Delivery Unit
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1450W, on the No. 10 Delivery Unit, if he will list the names of the full-time and part-time civil servants employed in the No. 10 Delivery Unit working in the areas of (a) transport, (b) health, (c) crime and asylum and (d) education. [54689]
The Prime Minister: The Delivery Unit reports to me under the day-to-day supervision of the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Lord Macdonald, and is headed by Professor Michael Barber.
8 May 2002 : Column 166W
Professor Barber is supported in his work across the key areas of public service: health; education; crime and asylum and transport, by the Deputy Head of the unit, William Jordan, and team leaders, Liz Lawrence, Adrian Masters, Tony O'Connor, Rosemary Scully and Jenny Wright.
The unit is further staffed by a team with experience of delivery, drawn from the public and private sectors.
Security Services Employees
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how many applications were referred by the Cabinet Secretary to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments in respect of employees or former employees of (a) MI5, (b) MI6 and (c) GCHQ in each year from 1 May 1997. [54669]
The Prime Minister: None. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments considers applications from the most senior Crown servants who wish to take up outside appointments within two years of leaving the service. It is independent and the Cabinet Secretary has no role in referring these applications to it.
The committee is serviced by its own secretariat and it gives its advice directly to me, or, if the applicant is a diplomat or in MI6, to the Foreign Secretary. Since 1 May 1997 until the end of the reporting year on 31 March 2002, the committee has considered no applications from MI5 or GCHQ, and two (one in 1998 and one earlier this year) from MI6.
Business appointment applications from staff below the most senior levels are dealt with by the Department itself, after Cabinet Office advice if appropriate under the rules. However, the rules make provision, exceptionally, for any application to be referred to the advisory committee if the Head of the Home civil service and the departmental Minister so agree. In the period concerned there have been no such cases in MI5, MI6 or GCHQ.
Voting Age
6. Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on reducing the minimum voting age in elections to the National Assembly for Wales to 16 years. [53149]
Mr. Paul Murphy: None. We have no plans to reduce the voting age.
Public Sector Workers (Recruitment)
7. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues about recruitment of public sector workers by Government Departments in Wales. [53150]
Mr. Touhig: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had any recent discussions. We are always available to meet colleagues on this or other matters.
8. Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales about integrated policies to tackle poverty in Wales. [53152]
Mr. Touhig: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and the First Minister about a range of issues, including poverty in Wales, and ways to tackle it.
9. Mr. Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evaluation his Department has made of Wales' preparations for possible UK adoption of the euro. [53153]
Mr. Paul Murphy: Wales has been preparing for the arrival of the euro since 1998 when the old Welsh Office set up the Euro Task Force for Wales to make Welsh businesses aware of the issues which might affect them following the introduction of the euro in the 12 countries of the eurozone.
The Task Force has been disseminating information to businesses across Wales in a number of ways including conferences, exhibitions, a telephone helpline, website and leaflets.
10. Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on changes in manufacturing employment in Wales in the past 12 months. [53154]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet regularly with the First Minister and other ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues including manufacturing employment in Wales.
The Government recognise it is a particularly tough time for manufacturers in the UK, due to the slowdown in world economy and weakness of the euro. However, these problems are not confined to the UK or in particular, to Wales. I am pleased to note that Wales is posting the fastest fall in unemployment of any region or country in the UK.
11. Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Department for Trade and Industry regarding renewable energy production in Wales. [53155]
Mr. Touhig: I meet my ministerial colleagues at the Department of Trade and Industry regularly to discuss a range of issues, including energy production in Wales.
My hon. Friend the Chancellor's Budget announcements contained a number of incentives for renewable energy production.
They include: enhanced capital allowances for business investment in energy saving technologies; exemption from the Climate Change Levy for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and coal mine methane projects; the first economy wide-emissions trading scheme; a fuel duty differential for sulphur free petrol and diesel; a fuel duty
exemption for hydrogen; lower duty for biodiesel; and a commitment to review the potential use of economic instruments to tackle household energy efficiency.
24. Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales to ensure that Wales plays its part in achieving the UK Government's target to produce 10 per cent. of the UK's energy from renewable sources by 2010. [53169]
Mr. Paul Murphy: I meet regularly with my ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues including renewable energy.
The overall target, for the UK, of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2010 is 10 per cent.
I am pleased to note that the Assembly's Economic Development Committee has recently launched a consultation paper on renewable energy. The committee will propose targets, for Wales, for both electricity production and heat production from renewable sources by 2010 and 2020, in the light of the responses to the consultation. These proposals will inform the National Assembly's development of a renewable policy for Wales.
I look forward to receiving the committee's final report.
12. Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on student debt in Wales. [53156]
Mr. Touhig: I meet regularly with colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including student finance.
Health Spending
13. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues regarding the audit body proposed to oversee health spending in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [53157]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend has discussed this matter with both the Assembly First Minister and my right hon. Friend the Member for Darlington. I have also discussed it with the Assembly Secretary for Health and Social Services.
The Commission for Health and Improvement (CHI) and the Audit Commission are England and Wales bodies. The First Minister and the Assembly Cabinet are content with the proposals in principle. It will be necessary to make sure that this works properly and effectively for Wales, and these detailed issues will be addressed during the framing of the necessary legislation.
27. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales about the impact of the Budget on health spending in Wales. [53172]
Mr. Touhig: My right hon. Friend and I have spoken with the Assembly First Minister and with the Health Secretary about the increase to the Welsh Block consequential on the increases in Government spending on health announced in the recent Budget.
The resulting amount for the Block was £1.8 billion over the next five years and I am pleased to say that the Assembly intends to spend the full amount on health.
14. Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he is having with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on measures to promote the film industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [53158]
Mr. Touhig: I have regular meetings with colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including the promotion of the Welsh film industry.