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27 Apr 2007 : Column 1344W—continued
Water: Storage
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage water companies to provide more storage capacity. [133776]
Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency has a duty to secure the proper use of water resources. Water companies have duties to maintain adequate supplies of water and several companies have provision in their water resource plans to enlarge existing reservoirs or construct new ones. These proposals were set out in the 25 year water resources plans they prepared in 2004. The Environment Agency advised Ministers about the appropriateness of these proposals, and other measures to ensure security of supply, in its report “Maintaining water supply”, which was published in July 2004.
It would be inappropriate for Ministers to encourage water companies to pursue particular options, since specific proposals may come before us for determination or on appeal.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Overseas Territories
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the occasions in the last 30 years on which members of the indigenous population of a UK Overseas Territory have been expelled from their home in respect of which no legal proceedings are active; and what the dates and circumstances were of each such case. [132424]
Mr. Hoon: There have been no occasions in the last 30 years on which members of the indigenous population of a UK Overseas Territory have been expelled from their home in respect of which no legal proceedings are active.
Cuba: Human Rights
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government has made to the United Nations Human Rights Council on human rights in Cuba. [132608]
Mr. Hoon: At the Human Rights Council’s (HRC) second regular session in September 2006, the UK—both nationally and through the EU—actively participated in interactive dialogues with more than 40 UN Special Rapporteurs on the basis of their annual reports. During this process we drew particular attention to the human rights situations in a number of countries, including Cuba.
It is anticipated that the 2007 annual report issued by the Special Rapporteur on Cuba will be discussed at the June session of the HRC. The EU again plans to participate in this dialogue, with the objective of highlighting the serious concerns it has over the human rights situation in Cuba. In addition, as a member of HRC, Cuba will be among the first countries to undergo Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism for evaluating each country’s human rights standards. The UK supports this system.
Global Opportunities Fund
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) funding and (b) other resources have been (i) committed in each of the last three financial years and (ii) pledged for each of the next three financial years to the Global Opportunities Fund. [133568]
Mr. Hoon: The information requested by the hon. Member is provided in the table as follows.
To support GOF programmes overseas, there is a network of 100 project officers at posts costing £1.3 million.
GOF programme allocations for the next three financial years will depend on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations with HM Treasury as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Resource Allocation Round that will flow from that. We should know the outcome of the CSR in the autumn.
Latin America: Global Opportunities Fund
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Global Opportunities Fund in Latin America; and if she will make a statement. [133569]
Mr. Hoon: There is no Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) programme specifically dedicated to Latin America; GOF programmes are generally organised by theme rather than geography. The following GOF programmes have projects in Latin America: Climate Change and Energy, Drugs and Crime, Economic Governance, Human Rights and Sustainable Development.
GOF-funded projects have achieved some notable recent successes in Latin America. Our Embassy in Mexico City, along with the British Council, received an award in October 2006 from then President Fox for their GOF-funded governance work. In Colombia, GOF projects have focussed on strengthening the prosecution service and implementation of the Justice and Peace Law. One project, part-funded by GOF and aimed at improving the case handling of and protection for child victims of sexual exploitation, received a UN21 Commendation for outstanding field projects. Out of 4,500 project nominations, only 20 received an award.
North Korea: Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the status of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear disarmament. [134614]
Dr. Howells: We assess that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has not fulfilled its commitments in Phase one of the Six Party Talks, Initial Actions for the Implementation of the September 2005 Joint Statement. The Joint Statement obliged the DPRK to abandon all its nuclear weapons and nuclear programmes. Phase one set a deadline of 60 days, from the 13 February, for North Korea to shut down and seal the Yongbyon nuclear facility and to re-admit International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. It also called for North Korea to discuss with other parties to the talks, a list of all its nuclear programmes including plutonium already extracted from Yongbyon. We note with concern that the DPRK has not carried out these undertakings within the agreed timeframe. However, we welcomed the visit by the IAEA Director, Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, on 13-14 March to discuss preparations for the re-admittance of IAEA inspectors.
Health
Ambulance Services: North East Region
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time was for ambulances to reach patients in (a) North Yorkshire, (b) County Durham and (c) Cumbria in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [133130]
Andy Burnham: The Department does not collect information of the average response times by ambulance trust. It does, however, collect data from national health service ambulance trusts which allow response time standards to be monitored. The response times for the ambulance services for the Cumbria, North Yorkshire and County Durham areas are shown in the following table.
| Category A calls, response within 8 minutes and 19 minutes, by ambulance trusts 2005-06 | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Within 8 minutes | Within 19 minutes | |
| Note: In 2005-06 there were some inconsistencies in the measurement of the category A response times (eight minutes) for six ambulance trusts, this included Cumbria Ambulance Service. Source: The Information Centre, form KA34. | ||
Breast Cancer
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with the Screening Advisory Committee on the effectiveness of extending the NHS Breast Screening Programme’s upper age limit beyond 70 years. [134378]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The evidence for inviting women aged over 70 on a population basis is not clear. That is why research has been commissioned on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening (ACBCS) to bring more clarity to this area. A modelling exercise has been carried out to look at the potential benefits, and a draft final report has been produced and peer reviewed. The research team have now amended the report based on the peer review comments, and this report will now be discussed by the ACBCS at their next meeting in the summer. The ACBCS will advise on a way forward.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women diagnosed with breast cancer received an HER2 test in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what steps her Department is taking to monitor the implementation of the Government commitment that all women diagnosed with breast cancer should receive a HER2 test. [134379]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not routinely collect figures on the number of breast cancer patients who are tested for HER2.
As set out in the written ministerial statement of 17 July 2006, Official Report, column 5WS, 28 out of the then 34 cancer networks reported that they were HER-2 testing all women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The remaining six reported that they would be testing all these women by the end of October 2006. These networks have since reported that they are now HER-2 testing all women with early breast cancer.
No further progress reports have been requested.
Care Homes: Northamptonshire
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes in Northamptonshire received Dignity in Care grants in 2006. [134436]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: No Dignity in Care grants to care homes were awarded in 2006.
These grants, announced in November 2006, are to be made available during 2007-08. The grants will support minor improvements to the environment to enhance the dignity and quality of life of older residents. Effective use of the grants will help older people living in care homes to do so with dignity, and enable care home providers to be more responsive to the needs of their older residents.
The grants are being paid to local authorities under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. Grant allocations will be made to local authorities in May 2007, subject to agreement by the Department of spending proposals submitted by each authority. The local authority will arrange the distribution of the capital to individual care home providers in accordance with their submission.
We are currently considering the spending plan submitted by Northamptonshire county council, which proposes distributing their grant allocation of £805,000 among 86 care homes.
Colorectal Cancer: Screening
Mr. Baron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2007, Official Report, column 330W, on colorectal cancer: screening,
how many testing kits were sent out each month from April 2006 to February 2007 in each of the 49 primary care trusts covered by the programme. [134236]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 26 April 2007]: The information requested is shown in the table.
| Number of testing kits issued | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | |||||||||
| Primary care trust | July | Aug. | Sept . | Oct . | Nov . | Dec . | Jan . | Feb . | Mar . | Total |
| Notes: This information is based on the new configuration of PCTs. | ||||||||||
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