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31 Mar 2009 : Column WA229
Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the evidence submitted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on the Worker Registration Scheme calling for its abolition. [HL2392]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The commission's submission is being considered alongside other evidence the Government have received in respect of the future of the Worker Registration Scheme. The Government will respond to the commission when a decision has been taken on whether to continue the scheme beyond the end of April 2009.
Post Office
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will respond to the Post Office Coalition's campaign for a Post Bank, to assist those without a bank account. [HL2122]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): The Government welcome the Post Bank Coalition's campaign, and the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs spoke at the launch of the campaign on 17 March. The Government are keen for the Post Office to deliver more banking and financial services within reach of everyone through its unrivalled and trusted network of branches. There are a range of options for how to do this. Allied to this is the Government's decision last November to award the new contract for the operation of the Post Office card account to the Post Office.
Post Office: Banking
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government under what authority the Post Office transferred personal savings accounts to Irish banks. [HL2284]
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Post Office transferred savings accounts to Irish banks, whether savers were protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. [HL2285]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the noble Lord.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
31 Mar 2009 : Column WA230
Public Bodies
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government which members of the House of Lords are appointees to the non-departmental public bodies listed under “Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform” in annex A to the report of the Cabinet Office entitled Public Bodies 2008; and what was their appointment and individual remuneration. [HL1796]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership and remuneration is published in individual bodies' annual reports and accounts.
Public Companies: Bonuses
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider new measures to prohibit bonuses to directors of public companies. [HL1452]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): Directors' remuneration is a matter for companies and their shareholders.
The Government have consistently made it clear that there should be effective linkage between directors' remuneration and performance, and that exceptional rewards for mediocre performance are not in the interests of companies, their shareholders or the UK as a whole.
The Directors' Remuneration Report Regulations 2002 introduced full disclosure for quoted company directors' remuneration and an annual shareholder vote on the remuneration report.
There are no plans at present to introduce new measures.
Railways: Safety
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure safety and reduce crime on the rail network. [HL2553]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): Crime on the railway fell by over 11 per cent in 2007-08, the fourth successive year in which the level has fallen. We will seek further reductions through a range of initiatives including the Secure Stations Scheme and our continued support for the British Transport Police.
31 Mar 2009 : Column WA231
Rail remains one of the safest means of transport. Our intention to ensure that this remains the case is reflected in the 3 per cent reduction in death or injury to staff and passengers between 2009 and 2014 called for in the high level output specification.
Railways: Wales
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government's high level output specification (HLOS) details the improvements in safety, reliability and capacity the Government wish to buy up to 2014. Overall, we have specified an increase in capacity to accommodate growth of 22.5 per cent; a 3 per cent reduction in the risk of death or injury to passengers or employees; and an increase in reliability from 88 per cent to 92.6 per cent and a 25 per cent reduction in delays of more than 30 minutes.
Increasing capacity to meet future demand for rail travel is our top priority. The Government are investing over £20 million in schemes that will deliver more than 20 per cent extra capacity into Cardiff at the busiest peak times by 2014.
The Welsh Assembly Government also work in partnership with Network Rail to enhance and improve railway infrastructure in Wales.
Royal Mail
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Royal Mail's parcel business, including General Logistics Service, is to be taken over by any private investor in the Royal Mail. [HL2182]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform & Cabinet Office (Baroness Vadera): The Government are looking for a strategic partner for Royal Mail. It is expected that any sale of shares would be at the Royal Mail Group Ltd level.
Royal Mail Group Ltd incorporates Royal Mail standard parcel and Parcelforce Worldwide services.
31 Mar 2009 : Column WA232
Security: Strategic-use Languages
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government which strategic-use languages are required by the United Kingdom to meet its domestic and overseas security needs; whether the military and intelligence services have sufficient capacity in those languages; and if not, what is being done to rectify this. [HL2287]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): To meet all current defence language skill requirements Armed Forces personnel receive training in about 40 different languages each year. At present, Arabic, Farsi/Dari and Pashto are regarded as operationally critical languages.
To meet general military operational requirements, provision is made for about 400 personnel to receive lower skill level operational language training each year and there is provision for 72 personnel to start training each year on longer courses for higher skill level requirements.
All language skill requirements must be balanced with other security and operational requirements. A coherent mix of military and contracted civilian personnel is used proactively to satisfy dynamic requirements, thereby minimising the impact of emerging skill shortages.
The intelligence services' language requirements are many and diverse: generally these parallel military requirements. It would not be appropriate, however, to list languages of particular interest to the intelligence services. Their capacity in languages is built through both internal training and recruitment.
Worker Registration Scheme
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will extend the Worker Registration Scheme beyond 30 April. [HL2391]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): No decision has yet been taken on whether to continue the Worker Registration Scheme beyond the end of April 2009.
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