House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 02 July 2008 (pt 0014)

2 July 2008 : Column 945W—continued

Skin Piercing

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate a review of legislation on local authority monitoring of piercing businesses from 2010. [214105]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has no current plans to review legislation on local authority regulation of cosmetic piercing businesses.

University College Hospital: Inspections

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the Core Standards for Better Health were met by University College Hospital in the most recent period for which information is available; and which of the standards the hospital did not meet in that period. [214187]

Mr. Bradshaw: As part of the Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health Check for 2007-08, University College London Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust declared compliance with all 43 applicable parts of the 24 core standards.

Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

Biofuels

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of biofuels in ordinary petrol and diesel is made up of biofuel; and what biofuels are primarily being used for these purposes. [214201]

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.

Current fuel quality standards permit the blending of up to 5 per cent. of biofuel into ordinary petrol and diesel. The renewable transport fuel obligation, which came into effect on 15 April 2008, is likely to mean that over the period from 15 April 2008 to 14 April 2009, 2.5 per cent. in aggregate of total UK road transport fuel
2 July 2008 : Column 946W
sales will be made up of biofuels. In practice, we expect that road transport fuel suppliers will for the most part comply with this obligation by blending biodiesel into their diesel fuel, which is likely to mean that most diesel sold at UK forecourts over this period will contain near the maximum of 5 per cent. biodiesel, with some petrol also containing up to 5 per cent. bioethanol.

The Renewable Fuels Agency, which administers the RTFO, will be reporting on matters such as the nature of the biofuels sold to comply with the RTFO in due course.

Consumer Protection: Tattooing

Ms Hewitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers who use an organisation providing tattoos and/or tattoo removal in the UK. [207841]

Mr. Thomas: Local authorities have powers to regulate tattooing businesses under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. Under this legislation, a tattooing business is required to register with the local authority and observe local byelaws in relation to hygiene and cleanliness of the tattooist, equipment and premises. It is an offence for the tattooing business to trade without being registered or to breach the local byelaws.

Local authorities may also use health and safety at work legislation to regulate tattooing businesses if they judge that there is a risk to customers' health and safety. This allows local authorities to use improvement and prohibition notices, and ultimately to prosecute businesses if necessary.

If consumers are dissatisfied with the quality of the art work or the terms and conditions under which the work is done (as opposed to a health or hygiene issue) they have protection under general consumer law. For example, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 requires a trader who agrees to provide a service to carry out that service with reasonable care and skill and in a timely manner. It also requires that any goods and materials supplied are of satisfactory quality. If the trader fails to comply with these requirements, the law treats the matter as breach of contract.

The Healthcare Commission currently regulates tattoo removals which are carried out surgically or by using class 3B or 4 laser equipment.

Departmental Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007, Official Report, column 1239W, on departmental official hospitality, when he expects the list of hospitality received by senior civil servants in his Department in 2007 to be published. [215253]

Mr. Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 7 May 2008, Official Report, column 885W.

2 July 2008 : Column 947W

Employment Tribunals

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claims of discrimination on the grounds of (a) disability, (b) gender reassignment, (c) religion, (d) sex, (e) race, (f) age and (g) sexual orientation were made to employment tribunals in each of the last 10
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years; how many such cases were heard by tribunals in each of those years; and in how many cases heard by a tribunal the claimant was successful in each of those years. [212350]

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is shown in the following tables.

Number of discrimination cases received and successful at hearing from 1999-2000 to 2006-07
	1999-2000			2000-01
	Main jurisdiction mix of claims accepted	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal
Sex⁽²⁾	4,926	866	233	25,940	1,258	417
Disability	1,743	292	67	4,630	772	185
Race	3,246	632	170	4,238	1,112	220
Religion or belief⁽³⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Sexual orientation⁽³⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Age⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Total	9,915	1,790	470	34,808	3,142	822

	2001-02			2002-03
	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal
Sex⁽²⁾	15,703	1,136	368	11,001	1,121	363
Disability	5,273	618	137	5,310	678	148
Race	3,889	829	129	3,638	725	115
Religion or belief⁽³⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Sexual orientation⁽³⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Age⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Total	24,865	2,583	634	19,949	2,524	626

	2003-04			2004-05
	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal
Sex⁽²⁾	17,722	882	306	11,726	1,076	299
Disability	5,655	587	156	4,942	802	236
Race	3,492	761	120	3,317	710	⁽⁵⁾107
Religion or belief⁽³⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Sexual orientation⁽³⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Age⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—
Total	26,869	2,230	582	19,985	2,588	642

	2005-06			2006-07
	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal	All jurisdiction mix of claims accepted^{( 1)}	Heard at tribunal	Successful at tribunal
Sex⁽²⁾	14,250	4,846	4,068	28,153	1,253	463
Disability	4,585	671	173	5,533	640	149
Race	4,103	719	119	3,780	728	102
Religion or belief⁽³⁾	486	72	9	648	112	12
Sexual orientation⁽³⁾	395	61	14	470	75	21
Age⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	⁽⁵⁾—	972	11	0
Total	23,819	6,369	4,383	39,556	2,819	747
⁽¹⁾ Claims may have more than one jurisdiction. The reporting of this information changed in 2004 and for consistency figures are given here for all jurisdictional claims with the exception of 1999-2000 figures which are for principal jurisdiction only. ⁽²⁾ Includes discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment see ‘The Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999’ ⁽³⁾ Information is available from 2005-06 onwards following introduction of new legislation. ⁽⁴⁾ Information is available from 2006-07 onwards following introduction of new legislation. ⁽⁵⁾ Not collected. Note: It is not possible to ascertain the numbers of withdrawals at hearing therefore withdrawn appeals are excluded. Source: Employment Tribunals Service annual report and statistics for the years 1999-2000 to 2005-06 and Employment Appeal Tribunal and Employment Tribunals Service annual statistics 2006-07

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