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73WS
Written Ministerial Statements
1 DECEMBER 2010
Written Ministerial Statements
74WS
Written Ministerial
Statements
Wednesday 1 December 2010
TREASURY
Fair Pay in the Public Sector
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne):
Will Hutton has today published the interim report of
his review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector. The Government
welcome the publication of this report and will give
careful consideration to the findings so far. The Government
look forward to the outcome of the final report in
March and will respond in more detail once they are in
receipt of this.
The report is available in the Vote Office and in the
Printed Paper Office and it has been deposited in the
Libraries of both Houses.
Periodic updates of the review’s work will be made
available through the website located at: http://www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/indreview_willhutton_fairpay_tor.htm.
BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS
Telecoms Council
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture,
Olympics, Media and Sport (Mr Edward Vaizey): Iam
pleased to confirm the agenda items for which BIS has
responsibility at the forthcoming Telecommunications
Council in Brussels on 3 December 2010. I intend to
represent the UK at this Council.
There are four substantive agenda items:
1. Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament
and of the Council establishing the first Radio Spectrum
Policy Programme (RSPP): A Progress Report and
Exchange of Views.
This item is an exchange of views on the presidency
report and questions for the discussion in relation to the
Commission’s proposed RSPP (EM 13872/10). This is a
proposal for draft legislation which codifies policy and
legislative actions necessary for the efficient management
of spectrum in the EU up to 2015.
The RSPP is seen by the Commission as a necessary
key contributor towards broadband targets, especially
for those geographically rural and remote areas that
would rely on wireless technology to receive broadband
services. This view is generally shared by the Council
and the European Parliament. It follows on from
the agreements reached on spectrum during the
communications framework review.
Progress had been made in debating the draft legislation
in the Council but the European Parliament is yet to
start deliberations.
The questions tabled for discussion range from how
spectrum management contributes to economic growth
through issues related to a proposed inventory of spectrum
in the EU to the deadlines related to the release of
certain spectrum.
As efficient spectrum management is a key component
of the Coalition’s broadband strategy, the main points
of my intervention, taking into account the questions
posed, will be:
to broadly welcome the proposals from the Commission
which we do indeed think are important in terms of economic
growth within the EU and for the development of mobile
broadband services;
to welcome the breadth of the proposal but to caution any
legislation mandating the use of spectrum for particular
social or community purposes;
to welcome the approach by Commission of ensuring that
spectrum for mobile broadband is made available as early as
possible but caution on the imposition of rigid timelines that
may not be realistic or match national circumstances; and
to wish the Hungarian presidency well in their deliberations
on this important dossier with a hope that we might see an
agreement before the summer of next year.
2. Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC)
No 460/2004 establishing the European Network and
Information Security Agency (ENISA) as regards its
duration—A Progress Report
Proposal for a Regulation concerning the European Network
and Information Security Agency (ENISA)—A Progress
Report
These two items are progress reports from the
Commission on the current status of the above two
recently issued documents. (EM 14322/10)
The first progress report covers the proposal to amend
the existing regulation, which established ENISA, in
order to extend its duration for 18 months. (The purpose
of the extension is to allow the continued operation of
ENISA under its current remit whilst the new regulation
is negotiated).
The second progress report covers the new regulation
that renews and updates the mandate of ENISA.
As these items are progress reports and it is anticipated
that no debate will take place, I am not planning an
active intervention. However, should there be a debate;
my intervention will reaffirm Her Majesty’s Government’s
(HMG) current policies that are detailed in the relevant
EM noted above.
3. Cross-fertilisation between the Europe 2020 flagship
initiatives “A Digital Agenda for Europe” and “Innovation
Union”—Adoption of Council Conclusions
This item covers the adoption of the above Council
conclusions. These conclusions are member states’ views
on the synergies between two of the EU Commission
flagship agendas, namely the Innovation Union (EM14035/
10) and the European Digital Agenda (EM 9981/10).
Thus, the conclusions contain elements of both flagship
agendas, including stressing the need for accelerating
the roll out of high-speed broadband which will help
drive innovation, as well as recognising the importance
of increasing EU spend on ICT research and development.
In the main, HMG welcomes these conclusions, and I
intend to make the following comments:
welcome the adoption of these conclusions and pleased to
see joined up thinking in linking together these two critical
flagship agendas;