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Mental Health
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to amend the definition of nearest relative, in section 26 of the Mental Health Act 1983; [90187]
- (2) if he will bring forward amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983 to provide, for those people treated under section 131, (a) the right to a second opinion, (b) access to hospital managers' hearings and (c) access to mental health review tribunals; and if he will make a statement. [90185]
Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a 'root and branch' review of the Mental Health Act 1983 in July 1998. An expert committee was appointed to advise on the changes necessary, and they will shortly be making their recommendations to Ministers. The committee undertook a full consultation on a wide range of issues. Once the Government have received the expert committee's report, we will draw up final proposals for a new legislative framework and these will be subject to full formal consultation. New mental health legislation will be introduced as soon as it is appropriate to do so.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are currently being treated in psychiatric hospitals under section 131 of the Mental Health Act 1983. [90186]
Mr. Hutton: Section 131 of the Mental Health Act 1983 concerns informal admissions of patients. It is not a formal detention section. Information on informal admission of psychiatric patients is not available centrally.
SCOTLAND
Refugees
Mr. Gorrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he has had with the Scottish administration and Scottish local authorities about the implications of the Immigration and Asylum Bill for refugees in Scotland. [88592]
Dr. Reid: There have been regular consultations between my office, the Scottish Executive and local authorities about the implications of the Bill.
Cabinet Joint Consultative Committee
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings of the JCC he has attended. [89272]
Dr. Reid:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 5 July 1999, Official Report, column 362.
8 Jul 1999 : Column: 621
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many days in each year since 1992 the Palace of Holyrood House was occupied by (a) the Sovereign and (b) other members of the Royal Family. [89551]
Dr. Reid:
Since 1992, the Palace of Holyrood House was occupied by (a) the Sovereign and (b) other members of the Royal family as follows:
| Year | Sovereign | Other members of the Royal Family |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 6 | 17 |
| 1993 | 6 | 26 |
| 1994 | 11 | 17 |
| 1995 | 7 | 22 |
| 1996 | 6 | 20 |
| 1997 | 10 | 24 |
| 1998 | 5 | 17 |
| 1999 | (22)3 | (22)7 |
(22) Interim figure to 1 July 1999
In addition, the Lord High Commissioner, acting as the Sovereign's representative at the General Assembly, occupies the Palace generally for a week in May each year.
From 1 July 1999, provision of the official residence of the Sovereign in Scotland became a matter for Scottish Ministers.
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the running costs of the Secretary of State's Office for 1999-2000. [89857]
Dr. Reid:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 412-13, about amending running costs provision for 1999-2000. The current provision was based on estimates made in January 1999. I have since been reviewing the role and functions of my Department after 1 July and I will make a further statement in due course.
Public Records Advisory Council
Mr. John M. Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will open meetings of the Advisory Council on Public Records to the public; and how many representations the Lord Chancellor has received on this matter since May 1997. [90058]
Mr. Vaz:
The Government's policy document "Quangos: opening the doors" stated that NDPBs, of which the Advisory Council on Public Records is one, should hold open meetings where practicable and appropriate. The Council is keen to conduct its business in as public a manner as possible. However, one of its main responsibilities is in respect of the 30-year rule. This involves the discussion of information which is invariably confidential and frequently has significant security and foreign relations implications. Notwithstanding this, the
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Council is prepared to consider any request for public access to its deliberations which would not interfere with the proper discharge of its functions.
In accordance with this approach, the Council made arrangements for a particular part of its business to be televised last year. It would be prepared to make arrangements of a similar nature in future. The Council is anxious that the activities which it undertakes on behalf of the public are as widely publicised as possible.
The Lord Chancellor has previously received no representations on this matter.
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the response of the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Public Records to June 1997 petition from the census historians seeking the right to inspect 50-year-old decennial censuses of population for England and Wales; and if he will list the hon. Members who have made representations to the Lord Chancellor on this matter. [90059]
Mr. Vaz:
A copy of the petition was sent to the chairman of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on Public Records by a Mr. Denis McCready on 14 June 1997. Mr. McCready had been in lengthy correspondence with the Lord Chancellor, his Department, the Council and the Public Record Office, and the Lord Chancellor had instructed his private secretary to write to him to say that further letters would receive no reply. The secretary of the Council replied to Mr. McCready's letter on 17 June to say that the chairman had decided not to put the matter to the Council since the closure of the census had already received very full consideration over the years and that the Lord Chancellor's instructions about further correspondence applied to the Council. The Lord Chancellor has received no representations from hon. Members on this matter.
Mr. Stinchcombe:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the use of lindane for seed treatment; and if he will make a statement. [90837]
Mr. Rooker:
We have now banned the use of lindane to treat seeds in England, Scotland and Wales. We have considered carefully the representations received as a result of our announcement of 18 June 1999, Official Report, columns 233-34, that we planned to implement in full the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. We understand that the decision will cause real difficulties to some companies and farmers but we have not received any further evidence to suggest that the risk to operators from treating seed with lindane was significantly less than that assessed by the Committee. I have therefore acted, with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Assembly to revoke the approvals for the use of lindane to treat seed as of July. Similar steps are being taken in Northern Ireland.
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The Committee has advised that the risk to farmers from using lindane-treated seed is acceptably low. Farmers may also adopt other strategies to combat pests including other cereal seed treatments or crop sprays.
Consumers may be reassured that other approved uses of lindane, which continue for the present, do not constitute an unacceptable risk to consumers.
Mr. Martlew:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice his Department has provided to farmers on ways they can reduce the risk of diseases spreading to their cattle. [90838]
Mr. Rooker:
We have published two leaflets on this issue today. The first, "Farm Biosecurity: Protecting Herd Health" covers general disease prevention and the second "TB in Cattle: Reducing the Risk" is aimed more specifically at reducing the threat of tuberculosis.
This is an important area; through these leaflets we are aiming to raise farmers' awareness of the importance of good practice in reducing disease risk and the benefits it offers. These leaflets offer good advice that farmers throughout the country should follow.
The leaflets will be given to cattle farmers by State Veterinary Service staff and Local Veterinary Inspectors during farm visits and are being made widely available through markets, the Farmers' Unions and local Agricultural Department offices.
I have arranged for copies of both leaflets to be placed in the Library of the House.
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