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Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 5 December (WA 73), whether they will explain the relevance to the Baroness Noakes's initial Question for Written Answer (HL2639) of the Professional Oversight Board for Accountancy in connection with the
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Due to an administrative error the answer given to the noble Baroness, Official Report, 5 December (WA 73) was incorrect. The correct reply is set out below.
The Government intend to bring forward regulations, before the Recess, under Section 257 of the Companies Act 1985 to repeal the provisions of that Act which impose obligations on companies in relation to the preparation of operating and financial reviews. The regulations will leave in place those provisions of the Companies Act 1985 relating to the requirements to prepare a business review which are necessary to implement the Accounts Modernisation Directive (2003/51/EC). We will also in due course bring forward amendments to the Company Law Reform Bill.
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the debate on the Asylum (Designated States) No. 2 Order on 24 November (Official Report, cols, 1082–12), why statistics on asylum applications from citizens of Ghana and Nigeria were not broken down by gender, as in the 13th Report of the Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee; and whether they
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The tables below show the asylum application, initial decision and appeal outcome figures broken down by gender, for nationals of Ghana and Nigeria, 2004 and January to September 2005. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the allowed appeal figures into grants of asylum, humanitarian protection (HP) and discretionary leave (DL), but it is estimated that in 2004 90 per cent of allowed appeals were grants of asylum and the remaining 10 per cent were either grants of HP or DL. Information on asylum applications and initial decisions, by gender, is published in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many wind turbines are proposed in the Gwynt-y-Mor project along the Llandudno Bay area of the North Wales coast; what will be the height of each turbine; and how far they will be located from the coast. [HL2814]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Details of the Gwynt-y-Mor project are published on npower renewables' website. Their website address is http://www.npower-renewables.com/gwyntymor/index.asp.
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will assess the likely impact of large scale, turbine-related, engineering work on the Gwynt-y-Mor development of wind turbines off the North Wales coast; and what is the likely impact on the marine sandbank that currently offers protection to the communities of Colwyn Bay, Rhos-on-Sea and Llandudno. [HL2815]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Offshore wind farm developers are required to produce an environmental impact assessment (EIA) when submitting an application for consent. The Government will take into account the EIA, and many other considerations, before reaching a decision on whether to grant consent.
A copy of npower renewables non-technical summary of the Gwynt-y-Mor environmental statement is available from their website. Their website address is http://www.npower-renewables.com/gwyntymor/index.asp.
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much subsidy or grant will be required for any power company proceeding with the Gwynt-y-Mor wind turbine project. [HL2816]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The cost of the Gwynt-y-Mor wind turbine project is a matter for the developer. Offshore wind farms are eligible for support under the renewables obligation. The renewables obligation, together with the exemption from the climate change levy, will be worth around £1 billion a year by 2010 to the renewables industry.
Lord Brightman asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have considered measures to encourage local councils to collect used domestic electric batteries separately from other forms of waste so as to aid recycling; and, if so, what conclusions they drew. [HL2556]
Lord Bach: Experience of battery collection in other member states shows us that it is necessary to engage local authorities, in order to collect significant levels of household batteries.
The forthcoming Batteries Directive will require the UK to meet collection and recycling targets for household (portable) batteries. As part of the BREW (Business Resource Efficiency and Waste) programme being run by Defra, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is currently undertaking work to develop battery collection infrastructure in the UK.
WRAP will be working closely with local authorities as it will be running a series of nationwide trials on household battery collection (starting in 2006). The LGA (Local Government Association) has sat in on the batteries advisory group.
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in calling in the planning applications for housing developments (numbers 2/2002/0415 and 2/2002/0880), they took account of the sustainable development of Shaftesbury. [HL2592]
Baroness Andrews: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy is to be very selective about calling in planning applications and do so only where issues of more than local importance are involved. In deciding to call these applications in, a view about their merits has not been taken. An inspector will hold a local inquiry into the applications and make a report and recommendations taking into account, among other things, the sustainability of the proposed development.
Lord Garden asked Her Majesty's Government:
At what stage of the Joint Strike Fighter procurement process a decision will be made about the acquisition of the Meteor missile for use by the aircraft. [HL2767]
Lord Drayson: The Joint Strike Fighter will enter UK service with a potent air-to-ground and air-to-air capability provided by Paveway IV precision guided bombs, and ASRAAM and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. Future requirements are kept under review as part of the aircraft's ongoing capability development, and Meteor remains under consideration as a candidate weapon.
Lord Selsdon asked Her Majesty's Government:
In what circumstances officials of the Department of Trade and Industry and of public bodies answerable to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry can search and enter the homes or business premises of United Kingdom citizens; and, in each case, what is the statutory authority for that power. [HL2445]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: There are no circumstances where officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or public bodies answerable to the Secretary of State DTI can search or enter the homes or business premises of UK citizens. The noble Lord may however wish to know that nominated officials of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) have authority, under powers derived from the Communications Act 2003 and in accordance with Section 15 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, to enter premises; vehicles; vessels or aircraft, to investigate cases of suspected illegal operation of radio apparatus; for example, where such operation is causing interference to safety of life services. Ofcom officials also have powers under the Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2003 to enter any premises, other than premises occupied only as a person's residence, if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is a contravention of the RTTE regulations. Ofcom is the independent regulator for the communications sector. It derives its powers from statute, rather than via delegation from Ministers and is answerable directly to Parliament.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Department for Transport has not undertaken such research. However, it held an expert workshop into the medical causes of daytime sleepiness in 2002. Following that it has strengthened the advice it provides to doctors and includes a question on sleep disorders in the medical report form that must accompany any application, and re-application (from the age of 45 years), for a vocational (i.e. heavy goods vehicle or bus/coach) driving licence.
The Department for Transport is aware of many studies undertaken on behalf of other organisations.
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