Written Ministerial Statements

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

Thursday 9 February 2012

EU Informal Competitiveness Council

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister for Universities and Science (Mr David Willetts)]

My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, (Baroness Wilcox) has today made the following statement:

The Informal EU Competitiveness Council took place in Copenhagen on 2-3 February 2012. I represented the UK on both days of the Council. A summary of those discussions follows.

The research session of the Council on 2 February was preceded by a conference on 1 February, attended by BIS officials, discussing informally the structure of the Horizon 2020 programme. This included three plenary sessions on “Excellent Science”, “Industrial Leadership” and “Societal Challenges”.

The research Council then began on the 2 February, hosted by Danish Minister for Research, Innovation and Higher Education, Morten Østergaard. There were presentations from EU Commissioners Geoghegan-Quinn and Hahn on Commission proposals on Horizon 2020, followed by three plenary sessions centring on three of the key challenges Horizon 2020 must address. These are: improving complementariness with other EU programmes (principally structural and cohesion funds); simplifying rules of participation; and bridging the “valley of death” between basic science and commercialisation.

I attended the third session regarding the gap between basic science and commercialisation. I intervened to press for a stronger focus on the successful exploitation of research, and for support for innovation to be embedded throughout Horizon 2020. I also pressed the Commission to come forward with more detailed proposals for pan-European venture capital support and a version of the small business research initiative. Among the other workshops, member states pressed for more clarity on the link between Horizon 2020 and structural and cohesion funds, and for more ambitious plans for simplification.

The Industry and Internal Market Council followed on 3 February. This was hosted by the Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Ole Sohn and was focused on the digital single market. Minister Sohn opened the Council with a speech setting out six current and upcoming dossiers which should help the digital single market reach its full potential; e-payments, e-invoicing, e-procurement, common IT standards, the e-signatures package and the alternative dispute resolution. This was followed by speeches from Michel Barnier and Neelie Kroes, acting in their capacities as Commissioners for Internal Market and Services, and the Digital Agenda respectively.

Two workshops were then held focusing on both supply and demand in the digital single market. The main conclusion from the supply workshop was that it is imperative to boost the trust of consumers when ordering online. From the demand workshop, it emerged that the mutual recognition of e-signatures is crucial to improving e-invoicing, and that e-billing systems should be accessible across EU borders.

Coastal Regeneration

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

I am today announcing the launch of the Government’s “Coastal Communities Fund” which will allow seaside towns to seize the opportunity to boost economic growth along our coast. This fund was first announced by the Chief Secretary for the Treasury in July 2011 and I am now publishing the prospectus which sets out the delivery arrangements for the fund and the criteria that will be used to assess bids.

The fund will be equal to 50% of the revenues generated by the Crown Estate’s marine assets. The fund is UK-wide, with allocations to the devolved Administrations on the basis of revenue generated by the Crown Estate’s marine assets. The devolved Administrations will have country specific boards who will work with the Big Lottery Fund to deliver this fund on the ground. In 2012 the fund will be worth £23.7 million, and the allocations will be:

England—£18.2 million

Scotland—£3.9million (Highlands and Islands—£1.85 million. Rest of Scotland—£2.05 million)

Wales—£1.15 million

Northern Ireland—£0.45 million

Coastal towns often missed out on the economic growth of the past decade that centered on London. Smaller seaside towns are also more reliant on the tourist trade and retirement and lack the more diverse economic base of many larger towns.

Seaside towns have shown they can build stronger, more diverse economies when given the chance. This fund will give them the chance to transform economic growth along our coast and unleash their potential to create businesses and jobs. The fund underlines our commitment to supporting coastal towns so they can benefit from the growth in marine revenues generated by the Crown Estate as it develops its coastal and offshore resources.

We have worked with the Big Lottery “Big Fund” to establish how the fund will work and the timetable for its introduction. The deadline for applications in 2012 will be September, with winners announced in December. In England and Wales there will also be a fast-track process with a deadline in May 2012 and allocations in July.

I want to encourage quality bids from the many different types of organisations that support economic development including charities, social enterprises, voluntary organisations, local businesses as well as local authorities and local enterprise partnerships. The Big Lottery’s “Big Fund” will deliver the Coastal Communities Fund and will be issuing more detailed guidance shortly.

Firefighters' Pension Scheme

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Robert Neill)]

Following constructive discussions with the firefighters’ trade unions, on 8 December I wrote to all of the firefighters’ trade unions to issue the cost ceiling for the firefighters’ pension scheme. This included a generous accrual rate, and provided protection for all those within 10 years of their current scheme’s normal pension age from any change in when they can retire, nor any decrease in the pension they receive at their current normal pension age.

The Government pay tribute to the importance of the work undertaken by our fire and rescue service and the bravery, dedication and professionalism of the men and women who work within it. The Government are committed to providing public service pensions that are sustainable, fair and effective.

Building on the proposals brought forward by Lord Hutton, these proposals aim to strike a balanced deal between public service workers and the taxpayer. They will ensure that public service workers continue to have access to good pensions, while taxpayers benefit from greater control over their costs.

Public sector pensions will remain among the very best available—a guaranteed level and inflation proofed. Only one in 10 private sector workers has access to such schemes.

I am pleased to report that the Heads of Agreement for the design of a new pension scheme for firefighters in England has now been established. Each trade union with firefighter members will now consider the main design elements of a new scheme to be available for their members from 2015. Further work will take place over the coming weeks to establish the final details and Executives can consult members as appropriate.

I am particularly grateful for the manner in which firefighters’ trade unions have maintained a constructive dialogue over the emerging detailed elements of the new scheme. Further discussion will now take place through the scheme’s pension reform group.

There will be full protection for the accrued rights of existing scheme members:

all benefits accrued under final salary arrangements will be linked to the members’ final salary, in accordance with the rules of the members’ current schemes, when they leave the reformed scheme;

full recognition of a members’ expectation to double accrual for service accrued under the firefighters’ pension scheme 1992 (“the 1992 scheme”), so that a members’ full continuous pensionable service upon retirement will be used to calculate an averaged accrual rate to be applied to service accrued under the 1992 scheme;

members to be able to access their 1992 scheme benefits when they retire at that scheme’s ordinary pension age (i.e. from age 50 with 25 or more years pensionable service), subject to abatement rules for that scheme. Pensionable service for the purpose of calculating the ordinary pension age will include any continuous pensionable service accrued under both the 1992 scheme and the 2015 scheme;

members will continue to have access to an actuarially assessed commutation factor for benefits accrued under the 1992 scheme.

There also will be transitional protections for qualifying, existing members:

all active scheme members who, as of 1 April 2012, have 10 years or less to their current normal pension age will see no change in when they can retire, nor any decrease in the amount of pension they receive at their current normal pension age. This protection will be achieved by the member remaining in their current scheme until they retire;

there will be a further four years of tapered protection for scheme members. Members who are up to 14 years from their current normal pension age, as of 1 April 2012, will have limited protection so that on average for every month of age they are beyond 10 years of their normal pension age, they gain about 53 days of protection. The last day of protected service for any member will be 31 March 2022.

The main parameters of the new scheme are set out below:

a. a pension scheme design based on career average revalued earnings;

b. a provisional accrual rate of 1/58.7th of pensionable earnings each year subject to further agreement on the outstanding issues;

c. there will be no cap on how much pension can be accrued;

d. a revaluation rate of active members’ benefits in line with average weekly earnings;

e. pensions in payment and deferred benefits to increase in line with prices index (currently consumer prices index);

f average member contributions of 13.2% from April 2015, with some protection for new entrants. However, the Government will review the impact of the proposed 2012-13 contribution changes, including the effect of membership opt-outs, before taking final decisions on how future increases will be delivered in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and in the new scheme.

g. flexible retirement from the scheme’s minimum pension age of 55, built around the scheme’s normal pension age of 60, with members able to take their pension from minimum pension age as follows:

for all active members who are aged 57 or more at retirement, 2015 scheme benefits taken before normal pension age will be actuarially reduced with reference to the 2015 scheme’s normal pension age, rather than the deferred pension age;

all other members will have their 2015 scheme benefits actuarially reduced on a cost neutral basis from the scheme’s deferred pension age.

h. the normal pension age will be subject to regular review. These reviews will consider the increasing state pension age and any changes to it, alongside evidence from interested parties, including unions and employers. It will consider if the normal pension age of 60 remains relevant, taking account of the economical, efficient and effective management of the fire service, the changing profile of the workforce and the occupational demands of, and fitness standards for, firefighting roles

i. this regular review will be informed by such research carried out by the Firefighters’ Pension Committee, which will monitor and collate scheme data and experience;

j. late retirement factors for members retiring from active service to be actuarially neutral from normal pension age;

k. a deferred pension age equal to the individuals’ state pension age.

l. optional lump sum by commutation at a rate of £12 for every £1 per annum of pension forgone in accordance with HMRC limits and regulations

m. abatement in existing schemes to continue;

n. ill-health retirement and all other ancillary benefits to be based on the arrangements in the 2006 scheme

o. an employer contribution cap and floor to provide backstop protection to the taxpayer against unforeseen costs and risks.

The Government Actuary’s Department has confirmed that this scheme design does not exceed the cost ceiling set by the Government. Copies of the Heads of Agreement and the Government Actuary's Department verification report have been placed in the Library of the House.

Housing Funding

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister for Housing and Local Government (Grant Shapps)]

I am today announcing £20 million funding for local housing authorities for preventing repossessions. Some £19 million is allocated for a Preventing Repossessions Fund and £1 million will contribute to Housing Court Possessions Duty Desks.

The £19 million Preventing Repossessions Fund provides additional options for local housing authorities to tackle repossessions in their area as part of their duties to prevent homelessness. This will be achieved by offering small interest-free loans, or grants, to households at risk of repossession. Small loans can address immediate short-term financial difficulties, allow “breathing space”, and avoid households becoming homeless due to mortgage possession. This funding has been allocated to local authorities using weighted criteria which reflect demand and which reward homelessness preventions. All local housing authorities will receive funding.

£1 million is allocated to local housing authorities to fund Housing Court Possession Duty Desks within the 54 county courts in England that are not already funded by other sources, such as the Legal Services Commission. Court desks offer households free legal advice and representation on the day of a possession court hearing, regardless of an individual’s financial circumstances. This funding ensures universal access so that all households at risk of possession or eviction can access free legal advice when attending court.

Details of the amount awarded to each authority will be available on the Department’s website. A table giving the funds provided to individual authorities has been placed in the Library of the House.

A range of Government support is already in place to help homeowners at risk of repossession including Support for Mortgage Interest, a Department for Work and Pensions benefit to help out-of-work households meet their monthly interest payments (£386 million is forecast to be spent in 2011-12). The Government have invested £221 million over the next two years for the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, aimed at vulnerable homeowners at risk of repossession. This scheme has been improved to deliver better value for money for the taxpayer. The Government have also asked the Money Advice Service to establish a strategy for delivering free debt advice to empower consumers to take charge of their finances.

In addition, the Government’s ongoing efforts to tackle the record deficit will help avoid rapid increases in interest rates, which would put further pressure on already stretched family budgets. Interest payments for mortgages are currently the lowest as a proportion of total income since records began.

Local Democracy

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark)]

Following parliamentary approval, I have now made orders under section 9N of the Local Government Act 2000, which come into force today, and which require mayoral referendums to be held on 3 May 2012 in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wakefield.

In their coalition agreement the Government committed to creating directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities outside London, subject to confirmatory referendums and full scrutiny by elected councillors.

We are clear from experience both internationally and here in this country that elected executive mayors can significantly enhance the leadership of our major cities, delivering greater economic growth and prosperity. Led by a mayor, our cities will have the potential to perform even more strongly economically, socially and environmentally, making the contribution that they should to the growth and success of the country’s economy.

Leicester elected its city mayor in May 2011. On 7 February 2012, Liverpool city council resolved that their city will have a directly elected mayor and plan to hold the first election for a Liverpool mayor on 3 May 2012.

The orders I have made are the next major step towards creating mayors in the remaining 10 cities. Local people in each of these cities will now have the opportunity to say whether they want their city to have an elected mayor. Where the people decide in the referendum that their city should have an elected mayor, they will elect their first mayor on 15 November 2012.

I have also now made, following parliamentary approval, the Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012 which make provision for the conduct of referendums about local governance changes, including the conduct of the referendums required by the orders.

As we made it clear in the parliamentary debates on the draft orders, it was open to any of the city councils, before their order was made, to resolve to move to an elected mayor. Liverpool has done so, and hence I have not made an order for Liverpool.

Operation Herrick 16 Roulement (Correction)

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Hammond)]

I regret that the written ministerial statement I laid on 7 February, Official Report, column 11WS, contained an error of detail. I am therefore laying a revised statement today.

The next roulement of UK forces in Afghanistan is due to take place in April 2012. The UK’s current framework Brigade in Helmand, 20th Armoured Brigade, will be replaced by 12th Mechanised Brigade. The forces deploying include:

Individual electoral Registration

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr Mark Harper)]

I am announcing today the publication of the Government response to the pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation on individual electoral registration (IER) and changes to electoral administration.

Last June we set out our proposals for improving the electoral system through the introduction of IER in Great Britain.

As we said then, the electoral register is a key building block of our democracy. We see both registering to vote and voting as civic duties and we strongly encourage people both to register and to vote. We published our proposals for consultation and for scrutiny by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee (PCRC) because this is a vital part of our democracy, so we want our plans to be tested, and we want to be sure that the choices we make on the costs and benefits of the options open to us are well informed. We are grateful for the feedback that we have received not only from the Committee, but from everyone who took the time to respond to our White Paper.

In addition to putting our proposals out for testing, we have actively sought evidence from a range of other sources to inform policy development.

The research we funded the Electoral Commission to undertake has underlined the case for reform of the way people carry out their civic duty of registering to vote. We commissioned a literature review of research in this area from Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, a respected academic, which is published alongside this paper and adds further to the evidence base which informs our decisions.

We have paid attention to the lessons learnt from experience of Northern Ireland including the importance of carrying forward electors who have not registered in the first canvass under the new system, and their excellent work in registering new voters including working in partnership with schools to encourage young people to register.

The principle of introducing IER was widely supported by both by the PCRC and those who responded to the White Paper. We have listened to the feedback expressed about elements of the Government’s proposals and are proposing a number of key changes to the proposals included in the White Paper. In particular we want to ensure there are more safeguards in place to ensure as many eligible people as possible stay on the electoral register during the transition and that we can focus on those people eligible to vote but missing from the register. The major changes to the policy position are as follows:

Simplifying the Transition

Over the past year we have carried out a series of data matching pilots, comparing electoral registers in 22 areas with a range of data from public authorities. While the final evaluation is still being concluded, the evidence so far suggests that comparing entries on an electoral register with information held by the DWP allows us to confirm as accurate a significant majority (an average of two thirds for that data set alone in the pilot areas) of entries on the registers concerned.

Subject to the results of the full evaluation, and further testing this year with stakeholders, we are therefore minded to build on this to simplify the transition to IER for the majority of electors. It is now our intention that the name and address of all individuals on an electoral register when IER is introduced will be matched against the data held by public bodies such as the DWP and local authorities themselves. If an elector’s information can be matched, the individual will be automatically placed onto the new IER register and would not need to take any further action to be registered under IER. Only those people who cannot be confirmed automatically will be invited to provide identifying information to be verified. This should simplify the transition process for the majority of electors, reducing the number of people required to provide personal identifiers and will also allow EROs to free up resource to target the smaller group of people whose information cannot be matched and those who are currently missing from the register.

Compulsion and Personal Choice

It remains our firm belief that registering to vote is a civic duty; we have taken into account the concerns raised by the PCRC and those who responded to the consultation about the possible impact that an “up front” opt out could have on registration levels. As we made clear last year, we are minded to amend this provision and intend either to retain the “opt out” but require a person wishing to do so to complete a separate application, or to entirely remove this option altogether.

There has also been widespread discussion of whether it should be an offence for an individual not to register to vote when invited to do so. Despite the strong feelings expressed in the consultation on this issue, our view is that the evidence is not conclusive that introducing a new criminal offence will make any significant difference to registration levels, nor do we feel it is appropriate that we use the threat of a criminal offence to promote greater engagement in the electoral process. However, there are arguments for and against introducing a civil penalty for non-response to an invitation to register, and some important practical implications to resolve on how such a system could work.

We will explore these issues, including with our key stakeholders and in the light of this decide on the approach to take on both a civil penalty and the “opt-out”. We will set out our decision on this in the legislation when introduced.

Move the 2013 household canvass to 2014

We have listened to concerns that the gap between the last old style household canvass and the amended canvass in 2014 is too long. Therefore to ensure that a more accurate and up-to-date register is used as the basis of the new register we are planning to delay the annual canvass in 2013 to the early part of 2014.

We believe these changes, along with the others outlined in the Government’s response, will significantly strengthen these proposals. The full response to the PCRC’s report and the views expressed during the public consultation on our White Paper and draft legislation are set out in the Command Paper, but they are not our final word on the subject.

As we continue to refine our proposals ahead of introduction of legislation later this year, we will continue to work closely with stakeholders to further inform our thinking and develop our proposals. We have listened and learned, and we shall continue to do so.

Copies of this Command Paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. We will also be shortly publishing on the Cabinet Office website only a literature review on electoral registration, written by Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, and a high-level implementation time line for individual electoral registration.

Feed-in Tariffs

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory Barker)]

This Government are committed to promoting decentralised energy and the take-up of small-scale low-carbon technologies by the public and by communities.

The feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme is an important instrument in meeting that commitment, but it needs to be reformed as we want as many people as possible to be able to benefit from the scheme. For too long it has been limited to the lucky few.

So today I am publishing a series of documents which mark a crucial turning point for the FITs scheme. Taken as a whole, this reform package will put the scheme on a predictable, certain and sustainable footing for consumers, and for the businesses delivering these exciting renewable technologies.

It is no secret that the uncontrolled surge of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the latter part of last year, driven by rapidly falling costs, placed a huge strain on the FITs budget, threatening the Government’s ability to roll out those small-scale low-carbon technologies in the numbers we wanted over the next few years. We acted as swiftly as possible to respond to the threat this posed both to the future of the FITs scheme and to the bills of hard-pressed consumers, through the changes we are now making to the tariffs for solar PV.

But that is by no means the end of the story on FITs. We are now taking the opportunity of the review to put right the many limitations of the scheme we inherited. We have looked hard at the FITs budget and made the most of the flexibility available under the levy control framework to ensure that we can keep the scheme going. The reforms I am announcing today are designed to make that budget go as far as possible to maximise the number of people able to benefit from FITs; to provide greater certainty to the industries concerned; and to ensure value for money to consumers who pay the bills.

FITs reform package

The documents we are publishing today are as follows:

(i) Government response to the consultation on FITs for solar PV—This supplements our announcement of 19 January 2012 which confirmed the new tariffs for solar PV that will continue to provide a competitive return on investment for householders, communities and others. The new tariffs are designed to apply to all installations with an eligibility date from 3 March onwards.

We are now also announcing the details of the new energy efficiency requirement, and of the new multi-installation tariff rates. We have listened carefully to concerns raised in last autumn’s consultation and have decided that the energy efficiency requirement should be based on an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of level D or above, not level C or any other option as previously mooted. We have also decided that the threshold at which the multi-installation tariff rates would apply should be increased from more than one PV installations to more than 25. This will help community groups, small businesses and councils who do not benefit from the economies of scale that larger aggregators can obtain.

We are also today laying before Parliament draft licence modifications which, subject to the parliamentary process set out in the Energy Act 2008, make provision for these new requirements to come into effect for new PV installations with an eligibility date on or after 1 April 2012.

(ii) A consultation on solar PV cost controls—In line with the encouraging evidence we have seen of the reduction in costs associated with solar PV, this document sets out proposals for an ambitious programme of six-monthly degression for solar PV tariffs, with an added deployment trigger to ensure that subsidy levels keep in step with the market. This builds on the best of the German system and will remove the need for emergency reviews, consistent with our commitment to a stable, predictable future for solar PV and for the whole FITs scheme. It will also help to keep the long-term costs of supporting solar PV down, increasing the number of people able to benefit from FITs over time. The consultation closes on 3 April.

(iii) A consultation on tariffs for FIT technologies other than PV, and other scheme administration issues—This includes proposals to carve out special arrangements for community projects, including greater tariff stability. It also proposes an increase in the rate of return available for micro-combined heat and power, in recognition of the benefits this technology could bring, and potential tariff guarantees for wind, anaerobic digestion and hydro projects, so that those technologies can have greater certainty about what rates of return they will receive. The consultation closes on 26 April.

All these documents, together with the supporting impact assessments, are available from the Department’s website: www.decc.gov.uk/FITS.

Flood and Coastal Erosion (Risk Management)

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Richard Benyon)]

I am today, in conjunction with the Environment Agency, announcing details of flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes going ahead in the next financial year. In additional to the continuing construction of over 80 schemes, a total of 60 new schemes will begin construction in the coming year. When complete these new schemes will give over 25,000 homes a better level of protection from the devastating effects of flooding and coastal erosion.

This Government will spend £2.17 billion on managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion over this spending period (April 2011 to March 2015). We have prioritised areas of severe flood and coastal erosion risk, and households in deprived communities. Of the 145,000 homes that will be better protected by 2015, around half will be in areas of significant flood risk and almost 15,000 homes will be both at significant flood risk and in the most deprived parts of the country.

New estimates show that the risk management authorities are on track to exceed the goal of better protecting 145,000 homes by March 2015. This is in part due to the new partnership approach to funding that has helped secure £72 million of external contributions for projects over the next three years. Regional flood and coastal committees, which include local authority representatives, have worked with local communities to attract flood defence funding from external sources such as businesses, private investors and local authorities. For example, in south Derbyshire, Nestlé has contributed £1.7 million to a £7 million scheme to protect 1,600 homes and further financial contributions have been made from industry, the community and local landowners. A scheme in Water End, York, which was turned down for funding last year, is going ahead after the Environment Agency worked with York city council to agree a package of cost reductions and partnership contributions.

Other schemes that will go ahead next year include Warrington in Cheshire, protecting over 2,000 households, Salmons Brook in North London, protecting over 1,300 households, and Godmanchester in Cambridgeshire, protecting over 300 households. The Environment Agency has also committed to increasing the number of households receiving free flood warnings to over 1.1 million.

The full programme of schemes going ahead in 2012-13 alongside a provisional programme for future years will be published on the Environment Agency website later today.

UN Conference on Sustainable Development

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

I would like to update the House on preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio plus 20, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 20-22 June this year. It follows directly on from the G20 summit in Los Cabos.

Rio plus 20 has two major themes: the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development.

The UN’s negotiating text, entitled “The Future We Want”, was published on 10 January. It is based on over 250 contributions submitted by member states and stakeholders. The UK welcomes this document as a starting point, but would like to see further prioritisation and a focus on tangible actions. The UK will call for:

A clear political declaration that we need green growth; that development, the environment, and the economy are inextricably linked; and that we need to consider all three together for our future prosperity.

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) to drive international action and increase co-operation in key sectors such as agriculture, water and energy. SDGs should not and cannot distract attention away from achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015. The UK remains firmly committed to delivering these goals. We must work towards a clear position beyond 2015 which builds on the millennium development goals, in which sustainable development goals could play an important part. This is a priority for the UK and an area in which we will take the lead with international colleagues.

Action in key sectors for green growth: supporting international initiatives to drive sustainable growth in agriculture, sustainable energy access, water, and forestry.

Tangible outcomes that will put sustainability at the heart of decision making and support all countries in efforts to move to a more sustainable growth path. Governments can and must provide the framework for green growth, through reducing or removing environmentally harmful subsidies, getting price signals right, standards and voluntary approaches, valuing natural resources, developing indicators of green growth. We will also be calling for Governments to take steps to measure and account for their natural and social capital, in addition to GDP.

A clear focus on the private sector as drivers of green growth, through trade, innovation and investment. Rio should drive uptake of sustainable business practices—in particular transparent and coherent sustainability reporting, and resource efficiency.

Recommendations for institutional reform which draw on the Prime Minister’s global governance report for G20. Greater coherence, efficiency, and improved co-ordination are needed to deliver better outcomes at a lower cost. The UK supports a collective focus on interrelated issues and shared goals.

I will continue the dialogue with the private sector and civil society over the coming months, and will press for action on these priorities within the EU as well as internationally. I will keep Parliament updated on progress as the negotiations evolve.

Rural Payments Agency

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr James Paice)]

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is today publishing a plan setting out how the agency will be transformed over the next five years so that it delivers both vastly improved service to its customers and much better value for money for taxpayers. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

This is an important turning point for the agency. The 2013 review of RPA which I published in July 2010, provided an independent, evidenced based view of RPA’s then current state as well as its readiness for implementation of the expected reform of the common agricultural policy (“CAP 2013”). The conclusions offered a stark assessment of the agency’s capabilities in terms of basic finance functions, customer service, IT, leadership and governance. The negative effects on RPA customers and for taxpayers were as clear as they were unacceptable. I said then that I would not allow that state of affairs to continue and that I would personally drive forward progress by chairing a new oversight board.

Under a new chief executive and senior management team improvements are already being seen at RPA. For example, my written statement of 11 January 2012, Official Report, column.16 WS reported that in December 2011 the agency had made its highest ever proportion of SPS payments in the opening month of the payment window. However, as is made clear in the plan, further work is required in a number of areas (data, controls, IT, organisational structure, systems and people) in order to fully overcome the legacy of the failed implementation of the SPS in 2005. Meanwhile, the challenge of implementing the CAP 2013 reforms, currently under negotiation in Brussels, looms ever closer on the horizon.

Against that background, the plan comes in two parts. Phase 1, the strategic improvement plan (SIP) involves a series of 45 projects which will run from 2012-15 and deliver:

Cleansed data;

Improved processes and controls;

Maintained or improved technology;

Fit for purpose structure and corporate services;

Better customer service tools;

Improved people capacity and capability.

Many of these projects deal with improving underlying processes and data to make RPA’s foundation more solid and the outputs may not be very visible to its customers during the life of the SIP itself. However, these projects will be crucially important in ensuring that the agency is on a sound footing to deal with the amount of change it faces over the next five years.

Phase 2, the future options programme (FOP) will take centre stage from 2014-17. The FOP is looking presently at alternative models for delivering some or all of RPA’s business following the CAP scheme changes post-2013. Once the right operating model for the future is established the FOP will assess delivery options, which may include various forms of outsourcing, and then set in train the procurement process; all this activity will take place within the next two years. The objective of the FOP is to build on the work of the SIP to provide a much better service to RPA’s customers and much better value for money for the taxpayer.

Annual RPA business plans will set out in more detail the expected costs and outputs in the year ahead. The business plan for 2012-13 is scheduled to be published in April However, I can confirm now that DEFRA is investing an addition £21.8 million in the next financial year, with a further £19.1 million provisionally earmarked for the following two financial years. This represents a serious commitment to finally drawing a line under RPA’s unfortunate legacy and putting it in the best possible position to implement the CAP 2013 reforms. I will continue to chair the RPA oversight board in order to provide the necessary support and challenge to ensure that objective is met.

Waste Water National Policy Statement

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mrs Caroline Spelman)]

Having considered consultation responses and the report of the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, I am today laying before Parliament the waste water national policy statement as an un-numbered Command Paper. At the same time, I am also laying, pursuant to section 5(9)(b) of the Planning Act 2008, the Government’s response to the Select Committee.

A written response to the consultation and an updated version of the impact assessment is also being published on the Department’s website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/water/sewage/.

National policy statements are critical to the new planning system, which will help developers bring forward waste water projects of national significance without facing unnecessary delays, while ensuring local people have an opportunity to have a say about how their communities develop, and that decisions are made in an accountable way by elected Ministers.

The waste water national policy statement sets out our need for waste water infrastructure to protect public health and ensure the health of our water environment with the consequent benefits for our water supply and biodiversity. Despite measures which will slow the growth in demand for new waste water infrastructure in England, for example the use of sustainable drainage systems, we will continue to need investment in new waste water infrastructure in order to modernise outdated infrastructure, meet future demands from a growing population and the effects of climate change, and to fulfil our EU obligations.

It has been agreed with the House that the same procedure as set out in the Localism Act, when it comes into effect, will be followed for national policy statements already in development. I intend to designate the national policy statement after a period of 21 sitting days has elapsed, or following a debate in the House of Commons if the House wishes one, and approves the national policy statement, within that period.

UK-Afghanistan Enduring Strategic Partnership

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr William Hague)]

I wish to inform the House that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is today publishing the Enduring Strategic Partnership document between the UK and Afghanistan which was signed by the Prime Minister and President Karzai on 28 January, 2012.

The Enduring Strategic Partnership signals our shared vision of a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan able to maintain its own security and prevent the country from again being used as a safe haven for international terrorists

Building on the strong message from the Bonn conference last year of the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan post-2014, the Enduring Strategic Partnership demonstrates our long-term partnership with Afghanistan.

The document reaffirms both countries’ commitment to continuing partnership and friendship. It makes clear that we will have a wide-ranging relationship with Afghanistan which will continue beyond transition and the drawdown of international combat troops.

The partnership sets out our agreement to co-operate on political dialogue, security, governance and rule of law, economic and social development, and cultural links.

I am placing the document in the Library of the House. It will also be published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk).

Export of Tasers (UK Policy)

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Alistair Burt)]

Members will recall that in July 1997 the Government announced their policy on preventing British companies from manufacturing, selling or procuring equipment designed primarily for torture. Reference was made to the UK taking the necessary measures to prevent the export from or transhipment through the UK of portable devices designed or modified for riot control purposes or self-protection that administer an electric-shock. This included electric discharge shock guns, of which taser is a brand.

The Government are committed to maintaining this policy given their commitment to preventing British companies from manufacturing, selling or procuring equipment designed primarily for torture and to continuing to press for a global ban on such equipment.

We therefore propose to maintain this prohibition on the export, transhipment, and trade in such equipment to all destinations, except in certain very limited and specific circumstances with regard to tasers in specific cases relating to approved use by UK police.

The need to allow the limited export of tasers has arisen because of operational difficulties for UK police services, police services of the Crown dependencies and some British Overseas Territories who seek to use tasers, consistent with their use by UK police forces, as a measured alternative to the use of lethal force.

The Government will therefore now consider applications for the grant of a licence for the export of tasers, but only under the following limited circumstances:

(i) Where the export of tasers is to the police service of a Crown dependency or UK overseas territory and where it has been specifically recommended by Her Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary that such a police service adopts the use of such equipment by trained officers as an alternative to the use of lethal firearms, and that the use of the equipment is in line with the accepted standards set for UK police officers; or

(ii) Where tasers constitute officially issued equipment for use by suitably trained UK police officers who are being deployed in support of a police operation in a Crown dependency or overseas territory, and where that deployment has been requested by the chief police officer of the Crown dependency or overseas territory; or

(iii) Where the equipment belonging to a UK police force, the police service of a Crown dependency or UK overseas territory, or to an authorised agent working on their behalf, is being returned to the original manufacturer for repair, or replacement of faulty equipment, or as unwanted goods.

Immigration and Nationality Services

Thursday 9th February 2012 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 make appropriate changes as necessary. I am today laying regulations for fees that are set at levels above the estimated administrative costs of the service. We have continued with our strategic approach to charging; setting certain fees above cost on the basis of the value of the service.

Given the ongoing need to reduce public spending, we believe it is right that we continue to seek to reduce the burden on UK taxpayers of delivering the border and immigration system by asking migrants to make a greater contribution to the funding of the UK Border Agency. The UK Border Agency has given careful consideration to its fee levels, to ensure it can maintain good service levels to customers and secure the border for the general public.

Some fees are set above the administrative cost of providing the service to generate the revenue which is used to help fund the UK immigration system and which enables others to be set below cost recovery to support wider Government objectives. The revenue generated will contribute towards securing the UK’s border and controlling migration for the benefit of the UK. These fees must be set out in regulations before both Houses of Parliament and are subject to the affirmative legislative procedure. In addition, I will shortly lay another set of regulations in Parliament for the fees for immigration and nationality services that are set at or below the administrative cost of the service. Further details of all fees changes will be outlined in the explanatory memoranda accompanying both sets of regulations. Subject to parliamentary approval the Government hope to bring the new fees into force from 6 April 2012.

Details of all the proposed increases are set out in the table attached (new fees are shown in italics). The table includes indicative unit costs for each application for financial year 2012-13. The unit cost is the estimated average cost to the UK Border Agency of processing each application. Although these unit costs are not fixed over the course of the financial year, the unit costs are published so it is clear which fees we set over cost and by how much.

In developing these proposals, the UK Border Agency has sought to limit most increases to approximately 2%. In addition, the fees paid by dependants, for applications made within the UK, are being maintained at the current level of 50% of a main applicant’s fee. In future the UK Border Agency will look to charge the same fee in the UK for dependants and main applicants, as currently already happens for visa applications made overseas.

Full details on how to apply for all of these services will be provided on the UK Border Agency’s website, www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk.

Civil Justice Consultation (Government Response)

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Jonathan Djanogly)]

I am today announcing the publication of the Government’s response to the civil justice consultation on “Solving disputes in the county courts”, which included proposals to modernise the civil justice system and make it simpler, quicker, cheaper and more effective.

The consultation was launched by the Ministry of Justice on 29 March 2011 and closed on 30 June 2011.

Based on the broad support many of the Government’s proposals received, we plan to increase the small claims limit to £10,000 initially, with a possible further increase to £15,000 in the future after evaluation. We do not recommend an increase to the fast-track limit at this time.

All small claims will be referred automatically to mediation, on the basis that this is not compulsory mediation, but rather a requirement to engage with a small claims mediator. Mandatory information sessions for higher-value claims will not be introduced.

After liaising further with stakeholders we will be extending to £25,000 the existing RTA PI scheme to provide a speedier, more transparent system for dealing with low-value personal injury claims arising out of accidents. This will assist in deterring spurious claims, while ensuring compensation is available more quickly where it is merited.

The Government will proceed with streamlining procedures and commencement of certain provisions of part 4 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, which have already been approved by Parliament.

A single county court for England and Wales will be established and provisions introduced to enable cases and judges to be allocated more efficiently and effectively. Specialist claims will be placed under the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court.

The document is available online at: http://www.justice. gov.uk.

ATOL Reform Regulations

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Mrs Theresa Villiers)]

Today I am pleased to announce the Government’s decisions on the proposals set out in last summer’s consultation on the reform of the Air Travel Organiser’s Licensing (ATOL) scheme which can be introduced through new regulations under existing powers.

ATOL is a longstanding and important scheme, which last year protected 18 million holidaymakers from travel company failure. ATOL is particularly relevant in today’s uncertain times, allowing consumers to book with the confidence that if their holiday company fails, their money will be protected or they will be able to return home as planned if they are already away, without any extra cost.

It is essential that the scheme should apply in an effective way in the modern holiday market; so that consumers are clear about their rights and how to use them, and holiday companies know which of their products must be protected.

In addition the Air Travel Trust Fund, which provides for refunds and repatriations under the scheme, is operating at a deficit and is supported by a Government guarantee. The fund needs to return to a financially self-sustaining basis as soon as possible so that taxpayers’ money is no longer exposed to risk.

Between 23 June and 15 September 2011 the Government consulted on a set of initial reforms to the ATOL scheme with the following objectives:

Improving clarity for consumers about what holidays are protected.

Returning Air Travel Trust Fund finances to a self-sustaining basis, with the deficit repaid and Government guarantee phased out.

The longer to medium-term objectives are to:

Further improve the clarity of the scheme and develop a more consistent and coherent

regulatory framework for businesses.

Look at options for how the ATOL scheme is managed and- financed once it is financially self-sustaining, with a view to reducing its cost to the travel trade and consumers.

The ATOL reform consultation received 82 responses. I am grateful to stakeholders for taking the time to reply. In the light of the responses and further analysis, I am confirming today that new ATOL regulations will be made that will:

Bring into the ATOL scheme flight-plus holidays sold by tour operators and travel agents. These are holidays that look like packages but do not meet the legal definition, and so do not currently require protection under the scheme. Including these holidays will end a significant source of confusion for consumers, and we expect up to an additional 6 million holidays a year will be fully ATOL protected as a result.

Ensure that on paying for an ATOL protected flight-only, package holiday or flight-plus, consumers receive a certificate confirming that their trip is covered by the scheme. To give the travel trade sufficient time to prepare, this requirement will come fully into effect on 1 October 2012. Until then, consumers will receive clear confirmation that their holiday or flight is ATOL protected.

Taking account of consultation responses and further discussion with stakeholders, the new ATOL regulations will include a number of changes to the draft regulations consulted on. These include changes to the definition of a flight-plus holiday and a revised approach to the exemption for flight-only sales where tickets are provided immediately on payment. Further details on these changes are included in the summary of responses and the Government’s decisions published today on the Department’s website.

It is intended that the new regulations will be laid in Parliament in March, before coming into effect on 30 April 2012.

In addition to bringing greater clarity to consumers about ATOL protection for holidays and flights, we expect that these reforms should allow the ATOL scheme’s financial deficit to be repaid within three years. This will pave the way for possible future changes to improve how the ATOL scheme is funded and managed. The Civil Aviation Authority plans initial discussions with stakeholders on options for this later in the year, building on responses to the question posed in the consultation on this subject.

These regulations complement the clause in the Civil Aviation Bill introduced on 19 January 2012 that would allow the ATOL scheme to cover holidays sold by airlines and those organised on an agent for the consumer basis. Subject to parliamentary process, the Government’s intention is that such a step would only be taken following full consultation with stakeholders including an impact assessment.

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

Thursday 9th February 2012 Written Statements

[The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Chris Grayling)]

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will be held on 17 February 2012 in Brussels. The Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), who is the Minister with responsibility for employment relations, consumer and postal affairs, will represent the United Kingdom.

There will be three roundtable discussions at this meeting. The first will be a policy debate on women on company boards. My hon. Friend will stress that the UK is committed to seeing more women on company boards. He will further highlight the merits of industry-led measures that achieve real culture change as opposed to the setting of legally binding quotas.

The second discussion is scheduled to be an initial exchange of views on new European Commission proposals related to the posting of workers. The proposals are yet to be published. When responding to these proposals, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary will make clear that in considering the proposals the UK will take account of their likely impact on growth, competitiveness and jobs.

The third discussion will be a policy debate on the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy in the field of employment and social policy. The debate will centre on a set of Council conclusions on the joint employment report priorities for action. My hon. Friend will stress the need for deeper structural reforms to get European economies moving and people back into work. He will acknowledge that the conclusions fully reflect the mandate given to Council by heads of state and Government in December 2010 and at last month’s informal European Council for EU Employment Ministers to exchange views on the effective functioning of labour markets.

Under any other business the Commission will provide information on transitional arrangements on the free movement of workers from Bulgaria and Romania. The presidency will provide information on the preparation of the tripartite social summit. The Commission and presidency will provide information on preparation for the G20 Meeting of Labour and Employment Ministers; and on the Euro-Mediterranean employment and labour high-level working group. Finally, the Employment Committee and Social Protection Committee chairs will provide information on their work programmes for 2012.