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Male Fertility

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the estimated reduction in the male sperm count in the United Kingdom over the last 10 years; what research his Department has (a) evaluated and (b) commissioned into the factors causing change; and what international comparisons his Department has made. [9874]

Ms Jowell: Some of the recent research from the United Kingdom and other countries has suggested a decline in sperm count, but overall the results are inconsistent and there is no scientific consensus.

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Data on semen quality are not collected routinely and arise principally from sources such as tests in infertility clinics or prospective research studies from disparate laboratories whose methods of analysis and reporting may be of doubtful consistency or comparability. This reflects a continuing problem of standardisation in semen analysis, which has not yet been resolved. The same difficulty applies to reports of substantial differences in quality and trends between countries and between areas within countries.

The Department does not currently fund research in this area. The main agency through which the Government have supported research in this area is the Medical Research Council. Recently, two projects have been funded. These are:

1. "Has male fertility been declining--a population survey of Time to Pregnancy" (Imperial College School of Medicine at St. Mary's). This was completed on 31 March 1997.

2. "Environmental oestrogens and the central pulse generator controlling reproduction: a novel approach to critical issue" (King's College, London). This is due to be completed at the end of February 1999.

The Department is planning a joint three or four-year programme of research, with the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The programme will look at trends in male reproductive health and the possible influences of occupational or environmental exposure to chemicals.

Respite Care

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to vary levels of funding for respite care. [8910]

Mr. Boateng: No sums are specifically earmarked for respite care within the total community care funding that local authorities receive. Support for carers is an integral part of community care and authorities are expected to provide an appropriate range of respite and other support services. However, the precise level and type of services locally are a matter for individual authorities to determine in the light of local needs and priorities.

SCOTLAND

Procurators Fiscal

Mr. Canavan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each sheriff court area in Scotland, the number of cases reported by the police to the procurator fiscal over the most recent 12-month period indicating the number of cases (a) where no action was taken, (b) where prosecution took place and (c) where a conviction was achieved. [9003]

Mr. McLeish: My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has provided the following table listing the number of cases reported, the number of cases marked

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"no proceedings", the number of cases marked for an alternative to prosecution and the number of cases proceeding to prosecution in respect of each procurator fiscal office for the 12-month period to 31 May 1997.

Statistics about reports received by procurators fiscal are collected by reference to individual procurator fiscal office and not by reference to sheriff court area. The statistics on the cases reported to the procurator fiscal do not distinguish between those reported by the police and those reported by the many other agencies that report offences for consideration of proceedings. The procurator fiscal service does not collect statistics on the number of convictions achieved.

Procurator Fiscal Service, 1 June 1996-31 May 1997

	Reports received	Reports marked "no proceedings"	Report marked for alternative to prosecution	Reports proceeding to prosecution
Aberdeen	13,732	882	1,225	11,625
Airdrie	7,694	891	1,602	5,201
Alloa	2,257	464	321	1,472
Arbroath	2,606	216	424	1,966
Ayr	8,505	1,062	1,654	5,789
Banff	1,114	158	233	723
Campbeltown	669	80	239	350
Cupar	1,879	318	439	1,122
Dingwall	1,791	219	236	1,336
Dornoch	408	77	70	261
Dumbarton	8,032	1,199	1,567	5,266
Dumfries	6,296	819	960	4,517
Dundee	10,118	1,165	1,086	7,867
Dunfermline	5,564	705	835	4,024
Dunoon	1,180	163	294	723
Duns	818	51	72	695
Edinburgh	26,980	3,210	2,905	20,865
Elgin	3,364	510	489	2,365
Falkirk	7,243	1,137	1,387	4,719
Forfar	1,753	154	319	1,280
Fort William	1,565	96	263	1,206
Glasgow	65,328	8,986	15,056	41,286
Greenock	6,268	796	1,404	4,068
Haddington	2,795	385	394	2,016
Hamilton	17,772	2,315	3,458	11,999
Inverness	6,908	1,205	2,157	3,546
Jedburgh	1,746	94	142	1,510
Kilmarnock	10,146	1,289	1,758	7,099
Kirkcaldy	6,473	847	1,033	4,593
Kirkcudbright	1,636	144	286	1,206
Kirkwall	767	50	199	518
Lanark	3,973	376	672	2,925
Lerwick	833	94	87	652
Linlithgow	6,256	900	1,062	4,294
Lochmaddy	227	35	37	155
Oban	1,081	127	212	742
Paisley	10,079	1,474	1,593	7,012
Peebles	180	34	29	117
Perth	6,756	959	942	4,855
Peterhead	2,908	277	702	1,929
Portree	495	65	135	295
Rothesay	275	18	36	221
Selkirk	1,972	258	355	1,359
Stirling	4,576	685	848	3,043
Stonehaven	2,521	121	384	2,016
Stornoway	1,171	142	194	835
Stranraer	2,272	253	173	1,846
Tain	1,203	245	283	675
Wick	1,195	151	190	854
Totals	281,380	35,901	50,441	195,038

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Homosexuals (Age of Consent)

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Crown Office's policy on prosecution for consensual homosexual acts involving males between the ages of 16 and 18 years. [9219]

Mr. McLeish: My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate is responsible for the prosecution of crime in Scotland. He informs me that he considers that the public interest is not served by routinely prosecuting all persons who participate in private consensual homosexual acts, which are unlawful by reason of the fact that one or both are under 18 years.

The Lord Advocter had directed procurators fiscal to report to the Crown Office for Crown counsel's consideration cases of consensual homosexual acts in private where both the participants are over 16 years but one or both are under 18 years.

This is consistent with the approach taken by the Lord Advocate's predecessors in office since February 1994 when an identical direction was issued to procurators fiscal by the then Lord Advocate.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Vehicle Excise Duty (Disabled Drivers)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reasons underlie (a) the entitlement of recipients of the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance to exemption from vehicle excise duty and (b) the non-entitlement of people with mobility difficulties in receipt of attendance allowance to such exemption. [8829]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The basis for entitlement to exemption from vehicle excise duty for those in receipt of the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance is severe mobility need which may require some form of private transport. Provision is focused on those disabled before the age of 65. However, those in receipt of attendance allowance are entitled to VED exemption under transitional protection arrangements if their application for exemption was approved before 13 October 1993.

Radioactive Materials (Transportation)

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 14 July, Official Report, column 16, how many movements of radioactive material (a) have occurred through the channel tunnel since its opening and (b) have passed through each south coast port in each year since 1990. [9209]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The Department does not hold information of the kind requested.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 14 July, Official Report, column 15, on the transportation of radioactive materials, what estimate he

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has made of the proportion of the flights on which the radioactive material carried was (a) high level and (b) intermediate level. [9210]

Ms Jackson: It is estimated that less than 5 per cent. of such flights carry packages of radioactive material containing in excess of the quantities previously referred to. For transport purposes, the terms high level and intermediate level radioactive material are undefined.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions how many crashes have occurred involving road vehicles carrying radioactive material in the United Kingdom in each year since 1985. [9205]

Ms Jackson: The number of such crashes notified to the Department are:

	Number
1985	4
1986	1
1987	2
1988	5
1989	2
1990	0
1991	2
1992	1
1993	1
1994	1
1995	3
1996	1
1997(15)	0
Total	23

(15) To date.

In none of these crashes was there any loss of radioactive material from any package.

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many flights carrying mixed oxide fuel will pass from Carlisle airport over the Lancaster and Wyre constituency (a) from 1 July 1997 to 31 December 1997, (b) in 1998 and (c) in 1999. [9654]

Ms Jackson: British Nuclear Fuels informs me that none will.

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on safety in respect of the proposed increase in the number of mixed oxide fuel flights from Carlisle airport in 1998. [9656]

Ms Jackson: I am informed by British Nuclear Fuels that no increases are planned.

Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many flights carrying mixed oxide fuel from Carlisle airport passed over the Lancaster and Wyre constituency (a) in 1996 and (b) from 1 January to 30 June 1997. [9655]

Ms Jackson: British Nuclear Fuels informs me that there was none.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each year since 1985 the incidents where (a) chemicals and (b) radioactive material have been lost overboard (i) in UK waters and (ii) elsewhere from UK-registered

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ships, giving for each instance the location, the chemicals or materials involved and the amounts subsequently recovered. [9207]

Ms Jackson: The information is not available in the form requested. However, the table gives a summary of major incidents since 1985 involving the loss of packages

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containing dangerous or harmful goods from ships operating in UK waters. This information has been provided by the Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea.

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Name of ship	Date	Nature or incident	Area affected
Filia Sea	March 1987	Packages lost from general cargo ship and washed ashore	East Anglia
Ardlough	September 1988	Containers lost from sunken general cargo ship and washed ashore	Cumbria and Lancashire
Wessertal	October 1990	Tank containers lost from deck of ro-ro ferry	Southern North sea
Perintis	March 1989	Package containing pesticide lost from sunken general cargo ship	English channel
Fathulkhair	February 1990	Canister of potassium cyanide lost from deck of freighter and washed ashore	Kent and Sussex
Nordic Pride	May 1991	Deck cargo lost from ro-ro ferry and washed ashore, resulting in the evacuation of the local population	Norfolk
Tokio Express	February 1997	Containers lost from container ship and washed ashore.	Cornwall

21 Jul 1997 : Column: 421

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