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Israel: Tom Hurndall and James Miller
Baroness Northover asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What actions
will now be taken by the Office of the Attorney General following the
Attorney-General's recent meetings with the Israeli Attorney General
and other Israeli Ministers and officials in regard to the Tom Hurndall
and James Miller
cases.[HL6252]
The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): Following the recent inquests into the tragic deaths of James Miller and Thomas Hurndall in Gaza, the coroner wrote to me asking that I consider possible prosecutions in the United Kingdom. Since receiving that request, I met both the families on 5 May to discuss the cases. I also took advantage of a long-standing arrangement to visit Israel in the week commencing 21 May to have a meeting with the Attorney General and the Military Advocate General and the military prosecutors involved in these two cases. I also raised these cases in meetings with the Israeli Foreign Minister and the Minister of Justice and separately held meetings with Israeli lawyers, including the lawyers for the families. The principal purpose was to obtain further information about the cases and the investigations that were undertaken by the Israeli authorities to inform my decision, but I also raised the issue of holding an independent inquiry into the deaths and subsequent investigation and pressed for appropriate compensation to be paid, particularly to Mrs Miller, without delay.
The Israeli authorities are now actively considering disciplinary action against a soldier for lying in the course of the field investigation that took place following the death of James Miller. I also understand that the Israeli authorities are keen to make contact with the Miller family to discuss compensation.
My office has passed information about my visit to the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police and has also updated the English solicitors acting for the Miller and Hurndall families.
As a result of my visit I expect to obtain further information shortly that will assist me in carrying out my independent role in considering prosecutions in the United Kingdom. I will inform the House once I have reached a concluded view.
NHS: In Vitro Fertilisation
Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- To what age the
National Health Service offers free in vitro fertilisation (IVF)
treatment; what percentage of patients are offered natural IVF and
5 July 2006 : Column WA52
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The clinical guideline on the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems, produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and issued in February 2004, advises that stimulated cycles of in vitro fertilisation should be offered, if appropriate, where the woman is aged between 23 and 39 years at the time of treatment. Information on the percentage of patients offered in vitro fertilisation without ovarian stimulatory drugs is not collected centrally. However, the information collected by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is that in 2002-04, 1,164 unstimulated cycles took place, with a live birth rate of 18.13 per cent. In the same period there were 55,923 stimulated cycles, with a live birth rate of 22.73 per cent. Patients wishing to consider the option of unstimulated cycles can tell the clinician treating them.
The HFEA involves patients in its work in a variety of ways, including regular consultation with an online patients’ panel, collection of feedback from patients on their experience of treatment services to inform the authority’s inspection process, and close and regular contact with organisations representing patients. The authority also seeks patients’ views when it consults publicly on the development of new policies.
NHS: Training Budgets
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What
representations they have received from the British
Medical Association about the 29 junior doctors who have had their
vocational training placements deferred due to cutbacks in funding by
the postgraduate medical deanery in London; and what assistance is
being given to those junior doctors to ensure that their training can
start in August
2006.[HL6586]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Government have received representations from Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association, on this matter.
The priorities for
investment of educational funding are a matter for the local strategic
health authority working with their deanery in respect of medical
education. This is therefore essentially a local matter for the SHA and
the London Deanery to determine. However I am assured by the London
Deanery that there has been no reduction in funded training places at
the deanery. The deferment of the training places is the result of the
number of trainees who could be recruited exceeding the available
places on the training scheme. The deanery is confident that places on
the scheme will be available for these doctors at the next available
start date, in February
5 July 2006 : Column WA53
North/South Implementation Bodies
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether
they propose making any changes to the administration of cross-border
implementation bodies between now and 24 November
2006.[HL6427]
Lord Rooker: There are no plans to change the administration of cross-border bodies.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the
Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 20 June (WA 77) which
indicated that the proportion of Protestant employees in cross-border
bodies has fallen to 32 per cent, what steps they are taking with
regard to levels of confidence in the bodies in the Unionist
community.
[HL6538]
Lord Rooker: I have nothing further to add to my Answer of 22 June (WA 107).
Public Bodies: Chairmen
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and
Sport.[HL6531]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Remuneration for chairs of all DCMS public bodies, as of 31 March 2005, is detailed in the published document Public Bodies 2005. This is available at www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/publications/pdf/pubIic-bodies/public bodies2005.pdf.
The following table contains information on the time requirement for chairs of public bodies who are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government.[HL6557]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): Information on remuneration of chairs of public bodies is published in the annual Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies, prepared by the Agencies and Public Bodies Team in the Cabinet Office. The most recent published edition of Public Bodies provides information as at 31 March 2005.
Depending on the type of public body and the levels of responsibility, time input varies. All DCLG chairs of public bodies are part time, except one body, where an acting chair is full time on a temporary basis until the new chair is appointed. The time commitment ranges from meeting regularly two or three days per week, for most executive bodies, to meeting four times a year, for one advisory body.
Details on appointments made during the financial year, including remuneration and time commitments, are published in the department’s annual report.
Lord Lee of Trafford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
salary and time requirements for the chairmen of public bodies
appointed by the Secretary of State for
Scotland.[HL6592]
5 July 2006 : Column WA56
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: The Secretary of State for Scotland does not appoint any chairmen to public bodies.
Railways: Late Arrivals
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether in
future train operating franchises the penalty regime for late arrivals
will apply to intermediate stations, particularly those with advertised
connections, and not only to the final
destination.[HL6600]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Winners of new rail franchises are required to commit to improving train performance by reducing their own train delays, wherever they might arise. The performance of franchised train operators will be judged on how they reduce delays throughout the journey, not just at their destination, in order to improve punctuality for the greatest number of passengers.
Regional Development: Northern Way
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In what ways the
recent changes in departmental responsibilities will affect the scope,
policy objectives and management arrangements for the Northern Way
initiative; which Ministers are now responsible for the Northern Way;
and whether they will make any announcements later this year in
relation to the Northern
Way.[HL6439]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): As the Northern Way is an independent initiative by the three northern regional development agencies, the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government will not affect its policy objectives and management arrangements, as they are a matter for the Northern Way itself. The department will continue to co-ordinate Government’s engagement with it.
My right honourable and honourable friends, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Minister for Housing and Planning, pay close attention to the Northern Way and Government’s engagement with it, and are regularly updated on its progress.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the
costs so far of the Northern Way initiative; on what this money has
been spent; what is the budget for the Northern Way for 2006-07; and
which department or departments are responsible for spending
it.[HL6440]
Baroness
Andrews: The Northern Way is an independent
pan-regional growth strategy taken forward by the three northern
regional development agencies and their partners. The Northern Way is
not
5 July 2006 : Column WA57
A £100 million Northern Way Growth Fund, match-funded 50:50 by the three regional development agencies and the Department for Communities and Local Government, was established in 2005-06 to kick start the strategy. The Northern Way business plan for 2005-08, published in June 2005, sets out how it will spend the growth fund, providing a work programme for each of its investment priorities. The Northern Way will shortly be publishing its annual report, including a report on the money spent to date and its budget for 2006-07.
5 July 2006 : Column WA58
Roads: A27
Lord Baker of Dorking asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many
accidents occurred and how many fatalities were recorded on the A27
between Lewes and Polegate in each of the past 10 months, including the
period up to 30
June.[HL6619]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The table below lists the reported number of injury accidents validated by the Sussex Police on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate.
| Aug 05 | Sep 05 | Oct 05 | Nov 05 | Dec 05 | Jan 06 | Feb 06 | Mar 06 | Apr 06 | May 06 | Total | |
From September 2005 to June 2006 there was one reported fatality, in April 2006. Although figures for June 2006 are not available, we have no evidence of any fatal accidents during this month.
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