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Ivory (Hong Kong)

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current total of all ivory notified to his Department as held in Hong Kong; and on what date it was last assessed. [8884]

Mr. Hanley: The aggregate total declared quantity shown on commercial ivory possession licences in Hong Kong was 307 tonnes on 31 December 1995.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current number of licensed ivory traders in Hong Kong; and what was the number on 26 February 1992. [8900]

Mr. Hanley: There were 821 possession licences held by commercial ivory stock-holders in Hong Kong on 31 December 1995. The number was 963 on 26 February 1992.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the confiscation of ivory by the Hong Kong

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authorities since 25 February 1992; and what prosecutions for illegal export have occurred during that period. [8902]

Mr. Hanley: Since 25 February 1992, the Hong Kong authorities have seized a total of 909.6 kg of ivory. There were three prosecutions for illegal export during the period.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current tradeable ivory stock held in Hong Kong; and to which countries ivory has been exported since 7 July 1990. [8898]

Mr. Hanley: The aggregate total declared quantity shown on commercial ivory possession licences in Hong Kong was 307 tonnes on 31 December 1995. No commercial exports of ivory have been authorised by the Hong Kong authorities since 7 July 1990 except for pre-convention specimens to the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many spot checks on ivory-holding premises were carried out by the Hong Kong authorities in each year since 1991. [8899]

Mr. Hanley: The number of checks carried out by the Hong Kong authorities on ivory-holding premises in each year since 1991 are as follows:

Year19911992199319941995
Number of checks220319320807284

Mr. Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on licenses issued by the Hong Kong authorities for the export of ivory since 1991. [8901]

Mr. Hanley: No commercial exports of ivory have been authorised since 1991 except for nine licences to export pre-convention specimens to the United Kingdom and USA.

British Embassy, Moscow

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total cost of modifications and decoration in the British embassy in Moscow during 1994-95; what was the figure for the previous financial year; and what was the total cost in respect of manpower and materials associated with the proposed additions to the banqueting hall in 1994. [8908]

Mr. Hanley: The total cost of modifications and decoration at the British embassy in Moscow in 1994-95 was £431,000, including £377,000 on re-organisation of the visa section. In 1993-94, the cost of modifications and decoration totalled £760,000. This included £540,000 for a complete refurbishment of the run-down--outhoused--commercial office and £215,000 for the installation of new security gates at all embassy entrances.

There is no banqueting hall as such. Formal dinners are held in the dining room of the ambassador's house and official functions in the reception room there. No

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additions to either room were proposed or carried out in 1994. The reception room was redecorated in 1994 at a total cost, including manpower and materials, of £28,000.

Endangered Species (Hong Kong)

Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the items from endangered species seized by the Hong Kong authorities in each year since 1992; and how many prosecutions arose from such seizures. [8905]

Mr. Hanley: Since 1992, the Hong Kong authorities have seized a wide variety of specimens of endangered species. Details of seizures will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. During the same period, there were 1,239 prosecutions.

Mobile Phones

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs his Department and executive agencies have incurred as a result of withdrawing from contracts under which mobile phones are provided; and if he will list the companies concerned. [9757]

Mr. Hanley: Within this current financial year, 11 mobile phones have been withdrawn from service at an estimated total cost of £750 for contractual disconnection charges. The companies involved were Cellcom Ltd. (seven), British Telecom Mobile Communications (two) and VODAC Ltd. (two) Most disconnections result from obsolete or damaged equipment.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what agreements his Department and its executive agencies have with companies for the provision of mobile and car phones; and if he will list the companies having these contracts, the duration of the contracts, the number of phones covered by each agreement and the cost to public funds of each agreement. [9755]

Mr. Hanley: Service contracts of 12 months duration have been awarded to the following companies:


Operating costs for the current financial year in respect of 217 phones, including call charges and monthly line rental/airtime totalled £83,200.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures were used by his Department in awarding contracts for the supply of mobile and car phones to his Department and its executive agencies; and which companies were involved in tendering for these contracts. [9756]

Mr. Hanley: Service contracts are awarded to companies submitting the most competitive bid and offering the best value for money. The following companies have variously been involved:


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HEALTH

Nursing Home Costs

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra people will now have their nursing home costs paid (a) entirely and (b) in part as a result of raising the thresholds to (i) £10,000 and (ii) £16,000; what is the cost of each category to the Treasury; how many people will have their care costs paid in full as a result of raising the capital threshold from £3,000 to £10,000; and what is the cost to the Treasury. [8696]

Mr. Bowis: Around 50,000 people in residential care and nursing homes are expected to benefit from the increases in the capital thresholds. The estimated cost of the increases is around £60 million. All residents, whether placed in residential care or nursing homes by a local authority, or in receipt of income support to pay towards their care costs, have to contribute out of income as well as capital, so the number of those having their care costs paid in full is negligible.

Vaccinations

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider involving parents in the preparation of future leaflets produced to warn of the adverse effects of vaccinations along the lines of the co-operative scheme established in the United States. [8702]

Mr. Horam: The design of all immunisation and promotional materials by the Health Education Authority is informed by qualitative and quantitative research into parents' needs and concerns. At the developmental stage, qualitative research is undertaken to determine parents' perceptions of individual diseases and immunisations. Draft materials are then pre-tested with parents and modified to improve clarity and understanding.

In addition, quantitative tracking studies monitor awareness of promotional activity and materials, as well as which sources of information are most used and considered to be most useful by parents of young children. This research is also used to assess the information given to them by health workers.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the incidences of Crohn's disease in relation to vaccinations. [8648]

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Mr. Horam: Considerable research has already been conducted around the world and convincing links between immunisation and Crohn's disease have not been demonstrated.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish a compensation fund for victims of the adverse effects of vaccines along the lines of the scheme in place in the United States. [8701]

Mr. Horam: None. Compensation for alleged vaccine damage is a matter that should be determined by the courts. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security administers the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979. Payments made under the Act are not compensation but are intended to ease the present and future burdens of those suffering from vaccine damage and their families.

Mr. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a public inquiry into cases of adverse effects of the administration of immunisation against measles and rubella. [8703]

Mr. Horam: The Department has undertaken rigorous evaluation of the measles/rubella campaign, including the analysis of reports of suspected adverse reactions. This analysis concluded that measles/rubella vaccine was very safe and this conclusion was supported by two independent committees of clinical experts: the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Department of Health, and the Committee on Safety of Medicines, which advises the Licensing Authority regarding the safety of vaccines. Details of adverse reactions have been published in "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance", a copy of which is in the Library. This publication is sent to all doctors, pharmacists, dentists and coroners who are then free to comment publicly on the data. In view of this action and the very low reporting rate of suspected adverse reactions, there is no need for a public inquiry.

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