Written Statement of 4 February 2004

TRANSPORT

  Bus Quality Contracts
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport(Mr. Tony McNulty)
  The Department for Transport will shortly be taking steps to improve the potential effectiveness of the quality contracts provisions in the Transport Act 2000.

  The Act requires each local transport authority, after consultation with local bus operators and other stakeholders, to prepare a bus strategy to ensure that bus services meet the transport needs of local people and are of an appropriate standard. These strategies are translating into excellent practical results in some areas, with improved services and waiting facilities and increased ridership. In these places passengers are getting a better deal through local authorities and bus operators working creatively together.

  The Act provides various ways in which local transport authorities can more effectively influence local bus services—statutory quality partnership schemes, ticketing schemes and information strategies. We want local authorities to make full use of these powers. We are pleased that the first statutory quality partnership is to be launched shortly, and we hope to see more of these. Statutory quality partnerships are an essential element of our vision for buses in the context of an integrated transport approach.

  The Act also enables local authorities to make quality contract (or "QC") schemes where such a scheme is the only practical way for an authority to implement the policies in its bus strategy, and would do so in a way which is economic, efficient and effective.

  All proposed QC schemes need to be submitted to the Department for approval. Approval may be given if a scheme meets the criteria set out in the Act and is in the public interest. Although the provision has been in force since October 2001, no such schemes have been submitted to date. However, the provision is there to be used where the circumstances justify it.

  Some local transport authorities believe that they might meet the criteria for making a QC scheme but have been deterred by the length of time which the process will take. A particular issue is the 21-month minimum period which must elapse between the making of the scheme (after it has been approved) and its coming into force.

  I am persuaded that, where a local bus strategy cannot otherwise be delivered, 21 months may be too long in certain circumstances for passengers to wait for improvements. The Department will be issuing a consultation document shortly to give the bus industry, local authorities and other stakeholders an opportunity
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  to express their views on the implications of reducing the 21 months to a shorter minimum period, in the range 6–15 months.

  Some local transport authorities have requested guidance from the Department on the procedure to be followed in making an application, the supporting evidence required and the matters that will be taken into account in deciding whether to approve an application, including appraisal of the public interest. I have decided therefore that, in the interest of transparency, the Department should publish guidance on these matters that is available to all. The Department will shortly consult the main stakeholders on a draft guidance document before publishing it in its definitive form.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Wokingham District Council (Benefit Fraud Inspectorate Report)
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions(Mr. Chris Pond)
  On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) inspection report on Wokingham District Council was published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  Following the housing Green Paper "Quality and Choice: A Decent Home for All", published in April 2000, the Department for Work and Pensions developed a performance framework for housing benefits. The "performance standards for housing benefits" allow local authorities to make a comprehensive self-assessment of whether they deliver benefit effectively and securely. They are the standards that the Department for Work and Pensions expects local authorities to aspire to and achieve in time.

  The BFI inspected Wokingham District Council against the performance standards for housing benefits. The report finds that the council is not at standard for any of the seven functional areas of the standards—strategic management, customer services, processing of claims, working with landlords, internal security, counter-fraud, and overpayments.

  The report acknowledges the problems and challenges faced by the council since July 2002, when it brought its benefits service back in-house following a period of outsourcing.

  The report finds that the council's management information was limited, and where information was being produced, its importance was not being considered. Performance in key areas was not being effectively reported or monitored. This was compounded by a very limited management-checking regime, which meant that the council could not provide any assurances about the quality and accuracy of benefits payments being made.

  The process of gathering evidence to support benefits claims was generally good, but the speed of processing claims was poor. The report notes concern about the possible impact that unreasonable delays were having on existing and potential customers.
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  The council's fraud investigations were generally effective and procedures were in place to consider the most appropriate sanction to apply. However, a lack of active management for administration work resulted in unreasonable time delays, which in turn affected the council's ability to prosecute fraudsters. Effective debt recovery on overpayments was similarly being hampered by slow decision making.

  In 2002–03, Wokingham District Council administered some £13.1 million in housing benefits, about 8.4 per cent of its total gross revenue expenditure.

  The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to further improve the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit, as well as counter-fraud activities.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the BFI's findings and recommendations.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  BBC News 24
  The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport(Tessa Jowell)
  On 5 December 2002 I placed the independent review of BBC News 24 by Richard Lambert in the Libraries of both Houses, together with a letter setting out my response.

  In response to the review, I attached two further conditions to the approvals of BBC News 24. These required the Governors to publish their response to the Lambert report by the end of March 2003, and to promulgate revised commitments for the service, taking account of Richard Lambert's recommendations, by the end of May 2003.

  In addition, I was minded to attach a third condition requiring the Governors to report more fully on the delivery of News 24 in the BBC's annual reports. I stated that I would reconsider the intention in the light of the BBC's formal response and subsequent 2003 annual report.

  I have judged that these two documents provide enough information and demonstrate sufficient improvements to remove the need for a further condition on the approval.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

  Advisory Group Enforcement Delivery Service
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. David Lammy)
  The fourth and final report by the Lord Chancellor's advisory group on enforcement service delivery, entitled: "The move to a regulated enforcement industry transitional issues", has been published in November 2003 and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I am pleased to announce that the advisory group has now fulfilled its original terms of reference. The group is therefore disbanded. I am grateful for valuable contribution provided by the members of the advisory group, throughout the four reports to my Department. Proposals for legislation will follow in due course.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Regional Development Agencies
  The Minister for Industry and the Regions(Jacqui Smith)
  I have published the regional development agencies' reported mid-year tier three outputs as at the end of quarter two, 2003–04, which suggest all RDAs are on track to meet the annual targets set in their corporate plans.

  The figures cover the creation and safeguarding of jobs, the amount of brownfield land brought back into use, the number of businesses added to the regional economies, the number of learning opportunities created and the amount of private sector investment attracted benefiting deprived areas, all as a result of RDA activity.

  Press releases on the results have been issued in each region. Copies of these and the mid-year output results have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The results have also been placed on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/rda/info.

TREASURY

  Invest to Save Budget: Round 6
  The Chief Secretary to the Treasury(Mr. Paul Boateng)
  I am pleased to announce that 13 bids from across the public and voluntary sectors have been successful in round six of the Invest to Save Budget at a cost of £46 million in total over the three years to 2006–07 for England. The allocated sum rises to £51 million to include consequential funding for the devolved Administrations. The attached table describes the winners of this round.

  The Invest to Save Budget (ISB) is a joint Treasury/Cabinet Office initiative. It provides support for projects which increase the extent of joint working between different parts of government, identify innovative ways of delivering public services and reduce the cost of delivering the services and/or improve the quality and effectiveness of services delivered to the public. This is the sixth round of the ISB which started in 1999.

  It is expected that a total of around £370 million will be spent on ISB projects over the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2006. Round one was restricted to central Government Departments and their agencies. In the second and third rounds local authorities, police and fire authorities, health authorities, non-departmental public bodies and public corporations could also apply. In the fourth round, voluntary sector bodies were able to apply for the first time. The fifth round built on the partnership theme and encouraged the risk adverse public sector to innovate. The sixth round continues to seek out projects to improve delivery of public services through innovation and partnership working.
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  Winning projects have to agree an implementation plan with the sponsor departments. Each project has to provide six-monthly progress reports and carry out an evaluation of its success once it has been completed. Wider dissemination of the good practice from completed projects is then fed back into the whole spectrum of public service providers.

  Organisation

  Brief Description

  Funding Amount

  Region

  1. Crown Prosecution Service

  Crown Prosecution Service led project to deliver, for the first time, a truly joined up partnership approach to provide care for victims and witnesses.

  £27,123,000

  England & Wales

  2. Small Business Service

  Project to develop an on-line facility for Government Departments to reduce barriers to effective competition for public sector contracts and for improving value for money in public sector procurement.

  £1,250,000

  National

  3. Youth Justice Board

  Project to address the risk factors associated with offending children so helping to reduce the number of children entering the Criminal Justice system

  £1,365,000

  England & Wales

  4. Community Service Volunteers

  Project to reduce the demand for specialist mental health services across London and to create a greater understanding of mental health issues in the broad population

  £7,331,000

  London

  5. St Mungo's Inner London Detox Centre

  Project to provide a detoxification centre in Central London to offer an alternative to police custody for homeless street drinkers arrested by the Metropolitan Police

  £1,155,000

  London

  6. Prison Service

  Prison Service led project to deliver support for families and specifically children who have a parent in custody.

  £314,687

  South West

  7. Devon & Cornwall Constabulary

  Project that establishes a Targeted Drug release programme which will provide access for drug using offenders to pass from the criminal justice system to the treatment system when released from prison.

  £1,100,000

  South West

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  Organisation

  Brief Description

  Funding Amount

  Region

  8. Bath and Somerset Social Services and Housing Services

  Project that establishes a dedicated mobile nursing team providing 24-hour cover designed to take services in a residential location rather than moving a seriously frail person to hospital.

  £1,343,300

  South West

  9. Bristol City Council

  Project to reduce out of authority placements for children with complex mental health, emotional and behavioural difficulties to reduce alienation from their communities and increase their life chances

  £810,870

  South West

  10. Warrington Advice and Resource Centre

  Project to reduce the number of young people running away in Warrington by providing reactive services as well as proactively engaging with families to reduce repeat runaways and preventing siblings duplicating the behaviour.

  £458,064

  North West

  11. Gloucestershire City Council

  Project to develop and deliver a Local Planning toolkit for public service providers and partnerships to plan their neighbourhood and community services using shared information across the different agencies

  £100,000

  West Midlands

  12. Lincolnshire County Council

  Project to educate local people in Rural and Coastal Academies by the development of an integrated curriculum provision to pupils who are out of mainstream school; and an area based identification, screening and support service for adults with dyslexia.

  £1,092,000

  East Midlands

  13. Peterborough City Council

  Project to create an integrated network of service providers, statutory agencies and support workers, which will ensure the successful integration of new arrivals into Peterborough in the short, medium and long term.

  £2,262,400

  East Midlands

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Rosepark Nursing Home Fire
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister(Phil Hope)
  First, may I say that our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy?

  It is too early to speculate about the cause of the fire. Investigations are already under way in Scotland and we will be looking very closely at their findings and considering the implications for England and Wales.

  The cornerstone of our policy remains the prevention of fire. When fires do occur, simple precautions such as keeping fire doors closed and installing smoke alarms can play a vital role in reducing death and injury. Integrated Risk Management Plans will make sure that more work is done by the Fire and Rescue Service to prevent fires in the first place, by identifying those people in the community most at risk, and targeting resources more effectively.

  Sprinklers can also play an important role in suppressing fires where they have broken out, though it is too early to conclude that if the Rosepark Nursing Home had been fitted with a sprinkler system, any loss of life could have been prevented.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been actively investigating the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. The results of this work, which is being undertaken on our behalf by the Building Research Establishment, are
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  being fed into the review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations (England and Wales), which is currently under-way. A report of the work will shortly be published, enabling those involved with fire safety in buildings to gain a more comprehensive understanding of residential sprinkler systems. However, the tragic incident at the weekend indicates that sprinklers may have a role to play in protecting vulnerable groups such as; homes for children, homes for elderly people, homes for disabled people, and, higher risk houses in multiple occupation.

  In relation to existing premises, including residential care homes, an employer is required under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997. as amended, and under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to undertake a risk assessment in order to safeguard the safety from fire not only of his employees but of all people on his premises affected by his work. This assessment can include the provision of sprinklers within the building. This requirement will be extended by the proposed Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order to include most premises to which the public have access, and the duty imposed upon the employer will be extended to include any person who is responsible for managing the premises.

  In the meantime our Community Fire Safety programme continues to educate people about the risks associated with fire and the measures which can mitigate against its occurrence. This programme has already been effective in reducing fire deaths and injuries from accidental fires.

  Energy White Paper: Annual Report
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has made the following Ministerial Statement.

  The energy White Paper first annual report will be published shortly after the Easter Recess. This will allow the Government to report on a full year from the launch of the White Paper in February 2003, as we are legally required to do by the Sustainable Energy Act 2003, as well as to capture some key energy statistics for the relevant period. Given the importance of energy efficiency to delivery of the energy White Paper objectives, the Government intend to publish the energy efficiency implementation plan at the same time as the annual report. The Government also envisage simultaneous publication of the fuel poverty strategy implementation plan and the CHP strategy.

  NHS Foundation Trusts
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Health (Mr Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  I have been informed by the chairman of the independent regulator of National Health Service foundation trusts that applications for the first wave of NHS foundation trust status will be considered in two groups. This reflects the complexity of a number of applicants and the rigorous approach to assessment that the regulator is adopting.

  Subject to assessment criteria being met, the first group will be considered for authorisation from 1 April 2004 and the second group of 12 from 1 July 2004.
  The first group of 12 are:

  Basildon & Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust

  Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust

  Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Trust

  Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust

  Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust

  Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust

  North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Trust

  Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust

  Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust

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  Royal Devon & Exeter Health Care NHS Trust

  Stockport NHS Trust

  The Royal Marsden NHS Trust

  The second group are

  Addenbrooke's NHS Trust

  Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Trust

  City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust

  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust

  Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust

  King's College Hospital NHS Trust

  Papworth Hospital NHS Trust

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospital Services NHS Trust

  The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust

  University College London Hospitals NHS Trust

  University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust

  Child Trust Fund: Draft Regulations
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
  The Child Trust Funds Bill will ensure that every child, whatever their family background, will have access at the age of 18 when they begin their adult life to a stock of assets which they can invest in their future. The child trust fund will also help children and their parents to understand the benefits of saving and investment and how to engage with financial institutions.

  The Government are today publishing draft child trust fund regulations. These draft regulations will be of particular interest to potential providers of the child trust fund.

  The draft regulations include the requirements for a stakeholder child trust fund account. Every child trust fund provider will make a stakeholder account available as one of the investment options. A stakeholder child trust fund account will have its charges capped at 1.5 per cent per year, and providers will be required to accept all contributions of £10 and above. No charges will apply to transfers between different types of accounts, including from stakeholder to non-stakeholder, and between providers.

  The Government's decision on the charge cap is in the best interests of consumers, as it encourages as wide a selection of providers as possible to offer child trust fund accounts. A large number of providers will encourage competition and ensure the best value for consumers. The Government will continue to monitor that the level of the charge cap best meets the interests of consumers.

  The decision was evidence-based and considered the particular characteristics of the child trust fund. The economics of the child trust fund are very different from other financial products, such as the stakeholder pensions. In particular, child trust fund accounts will

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  be smaller in terms of the average size of funds compared to pensions and will have a lower minimum contribution level than other stakeholder products.

  The evidence on which the decision for the cap was based included the report commissioned by the Government from Deloitte, which looked at the trade-offs of different charge caps for providers and consumers. Deloitte's report will be published later this year, at the same time as its report on the other products in the stakeholder suite.

  The minimum contribution for the stakeholder account has been set to ensure the child trust fund is accessible to all savers, including those who cannot commit to regular contributions. Providers will be free to accept lower contributions if they wish and it is expected that competition among providers could drive down the minimum amounts accepted.

  The Government will continue to work with the Financial Services Authority on the development of an appropriate regulatory regime.

  Copies of the draft regulations together with an explanatory commentary are available in the Printed Paper Office and the Libraries of the House.

  Census 2001
  Lord McIntosh of Haringey
  The 2001 Census national report (part 2) for England and Wales is being published and laid before Parliament today by the Office for National Statistics. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. The report is also available on the National Statistics website.

  This follows the publication of the national report (part 1) in May 2003. These two documents are prepared under Section 4(1) of the Census Act 1920.

  The printed national report (part 2) contains tables on migration and on travel-to-work and workplace populations as well as new tables on members of the Armed Forces and on same-sex couples. The report is accompanied by a CD that includes all tables contained in either part of the national report at regional and local authority level. Copies are being provided free of charge to all local authorities.

  Middle East: Israeli Security Fence
  The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
  On 8 December 2003 the UN General Assembly in Resolution ES-10/14 requested the International Court of Justice to urgently render an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. In response to the request, the International Court of Justice has invited UN member states, Palestine, and certain international organisations to contribute written and/or oral statements to the court if they wish to do so. On 30 January the UK submitted a national written WS 24
  statement to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

  As we have repeatedly made clear, here and elsewhere, the UK considers the building by Israel of a fence, or wall, in the West Bank to be unlawful. The UK's written statement submitted to the court recalls that we voted in favour of UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/13, adopted on 21 October 2003, which demands that Israel stop and reverse construction of the wall in the occupied Palestinian territory. I regret that Israel has not complied with the General Assembly's demand. We recognise Israel's legitimate security concerns. The latest, horrifying suicide bombing in Jerusalem on 29 January only too clearly shows the continuing threat faced by Israel from terrorists. But building the fence on occupied land only complicates efforts to make progress towards a comprehensive peace settlement.

  Despite our view on the illegalities of the fence, we argued against this question being referred to the International Court of Justice. This approach is one shared by all members of the European Union including all accession states. This is being communicated by the Irish presidency to the court. The UK has also submitted a detailed written statement to the court arguing that the court ought to exercise its discretion to decline to give an opinion. Our arguments are about the use of the court's advisory jurisdiction. We believe that it is inappropriate to embroil the court in a heavily political bilateral dispute. We also believe the court should not be engaged where the consent of both parties has not been given. An opinion is not necessary to assist the General Assembly in reaching a view on the fence. Nor, in the absence of participation from one side, will the court have all the facts before it.

  Submissions to the International Court of Justice are confidential until the court decides to make them public. We expect the court will make the written statements submitted to it public at the start of the oral proceedings, due to begin on 23 February. At that stage, we will place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Colchester Garrison PFI
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  I am very pleased to announce to the House that the Ministry of Defence has reached agreement with RMPA Services Plc to redevelop and operate Colchester Garrison. This PFI contract will provide effective services to the Army for 35 years and is worth approximately £2 billion through the life of the project.

  This is an arrangement which is beneficial to both parties and we shall shortly see work on the new barracks starting on the ground. The result will be a fully serviced and modern garrison for a modern Army, with living and working accommodation that is

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  among the best, demonstrating our commitment to providing our Armed Forces with facilities that are up to date and appropriate for the 21st century. I expect approximately 190 Civil Service posts to transfer to the contractor and these will be handled in accordance with existing legislation, We do not envisage any redundancies arising out of this transfer.

  Reserve Forces: Employer Notification
  Lord Bach
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  We are making an important administrative change to the recruitment and re-engagement procedures for the Volunteer Reserve Forces. From 1 April this year, new recruits to the Volunteer Reserve Forces and applicants for re-engagement will be required to agree to their unit contacting their employer about their membership. The purpose of contacting employers is to ensure that they are aware of those employees who are members of the Volunteer Reserve Forces and to provide information about training and call-out liabilities.

  As a safeguard, reservists will have a right to submit cases to their commanding officers if they believe that they have particular reasons for not having their membership of the Volunteer Reserve Forces disclosed. Cases will be considered on their merits.

  This change to our administrative procedures will enable employers to be in a better position to plan for the absence of employees who are reservists and to be better informed about their rights and obligations. It
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  builds on our policy of recognising that the effectiveness of the reserves ultimately depends on a three-way relationship between the Ministry of Defence, the reservists themselves and their employers.

  Armed Forces Pension Scheme
  Lord Bach
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  Further to my Answer to the honourable Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth) of 21 January 2004 (Col. 1244W), the proposals set out in the Treasury and Inland Revenue document, Simplifying the taxation of pensions: the Government's proposals, published on 10 December 2003, would allow all such pension guarantee lump sum payments to continue to be paid free of income tax, subject to the proposed £ 1.4 million lifetime allowance.

  The original Answer was incorrect following advice from officials across government, and I unreservedly apologise for this inaccurate Answer.

  The new Armed Forces Pension Scheme currently in Committee stage will in the event of the member's death, be able to pay both death-in-service lump sums of the type already paid under existing pension arrangements and the new pension guarantee lump sums applicable in cases of death in retirement, without any income tax charge. So, subject to the £1.4 million allowance, the rate will not be 35 per cent but zero.

  I have today written to the honourable Member enclosing a copy of this Statement.

  Rosepark Nursing Home: Fire
  The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  First, may I say that our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy?

  It is too early to speculate about the cause of the fire. Investigations are already under way in Scotland and we will be looking very closely at their findings and considering the implications for England and Wales.

  The cornerstone of our policy remains the prevention of fire. When fires do occur, simple precautions such as keeping fire doors closed and installing smoke alarms can play a vital role in reducing death and injury. Integrated risk management plans will make sure that more work is done by the fire and rescue service to prevent fires in the first place, by identifying those people in the community most at risk and targeting resources more effectively.

  Sprinklers can also play an important role in suppressing fires where they have broken out, though it is too early to conclude that if the Rosepark Nursing Home had been fitted with a sprinkler system, any loss of life could have been prevented.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been actively investigating the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. The results of this work, which is being undertaken on our behalf by the Building Research Establishment, are being fed into the review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations (England & Wales), which is currently under way. A report of the work will shortly be published, enabling those involved with fire safety in buildings to gain a more comprehensive understanding of residential sprinkler systems. However, the tragic incident at the weekend indicates that sprinklers may have a role to play in protecting vulnerable groups such as homes for children, homes for elderly people, homes for disabled people and higher risk houses in multiple occupation.

  In relation to existing premises, including residential care homes, an employer is required under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, as amended, and under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to undertake a risk assessment in order to safeguard the safety from fire not only of his employees but of all people on his premises affected by his work. This assessment can include the provision of sprinklers within the building. This requirement will be extended by the proposed
  WS 28
  Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order to include most premises to which the public have access, and the duty imposed upon the employer will he extended to include any person who is responsible for managing the premises.

  In the mean time our community fire safety programme continues to educate people about the risks associated with fire and the measures which can mitigate against its occurrence. This programme has already been effective in reducing fire deaths and injuries from accidental fires.

  Advisory Group on Enforcement Service Delivery
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin)
  The fourth and final report by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Group on Enforcement Service Delivery, entitled The move to a regulated enforcement industry: transitional issues has been published in November 2003 and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I am pleased to announce that the advisory group has now fulfilled its original terms of reference. The group is therefore disbanded. I am grateful for the valuable contribution provided by the members of the advisory group throughout the four reports to my department. Proposals for legislation will follow in due course.

  BBC News 24
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture. Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  On 5 December 2002 I placed the independent review of BBC News 24 by Richard Lambert in the Libraries of both Houses, together with a letter setting out my response.

  In response to the review, I attached two further conditions to the approvals of BBC News 24. These required the governors to publish their response to the Lambert report by the end of March 2003, and to promulgate revised commitments for the service, taking account of Richard Lambert's recommendations, by the end of May 2003.

  In addition, I was minded to attach a third condition requiring the governors to report more fully on the delivery of News 24 in the BBC's annual reports. I stated that I would reconsider the intention in the light of the BBC's formal response and subsequent 2003 annual report.

  I have judged that these two documents provide enough information and demonstrate sufficient improvements to remove the need for a further condition on the approval.