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28 Feb 2005 : Column 971W—continued

Lesotho

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of the UK High Commissioner to Lesotho. [217774]

Mr. Mullin: Our high commissioner to Lesotho has not been withdrawn. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his written statement on 15 December 2004, Official Report, columns 137–41WS, we are making changes to our overseas network to reflect changing demands and challenges and to ensure the UK has a cost-effective and flexible network of overseas representation. This involves the closure of several diplomatic posts including the high commission in Maseru. We envisage the high commission closing around the end of 2005.

This is in no way a reflection on the current Government of Lesotho or on the quality of our bilateral relations. We will work with the Government of Lesotho to establish alternative forms of British representation, probably through an honorary consul in Maseru, supported by non-resident accreditation from Pretoria.

Ministerial Articles (Remuneration)

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial remuneration has been received by Ministers in his Department for the writing of articles in foreign media since May 1997. [216063]

Mr. Straw: None.

Russia

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs when (a) he and (b) a delegation from his Department last visited Russia. [217757]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 24 February 2005]: My last visit to Russia was from 6–7 July 2004, although Iregularly see Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in the margins of international meetings and speak to him on the telephone.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and staff frequently make working visits to Russia. The most recent was on 21–22 February, when my hon. Friend the Minister responsible for the UK's relations with Russia, my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Rammell) visited Moscow. In addition to his programme of meetings with the Russian Government, my hon. Friend launched a major UK-Russia education initiative for the North Caucasus and took part in a conference on British Political Traditions and Russian Reform".

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to meet the Russian Foreign Minister. [217758]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 24 February 2005]: I plan to have a bilateral meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, in London on 1 March. Mr.Lavrov will attend The London Meeting on Supporting the Palestinian Authority" the same day.
 
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Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have plans to visit Russia. [217759]

Mr. Straw: I do not have any plans to visit Russia in the immediate future. However, I will be meeting Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in London on 1 March.

As the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Rammell) has visited Russia very recently, there are not yet plans for another visit by a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister.

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) he and (b) members of his Department plan to visit the Russian Economic Forum taking place in London from 10 to 12 April. [217760]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 24 February 2005]: At the moment I have no plans to attend the Russian Economic Forum, although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will certainly be represented. In previous years Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials have played an active part in the Forum, which is the most important annual UK-Russia economic event.

UN Committee on Torture

Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Nations Committee on Torture's conclusions in relation to the UK's adherence to the Convention against Torture in Iraq and Afghanistan. [202531]

Mr. Rammell: The United Kingdom Government notes the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee against Torture following its dialogue with the Committee on the UK's 4th Periodic Report on 17 and 18 November, The Government always takes seriously the recommendations made by any of the UN's treaty monitoring bodies.

The Government are studying the Committee's observations and recommendations in detail, including on the application of the UN Convention in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will respond to the Committee well within the period of one year set by the Committee.

HEALTH

Alcohol-related Hospital Admissions

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to (a) the Leicester Royal Infirmary accident and emergency department and (b) accident and emergency departments in England were found to be directly caused by alcohol consumption in each year since 1997. [217987]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not available in the format requested. However, information for finished admission episodes for alcohol-related incidents is shown in the following tables.
 
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Alcohol related accidents⁽¹⁸⁾: count of finished admission episodes for listed trusts, national health service hospitals in England—1996–97 to 2003–04

	Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS trust	Total figures for Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS trust, Leicester general hospital NHS trust, Glenfield hospital NHS trust	University hospitals of Leicester NHS trust
1996–97	77	80	—
1997–98	79	83	—
1998–99	140	144	—
1999–2000	85	89	—
2000–01	—	—	83
2001–02	—	—	75
2002–03	—	—	98
2003–04	—	—	207

⁽¹⁸⁾ICD—10 codes = alcohol related accidents" as advised by NHSIA Clinical Coding Service Primary Diagnosis:
SOO—T74 Injuries (excludes certain cause of injury).
Secondary Diagnosis:
F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol.
R78.0—Finding of alcohol in blood.
X45—Alcohol poisoning and exposure to alcohol.
Y90—Evidence of alcohol involvement determined by alcohol level.
Y91—Evidence of alcohol involvement determined by level of intoxication.
Notes:
1.The Leicester Royal Infirmary ceased to exist as an independent trust in 2000–01, when it merged with Leicester general hospital NHS trust and Glenfield hospital NHS trust to form university hospitals of Leicester NHS trust. Figures have been provided in column one for Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS trust, and a total in column two in order to provide equivalent figures for the three trusts that now constitute the university hospitals of Leicester NHS trust column three.
2.Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.




Alcohol related accidents⁽¹⁹⁾: count of finished admission episodes for listed trusts. national health service hospitals in England—1996–97 to 2003–04

	Finished admission episodes
1996–97	23,546
1997–98	25,294
1998–99	24,157
1999–2000	24,519
2000–01	23,570
2001–02	23,198
2002–03	22,787
2003–04	27,902

⁽¹⁹⁾ICD—10 codes=alcohol related accidents" as advised by NHS Information Authority clinical coding service.
Primary Diagnosis:
SOO—T74 Injuries (excludes certain cause of injury).
Secondary Diagnosis:
F10—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol.
R78.0—Finding of alcohol in blood.
X45—Alcohol poisoning and exposure to alcohol.
Y90—Evidence of alcohol involvement determined by alcohol level.
Y91—Evidence of alcohol involvement determined by level of intoxication.
Notes:
Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.




 
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