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(a) The information contained in the table above may be incomplete as departments have no records of financial assistance awarded to the West Belfast Festival prior to the 1994-95 financial year.
(b) The figure quoted in the above table for funding granted to the Ardoyne Festival in 2001-02 differs from information provided by the Department of Social Development in response to an earlier Parliamentary Question (of 21 July 2005, col. WA 308) on funding for festivals. I apologise to the noble Lord as this was due to an administrative oversight which resulted in an allocation of £11,500 to the Ardoyne Festival in 2001-02 not being incorporated in the answer.
(c) The sum of £104,200 has recently been awarded to the County Grand Orange Lodge of Belfast by the Department for Social Development for three years commencing in 2006.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they agreed that £17,500 should be paid to the Greater New Lodge Irish Festival for an event in Belfast Castle; and how the figure was arrived at. [HL7299]
Lord Rooker: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced on 10 July 2006 that up to £24,000 transitional funding would be offered to Greater New Lodge Festival. Of that amount, up to £9,000 was allocated for an event in Belfast Castle, in the contract issued by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure on 21 July 2006. The figures were arrived at following a review of the application to the Community Festivals Fund, the programme for the 2006 festival, the anticipated income and expenditure for the 2006 festival and the rationale for funding as set out in the 2005 business case.
Northern Ireland: Folk and Transport Museum
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
In the light of criticism by the Northern Ireland Audit Office in its report HC1130, Session 2005—06, of 8 June, what steps the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum has taken to improve the storage facilities for its transport collection. [HL7200]
Lord Rooker: Following the PAC hearing on 21 June 2006 National Museums Northern Ireland is preparing a storage plan designed to address current deficits in its storage facilities, including those housing the transport collections of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans the Northern Ireland Folk and Transport Museum has to restore (a) a merchant schooner called the “Result”; and (b) an AEC Belfast trolleybus; and what are the plans for their future display. [HL7201]
Lord Rooker: A programme of conservation works has been carried out on the “Result” since her acquisition by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in 1970.
The museum has undertaken to explore options for the restoration and long-term exhibition of the vessel.
The AEC Belfast trolleybus was acquired by the museum in support of its restoration programme. The museum currently has a fully restored 1940s trolleybus on display in its road transport gallery. There are therefore no plans for the restoration and display of the vehicle at this time.
Novatech
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the company Novatech has received any public sector support; if so, what support; when; and whether they will place in the Library of the House documents about such support. [HL6511]
Lord Rooker: Information from departments on public sector support to the company Novatech (NI) Ltd is set out in the table below:
| Year(s) | Funder (Dept/Agency/NDPB) | Programme/Initiative | Amount(£) |
Documents relating to the above public funding are not being placed in the Library of the House at present as a company inspection is in progress. The department will place the documentation in the Library when to do so would not be potentially prejudicial to the company inspection, or any other statutory process that might arise therefrom.
Obesity and Diets
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they provide information to overweight and obese National Health Service patients on the use of proven effective commercial diets; and [HL7003]
Whether meal replacements for weight control, as regulated in the Foods Intended for Use in Energy Restricted Diets for Weight Reduction Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/2182), will be included in the obesity guidance currently under review by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and [HL7004]
Whether they have examined the comparative costs of effective weight-management systems including commercial diets; and, if so, whether the results have been taken into account in developing guidelines for healthcare professionals.[HL7005]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Government have not examined the comparative costs of commercial diets and do not provide information on these diets to obese National Health Service patients. However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence draft guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of obesity in adults and children states that there is moderate evidence that a multi-component commercial group programme may be more effective than a standard self-help programme. There is also no strong evidence to support the use of meal replacement products over a standard low-calorie diet.
Official Gifts: Mr Philip Anschutz
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What gifts or mementoes purchased with public funds the Prime Minister has given to Mr Philip Anschutz or any of his associates.[HL7227]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: None.
Official Gifts: Prime Minister
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What presents, gifts or mementoes purchased with public funds the Prime Minister has given to foreign dignitaries either while overseas or within the United Kingdom in each of the past nine years; and, in each case, what was the name of the recipient, the nature of the gift and its approximate value. [HL7180]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information requested could not be provided within proportionate costs.
Official Travel: Carbon Emission Offsets
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 13 July (WA 140), whether they will place a copy of the May edition of the Department for Transport's in-house magazine in the Library of the House. [HL7178]
Lord Davies of Oldham: I have today placed a copy of the May/June issue of a2b, the Department for Transport in-house magazine, in the Libraries of both Houses.
Olympic Games 2012: Grampian Conditions
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Olympic Delivery Authority will observe all the Grampian conditions (Section 106 commitments) originally imposed on the development of the Olympic site by the London Borough of Newham and other London boroughs.[HL7351]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is committed to the timely delivery of the Olympic Games venues and infrastructure as part of the wider strategy to regenerate Stratford and the Lower Lea Valley. The planning permissions granted by the London Borough of Newham and other boroughs in 2004 in time for the successful Olympic bid were based on assumptions at the time of the bid. The master plan has since been revised and new planning permissions are therefore required. New planning applications will therefore be submitted in early 2007 and any new permissions will be made subject to the conditions and obligations appropriate for their implementation.
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Olympic Delivery Authority has made an assessment of the cost of observing all the Grampian conditions (Section 106 commitments) originally imposed on the development of the Olympic site by the London Borough of Newham and other London boroughs; and, if so, whether these estimates have been included in the publicly projected costs of the 2012 Games.[HL7352]
Baroness Amos: The master plan has been revised and new planning permissions are required. New applications will be established when those conditions are known and featured accordingly in the estimates of costs which we expect to be produced within the next three to six months.
Opium
Lord Swinfen asked Her Majesty's Government:
From where the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry obtains poppy seeds to produce medication from opium derivatives.[HL6889]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): No information is held about the origin of poppy seeds. The seeds, which contain no narcotic substance, are not controlled either under domestic or international law.
Parades: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking against those persons who stopped a lawful Orange parade in Maghera on 12 July 2006.[HL6996]
Lord Rooker: PSNI has advised me that there is an ongoing investigation into this matter and I am unable to provide any further information at this time.
Parliamentary Ombudsman
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions, on what dates and on what issues the findings of an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration have been rejected by Ministers.[HL7286]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Individual departments are responsible for taking forward the Parliamentary Ombudsman's recommendations.
In response to Parliamentary Questions from the noble Lord, Lord Lester, earlier this year departments have provided details on the occasions when they have not accepted the Parliamentary Ombudsman's recommendations. However, for ease of reference I have written to the noble Lord providing him with the information provided by departments. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library for the reference of noble Lords.
Passports
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many British passports have been reported lost or stolen in the past five years; and in how many cases the passport holder has previously reported the loss or theft of a passport.[HL7266]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Identity and Passport Service processed the following reports of (a) loss, (b) theft and (c) other, of a passport in each of the past five calendar years:
2004 - 275,040 Lost 212,745 Stolen 50,737 Other* 11,558
2005 - 286,988 Lost 230,011 Stolen 45,709 Other* 11,268
2006 - 165,495 Lost 136,765 Stolen 22,133 Other* 6,597
IPS does not routinely collate the information in relation to “how many cases the passport holder has previously reported the loss or theft of a passport”.* “Other” includes passports reported as damaged or destroyed.
Pensions
Lord Varley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Registered Pension Schemes (Modification of the Rules of Existing Schemes) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/364) prevent occupational pensions secured by the purchase of a contracted annuity before 6 April 2006 from being paid in full; and, if so, what the consequences are for the revenue received by the Exchequer; and [HL7360]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 26 June (WA 130), what is the purpose of the Registered Pension Schemes (Modification of the Rules of Existing Schemes) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/364), given that the “old limits” of HM Revenue and Customs ceased to be a tax requirement from 6 April; and [HL7361]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 26 June (WA 130), whether HM Revenue and Customs monitors the newlimits set by the Registered Pension Schemes (Modification of the Rules of Existing Schemes) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/364); what criteria they use to monitor these limits; and how long they intend these regulations to remain in force.[HL7362]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Prior to 6 April 2006 (“A day”) tax limits applied to the pensions that could be paid by occupational pension schemes that were approved by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and from annuity contracts purchased by such pension schemes. Many pension schemes incorporated these tax limits into their rules and similarly many annuity contracts reflected the limits in their contract terms, but others simply relied upon the fact that such tax limits were imposed upon them by the tax rules.
From A day these tax limits on pensions have been removed. This meant that some occupational pension schemes that did not have the previous tax limits specifically written into their rules potentially no longer had an upper ceiling on their pensions and faced unexpected increases in pension liabilities. The Registered Pension Schemes (Modification of Rules of Existing Schemes) Regulations 2006 (the “modification regulations”) continue to apply the previous pension limits to such schemes and to annuity contracts which were not in payment on 5 April 2006, from A day until 6 April 2011 or such later time as HMRC may prescribe through regulations. The effect of this is to ensure that members continue to receive the same level of pension. During this period the scheme trustees or the annuity provider may, at any time, amend the rules of the pension scheme or the terms of the annuity contract so that the regulations cease to apply.
The modification regulations ensure that the A day changes do not unexpectedly increase some pension payments and ensure that some occupational schemes and annuity contracts continue to pay members the same level of pensions. Therefore it is not necessary to monitor the level of the restrictions set out in those regulations. The consequences for the revenue received by the Exchequer arising from the modification regulations will depend upon the extent to which pension schemes and annuity contracts choose to retain the old benefit limits rather than adopt the more generous limits available under the post-A day tax rules.
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