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Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What preparations they have made to receive Roma people who may arrive in the United Kingdom during 2004 from the 10 countries which will accede to the European Union; and [HL1211]
Whether they have made any estimate of, or provision for, the financial costs of receiving and caring for Roma people who may arrive in the United Kingdom during 2004–05 from the 10 countries acceding to the European Union.[HL1212]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Our policies on this matter make no distinction between Roma and others. We have made very clear that people from the accession countries should not travel to this country in the expectation of being able to claim benefits, and we will announce shortly the legal changes we will be making to give effect to this. jenny
EU Meetings: Rules of Procedure
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Council of Ministers of the European Community and the Council of the European Union (Heads of Government) have published any standing orders for the conduct of their business; if so, when they were published; and whether they were subject to parliamentary scrutiny or approval.[HL1064]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Articles 202-210 TEC set out general guidelines for the workings of the Council and that the Council shall adopt its rules of procedure. The rules of procedure, as an internal institutional set of rules, are not regarded as an EU document to be submitted for formal scrutiny, as defined by the orders of reference of the European Union Committee. There are no rules of procedure for the European Council.
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether standing orders, or rules of procedure, for the intergovernmental conference of member governments of the European Union and applicant states have been agreed and published; where they can be obtained; and by what procedure they were agreed.[HL1065]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: There are no rules of procedure for intergovernmental conferences (IGCs). However, Article 48 TEU, as agreed by heads of state and government, sets out the process to convene an IGC.
Iraq: Coalition Provisional Authority
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In what sense the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq "is led by the United States and the United Kingdom", as stated on their website; and how the authority is accountable to the Government.[HL1166]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The leading role of the US and UK in the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) is based upon their designation in UNSCR 1483 as occupying powers with responsibility for the security and administration of Iraq. British officials seconded to the CPA are responsible for their actions to Her Majesty's Government.
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How the Government were consulted before Mr Bremer was appointed to head the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.[HL1168]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The decision to appoint Ambassador Bremer was one for the US Administration. We were informed beforehand as part of ongoing close contact with the Americans. Likewise, we decided to appoint a UK Special Representative in Iraq, John Sawers, of which we informed the Americans. roger
Iraq: Private Sector Development Division of CPA
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they support the privatisation programme for state-owned industries undertaken by the private sector development division of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq; how many United Kingdom citizens are involved in the programme; and whether the programme is compatible with the aim of a democratic Iraq controlling its own economic policy.[HL1169]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The role and tasks of the private sector development division of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), as described on the division's website, http://www.cpa-iraq.org/economy/priv—sect—dvlpt.html, are "helping the state-owned enterprises resume normal operations, developing foreign investment, and stimulating growth of all businesses, particularly small and medium-sized businesses".
Although privatisation may be an economically desirable outcome for some Iraqi state-owned enterprises in the future, this is not a policy goal of the CPA. Decisions on this subject are being left for future Iraqi administrations to make.
The private sector development division of CPA has, however, taken many steps to promote private sector growth and employment, such as establishing the Trade Bank of Iraq, creating a legal framework for foreign direct investment, working with the newly independent Central Bank to liberalise interest rates, and providing a new framework for commercial banking.
There are currently no UK government secondees in the private sector development division of the CPA.
Iraq: State-owned Enterprises
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the 45 state-owned enterprises named in the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority's "Business Opportunities in Iraq Index A" have been sold to foreign investors.[HL1170]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: No Iraqi state-owned enterprises have been sold to investors—domestic or foreign.
Iraq: CPA Order 39
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What consultation took place between the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and the Government before Order 39 was signed in September 2003; what representations were made by the Government; and whether Order 39 was amended in consequence.[HL1171]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Order 39 of the Coalition Provisional Authority is the product of consultations between the British Government and the Coalition Provisional Authority, relevant departments of the US Administration, the UN Secretary-General's Representative, the international financial institutions and the Iraqi Governing Council. Such consultations, called for under the terms of UNSCR 1483, are a necessary and normal part of the preparation of legislation by the coalition. jenny
Universities: First Degrees
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 2 February (WA 72–74), excluding the new universities created following the Further and Higher Education Act 1992:
(a) how many first degrees were awarded in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 1998 and 2003; and
(b) what were these figures expressed as a percentage of the total number of degrees awarded in 1998 and 2003.[HL1135]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The available information is given in the table.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Catholic sixth-form colleges were first designated as eligible to receive support from funds administered by the further education funding councils under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and were incorporated as further education institutions in 2001. No other religion or belief-based institutions principally concerned with providing full-time education suitable to the requirements of persons over compulsory school age who have not attained the age of 19 years existed then or now. Since the Catholic sixth-form colleges were and remain the only religion or belief-based
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The National Army Museum is a Royal chartered body and a registered charity, which receives the bulk of its running costs, including a purchase grant, via a grant in aid from the Ministry of Defence. Collections policy is the responsibility of the museum's council. The museum has advised that it has no plans to acquire the Medloc dining car and it does not, therefore, require government assistance to this end.
Country Year Total degrees awarded Total First Class Hons Degree % First Class Hons Degree
England 1998 90,544 9,548 10.5
2003 99,372 13,946 14.0
Wales 1998 5,377 398 7.4
2003 8,668 886 10.2
Scotland 1998 15,364 1,326 8.6
2003 15,560 1,573 10.1
Northern Ireland 1998 6,500 518 8.0
2003 6,596 613 9.3
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 28 January (WA 39–41), whether their decision to incorporate Catholic sixth-form colleges into the further education sector (with consequential amendments to the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003) but not to incorporate any further religion or belief-based institutions into the sector constitutes a difference of treatment based on religion; and, if so, what is the objective and reasonable justification for the difference.[HL1139]
Whether they will assist the National Army Museum to acquire the former military dining car which formed part of the Mediterranean Line of Communication (Medloc) trains, and assisted in the movement of allied forces in Europe during and after World War II, and prevent its sale overseas.[HL1089]
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