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Nigel Griffiths)
  The overall payment performance of Government is 94.83 per cent. Figures for the financial year 2002–03 show that there has been a slight decrease in overall performance this year. However, there has been a continued improvement in the payment performance of a number of Departments and agencies, with 59 per cent., achieving the average and 19 per cent., paying 99 per cent, or more of their invoices on time.

  Government Departments and their agencies are required to monitor their payment performance and to publish the results in their departmental or annual reports. The table lists, by Department, the proportion of bills paid within 30 days, or other agreed credit period, of receipt of a valid invoice.

  The Government take this issue very seriously, and are committed to improving the payment culture in the UK, in order to create fair and stable business transactions. The Government's own payment performance is an important element in this policy.

  Main Department

  2002–03 Paid on Time %

  Ministry of Defence

  100

  Privy Council Office

  100

  Office of Water Services

  99.72

  Inland Revenue

  99.35

  Land Registry

  99.21

  Office of Telecommunications

  99.21

  Government Actuary's Department

  99.17

  Public Records Office

  99.17

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport

  99.09

  Health and Safety Executive

  98.95

  Export Credit Guarantee Department

  98.76

  Charity Commission

  98.24

  HM Customs and Excise

  98.13

  Treasury Solicitors Department

  98.13

  Office for National Statistics

  97.97

  Electoral Commission

  97.84

  Ordnance Survey

  97.53

  Department of Trade and Industry

  97.2

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  Main Departments

  2002–03 Paid on Time %

  Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioners

  96.88

  Forestry Commission

  96.75

  Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

  96.72

  Department for International Development

  96.52

  Office of Government Commerce HQ

  96.28

  NI Court Service

  96.23

  Cabinet Office (OPS)

  96.21

  Food Standards Agency

  96.00

  Office of the Rail Regulator

  95.69

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  95.43

  Office for Standards in Education

  94.76

  Department for Education and Skills

  94.52

  Department of Health

  94.46

  Department for National Savings and Investments

  94.43

  Office of Fair Trading

  94.02

  Serious Fraud Office

  92.77

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  92.46

  Department for Work and Pensions

  92.03

  Scotland Office

  92.24

  Department for Transport

  91.96

  DEFRA

  91.43

  Royal Mint

  90.57

  Crown Prosecution Service

  90.42

  Office of Gas and Electricity Markets

  89.54

  Home Office

  88.64

  Wales Office

  88.48

  Northern Ireland Office

  85.16

  HM Treasury

  84.06

  Government Communications HQ

  83.98

  Average percentage paid on time

  94.83

  Coal Authority
  The Minister for Energy, E-Commerce and Postal Services (Mr. Stephen Timms)
  I have today laid a copy of the Coal Authority report and accounts for 2002–03 before Parliament.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Executive Agencies
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith)
  I have today laid before Parliament the 2002–03 annual reports and accounts for each of our four executive agencies: Jobcentre Plus (HC 981), The Pension Service (HC 790), Child Support Agency (HC 844) and Appeals Service (HC 792).

  I am pleased to be able to announce today additional performance targets in respect of the customer facing businesses of the Department for Work and Pensions: Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service, Child Support Agency and Disability and Carers Directorate.

  In line with the Department's public service agreement we are committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our services. In order to demonstrate this, we are developing a range of unit cost and other efficiency targets. The full implementation of these targets is dependent on the implementation of a new suite of accounting and resource management systems.
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  In the meantime, to demonstrate our continuing commitment to driving down the costs of our services, I am announcing a series of interim targets that use a basic measure of the unit costs of the services we provide to customers.

  Details of the targets are in the table.

  Cost Category

  Target

  Jobcentre Plus

  Job placements

  Staff cost per job point1

  £64.60

  Benefit processing activity

  Staff cost per transaction

  £10.20

  The Pension Service

  Staff cost per customer

  £25.00

  Child Support Agency

  Staff cost per live case

  £184.00

  Disability and Carers

  Staff cost per customer contact

  £138.00

  Note:

  1 Jobcentre Plus has a performance measure that awards a different number of points for the job placement of different groups of the population with a greater number of points for those that it is more difficult to find work.

CABINET OFFICE

  Public Bodies
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of the latest edition of the annual Cabinet Office Publication,Public Bodies. This publication, available in pdf format, has been placed upon the Cabinet Office's agencies and Public Bodies Team website, http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/agencies-publicbodies/.

  Public Bodies 2003 is the latest in a series of publications providing information on public bodies sponsored by Government.

  In addition to giving details of the remit of the public bodies, the publication also provides information about the membership of the boards of public bodies, including the numbers of women, people with disabilities and minority ethnic members.

  Departments continue to work hard to increase the number of appointees from currently under-represented groups to achieve equal representation of women and men, pro rata representation of members of minority ethnic groups and increased participation of disabled people. As at 31 March 2003, 35.7 per cent. of appointments to public bodies were held by women, 5.3 per cent. by people with a minority ethnic background and 3.1 per cent. by disabled people.

  The publication also includes information about the Government's task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews, giving a more complete picture of the bodies and groups working to deliver the Government's objectives.

  Public Services (Inspection and External Review)
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  The last few years have seen a rapid expansion in the scope and depth of inspection and external review. In December 2001, the Public Services Productivity Panel published its report on the Role of External Review in Improving Performance and called for further work into the focus and impact of inspection and external review. I have today published Inspecting for improvement: developing a customer focused approach, the report of this further study, which was carried out by the Office of Public Services Reform in close co-operation with the Treasury.

  The report concludes that inspection and external review play an important role in providing assurance on the delivery of national standards and in holding organisations to account for their performance. Inspection should also act as a catalyst for change and service improvement.

  The report recommends that the Government should set out its policy for inspection and external review. I am publishing the policy today. Key principles underpinning it are the pursuit of service improvement, a focus on outcomes and taking a user perspective, inspection in proportion to risk, collaboration and joint working between inspectorates, openness and reporting in public, continually learning from experience and improving value for money and effectiveness.

  The report also recommends that the Government should establish a mechanism for ensuring better strategic direction of inspection activity. On 3 July, the Prime Minister announced a new sub-committee of Cabinet for this purpose. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury will chair it.

  The report makes a number of recommendations for departments and inspectorates. Departments should take the lead in managing inspection and external review in their areas, clarifying roles, responsibilities and priorities, setting standards and requiring and facilitating collaboration between inspectorates. Inspectorates should operate within the Government's strategic framework for inspection and external review, providing advice to departments on improving service delivery, working with other inspectorates and gauging their impact and cost effectiveness.

  I have arranged for copies of the report and the policy to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Civil Service Recruitment
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  The eighth annual Civil Service Fast Stream Report was published on-line http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/reports/faststream and a stock of summary flyers placed in the Libraries of the House. It covers the year from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003, and reports the results of Fast Stream competitions completed during that period and the developments that have taken place.

  The standard of entry to the Fast Stream development programme has remained consistently high and the Report shows that the Civil Service has had

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  increasing success in filling its vacancies. In addition there has again been steady progress in broadening the diversity of Fast Stream recruits.
  Women and men applied in equal numbers, with women being marginally more successful overall.
  Both the proportions of candidates recruited from ethnic minority groups and of those recording a disability rose again this year.
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  We are gradually improving the percentage of recruits from universities from which we have not traditionally recruited.

  Central Office of Information
  The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Douglas Alexander)
  Copies of the Central Office of Information's Annual Report and Accounts have been today laid before Parliament, and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses.