Lords Hansard text for 30 Oct 200630 Oct 2006 (pt 0002)

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If you become aware of actions by others which conflict with this Code you should report this to your line manager or someone else in your line management chain; alternatively you may wish to seek advice from your nominated officer. You should report evidence of criminal or unlawful activity to the police or other appropriate authorities.If you have raised the matter in accordance with the relevant procedures, and do not receive what you consider to be a reasonable response, you should report the matter to the Civil Service Commissioners.

Government Departments: Spending

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which departments have underspent their budgets for the years 2000 to date; and what was the amount of each underspend.[HL7970]

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Details of departmental underspends are shown in the public expenditure provisional out-turn White Paper published annually in July.

Gulf War Illnesses

The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16 October (WA 174), what reviews of research into Gulf War illnesses funded by the Government of the United States have been undertaken by the Medical Research Council since 2003; when the review conducted in 2003 was completed; who were the scientists involved in the review; and what steps were taken to inform British Gulf veterans with Gulf War illnesses and families of those veterans who have died since the conflict of the review and its outcome; and [HL7839]

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16 October (WA 174), what destinations were involved in the travel costs incurred by those engaged in the Medical Research Council's review of research funded by the Government of the United States into Gulf War illnesses; on what dates the costs were incurred; and by whom; and [HL7808]

What assessment has been made by the Medical Research Council of the research conducted at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute in the United States into alterations in cholinergic receptors, cytokines, glucorticoids and immunity following low level exposure to cholinergic agents and their possible relevance to illnesses amongst British Gulf War veterans; and [HL7809]

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What consultation took place between the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Gulf War Veterans and Families Association before the MRC undertook its review of the findings of the research into Gulf War illnesses funded by the Government of the United States.[HL7810]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): In January 2003, the Medical Research Council (MRC), through the Military Health Research Advisory Group (MHRAG), undertook a comprehensive review of relevant Gulf research. On 27 January, MHRAG held a private meeting with a number of scientists from the UK and overseas and then met separately on 28 January to apprise the MRC of scientific progress, of the potential for gaining further knowledge and of research needs, and of what the likely medical issues might be. The report, MRC Review of Research into UK Gulf Veterans' Illnesses, was published in May 2003 and is currently available on the MRC website¹. The membership of the MHRAG was as follows:

Professor Catherine Peckham (chair): Institute of Child Health, London Professor Bryn Bridges: Genome Damage & Stability Centre, Sussex Professor David Coggon: MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, SouthamptonProfessor Dudley Goodhead: MRC Radiation & Genome Stability Unit, HarwellProfessor George Griffin: St George's Hospital Medical School, London Professor Pierluigi Nicotera: MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester Professor George Davey-Smith: University of Bristol, Bristol Professor Nick Tarrier: Manchester University (Withington Hospital), ManchesterProfessor Andrew McMichael: MRC Human Immunology Unit, OxfordDr Frances Murphy (observer): Department of Veterans' Affairs Washington, USA

Mr Nick Blatchley (observer): MoD Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit, London

The review was conducted in London and, in addition to the expenses incurred by members of the MHRAG, the travel expenses of individuals invited to the private meeting were also supported. These included: 11 participants from the UK (Aberdeen (1), Bristol (1), Cambridge (1), Cardiff (1), Glasgow (1), Leicester (2), Liverpool (1), London (14), Manchester (1), Oxford (1) and Porton Down (1)); two from France (Bordeaux (1) and Strasbourg (1)); three from Canada (Alberta (1) and Ottawa (2)); and five from the United States (Iowa City (1) and Washington DC (4)).

The MRC did not consult directly with the Gulf War Veterans and Families Association before undertaking the review. A representative from the Royal British Legion attended the private meeting on 27 January 2003 and all relevant information on the

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review has been made available on the MRC website. Following the review, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is the lead government department on Gulf veterans’ illnesses issues, wrote to veterans organisations to report on the outcome.

The 2003 review did not include an assessment of published or emerging research at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute in the United States.

One of the recommendations of the 2003 review was that the MoD should replicate US neuroimaging studies in the United Kingdom. A further review of this recommendation was conducted in January 2005 and it was concluded that this area of work should not be taken forward at this time. At present, the MRC has not conducted subsequent strategic reviews of more recent research findings.

http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/

Immigration: Colnbrook Detention Centre

Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action has been taken against those running the Colnbrook detention centre after an inquest into the death of a detainee found that there had been a failure to ensure that the deceased was seen by a doctor with 24 hours of admission, as advised, and for nine days thereafter.[HL7732]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): All IND removal centre contracts contain performance measures resulting in financial deductions where a contractor fails to follow agreed procedures. Application of performance measures will be considered after consideration of both the evidence from the coroner's inquiry and the relevant Stephen Shaw report into the death in custody.

Immigration: Fast Track Removal

The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:

What efforts they are making to ensure that legal and professional advice, including the provision of adequate legal aid, will be of the same quality for asylum seekers detained under the fast-track process as for asylum seekers as a whole; and what research is being undertaken to evaluate this.[HL7806]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The Legal Services Commission ensures the provision of high quality legal services to people detained in the fast-track process through exclusive contracting arrangements. It is an additional requirement for such contracts that the provider has arrangements in place for work in fast-track cases to be undertaken by an accredited senior caseworker. The quality of advice delivered is monitored through the commission's auditing and peer review processes.

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Interpreters

Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:

For the most recent period for which figures are available (a) nationally, and (b) for those police forces who contract out the provision of interpreting services to an agency, what proportion of interpreters used in police interviews held qualifications as interpreters; and what those qualifications were.[HL7812]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Information of this kind is not held centrally. The use of interpreters for police interviews is a matter for chief officers of police. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform is currently reviewing arrangements for the provision of interpreters within the criminal justice system.