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119WS
Written Ministerial Statements
6 JUNE 2013
Written Ministerial Statements
120WS
environmental and economic impacts into account. The
process will also ensure that local people have an
opportunity to have their say about how their communities
develop.
The hazardous waste national policy statement sets
out our need for new hazardous waste infrastructure to
manage the hazardous waste. Despite measures to prevent
and minimise the production of hazardous waste, arisings
have remained significant despite the economic downturn.
DEFRA’s “Strategy For Hazardous Waste Management
in England”, issued in 2010 sets out the Department’s
policies for the management of hazardous waste, which
are essentially to manage it in accordance with the
waste hierarchy, so that we recycle or recover the waste
where possible and reduce amounts sent for final disposal.
That strategy set out the types of facility needed, some
of which are nationally significant.
We look to the market to provide these facilities. The
waste industry is best placed to consider the most
appropriate types of technologies to use. Government’s
role is to provide the right framework and encouragement
to the private sector to bring the necessary infrastructure
forward. This national policy statement sets out the
framework in which decisions for applications for
development consent for hazardous waste infrastructure
will be made and should provide industry with the
clarity it needs to bring forward applications for
development consent for new infrastructure for hazardous
waste.
The proposed national policy statement for hazardous
waste will be designated if a period of 21 sitting days
elapses without the House of Commons resolving during
that period that the statement should not be proceeded
with, pursuant to section 5(4)(a) of the Planning Act
2008.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Asylum Support (Rates)
The Minister for Immigration (Mr Mark Harper):
The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 enables the
Home Office to support asylum seekers while their
application to remain in the UK is determined, and
some failed asylum seekers who temporarily are unable
to return home. Under these arrangements we provide
the claimant and any family members with free fully
furnished and equipped housing with no bills to pay, as
well as modest rates of financial support to meet their
essential day to day living needs.
I have carefully considered whether those rates of
financial support are adequate for the purpose set by
Parliament, which is to meet the essential living needs
of those asylum seekers and their dependants who
would otherwise be destitute. I have concluded that they
are, and so I am announcing today that the rates will be
frozen for the current year.
JUSTICE
Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Damian
Green): On Friday 19 October 2012 I made a written
statement to Parliament announcing the triennial review
of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. I am pleased
to announce the conclusion of the review and publication
of the report today.
Established by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 as an
executive non-departmental body in 1997, the Criminal
Cases Review Commission undertakes reviews of possible
miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland with a view to referring appropriate cases to the
courts.
The review has concluded that there is a continuing
role for the Criminal Cases Review Commission and
that it should continue as an executive non-departmental
public body. The Commission has been assessed as
having a green rating overall for the standards of corporate
governance and the recommendation of the report relates
to two areas where it has been identified that improvements
can be made in order to more closely follow good
practice for public bodies.
The triennial review has been carried out with the
participation of a wide range of stakeholders and users,
in addition to the commission itself the review was
publicised on my Department’s website and stakeholders
were invited to contribute through a call for evidence
and through meetings. In addition to the project board
which oversaw the review, a critical friends group challenged
the evidence used to make conclusions. A peer reviewer
also challenged the evidence for stage two of the review.
I am grateful to all who contributed to this triennial
review. The final report has been placed in the Libraries
of both Houses.
PRIME MINISTER
Intelligence and Security Committee Report
The Prime Minister (Mr David Cameron): I am grateful
to the Intelligence and Security Committee for its valuable
work and its latest report, entitled “Foreign Involvement
in the Critical National Infrastructure” (Cm. 8629).
Following consultation with the Committee over matters
that could not be published without prejudicing the
work of the intelligence and security agencies, the report
has been laid before the House.
TRANSPORT
EU Transport Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(Stephen Hammond): I will attend the final Transport
Council of the Irish presidency (the presidency) taking
place in Luxembourg on Monday 10 June.
There will be a progress report on the proposal for a
regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council
establishing the Connecting Europe facility. In general,
I support this proposal and welcome the progress that
has been made. However, on the transport side, there
remain some issues relating to transport corridors which
we are working to resolve.
The presidency intends to agree general approaches
on four proposals.