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10 Nov 2009 : Column WA148
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The UK, USA, France, Germany and Australia maintain offices in the north of Cyprus. Turkey is the only country with a self-declared embassy in northern Cyprus.
To ask Her Majesty's Government which international organisations have offices located in Turkish Cyprus. [HL6092]
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Government are aware of the EU Programme Support Office, managed by a private sector company; and the United Nations Development Programme offices in Northern Cyprus.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact on the tourist industry in Turkish Cyprus in the past year if the currency were the euro and not the Turkish Lira. [HL6093]
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The Government have made no such assessment.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the largest religion in Turkish Cyprus; and whether there are restrictions on religious observances by (a) Anglicans, (b) Roman Catholics, (c) Protestant Evangelicals, (d) Orthodox Christians, and (e) Jews. [HL6139]
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: The north of Cyprus is relatively secular, but the largest religion is Islam. Most denominations are free to worship but restrictions remain on the use of some churches. The Government welcome all steps to ensure and expand freedom of worship.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times this year Her Majesty's High Commissioner in Cyprus has visited Turkish Cyprus. [HL6141]
Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: Our high commissioner frequently visits the north of Cyprus and follows events there closely.
Official Visits
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the forecast cost of hiring the "Hebridean Princess" cruise liner for official visits by HRH the Duke of York around the coast of the United Kingdom in the next year. [HL6248]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): There are no plans for official visits by HRH the Duke of York around the coast of the UK by cruise liner.
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Organophosphates
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the inter- departmental Official Group on Organophosphates (previously the Carden Committee) last met; when it is next to meet; and whether its agenda will be published. [HL6292]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The Official Group on Organophosphates last met on 26 June 2007.
The frequency of the face-to-face meetings is determined by new events which are discussed as agenda items. At the 2007 OGOP meeting it was agreed that the group should meet when the Committee on Toxicity (COT) of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment have completed their review of research on organophosphates and human health.
The agenda for OGOP meetings are not published.
The Official Group on Organophosphates remains in regular contact and all members have had the opportunity to review the three recently released research reports. These three reports were reviewed by the COT at its 22 September meeting. The views of the COT will be available when the minutes of the meeting are published.
Police: Northern Ireland
Question
Asked by Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 26 October (WA 106) saying they are not aware of any decision or direction by the Northern Ireland Office that overruled a decision by the Police Service of Northern Ireland not to award a contract, whether that is because the Northern Ireland Office kept no record of any such decision or direction; and what assessment they have made of the account given by Sir Hugh Orde in the Sunday World on 26 July on that matter. [HL6068]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I can confirm that the Northern Ireland Office has no record of any involvement in a decision or direction which overruled the PSNI's decision not to award a contract in the way described.
The department does not specifically comment on newspaper articles.
Pollution
Question
Asked by Lord Willoughby de Broke
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Governments of other European Union member states and European Union institutions on the proposed integrated pollution prevention and control directive. [HL6322]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): Government Ministers and officials have had extensive discussions with other European Union member states and European Union institutions on the proposed industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) directive (recast) since its publication in December 2007. These paved the way to a satisfactory political agreement on the proposal at Environment Council in June 2009, and will continue as the proposal moves to its Second Reading in the European Parliament next year.
Regional Development Agencies
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government which board appointments for the regional development agencies are due for renewal or reappointment by June 2010; and what guidance they have issued on making public appointments to non-departmental public bodies with a tenure of more than one year in the run-up to a general election. [HL6034]
The Minister for Trade and Investment (Lord Davies of Abersoch): The following table indicates where approvals have been given for re-appointment from December 2009, the number of new appointments which were advertised in June across the regional development agencies (RDAs) taking up post on the 14 December and details of extensions given to date.
| RDA | Approved for re-appointment starting December 2009 | New Appointments to be taken up on 14 December 2009 | Extensions |
No guidance has been issued on making public appointments to non-departmental public bodies with a tenure of more than one year in the run-up to a general election.
Roads: Londonderry
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what undertakings they gave to the Northern Ireland Executive about ring-fencing the funding for a new motorway from the Tyrone Border to Londonderry. [HL6046]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: No such undertaking has been given by Her Majesty's Government. The Northern Ireland Office's annual block grant to the Northern Ireland Executive is not ring-fenced.
Schools: Special Educational Needs
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support has been given to schools that have children with special educational needs. [HL6231]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): To support local authorities and schools to fulfil their duties towards children with special educational needs (SEN), the Government have increased investment with planned expenditure on SEN rising from £2.8 billion in 2000-01 to £5.1 billion in 2008-09.
We are improving school workforce skills, with the Inclusion Development Programme cascading in-service training for the school workforce. The first year of the programme covered dyslexia and speech, language and communication disorders, this year is focused on autistic spectrum disorders and next year the focus will be on behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Nationally accredited training for all those new to the role of special educational needs co-ordinator in schools started in September 2009.
We have published the Better Communication Action Plan, to improve services for children and young people with SLCN, supported by up to £12 million, and we are funding training for up to 4,000 specialist dyslexia teachers over the next two years.
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The £31 million Achievement for All pilots started in 10 areas this September to demonstrate how to improve outcomes for children with SEN.
Schools: Unregistered Institutions
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 3 November (HL6067), when they intend to commence the provisions of the Education and Skills Act 2008 on part-time providers of education. [HL6287]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): No firm decision has been made about the date on which the provisions of the Education and Skills Act 2008 requiring part-time providers of education falling within specified thresholds to register with this department, come into force.
Shipping: General Lighthouse Authorities
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 3 November (WA 52), on how many occasions personnel from the Research and Radionavigation Directorate of the General Lighthouse Authorities of the United Kingdom and Ireland travelled overseas in (a) 2007, and (b) 2008; how many visits are planned for (1) 2009, and (2) 2010; and what the costs and purposes of the visits were or are projected to be. [HL6325]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): I have asked the General Lighthouse Authorities to provide the information requested and this will be placed in the Libraries of the House in due course.
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 3 November (WA 52), what were the travel and subsistence costs of the General Lighthouse Authorities' Research and Radionavigation Directorate for overseas visits in 2008 and 2009 on business relating to the e-Loran project. [HL6326]
Lord Adonis: The General Lighthouse Authorities' Research and Radionavigation Directorate records show that spending on overseas travel and subsistence relating to the e-loran project was roundly £22,000 in 2008-09 and £11,000 so far in this financial year.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the National Audit Office or any other such body has investigated the General Lighthouse Fund since 1993. [HL6327]
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Lord Adonis: The National Audit Office audits the accounts of the General Lighthouse Fund annually. The last audit of the General Lighthouse Fund covered the 2008-09 financial years.
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 3 November (WA 51) what was the total income from charges levied by the Research and Radionavigation Directorate of the General Lighthouse Authorities of the United Kingdom and Ireland for their services in each year since its inception. [HL6328]
Lord Adonis: The income is recorded as below:
Spain: Urbanisation
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report prepared by Margrete Auken MEP, dated 20 February, on the impact of extensive urbanisation in Spain on individual rights of European citizens; and whether they have raised the matter with the Prime Minister of Spain. [HL6107]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): The Government have no authority to get involved in any matters relating to Spanish domestic legislation, whether national, regional or local, as property laws are the competency of individual member states, and in Spain responsibility is devolved to the regional governments. Many of the concerns detailed in the Auken report are ones that we share. Although we have not raised this matter with the Prime Minister of Spain, we continue to raise it at other Ministerial and official levels, whenever appropriate. Most recently, my honourable friend Chris Bryant, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, raised property issues with the Spanish Minister of State for Territorial Policy during his visit to Madrid in September and will do so again when he visits this month.
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