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Video Equipment in Courts

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the quality of video equipment used in courts. [156312]

Mr. Leslie: All 78 Crown court have at least one set of VHS video playback equipment and some sites have this facility in each courtroom. There are currently 388 sets installed in a total of 521 courtrooms. 269 of these

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courtrooms also have facilities to link to remote witness rooms so that witnesses can give evidence without attending the courtroom.

154 magistrates courts are equipped with videoconferencing facilities and video playback equipment. A total of 179 courtrooms have this facility and there are 133 rooms in which vulnerable and intimidated witnesses can give remote evidence.

10 county courts and nine Immigration Appellate Authority sites have been provided with modern "stand alone" video conferencing equipment.

This equipment has been installed in courts over the past 10 years and comprises a range of different makes and models. The vast majority of magistrates court equipment has been installed within the past three years and 20 per cent. of the Crown court installations have taken place in the past 12 months. This equipment includes VHS video and DVD players together with fixed plasma display screens.

All of the video equipment in place meets current business requirements and is being used on a regular basis during hearings and trials. A comprehensive maintenance contract ensures that any reported failure of equipment is attended to as a matter of urgency. Equipment is typically serviced twice per annum.

Voter Participation/Registration

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment has been made of participation rates in general elections in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EU countries in the last five years. [156446]

Mr. Leslie: While the Government are aware of participation rates in general elections in the UK and other EU countries, they have not conducted any specific research. The independent Electoral Commission reported on the outcome of the 2001 general election and has conducted research on voting intentions for the European parliamentary and London's Mayoral and Assembly elections in June 2004.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has conducted on the implications of the introduction of compulsory participation in United Kingdom elections. [156447]

Mr. Leslie: None. However, the Government are aware that the independent Electoral Commission has indicated that it intends to conduct future research on the international use of compulsory voting.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has conducted on the use of (a) legal and (b) fixed penalties to encourage higher levels of voter registration. [156448]

Mr. Leslie: None. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), appointed for the purpose by local authorities, are responsible for compiling the electoral register. It is already an offence punishable upon conviction by a fine not exceeding £1,000 for a person to fail to comply with

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a request for information from, or to provide false information to, an ERO who is seeking to carry out his duty to prepare an electoral register.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has carried out to ascertain why individuals do not register to vote. [156540]

Mr. Leslie: Research on why individuals fail to register to vote has not been carried out by this Department. However, the Government are aware that the independent Electoral Commission has published several research reports on voter engagement that have included coverage of levels of registration.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage people to complete electoral registration forms. [156541]

Mr. Leslie: The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 introduced in February 2001 a number of changes to voter registration procedures aimed both at making it easier for persons to register to vote, and at achieving more accurate and up to date electoral registers. These changes included the introduction of 'rolling registration' and enabling persons without a conventional address to register to vote. The Government ran major public information campaigns at that time to publicise these changes.

The independent Electoral Commission is now responsible for raising public awareness of registration issues.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people who failed to register to vote in the UK in each of the last five years. [156542]

Mr. Leslie: The information requested has not been collected by the Government.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many registered postal voters there were in each constituency in the UK at the 2001 general election. [156548]

Mr. Leslie: The independent Electoral Commission published in January 2002 'Postal votes, proxy votes and spoilt ballot papers at the 2001 general election', which provides this information. I understand that the Commission placed copies of that document in the Library of the House at the time of publication.

Mark Tami: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of a rolling register on levels of voter registration in the UK. [156537]

Mr. Leslie: The Government consider that 'rolling registration' has resulted in more accurate and up to date electoral registers. I understand that the independent Electoral Commission has commenced further research to assess the operation and impact of rolling registration on levels of voter registration. The Government will consider carefully any findings made by the Electoral Commission on this issue.

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HEALTH

Genetically Modified Crops

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ruminant feeding trials have been conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize; whether such trials have been (a) published and (b) peer reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the implications of such trials for the commercialisation of T25 maize. [157752]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 1 March 2004]: Ruminant feeding studies are not routinely required as part of the regulatory approval process for the marketing of new genetically modified organisms. Information on the specific GM event is used, with compositional analysis, to demonstrate whether a GM plant is substantially equivalent to its conventional counterpart. We are not aware of any published or peer reviewed reports of ruminant feeding trials conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize.

Alefacept

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on research into Alefacept use for treating psoriasis; and what plans he has to introduce this in Northern Ireland. [157337]

Dr. Ladyman: We have no plans to undertake research into the use of Alefacept for treating psoriasis. Alefacept does not have a United Kingdom Marketing Authorisation. As an unlicensed medicine, doctors may prescribe it on a named-patient basis, but it will only be available on the national health service if the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency grants it a licence.

Decisions on health policy in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office whilst the institutions are suspended.

Allergies

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out into the causes of the change in the number of people suffering from allergies. [157277]

Dr. Ladyman: A range of research projects on the epidemiology of allergies have recently been completed or are ongoing. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was formed in 1991. Phase one measured the prevalence of childhood asthma, hay fever and atopic eczema for international comparisons. Phase two began in 1998 and involves more intensive studies in a smaller number of countries. The Department funded the United Kingdom contribution to phase two.

King's College London has led a £2.1 million European Commission-funded prospective study of the incidence and prognosis of allergy, allergic disease and low lung function in adults living in Europe. King's College is also participating in the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network, launched on 12 February 2004. In addition, the University of Manchester is leading a £1.2 million EC-funded investigation of the

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prevalence, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of sun allergy across Europe. Sun-provoked skin reactions are one of the commonest forms of allergy.

This European and international research activity will contribute to evidence on the possible causes of the increase in allergy rates in the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for extending specialised allergy services in (a) England and Wales, (b) the North West and (c) Blackpool. [157278]

Dr. Ladyman: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts, in partnership with other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to provide health services for their populations, including those with allergies.

Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) adults and (b) children have been recorded as suffering from allergies in (i) England and Wales, (ii) the North West and (iii) Blackpool in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [157279]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not held centrally. Last year, in its report, "Allergy—the unmet need: a blueprint for better patient care", the Royal College of Physicians estimated that around one in six of the population is affected by allergy.

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