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Written Ministerial Statements
Monday 21 February 2005
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Countries at Risk of Instability
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Jack Straw): The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published on 17 February a report entitled "Investing in Prevention: An International Strategy to Manage Risks of Instability and Improve Crisis Response". I will place copies of this report to Government in the Library of the House today. It follows the publication by the Strategy Unit in November 2003 of its Strategic Audit, which recommended increased strategic focus on instability and conflict prevention. The report contains the Strategy Unit's analysis of the main risk factors associated with conflict and instability and a series of recommendations by the Strategy Unit for how to address these. Preventing conflict and building stability are fundamental to the Government's foreign policy. This report by the Strategy Unit provides further material on which to draw in support of this agenda and Departments will be looking carefully at its recommendations.
TRANSPORT
Air Transport Judicial Reviews
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Alistair Darling): On Friday 18 February, the High Court endorsed the key policies of the Air Transport White Paper, published in December 2003 (Command paper 6046). This judgment means that the Government's support for two new runways in the south-east of England in the period up to 2030 has been upheld.
I have arranged for copies of the judgment (case reference CO/1314/2004 and CO/1339/2004) to be available in the Library of the House.
Following the judgment, the Government will continue to support a new runway at Stansted as the first new runway in the south-east. It is for the airport operator to bring forward detailed proposals. These will be taken through the planning system in the normal way.
The Judge agreed that the decision making process which led to the adoption of the policies in the White Paper was lawful subject to two minor qualifications. These were that the Government were too prescriptive with regard to the exact positioning and capacity of the runways at Stansted and Luton—this should be a matter for a planning inquiry. At Luton the airport operator's option will need full consultation before being taken forward.
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These are very important matters for local people and they will be able to express their views at a future planning inquiry, but the Government strongly agree with the Judge's comments that these are minor in relation to the national policies set out in the White Paper. The main thrust of the White Paper has been upheld and the Government will not therefore be appealing.
Together with the decision taken by the Judge on 21 January to dismiss the Judicial Review application in relation to the policy on Gatwick Airport, this judgment leaves the way open for the Government to pursue their White Paper programme.
This judgment allows the Government to pursue their objectives as set out in the White Paper and I confirm that we will do so as efficiently and effectively as possible.
WORK AND PENSIONS
Industrial Injuries and Prescribed Diseases
The Minister for Work (Jane Kennedy): The Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Amendment Regulations 2005 were laid before Parliament on Friday 18 February 2005. The regulations implement, from 7 March 2005, the recommendations set out in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's reports "Osteoarthritis of the Hip" (Cm 5977) and "Conditions due to Biological Agents" (Cm 5997).
The recommendations made in these reports were that three diseases should be added to the list of prescribed diseases and the prescription for five existing diseases be amended.
The three additional diseases were:
Osteoarthritis of the hip in farmers. Osteoarthritis of the hip is a disabling condition common in the general population. However, robust evidence was found that the risk of osteoarthritis of the hip was consistently increased in farmers employed for 10 years or more.
Lyme disease for workers exposed to a source of borrelia. This disease has emerged relatively recently. Evidence indicates that there is a greater than doubled risk of contracting Lyme disease in certain groups of workers exposed to borrelia bacteria (the causative agent of Lyme disease).
Anaphylaxis in healthcare workers exposed to natural rubber latex products. Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening form of allergic reaction which can be triggered in individuals sensitised by a variety of allergens encountered inside and outside the work environment. However, the most common occupational cause of anaphylaxis in which sensitisation has occurred in the workplace is exposure to natural rubber latex products. There is clear evidence of increased risk of occupational sensitisation in healthcare workers.
Five existing diseases are to be amended:
Anthrax. Anthrax is generally contracted by exposure to infected herbivorous animals or their products, as reflected in the current prescription. There is potential for infection in other circumstances therefore the prescription has been widened to include work involving contact with anthrax spores.
Ankylostomiasis. This disease was originally prescribed in relation to mining. This disease is now rare in the developed world, but remains common in other parts of world. The potential exists for ankylostomiasis to be contracted abroad and introduced into the workforce. The prescription has been revised to refer to any work involving contact with sources of ankylostomiasis to reflect the modern day occupational risk.
Viral hepatitis. Recent evidence shows different types of viral hepatitis are contracted in different ways which affects the type of workers at risk. There was evidence of consistently increased risk for i) infection by hepatitis A for work
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- involving contact with raw sewage, ii) infection by hepatitis B and C for work involving human blood or blood products or other sources of hepatitis B and C viruses.
Occupational asthma and allergic rhinitis. The use of natural rubber latex products is widespread. Many individuals encounter latex products during the course of their work and evidence indicates there is increased risk of developing hypersensitivity to the latex, which include rhinitis and asthma. Exposure to natural rubber latex products has been added to the list of prescribed causes of occupational asthma and allergic rhinitis.