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Iraq: Export Licence System
The Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Kim Howells):
On 11 October 2004, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
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announced in a written ministerial statement, Official Report, column 3WS, that, upon receipt of an application to export arms or related materiel to an end user not explicitly exempt from the embargo, the Government will seek certification on a case-by-case basis from the Government of Iraq or the multinational force. The certification is to ensure that the proposed export is required by the Government of Iraq or the multinational force to serve the purposes of Resolution 1546 and is therefore exempted from the embargo. A certification process has been established with the Government of Iraq.
Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently made four exceptions to this procedure and issued licences in advance of receipt of certification from the Government of Iraq. All licences were for equipment to be used by a private security company to protect election monitors and ballot boxes for the Iraqi referendum. Equipment concerned included: armoured vehicles, body armour, military helmets, smoke grenades, mini signal flares, stun grenades and six machine guns. The Government received certification for the licences after they were issued.
HEALTH
Independent Nurse Pharmacist Prescribing
The Secretary of State for Health (Ms Patricia Hewitt): Two public consultations were carried out earlier this year on the future of independent prescribing by nurses and on the introduction of independent prescribing by pharmacists. The responses were overwhelmingly in favour of allowing appropriately qualified nurses and pharmacists to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition. As a result, the Committee on Safety of Medicines has recommended to me that appropriately qualified nurses should be able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their professional competence—with the exception of Controlled Drugs. It has also recommended to me that a new category of non-medical prescriber—pharmacist independent prescribers—be introduced. They will have similar powers. I am announcing today that I am accepting these recommendations and that regulations will be amended to enable this from spring 2006.
We will be working with the relevant bodies across the United Kingdom—the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and the Nursing and Midwifery Council—to consider the training implications for their members who wish to take up these responsibilities.
This is very good news for patients who will benefit from quicker and more accessible service. It also demonstrates our confidence in nurses and pharmacists, and our wish to use their skills and professionalism to the full.
Patient safety remains paramount and strong safeguards are currently in place to regulate existing prescribing activity by nurses and pharmacists. We will work with professionals and the regulatory bodies to look at what, if any, additional measures are needed to ensure the right safeguards are in place. These extra prescribing flexibilities will only be available to nurses and pharmacists who have undertaken specific training, approved by the relevant professional and regulatory
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bodies. Once trained, individuals will be required to keep their skills up to date. Nurse and pharmacist prescribers will need to work within their employers' clinical governance frameworks and they will be accountable to both their employers and their regulatory bodies for their actions.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Animal Procedures Committee
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Andy Burnham): I am pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to the Animal Procedures Committee. They were appointed with effect from 1 February 2005.
Dr. John Doe is a Director of the Central Toxicology Laboratory and Global Head of Health Assessment at Syngenta. Mr Robert Kemp retired recently from AstraZeneca. He has over 20 years' experience of working as an animal care technician, and is the current Chairman of the Institute of Animal Technology. Professor Keith Kendrick is Head of Neuroscience at the Babraham Institute. Professor John Pickard holds senior neurosurgical/neuroscience clinical and academic posts in Cambridge.
Each has been appointed for a four year term. I am pleased that they have agreed to serve on this important committee.
Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Fiona Mactaggart): I would like to inform the House that Mr. David Jessel and Dr. James MacKeith have been re-appointed as Commissioners to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Copies of the press release relating to these appointments are available in the House Library.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Probation Board for Northern Ireland
The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. David Hanson): I have today received copies of the annual report of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland for the financial year 2004–05. The report outlines the Board's performance against targets during that year.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
North/South Implementation Bodies/Tourism Ireland Limited
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Peter Hain):
I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses papers relating to decisions that have been taken during the period 1 October 2004 to 12 September 2005 which relate to the North/South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland Limited under the terms of the Exchange of Notes of 19 November 2002 (Cmnd 5708).
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Decisions that have been taken during the period 1 October 2004 to 12 September 2005 which relate to the North/South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland under the terms of the Exchange of Notes of 19 November 2002 (Cmnd 5708).
FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS SECTOR
| IP/FCILC 14 - | Loughs Agency's Corporate Plan 2005–07, Business Plan for 2005 and Budgets 2005–07. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IP/FCILC 15 - | Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Licensing of Fishing Engines) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IP/FCILC 16 - | Foyle and Carlingford Area Advisory Forum. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IP/FCILC 17 - | Loughs Agency's Financial Statements and Annual Report periods ending 31 December 2001 and 31 December 2002. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IP/FCILC 18 - | Foyle Area and Carlingford Area (Close Seasons for Angling) (Amendment) Regulations 2005.
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