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A copy of Schedule 23 of the master services agreement has been placed in the Library.
Olympic Games 2012: Northern Ireland
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what objectives they have for the legacy of the 2012 London Olympic Games for Northern Ireland. [HL905]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government's legacy ambitions for the UK, including Northern Ireland, are: to make the UK a world-leading sporting nation; to transform the heart of East London; to inspire a generation of young people; to make the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living; and to demonstrate that the UK is a creative, inclusive and welcoming
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The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy of London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to maximise the sporting, commercial, cultural and other benefits of the 2012 Games.
Specific examples of the Games' legacy in Northern Ireland include:
the 10-year Strategy for Sport in Northern Ireland to increase the number of Northern Irish participants at London 2012 and future Games;a culture and arts programme, contributing fully to the Cultural Olympiad;the Northern Ireland Connections Programme, funded by Legacy Trust UK, consisting of six projects to encourage partnership working between the arts and sports sectors; andapproximately 1,000 Northern Ireland companies have registered on Competefor-the London 2012 electronic business database-with nine companies securing Olympic-related contracts at an estimated value of £60 million.Passports
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have in place arrangements to enable them to exchange with the authorities of the United States and member states of the European Union details of passports held by British passport holders. [HL1157]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) does not routinely provide details of valid UK passports to border control and law enforcement authorities in the United States or the European Union.
IPS does, however, have arrangements in place to provide details of both fraudulently obtained genuine UK passports and processed reports of lost and stolen UK passports to Interpol, border control and law enforcement authorities in the United States and the UK Border Agency. This information helps to support the prevention and detection of crime and remove lost, stolen and fraudulently obtained genuine UK passports from circulation.
Public Bodies
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they make appointments to public bodies only on the basis of merit and capacity. [HL1028]
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The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Independent Commissioner for Public Appointments requires all appointments to posts within her remit to be made on merit following an open and transparent selection process.
Roads: Advertising Hoardings
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what planning permissions for advertising hoardings and product showrooms beside major roads were granted in 2009; and whether the potential distractions caused by advertising hoardings and showrooms are taken into account in such cases.[HL1067]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The information requested is not collected centrally. Local planning authorities are required to exercise their powers under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 with regard to, among other things, amenity and public safety. This is set out in regulation 3. Factors relevant to public safety include the safety of persons using any highway; whether the advertisement is likely to obscure, or hinder the ready interpretation of, any traffic sign; or whether the display of the advertisement is likely to hinder the operation of any device for measuring the speed of any vehicle. These principles are reflected in the standard conditions in Schedule 2 to the regulations.
Highway safety would also be a material consideration in the determination of planning permissions.
Roads: Verges and Waysides
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they provide to the Highways Agency and local authorities on the maintenance of highway verges and waysides for (a) use by people walking and riding horses, (b) conservation of flora and wildlife, and (c) environmental amenity. [HL1112]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): Highway authorities in England have a duty, under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, to maintain the roads in their charge. This duty includes maintenance of verges, where these form part of the highway.
The Highways Agency provides guidance to its managing agents on the maintenance of highway verges and waysides in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges that specifically covers conservation of flora and wildlife; in the Network Management Manual in relation to people using these areas for walking and riding horses; and in the Routine and Winter Service Code for other amenity aspects. All the Highways Agency's guidance describes management requirements
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It is for local authorities to decide on their maintenance strategy for verges. The Department for Transport has not issued specific guidance on this topic (although local authorities may follow the Highways Agency's guidance where appropriate). However, the department endorses the UK Roads Liaison Group's code of practice, "Well-maintained Highways" (available from the House Libraries or from www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org), which provides advice to authorities on highway maintenance management. It encourages authorities to consider the entire range of road users, including pedestrians and horse riders, and it contains guidance on nature conservation and biodiversity and environmental management. Natural England also provides guidance on the management of quiet lanes and greenways, where a greater emphasis on the needs of pedestrians and horse riders may be appropriate.
Somalia: Pirates
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 5 January (WA 80), under what legal powers the Royal Navy seized arms, fuel, skiffs, ladders and hooks from foreign nationals upon the high seas. [HL1027]
The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The Royal Navy has seized equipment and weapons from suspected pirates in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Article 105.
Transport: Heavy Goods Vehicles
Question
Asked by Lord Steel of Aikwood
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their stance on the proposal that the European Commission may increase the size of heavy goods vehicles permitted on trunk roads. [HL1186]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Lord Adonis): The Government's clear understanding is that the European Commission has no current intention to bring forward any proposal which, if agreed by member states, would impose a significant increase in vehicle weights and dimensions.
UK Border Agency: Staff
Questions
Asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the authority and operations of the UK Border Agency extend to the Crown dependencies. [HL1091]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The Crown dependencies have their own customs and immigration authorities, who are accountable to their respective Governments. The UK Border Agency [UKBA] works closely with immigration authorities in all the islands, to ensure the security of our borders.
The Crown dependencies carry out the same level of immigration control as the United Kingdom and receive training from UKBA in frontline immigration operations. The islands have their own immigration rules, which closely follow those in force in the UK, and their staff have access to UKBA instructions, guidance and watchlists.
United Kingdom immigration legislation may be extended to any of the islands by order in council (subject to exceptions and adaptations) following consultation with the islands and with the islands' consent.
Asked by Lord Wallace of Saltaire
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many United Kingdom-based UK Border Agency staff work outside the United Kingdom; and in which countries. [HL1092]
Lord West of Spithead: The number of United Kingdom based UK Border Agency staff working outside the United Kingdom and in which countries they are posted is shown in the attached table. The figures are as at December 2009(1).
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| Countries (2) | United Kingdom based UK Border Agency staff working outside the UK |
|
Total of employees in countries with 5 or fewer posted UK staff (3). | |
- (3) Total representation in countries with five or fewer posted UK staff. The numbers in these individual countries are withheld for data protection and security reasons.
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