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6 Jun 2007 : Column 556W—continued
Nature Conservation: Trade
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government’s policy is on protecting endangered species from trade in relation to the meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in June; and if he will make a statement. [139687]
Barry Gardiner: The UK believes that CITES is one of the most important and influential conservation-focused Multilateral Environmental Agreements. We will continue to support its development to improve its influence and effectiveness in respect of species at threat, or likely to be at threat, from trade; particularly with a view to only supporting such trade where it can be shown that it will have no negative impact on the conservation of the species concerned in the wild.
On species listing proposals, parties consider the conservation status of the species concerned and
whether it meets the listing criteria developed by CITES. Parties also take account of the contribution that CITES controls can make towards improvement of the conservation status, while acknowledging the efforts of those countries that have implemented effective conservation measures.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will fund a workshop on the internet trade in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species specimens in the event that the proposal on internet trade is agreed at the forthcoming convention on international trade in endangered species meeting in June. [139692]
Barry Gardiner: The UK was instrumental in tabling the proposal for a CITES workshop on the internet trade in endangered species. This and other work programme proposals will be considered at the June Conference of Parties, along with funding issues. A costed work programme has been tabled by the CITES Secretariat that will establish how individual projects should be funded. Until the outcome of those discussions are known, parties, including the UK, are not in a position to say which elements of any programme they will support and how. Nevertheless, the UK, having put forward the proposal for the internet workshop, will do what it can to ensure that this takes place.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will seek to amend the proposal on livelihoods at the forthcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in June to reflect more closely the positive impact that CITES enforcement has on livelihoods. [139693]
Barry Gardiner: We are not currently seeking to amend this proposal. However, if, during the meeting, it becomes clear that the proposal can be improved, made more accurate or clear about the role and impact of CITES trade on livelihoods, then we will look to participate constructively in any discussions.
Pest Control
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence his Department has obtained from other countries on the long distance transport of diabrotica virgifera into new geographical areas. [139561]
Barry Gardiner: “Diabrotica virgifera” is native to North America. The pest was first found in Serbia in 1992, and has since spread both within Eastern Europe and the EU. A scientific paper by researchers in France, “Multiple transatlantic introductions of the western corn rootworm”,(1) was published in 2005. This suggested that there have been at least three separate introductions of “D. virgifera” from North America.
(1) Reference: Miller, N., Estoup, A., Toepfer, S., Bourget, D., Lapchin, L, Derridj, S., Kirn, K.S., Reynaud, P., Furlan, L. and Guillemaud, T. (2005). Science. 310:992.).
Alan Simpson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether his Department has carried out an investigation into the
origins of the two wild populations of diabrotica virgifera found in the wild in south east England; [139580]
(2) whether his Department has carried out DNA profiling of the two populations of diabrotica virgifera found in the wild in south east England in order to assist with investigations about their origins. [139582]
Barry Gardiner: Investigations into the origins of the populations of “diabrotica virgifera” found in the southeast of England are very difficult because the means by which “D. virgifera” was introduced are unclear. There is circumstantial evidence to suggest that “D. virgifera” is spread by aircraft. However, to date no studies have been carried out on the presence of potentially invasive insects on aircraft.
A study is currently being conducted to investigate whether the populations of “D. virgifera” found in south east England are related to populations of “D. virgifera” in eastern Europe and the USA. The results are due to be published later this year. However, these types of studies cannot specifically pinpoint the origin of an introduced species, and at best the results will demonstrate whether the populations of “D. virgifera” in south east England are more likely to be related to those from eastern Europe, the USA or both.
Sheep: Imports
Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2007, Official Report, column 763W, on sheep imports, how many of the lambs imported in the period November 2006 to February 2007 were imported for (a) slaughter, (b) fattening and (c) breeding. [139293]
Barry Gardiner: The TRACES (TRAde Control and Expert System) database is not currently functional, but I will write to my hon. Friend when information becomes available.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is of a visit to an accident and emergency department in England. [140246]
Andy Burnham: In 2005-06, the average reported cost of an attendance to an accident and emergency (A&E) Department in England was £86. This is the most recent year for which costs are available and covers the cost of services provided by 24-hour and non-24 hour A&E departments in the national health services.
Ambulance Services
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what care can be provided by an ambulance paramedic that cannot be provided by an ambulance technician. [140536]
Andy Burnham: An emergency medical technician (EMT) will have a sound knowledge of the basic concepts of patient care, having completed a training programme, worked under supervision for a probationary year, and achieved the national EMT award.
EMTs are able to make a provisional diagnosis, use their knowledge and skills to identify and differentiate between life-threatening and non-life threatening conditions, and be able to interpret and record baseline observations and gain a basic individual, familial and social history of a patient during an assessment of the patient's needs. From this they can determine the extent of patients' illness or injury and initiate treatment, based on the principles of the current national clinical guidelines, in an attempt to stabilise the condition. This will include the use of, amongst other things, airway adjuncts, defibrillation, basic analgesic and oxygen therapies, and administration of a number of medicines.
The precise difference in care that can be provided by a paramedic compared to an EMT will vary between national health service ambulance trusts as it will depend on the patient group directives in use by each trust for paramedics, and any additional training that the employer may have given their paramedics or EMTs over and above the national qualifications. However the core differences between the two roles are that:
paramedics are registered health professionals and are therefore required to maintain a portfolio of continual professional development;
paramedics can conduct a more thorough and detailed physical examination of the patient;
paramedics undertake invasive procedures and are able to give intra-muscular and sub-cutaneous injections, and external jugular vein cannulation; and
paramedics are able to practice in accordance with current legislation governing the use of prescription-only medicines and controlled drugs by paramedics.
Paramedic skills, over and above those also possessed by EMTs, are only used in a minority of cases.
Further information on the standards of proficiency required of paramedics can be obtained from The Health Professions Council's Standards of Proficiency for Paramedics which is available at:
In addition, the British Paramedic Association's Curriculum Framework for Ambulance Education provides details of EMT and paramedic education. This is available at:
Carers: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much carer’s grant was allocated to Warrington borough council in each year since it was introduced; and how much of the grant was spent on services for carers. [139927]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The grant allocations paid to Warrington borough council as their share of the carers grant since 1999 are in the following table.
| Carers grant Warrington 1999-2007 | |
| £ million | |
The grant is no longer ringfenced and the Department does not collect data about how much each council spends supporting carers. However, councils do have a duty to support carers and they should be taking their needs into account when planning and commissioning all services.
Cerebral Palsy: Stem Cells
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatments using (a) embryonic stem cells and (b) stem cells from umbilical cords are available in the United Kingdom to children with cerebral palsy. [138551]
Caroline Flint: Such treatments are not currently available in the national health service. The United Kingdom Government are, however, committed to providing the best possible support for stem cell research and other experimental avenues of biomedical research that may, in the future, benefit patients suffering from a range of diseases.
Cervical Cancer: Vaccination
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on (a) cervical cancer and (b) the new vaccine for human papilloma virus. [139173]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In the last year the Department has received 25 pieces of correspondence concerning cervical cancer, the majority of which concerned either cervical screening or the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, 35 parliamentary questions concerning cervical cancer and/or HPV and there has been one Early Day Motion concerning cervical cancer and HPV.
Where appropriate these have been passed to the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) or the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) HPV vaccine sub-committee for consideration.
The ACCS was formed to advise Ministers and the Department on the national health service cervical screening programme, to monitor the effectiveness of this screening programme and to advise on research concerned with its provision.
The JCVI is an independent expert advisory committee first set up to advise the Secretaries of State for Health, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on matters relating to communicable diseases, preventable and potentially preventable through immunisation.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received on the (a) nature, (b) scope and (c) quality of biomedical research into chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. [138272]
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received on the funding of biomedical research into chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. [138397]
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received on the levels of biomedical research undertaken into chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. [138623]
Caroline Flint: In the course of the last year the Department has received the report of the Group on Scientific Research into myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) convened by my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson), together with a number of letters from Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents and from others concerned with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME research.
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to improve diagnostic waiting time targets for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. [138274]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 2007, Official Report, columns 1497-98W.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research she has (a) initiated and (b) evaluated on biomedical research into chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis; what plans she has for future research in this area; and if she will make a statement. [138395]
Caroline Flint: Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department’s total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. That devolved funding is supporting a body of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) research, including a number of projects where a research charity is the principal funder. Details are available on the national research register at:
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research and is currently funding two trials into treatment options for CFS/ME and two epidemiological studies.
In addition, the new National Institute for Health Research South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Institute of Psychiatry Biomedical Research Centre, funded by the Department, will undertake research on CFS/ME.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Screening
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the NHS (a) has approved and (b) is developing any test that can diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis in individuals; and if she will make a statement. [140686]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: At present, there is no specific test for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Diagnosis is dependent on the recognition of the type and pattern of symptoms and tests to rule out other illnesses and conditions that can cause some or all of the symptoms experienced by the patient.
In 2004, the Department asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce a clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of CFS/ME. The guideline, which NICE expects to publish in August 2007, will include recommendations on the process of assessment leading to diagnosis and will include guidance on clinical case definition, appropriate timing for diagnosis and the use of laboratory, imaging or other tests.
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