Written Statement of 24 November 2004

  Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation
  The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Statement.

  I have today placed before this House a copy of the second annual report of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Foundation which was sent to me under Article 8(2) of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Foundation Regulations 2002.

  Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit
  Baroness Amos
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made the following Written Statement.

  Further to my Written Statement to the House of 16 September 2005 (Official Report, cols. 173–4WS), together with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence, I wish to inform Parliament that a copy of a public consultation document on improving the United Kingdom's contribution to post-conflict stabilisation has been placed in the Library. It invites contributions on the establishment of an interdepartmental Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit.

  National Policing Plan 2005–08
  The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)
  I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the National Policing Plan 2005–08.

  This is the third National Policing Plan and sets the framework and context for policing in England and Wales for the next three years.

  The National Policing Plan sets out the Government's vision of a police service which puts the law-abiding citizen at the heart of all it does, while working in partnership to create and maintain safe, secure and confident communities. This will require the creation of a culture for policing which can tackle crime successfully from the local to the national and international level. The National Policing Plan will inform local planning and help to ensure that all communities know what they should expect from their local police force. It builds on the commitments for police reform set out in Building Communities, Beating Crime: a better police service for the 21st century published on 9 November.

  The National Policing Plan 2005–08 is available on the web at www.policereform.gov.uk.

  Houses in Multiple Occupation: Licensing
  The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)
  My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister has today published for public consultation a paper on licensing in the private rented sector concerning the implementation of housing in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing. This paper seeks to explain the Government's proposals for licensing in the private rented sector that have been set in place by the Housing Act, which has just received Royal Assent. In particular, the paper explains the Government's proposals for HMO licensing and sets out proposals for the secondary instruments required to implement these measures.

  The powers in the Act and proposed secondary legislation will require local authorities to introduce licensing for HMOs. Licensing will enable local authorities to:

  Ensure that landlords are fit and proper persons or employ agents who are.

  Ensure that the standards of tenancy relations management and property management employed by a landlord or agent are adequate.

  Impose conditions on licences to achieve improvements in management where necessary.

  Step in and manage properties where landlords refuse to meet the required criteria.

  Protect vulnerable tenants.

  Ensure that HMOs are not occupied by excessive numbers of people.

  Identify high risk HMOs and their landlords, so that health and safety measures under Part 1 of the Act can be targeted on the worst cases.

  The paper invites interested parties to comment on how these powers should be implemented in relation to HMO licensing through the necessary secondary legislation.

  Copies of the paper are being sent to a wide range of interested parties including local authorities, landlord and tenant organisations and others with an interest in this issue. The closing date for responses is 2 February 2005.

  Copies of the paper will also be placed in the Libraries of the House and will be available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at www.odpm.gov.uk

  Investment Trust Companies
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
  My honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Stephen Timms) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
  WS 5
  The Treasury is today launching a consultation on the regulation of investment trust companies. This is in response to a recommendation made by the Treasury Committee in its report into split capital investment trusts in February 20031. The aim of the consultation is to stimulate discussion about whether there is a need for additional regulation and, if so, possible options for doing so.

  Copies of the consultation paper are available from the Library of the House, and the document can also be accessed on the Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.
  1 Treasury Committee Third Report of Session 2002–03: Split Capital Investment Trusts (published 13 February 2003).

  Yorkshire Forward
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
  My honourable friend the Minister for Industry and the Regions (Jacqui Smith) has made the following Statement.

  I would like to inform Members of the House that, as part of a rolling programme of appointments, I have decided to appoint six new board members to Yorkshire Forward. The new appointees (including one reappointee) will take up their positions on 14 December 2004 and their names are set out below.

  The new board members will replace members whose terms of office end in December this year. They will bring experience from business, local authorities and the voluntary sector.

  Decisions on the appointments have been made following open competition in accordance with the guidelines set down in the Commissioner for Public
  WA 6
  Appointments code of practice, and following consultation with key national and regional players.

  YF (New Members)

  Lord Christopher Haskins (reappointed)

  Arshad Javed

  Jan Wilson

  Linda Pollard

  Aiden Rave

  Laura Moynahan

  Advantage West Midlands
  Lord Sainsbury of Turville
  My honourable friend the Minister for Industry and the Regions (Jacqui Smith) has made the following Statement.

  I would like to inform Members of the House that, as part of a rolling programme of appointments, I have decided to appoint three new board members to Advantage West Midlands. The new appointees will take up their positions on 14 December 2004 and their names are set out below.

  The new board members will replace members whose terms of office end in December this year, and they will bring experience from business, trade unions and local authorities.

  Decisions on the appointments have been made following open competition in accordance with the guidelines set down in the Commissioner for Public Appointments code of practice, and following consultation with key national and regional players.

  AWM (New Members)

  Sue Prince

  Diane Rayner

  Gerard Coyne