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Baroness Miller of Hendon: This is a most interesting Grand Committee because we seem to be having a lesson: we are asking questions and we are getting answers; some points are clarified and others are not. I have one simple question on Amendment No. 106DA, which is in this group. I am not sure how this
amendment fits in. It raises a slightly different issue from the one we have been discussing. The amendment states:
- "Page 60, line 12, at end insert ', and
- "'subordinate legislation' includes an instrument made under an Act of the Scottish Parliament".
- "In this section 'director' in relation to a body corporate whose affairs are managed by its members, means a member of the body corporate".
- "'subordinate legislation' includes an instrument made under an Act of the Scottish Parliament".
I understand that governments bring back amendments. I have a bit more experience than my noble friend with regard to DTI Bills; sometimes whole chapters are left out and we rewrite the Bill. Fortunately my noble friend has not had that pleasure. I shall be very brief as there seems to be a Division in
the House. All I am saying is that I cannot imagine how one can propose such a provision but ignore the whole issue of important subordinate legislation.On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 106C and 106D not moved.]
Lord Whitty moved Amendment No. 106DA:
- Page 60, line 12, at end insert ", and
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 76, as amended, agreed to.
Lord Triesman: This may be a convenient moment to adjourn until tomorrow at 3.30 p.m.
The Deputy Chairman of Committees: The Committee stands adjourned until tomorrow.
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.
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.
Basildon & Thurrock General 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
Royal Devon & Exeter Health Care 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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
"subordinate legislation" includes an instrument made under an Act of the Scottish Parliament."
The Committee adjourned at twenty-three minutes before eight o'clock.
Written Statements
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