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Pension Transfers
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on pension transfers from the public sector with specific reference to the ECJ Beckmann case. [62995]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 20 June 2002]: The Government are currently giving consideration to the decision in the case of Katia Beckman and Dynamco Whicheloe Macfarlane Ltd. delivered by the ECJ on 4 June 2002 in the context of other revisions to the TUPE Regulations following the consultation exercise undertaken at the end of last year.
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The outcome of the consultation and decisions taken in the light of the responses received will be announced in due course.
Industrial Diseases Compensation
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress being made by the coal health claim with claims for compensation for (a) pneumoconiosis and (b) other non-smoking-related respiratory diseases. [64220]
Mr. Wilson: Claims for pneumoconiosis are made under a British Coal scheme which commenced in 1974, for which the Department assumed responsibility in April 1998. Under the scheme nearly 87,000 claims have been received. The majority of claims have been settled by way of one-off payments. In some cases, where a claimant is in receipt of reduced earnings allowance and/or incapacity benefit from the DWP, claimants also receive a weekly loss of earnings payment.
With regards to other non-smoking-related respiratory diseases, such as asbestosis, these claims are handled on a claim by claim personal injury basis by the Department's claims handling agents, IRISC.
Military Exports
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what military supplies have been delivered to (a) India and (b) Pakistan in the last two months. [63344]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 20 June 2002]: I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) of 18 March 2002, Official Report, column 54W.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what applications for export licences for arms to (a) India and (b) Pakistan have been turned down in the last two months. [63345]
Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 20 June 2002]: Between 1 April 2002 and 31 May 2002 the Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation (ECO) refused two Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications to end users in India, and four SIEL applications to end users in Pakistan covering items on the Military List.
Energy Strategy Unit
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which advisory experts from the engineering and scientific community are attached to the Energy Strategy Unit. [60048]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 13 June 2002]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 27W.
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the mandate of the EU Scientific Committee on cosmetic products and non-food products intended for consumers is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the United Kingdom representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is
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to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [63638]
Ms Hewitt: The EU Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products intended for Consumers (SCCNFP) was set up to consider scientific and technical questions concerning consumer health relating to cosmetic products and non-food products intended for the consumer, especially substances used in the preparation of these products, their composition and use, as well as their types of packaging. The UK is represented on the committee by Ian White, Consultant Dermatologist at St. Thomas' Hospital, London. The SCCNFP met approximately 30 times in the last year and the European Commission funds their work. The main focus of the committee's work of late has been consideration of the use of ingredients in cosmetics particularly hair dye ingredients.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the mandate of the Scientific Committee for Occupational Exposure Limits to Chemical Agents is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61724]
Mr. Darling: I have been asked to reply.
The purpose of the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) is to provide scientific advice to the European Commission (EC) to underpin regulatory proposals on exposure limits for chemicals in the work place, within the framework of the Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC (CAD) or the Carcinogens at Work Directive 90/394/EEC. Its mandate is to examine available information on toxicological and other relevant properties of chemical agents, evaluate the relationship between the health effects of the agents and the level of occupational exposure, and where possible recommended values for occupational exposure limits which it believes will protect workers from chemical risks.
SCOEL has met four times in the past year.
The EC invites the UK Government to nominate two members for the Committee. All SCOEL members act as independent scientific experts, not as representatives of their national Governments. The current UK nominees are a Senior Toxicologist at the Medical Research Council Institute for Environment and Health, and the head of the Industrial Chemicals Unit, Health and Safety Executive.
Travel and subsistence costs incurred by SCOEL members are met by the EC. The estimated annual costs for staff time attending meetings and preparatory work are £20,000.
There are 32 chemical substances currently under consideration by SCOEL. These are:
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carbon disulphide
chlorobenzene
chromium, hexavalant
cresols
crystalline silica
cyanamide
cyclohexane
diethylamine
lead
man-made mineral fibres
mercury and its inorganic divalent compounds
2(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanol
methyenedianiline
naphthalene
nickel and nickel compounds
nitrobenzene
nitrogen monoxide
nonylphenol
phenol
picric acid
pyridine
pyrethrum
sulphuric acid
tin compounds
vinyl chloride
white spirit
wood dusts.
The EC uses the scientific advice from SCOEL to make proposals for occupational exposure limits. Limits based solely on scientific considerations are considered as adaptations to technical progress, and are incorporated in proposals for Commission directives within the framework of CAD. Limits that take account also of socio-economic factors are included in proposals for Council directives amending CAD or the Carcinogens at Work Directive. Such proposals are referred to the two Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
UK Nationals Detained Abroad
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals are (i) being detained, post conviction and (ii) awaiting trial in (a) Egypt, (b) Jordan, (c) Lebanon, (d) Syria, (e) Turkey, (f) Iraq, (g) Iran, (h) Israel, (i) Algeria, (j) Morocco, (k) Libya, (l) Tunisia, (m) Pakistan, (n) Nigeria, (o) Sudan, (p) Ethiopia, (q) Saudi Arabia, (r) Oman, (s) Yemen, (t) Kuwait and (u) UAE. [63539]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 21 June 2002]: The following table gives details of British nationals detained overseas in the countries referred to. As legal
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systems differ considerably around the world, we have interpreted the 'pre-conviction' cases as those that are generally still subject to the initial local legal procedure. This includes, for example, all detainees on remand, those currently undergoing trial and those whose trials have finished but where sentences have not yet been passed.
| Country | Number of British nationals in detention pre-conviction | Number of British nationals in detention, serving prison sentences |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 5 | 1 |
| Jordan | 0 | 0 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 0 |
| Syria | 1 | 0 |
| Turkey | 1 | 1 |
| Iraq | 0 | 0 |
| Iran | 0 | 0 |
| Israel | 2 | 1 |
| Algeria | 0 | 0 |
| Morocco | 0 | 11 |
| Libya | 0 | 0 |
| Tunisia | 0 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 2 |
| Nigeria | 1 | 0 |
| Sudan | 0 | 0 |
| Ethiopia | 2 | 0 |
| Saudi Arabia | 7 | 3 |
| Oman | 2 | 1 |
| Yemen | 0 | 4 |
| Kuwait | 0 | 1 |
| UAE | 8 | 13 |
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals are (i) in detention awaiting trial and (ii) serving prison sentences in (a) India, (b) Burma, (c) Malaysia, (d) Singapore, (e) Indonesia, (f) China, (g) Vietnam, (h) Laos, (i) Thailand, (j) Cambodia, (k) the Philippines and (l) Papua New Guinea. [63541]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 21 June 2002]: The following table gives details of those British nationals detained overseas in the above countries. As legal systems differ considerably around the world, we have interpreted the 'pre-conviction' cases as those that are generally still subject to the initial local legal procedure. This includes, for example, detainees on remand, those currently undergoing trial and those whose trials have finished but where sentences have not yet passed.
| Country | Number of British nationals in detention pre-conviction | Number of British nationals in detention serving prison sentences |
|---|---|---|
| India | 12 | 10 |
| Burma | 0 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 0 | 2 |
| Singapore | 0 | 9 |
| Indonesia | 4 | 4 |
| China | 0 | 1 |
| Vietnam | 0 | 1 |
| Laos | 0 | 0 |
| Thailand | 9 | (9)17 |
| Cambodia | 0 | 1 |
| Philippines | 0 | (10)17 |
| Papua New Guinea | 0 | 0 |
(9) five detained awaiting deportation
(10) three detained awaiting deportation
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Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on giving assistance and representation to UK nationals detained abroad, before and after trial. [63544]
Mr. Straw [holding answer 21 June 2002]: Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, HMG's consuls will be informed of the detention of a British national by the detaining authorities, if that person requests it. On being informed, the Consul will contact the detainee as soon as possible and if necessary follow this with a visit. One of the Consul's main duties is to ensure that the detainee has legal representation; the Consul can provide the detainee with a list of English speaking local lawyers. The Consul will do whatever he can to ensure that the welfare of the detainee is adequately provided for, that his human rights are respected and that he is not discriminated against because he is a foreigner. He will also raise any specific medical needs with the detaining authorities.
Consuls visit convicted prisoners at least once a year, and more regularly if prison conditions are poor or if we have particular concerns about a prisoner. The Consul will continue to provide the same support as pre-trial. Furthermore, if we have concerns about a prisoner's health or are concerned that he did not receive a fair trial, we will consider making representations on his behalf or ultimately supporting a plea for clemency. We would look to our panels of pro bono doctors and lawyers to assist in such instances.
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