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Employment, Social Policy, Health andConsumer Affairs Council

Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the outcome was of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 2–3 June; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [117558]

Maria Eagle: My hon. Friend, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health (David Lammy), represented the UK for the Health element of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 2 June.

The main health business of this Council related to the Safety of Tissues and Cells Directive. The Council reached political agreement on a text that did not include any of the amendments, proposed by the European Parliament at its first reading, to which the UK was strongly opposed. The UK voted in support of the Council text.

The Council adopted a proposal which will enable member states to sign the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The UK voted in favour of this proposal.

Member states also reached political agreement on two elements of the Pharmaceuticals Review. These address changes to the human medicines directive, and to the Regulation that established the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (the EMEA) and a Community marketing authorisation procedure for certain human and veterinary medicines. The UK voted in favour of the Council text overall. A progress report was received on the veterinary medicines directive on which discussions are not as far advanced.

The Council adopted Council Conclusions on combating Stigma in relation to Mental Illness, the product of a Conference, which took place in Athens under the Greek Presidency. The UK voted in favour of adopting these Conclusions.

The Commission updated the Council on activities in the area of joint activity on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), including the announcement of funding into diagnostics research. They also gave an update on the High Level process of reflection on patient mobility and health care development, indicating that the second Ministerial plenary session would take place in July.

Under any other business the Commission updated the Council on the programme of co-operation on bioterrorism and health security. The Commission also presented a proposed Recommendation on Cancer Screening. Voting was not required on either of these items. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Smith) represented the UK together with my hon. Friend, then Minister for Employment Relations, Industry and the Regions (Alan Johnson), at the Employment and Social Policy part of the ESPHCA on 3 June in Luxembourg.

The Council agreed a general approach to the 2003 Employment Guidelines. The EP will now be consulted as directed by the Treaty and the Guidelines will be adopted at a future Council as an A point. The UK are

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content with the simplified guidelines which are more focused on the employment targets set at Lisbon in 2000 and are geared more towards outcomes. Council also agreed the Recommendations on member states employment policies, the second part of the Employment package.

There was a lengthy discussion on the proposed Directive on Temporary Agency workers which was originally tabled for political agreement. The Council was unable to reach agreement on the proposal and the Presidency remitted further negotiations to the Italian Presidency, recalling that the Brussels Spring Council urged agreement on the directive by December 2003. The UK maintained its position that it could back a directive that supported agency workers without putting their jobs at risk. Any directive must reflect the realities of our labour market.

Council agreed the rest of the items on the agenda with little or no discussion. Council reached political agreement on a regulation on the European Co-operative Statute and a parallel directive on employee involvement.

Council also reached political agreement on a Decision setting up an Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work. The UK and Denmark made a written declaration, to be included in the minutes of the Council, regretting the use of Article 202 as the legal base for this Decision.

Council adopted two Resolutions without discussion: one Resolution on building social and human capital in the knowledge society; and a second on promoting the employment and social integration of people with disabilities.

Council also agreed a general approach on the three chapters of a Regulation to replace Regulation 1408/71, the co-ordination of member states' social security systems, that have been discussed under the Greek Presidency. The chapters concerned cover invalidity benefits, pensions and special non-contributory benefits. Work will continue under the Italian Presidency with a view to completing the simplification of this regulation by December 2003, as requested by the European Council at Barcelona in 2002.

The Council approved, without debate, the Social Protection Committee's plans to carry out themed studies on pensions issues.

Under the Council's new rules of procedure, both the Commission and the Presidency presented Any Other Business items as written information. There was no discussion of these points.

No votes were taken in this part of the Council.

Pensioners (Benefit Payments)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's estimate was of the total number of residents eligible for a state pension and of these (a) the number who claimed a state pension, (b) the number who applied for minimum income guarantee support, (c) the number refused MIG support and (d) the number in receipt of disability assistance in each of the last five years. [118233]

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Maria Eagle: Information is not available for the number of minimum income guarantee (MIG) applications made each year or the number refused. Information is also not available on the number of resident people who are either eligible for, or have claimed state pension. Such information as is available is shown in the table.

	Total number of State Pension recipients in GB	Total number ofpeople over state pension age receiving sickness/disability benefit in GB	Total number of MIG recipients in GB
1998	10,036,300	Not available	1,640,900
1999	10,131,700	2,381,000	1,625,500
2000	10,185,400	2,470,000	1,675,200
2001	10,256,100	2,501,000	1,741,300
2002	10,310,900	2,555,000	1,767,500

Note:

Sickness/disability benefits include incapacity benefit, severe disablement Allowance, disability living allowance, attendance allowance and income support with a disability premium.

Source:

Pension Strategy Computer System 5 per cent. sample

Client Group Analysis of the population over State Pension Age

Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries November 1997-November 2002

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what programme of activities is planned for the British Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [120047]

Mr. Ingram: The UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is due to deploy to Mazar-e Sharif next month when it will begin its tasks of spreading the influence of the Afghan Transitional Authority, stimulating Security Sector Reform (SSR) and facilitating reconstruction. These aims will be achieved through liaison with local leaders, monitoring and assessment of local conditions and progress with SSR. The PRT will engage closely with Non-Governmental Organizations and international agencies.

Armoured Battlefield Support Vehicles

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles to be procured under the (a) FRES, (b) FCLV, (c) Warrior MLI and (d) Armoured Battlefield Support Vehicle programmes. [119494]

Mr. Ingram: No decisions have yet been made regarding the quantities of vehicles that might be acquired under any of these programmes. These determinations are normally made as part of the main investment approval for a project.

Army Uniforms

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hats available to the Guards Regiment have been made from real fur; from which

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animals they have been derived; and how many animals he estimates would have been killed to provide the fur used. [117835]

Mr. Ingram: The only hat available to the Guards Regiments made from real fur is the ceremonial bearskin cap, which is made from the fur of the Black Bear. The Regiment currently holds 2,258 of these caps. It is not possible to accurately estimate the number of pelts used, as the number required for each cap varies; one bear pelt can make on average between one and two caps. A total of 1,396 caps have been procured over the last 10 years (1993 to 2002). Since 2001, a refurbishment programme has been in place designed to ensure that we reduce the requirement for new caps to a minimum. A total of 329 caps have been refurbished since this programme began.

Boscombe Down

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) military, (b) Civil Service and (c) civilian contractor or other personnel are employed at the National Flight Testing Centre at Boscombe Down. [118736]

Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence aircraft test and evaluation site at Boscombe Down is operated by QinetiQ plc. MOD and QinetiQ records show that the numbers of personnel employed at the Boscombe Down site as at 11 June 2003 were as follows.

	Number
Military	408
Civil Servants	102
QinetiQ personnel	1,343
Other contractors	770

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