Pre-Council Statement (Foreign Affairs)

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Edward Davey)]

The Foreign Affairs Council will be held on 10 September in Brussels. I will be representing the UK.

The agenda items are as follows:

Economic Partnership Agreements

Ministers will discuss next steps on the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with African, Caribbean and Pacific States, including how to progress negotiations further, being as flexible as possible while retaining compatibility with the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). They may also discuss the implementation of EPAs already signed and the impact of EPAs on regional integration.

South Korea Free Trade Agreement

The presidency will seek Ministers’ approval and signature of this free trade agreement (FTA) on behalf of the European Council. Discussion is also likely to cover the progress of the associated bilateral safeguard regulation through ordinary legislative procedure in the European Parliament. They will also agree to provisional application of the FTA’s commitments, the date to be confirmed later in the year following parallel work in the European Parliament.

Investment

Ministers will discuss the Commission’s communication on the future of the European Union’s international investment policy. This discussion is likely to cover which countries will take priority as the EU seeks partners for new EU-investment agreements and what these agreements should cover. It is also likely that the regulation to manage the transfer of competency for international investment policy, which was published in parallel with the communication, will also be raised.

Any Other Business: Pakistan

Following the catastrophic flooding which continues to cause considerable devastation in Pakistan, Ministers will discuss plans for the EU to agree a comprehensive package of support for Pakistan’s recovery both in the short and longer-term, including substantive measures on trade. The discussion is likely to cover both increased humanitarian assistance from member states and the Commission, as well as mechanisms to grant Pakistan increased market access to the EU, either through membership of the generalised system of preferences(+) (GSP+) scheme or through immediate, short-term reductions in EU tariffs on key Pakistani exports.

Any Other Business: Malaysia FTA

Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht will inform Ministers of recent discussions with Malaysia about the possible start of negotiations for a free trade agreement under the EU-ASEAN free trade agreement mandate.

Vocational Education

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

For many years our education system has failed to value practical education, choosing to give far greater emphasis to purely academic achievements. This has left a gap in the country’s skills base and, as a result, a shortage of appropriately trained and educated young people to fulfil the needs of our employers. To help support our economic recovery, we need to ensure that this position does not continue and in future we are able to meet the needs of our labour market. I am today announcing an independent review of vocational education which will be chaired by Professor Alison Wolf

To enable us to achieve this long-term aim, the Government are currently developing a new approach to qualifications, considering all routes which are available to young people, to ensure that the qualifications that they study for are rigorous, relevant and bear comparison with the best in the world. As part of this I have asked Professor Wolf to consider how we can improve vocational education for 14 to19-year-olds to support participation and progression, specifically: how vocational education for 14 to19-year-olds can be improved; what the appropriate target audience for vocational education is; what principles should underpin the content, structure and teaching methods of the vocational education offer; and how progression from vocational education to positive destinations can be improved. The review will not be considering the detailed content of specific qualifications, but will be focusing on the effectiveness of the overall structure of the vocational offer.

I have asked Professor Wolf to report to me by spring 2011, and to make practical recommendations that will ensure real change and have regard to current financial constraints.

I have today placed a copy of the letter I have sent to Professor Wolf in the Library of the House.

EU Foreign Policy Meetings

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

There will be a series of EU foreign policy meetings in September.

10 to 11 September: Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers “Gymnich”. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will attend.

10 September: Foreign Affairs Council (FAC). The Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Minister with responsibility for employment relations, consumer and postal affairs, the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) will attend. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will table a written ministerial statement on this prior to the FAC.

13 September: General Affairs Council (GAC). I will represent the UK.

16 September: European Council: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary will attend.

Gymnich: 10-11 September

The Gymnich will be co-chaired by Baroness Ashton and the Belgian Foreign Minister, Vanackere. The main item will be the EU’s relations with strategic partners, in preparation for the European Council. The meeting will also discuss Pakistan, Turkey and the workings of Foreign Affairs Councils. There will also be a meeting with EU candidate countries. Other topical issues—middle east peace process and western Balkans—may be discussed. But, because it is an informal meeting, there will be no conclusions.

General Affairs Council (GAC): 13 September

The GAC, chaired by the Belgian presidency, will predominantly cover final preparations for the September European Council which will discuss EU relations with strategic powers and include a Heads lunch discussion on economic governance.

President Van Rompuy will join Ministers over lunch where we will stress the importance of having substantive foreign policy outcomes at the September European Council. The GAC will also take a first look at the October European Council which will review President Van Rompuy’s economic governance taskforce, prepare for the Cancun meeting on climate change and November’s G20 meeting in South Korea.

European Council: 16 September

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will report to the House following the meeting of the Council.

National Programme for IT

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr Simon Burns)]

The National Programme for IT is being reconfigured to reflect the changes described in the White Paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS” and the outcome of the cross-Government review of ICT projects initiated in May.

A departmental review of the National Programme for IT has concluded that we deliver best value for taxpayers by retaining a national infrastructure and applications whilst devolving leadership of IT development to NHS organisations on the principle of connected systems and interoperability with a plural system of suppliers.

The programme has delivered a national infrastructure for the NHS, and a number of successful national applications such as choose and book, the picture archiving and communications (digital imaging) system, and the electronic prescription service should now be integrated with the running of current health services.

The remaining work of the programme largely involves local systems and services, and the Government believe these should now be driven by local NHS organisations. Localised decision making and responsibility will create fresh ways of ensuring that clinicians and patients are involved in planning and delivering front line care and driving change. This reflects the coalition Government’s commitment to ending top-down government.

The new approach to implementation will be modular, allowing NHS organisations to introduce smaller, more manageable change, in line with their business requirements and capacity. NHS services will be the customers of a more plural IT supplier base, embodying the core assumption of connecting all systems together rather than replacing all systems.

This approach will also address the delays, particularly in the acute sector, that resulted from the national programme’s previous focus on complete system replacement. It will allow NHS trusts to retain existing systems that meet modern standards, and move forward in a way that best fits their own circumstances.

An appropriate structure for health informatics is a key element of the organisational design work currently underway following the publication of “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS”. The direction of travel being announced today for IT services very much reflects the key theme of the White Paper, of bringing decisions closer to the front line. It follows that the national programme will no longer be run as a centralised programme. Some elements will need to continue to be nationally managed and it is expected that new structures will be fully in place by April 2012.

Existing contracts will be honoured and it is vital that their value be maximised. However, by moving IT systems closer to the frontline, it is expected to make additional savings of £700 million, on top of the £600 million announced by the previous Administration in December 2009. These savings will mean that the total cost of the programme will be reduced significantly from the original forecast of £12.7 billion for combined central and local spending to £11.4 billion.

A separate review of the summary care record is currently underway, incorporating two elements: what content the summary electronic record should hold and make available for sharing across the health system; and whether the processes by which patients are able to withhold their consent are as clear and simple as possible. This review is expected to report by the end of September.

Reciprocal Health Agreement (UK and Isle of Man)

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Anne Milton)]

Following discussions between the Department, the Isle of Man Government and the devolved Administrations, a new reciprocal health agreement between the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man will come into effect from 1 October 2010.

The new agreement will put the current temporary arrangements on a permanent footing meaning that UK residents visiting the Isle of Man will receive free, state provided health care, as will Isle of Man residents visiting the UK.

Under the agreement, no public funds will change hands and this brings the Isle of Man into line with other agreements that the UK has with a number of non-European Economic Area countries.

The new agreement represents a sensible and logical conclusion and provides certainty for travellers on temporary visits between the UK and Isle of Man.

UK Border Agency (Biometric Provision)

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Minister for Immigration (Damian Green)]

The Home Secretary announced the cancellation of ID cards and a halt to work on second biometric passports on 27 May 2010. UKBA has now renegotiated one of the key contracts that supported this work, saving £50 million. Using the restructured contract UKBA will build the immigration and asylum biometric system (IABS). This system will strengthen our ability to control the entry of foreign nationals into the United Kingdom and identify those who pose a risk to our country. Those who have previously been deported, or committed a criminal offence, or been turned down for a visa will find it much harder to enter the UK.

Following the Home Secretary’s announcement. Government reviewed the future use of all contracts let in connection with ID cards and second biometric passports. One of the relevant contracts is for the provision of a database of fingerprints and facial images. This contract, titled the national identity assurance service (NIAS) also supports key UKBA initiatives for the control of immigration and asylum. UKBA has been able to save £50 million from the contract price by removing components that stored data on UK nationals, and which are no longer needed.

Using the revised contract UKBA will completely modernise our ability to use biometrics to protect our borders. The new system is scheduled for delivery by IBM at the end of 2011 and will support the checking of biometric visas, registration cards for asylum seekers and biometric residence permits. It will replace an existing system that was first commissioned in 2000 and is now nearing its design capacity. The new system is faster, more accurate and more resilient. It can also be expanded to cater for future immigration applications, for example streamlined border entry processes. The revised contract is worth £191 million over seven years.

Immigration and Nationality Services (Charges)

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Minister for Immigration (Damian Green)]

I am announcing proposals to change the fees for immigration and nationality applications made to the UK Border Agency. The Government review these fees on a regular basis and makes appropriate changes as necessary.

The Chancellor’s emergency Budget set out the state of the nation’s finances and demonstrated the very difficult choices that must be made to reduce the budget deficit. As part of that, the Government have looked again at the contribution made towards the costs of running an immigration system by the users of that system, balanced against those costs met by the UK taxpayer and we believe proposals to increase fees at this time are in the best interests of the UK. Securing the border brings with it an unavoidable core of cost, especially as we seek to improve customer service for visa applicants: something which we believe is important in the efficient running of the UK economy.

We set some fees above the administrative cost of providing the service. This allows us to generate revenue which is used to fund the UK immigration system and to set certain fees below cost recovery to support wider Government objectives. The revenue generated will continue to strengthen our capability in underpinning technology and process improvement. For transparency, I have included details of the estimated unit cost for each route, so that it is clear the degree to which individual routes are set above or below cost.

I will shortly lay two sets of regulations in Parliament to effect fee increases and the table sets out details of all the proposed increases. The table includes indicative unit costs for each application for 2010-11. The unit cost is the estimated average cost to UK Border Agency of processing each application. Although our unit costs are not fixed over the course of the financial year, we publish unit costs to enable Members to see which fees we set over cost and by how much. Further details of all fees changes will be outlined in the explanatory memoranda accompanying the regulations.

Regulations to set fees at or below the cost of processing are subject to the negative parliamentary procedure and I propose these fees will increase from 1 October 2010. Where we charge a fee that is set above the processing cost, the regulations are subject to the affirmative parliamentary process, and I aim for these fees to come into effect in November, subject to parliamentary timetabling.

I believe our proposals continue to strike the right balance between maintaining secure and effective border controls, and ensuring that our fees structure does not inhibit the UK’s ability to attract those migrants and visitors who most benefit the UK. In principle it is right that those who benefit most from the immigration system should bear a higher share of the contribution to the running of the system.

Full details on how to apply for all of these services will be provided on our website at: www.ukba.homeoffice. gov.uk.

National Assembly for Wales (Referendum on Law-making Powers)

Thursday 9th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Mrs Cheryl Gillan)]

The National Assembly for Wales passed a resolution on 9 February 2010 calling for a referendum under the terms of the Government of Wales Act 2006. The First Minister notified my predecessor of this resolution on 17 February 2010.

I have a statutory duty to consult the Electoral Commission on the question that will be included in the draft referendum order. I referred a question proposed by the Wales Office Referendum Project Board to the Electoral Commission on 23 June 2010. The commission has conducted a thorough assessment of the preamble and question, including carrying out public opinion research, gathering views from interested parties and seeking advice from experts on plain language and accessibility in English and Welsh. It published its findings and recommendations on 2 September 2010.

I welcome the objectivity and independence that the Electoral Commission has brought to the process. It has suggested changes that take into account the generally low level of public awareness of issues and terminology relating to the referendum encountered during the testing process. I have discussed the conclusions of the report with the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister and, with their agreement, have decided to accept the commission’s recommended revision of the question and its preamble.

I will lay the draft order before Parliament shortly for consideration by both Houses, and my intention remains for the referendum in Wales to take place in the first quarter of next year.