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6 Dec 2005 : Column 1128W—continued
Departmental Tendering Policy
Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchyof Lancaster what his policy is on including (a) ethical and (b) environmental factors in tenders for services. [33326]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Procurement in the Cabinet Office is conducted in accordance with Government policy applying to ethical and environmental standards within the overarching policy of value for money. The policy reflects the principles of Community law. Requirements for both services and goods specify relevant environmental factors where appropriate.
Environmental Regulations
Colin Challen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what mechanisms are in place to allow all interested parties to comment on regulatory simplification proposals concerning environmental regulations. [34001]
Mr. Jim Murphy:
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published its initial regulatory simplification plan, 'Lifting the Burden', on the 29 November to allow all interested parties to comment. This signals the start of a process of dialogue between the Department and stakeholders. The initial plan identifies among other proposals, initiatives to reduce
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the burden of environmental regulations on business. Each of these will, where appropriate, be subject to full consultation.
Health Bill
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the Better Regulation Task Force's report on the proposed regulatory system in the Health Bill. [34711]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Task Force has not produced a report on the proposed regulatory system in the Health Bill.
The Better Regulation Task Force (BRTF) is an independent body, set up to advise Government on action to ensure that regulation and its enforcement comply with the five principles of good regulation. The Cabinet Office, sponsors the BRTF but does not speak for it.
Operating and Financial Review
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the Better Regulation Task Force contributed to the decision not to implement the Operating and Financial Review; and if he will make a statement. [34833]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Better Regulation Task Force is an independent body and has not published an opinion on the Operating and Financial Review (OFR).
Terrorism
Mr. Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy ofLancaster if he will make a statement on the work of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in relation to terrorism. [34506]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The Civil Contingencies Secretariat co-ordinates work to improve the United Kingdom's ability to respond to and recover from emergencies, including emergencies which arise from terrorism. It plays an important role in delivering the 'Prepare' strand of the Government's counter terrorism strategy.
PRIME MINISTER
Meetings
David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister what meetings he has had with the (a) Democratic Unionist Party, (b) Ulster Unionist Party, (c) UK Unionist Party, (d) Social Democratic and Labour Party, (e) Alliance Party, (f) Sinn Fein and (g) the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland during the last 18 months. [34627]
The Prime Minister: I have had frequent meetings with political parties in Northern Ireland, and with the Taoiseach.
Public Sector Employees
Mike Penning: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the five categories of public sector employees with the highest rates of early retirement due to ill health in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [33805]
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The Prime Minister: The information requested is not held centrally.
TREASURY
Birth Statistics
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of women born in the early 1960s who have never given birth to a child; and if he will make a statement. [34211]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 6 December 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your request for an estimate of the number of women born in the early 1960s who have never given birth to a child. (34211)
Summaries of the estimated proportion of women that are childless in England and Wales are regularly published in the annual reference volume, Birth statistics FM1, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.
The table below shows the proportions and the numbers of women who are childless, for those born in each of the years 1960 to 1965, The proportions are estimated for England and Wales only. These are based on births that occurred up to the end of 2003, the latest year for which data are available. The numbers have been estimated by applying these England and Wales proportions to the United Kingdom population.
(7) The years of birth shown are, by necessity, approximate since births before 1963 are available only by calendar year of occurrence and age of mother at childbirth For instance, women giving birth in 2003 at age 42 could have been born in either 1960 or 1961; for convenience, however, they are recorded as belonging to the 1961 cohort.
(8) Percentages for England and Wales.
(9) Cohorts born in the early 1960s have yet to reach the end of their childbearing years (taken as age 45), although the proportions of women giving birth for the first time at ages 40 and over are low. For example, in 2003, 18 per cent. of the 1958 cohort were childless at age 45, the same as at age 40.
Great George Street (Refurbishment)
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost of refurbishment of the offices in Great George Street was; what the final cost will be to public funds of the private finance initiative; and if he will make a statement. [34347]
John Healey:
I refer the hon. member to the answers given by Financial Secretaries to the Treasury Ruth Kelly and Stephen Timms on 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 840W and on 13 December 2004, Official Report, column 868W. The figures relating to
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100 Parliament street given in the reply of 13 December 2004 equate to a net present value of approximately £213 million at March 2002 prices.
Prostate Cancer
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in (a) Southend Primary Care Trust area, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire, (d) Greater London and (e) England in each year since 1995. [34212]
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John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 6 December 2005:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in (a) Southend Primary Care Trust area, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire, (d) Greater London and (e) England in each year since 1995. (34212)
The latest available figures for the incidence of prostate cancer are for the year 2003. Numbers of newly diagnosed cases in England and other selected areas, are given in the table below.
(10) Prostate cancer is defined as code C61 in the international Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD10)
Source:
Office for National Statistics
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