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5 Feb 2010 : Column 556W—continued
Middle East: Armed Conflict
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2010, Official Report, column 468W, on Palestinians: overseas aid, what assessment he has made of whether Israel is in compliance with its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention in respect of the population of Gaza; and if he will make a statement. [314058]
Chris Bryant: We have serious concerns about the Israeli restrictions on Gaza and the impact they have on the lives of Gazans. Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, given the significant control that Israel has over Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters, Israel retains obligations under the fourth Geneva convention as an occupying power. The fourth Geneva convention is clear that an occupying power must co-operate in allowing the passage and distribution of relief consignments. The restrictions currently imposed on the passage of relief supplies are, as we see it, a disproportionate response to the security threat.
We have consistently pressed the Israeli Government to comply with their obligations under international law and allow passage of relief supplies. Although aid is entering Gaza, according to the UN this is insufficient to meet the needs of the Gazan people.
USA
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to make an official visit to the United States. [315933]
Chris Bryant: For security and operational reasons, we do not announce visits by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary significantly in advance.
USA: Nuclear Weapons
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US administration on stockpiles of nuclear weapons; and what his policy is on the steps to be taken by the Government and the US administration on reducing such stockpiles. [315931]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regularly discuss nuclear issues, and UK officials frequently discuss with the US the implementation of all aspects of the non-proliferation treaty including our article VI disarmament obligations.
We look forward to an agreement between the US and Russia to achieve significant cuts in their nuclear arsenals by agreeing a successor to the strategic arms reduction treaty. This will be a major contribution to our shared endeavour towards a world without nuclear weapons, and will help to build trust and pave the way for greater reductions.
The UK has taken a number of significant disarmament steps in recent years, and is committed to retaining only the minimum credible nuclear deterrent capability; we regularly review the number of warheads in the UK stockpile in that light. The UK firmly believes that sustainable global nuclear disarmament can only be achieved through a multilateral process, and stands ready to engage in a broader multilateral process when the conditions are right.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on international nuclear proliferation. [315932]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discusses a range of international nuclear proliferation issues regularly with Secretary of State Clinton and the US Administration and did so most recently on 28 January 2010. My hon. Friend Mr. Ivan Lewis has done likewise with his counterparts. Strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime and re-energising the nuclear non-proliferation treaty is a top foreign policy priority for the Government and the US Government.
War Crimes: Arrest Warrants
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each representation he has received from the US State Department (a) orally and (b) in writing on UK procedures for the issue of arrest warrants in respect of foreign nationals alleged to have committed war crimes in the last 12 months. [315804]
Chris Bryant: I have not had any direct representations from the US State Department on UK procedures for the issue of arrest warrants in respect of foreign nationals alleged to have committed war crimes in the last 12 months. My officials have been asked by colleagues in the State Department for factual accounts of incidents in which such arrest warrants have been sought. There have been no written representations from the US State Department on this subject during this time.
Health
Cancer: Drugs
Mr. Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons with cancer in Northampton South constituency did not receive drugs designed to prolong their life following a report for such drugs in the latest period for which figures are available. [315007]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: This information is not collected centrally. However this information might be available direct from Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust.
Drugs: Children In Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether medical practitioners are required to inform local authorities when they administer drugs to children in care. [316072]
Ann Keen: There is no requirement on medical practitioners to inform local authorities when administering drugs to child in care. However, treatment of a child, including the prescription or administrating of drugs by medical practitioners, requires consent. In the case of children who lack the capacity to consent for themselves, a doctor would need to ask for consent from those with parental responsibility, which, for those on a care order, would be a local authority.
Drugs: Testing
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has evaluated on the comparative (a) safety and (b) effectiveness of (i) human biology-based testing and (ii) animal testing of new drugs and treatments. [316006]
Ann Keen: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the competent authority responsible for the issuing on Marketing Authorisations (licences) and assessing Clinical Trial Applications for medicinal products and devices.
The MHRA has not directly evaluated any specific studies on the comparative safety and effectiveness of human biology testing and animal testing of new drugs and treatment. The MHRA has, however, been indirectly
involved in a number of initiatives in this field that are actively evaluating the replacement of whole animal studies with suitable alternatives, including the use of human tissue samples. Today's approaches to drug development, involving an integrated programme of non-clinical testing and clinical trials, have been built up on a rational and scientific basis for more than 30 years. At present there are no validated and established laboratory methods available to totally replace animal testing of medicinal products.
Health Protection Agency
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made on the Health Protection Agency's Project Chrysalis; and if he will make a statement. [316063]
Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agency was given approval of its strategic outline case for Project Chrysalis in August 2008 and since then has been working on the next stage, the outline business case.
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of the Health Protection Agency site at Porton Down; and if he will make a statement. [316065]
Gillian Merron: The Department will consider the Health Protection Agency's business case for redevelopment of its facilities at Porton Down (Project Chrysalis) when it is submitted.
Health Protection Agency: Finance
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Health Protection Agency's Project Chrysalis had cost on the latest date for which figures are available. [316062]
Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agency's project Chrysalis has spent a total of £9.4 million from its inception to 31 December 2009.
Health Protection Agency: Location
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the proposed relocation of the Health Protection Agency Centre for Emergency Preparedness from Porton Down to Harlow, Essex; and if he will make a statement. [316064]
Gillian Merron: Written representations have been received from the hon. Member for Salisbury to the Minister for Public Health in July 2009 and from the Leader of Wiltshire council to departmental officials in January 2010.
Health Protection Agency: Manpower
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees work at the Health Protection Agency's Porton Down site. [316061]
Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agency's Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, at Porton Down, directly employs 598 staff. After allowing for part-time working, this equates to 578 whole time equivalents.
Health Services: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the £340 million included in primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations for the three years from 2008-09 to 2010-11 for disabled children's services under the Child Health Strategy has been allocated to each PCT. [316101]
Ann Keen: Individual primary care trusts (PCTs) allocations are not broken down or ring-fenced into funding for individual policies such as the Child Health Strategy. It is for PCTs to decide how best to deliver the national and local requirements of the NHS Operating Framework, including how much resource to invest on individual priorities.
Hospital Beds
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds (a) there were and (b) were occupied in each type of hospital ward in 2008-09. [315539]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The number of occupied and available bed days and day only beds is collected annually, from national health service providers by ward classification. The following tables show the number of available beds by ward classification and the occupancy rate for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009:
| Average daily number of available and occupied beds in wards open overnight by ward classification, England, 2008-09 | ||
| Ward classification | Available beds | Occupied beds |
| Average daily number of available beds in wards open day only, England, 2008-09 | ||
| Available beds | Occupied beds | |
| Average daily number of available and occupied residential beds, England, 2008-09 | ||
| Available beds | Occupied beds | |
| Source: Department of Health form KH03 | ||
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