| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Cloning
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What funds have been allocated to organisations or companies involved in the development of cloning by the Department of Trade and Industry; what were the amounts given and who were the recipients; what account has been taken of the current debate on the ethics of cloning before allocating this money; and what is the Government's policy in respect of human cloning.[HL2519]
The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Simon of Highbury): Cloning is a technology developed in the 1970s. It has become a research tool widely used by the community engaged
in biological research. The Government spend around £600 million annually on bioscience research. Most of this funds research groups in academia and scientific institutes, with a small proportion going to industry. The funding of biological research has been in line with government policy.All scientists and funding bodies are required to comply with guidelines on the use of animals in research and to comply with all relevant legislation.
The Government regard the intentional cloning of human individuals as ethically unacceptable. It is effectively banned in the UK under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990). The Human Genetics Advisory Commission (HGAC) and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) recently undertook a consultation exercise on human cloning. A report is expected later in the year.
Coal Burning: Policy
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the report of the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee on Energy Policy (HC471-I), which at paragraph 42 states "there are no reasons on grounds of security of supply, or in terms of long term availability, to resist the growing use of gas", why they cite security of supply as a justification for increasing or at least maintaining the amount of coal burned.[HL2720]
Lord Simon of Highbury: Objectives of our energy policy include sustainability and diversity.
Energy Policy
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether their priority in developing an energy policy is to create or maintain the maximum number of jobs in the long term, to minimise prices for the consumer or to minimise pollution.[HL2723]
Lord Simon of Highbury: Our energy policy objective is to ensure secure, diverse and sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices. That will involve achieving the right balance between different aspects of that policy.
Department of Trade and Industry: Reviews
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the reviews currently being undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry will be published during the parliamentary summer Recess.[HL2794]
Lord Simon of Highbury: The final results of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation which has been out for consultation may be published during the Recess. The President of the Board of Trade made
an oral statement to the House on the provisional conclusions on 25 June 1998. Otherwise the Department of Trade and Industry does not currently expect to publish the results of any reviews during the parliamentary summer Recess.Lord Chancellor's Department: Reviews
Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the reviews currently being undertaken by the Lord Chancellor's Department will be published during the parliamentary summer Recess.[HL2779]
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): I have no plans to publish any of the reviews during the parliamentary summer Recess.
Unbleached Cotton: Anti-dumping Duties
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 16 July (WA 48), which seven European Union member states joined the United Kingdom in a joint statement deploring the European Commission's decision to reimpose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of unbleached cotton fabric from six non-European Union countries; and how many qualified majority votes accrue to each of those member states.[HL3029]
The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Clinton-Davis): The member states making the joint statement with the UK were Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden.
If voting is by qualified majority, the voting weights are as follows: Austria--4; Denmark--3; Finland--3; Germany--10; Ireland--3; the Netherlands--5; Sweden--4 and the UK--10. However, voting on a Commission proposal for a regulation imposing definitive duties is by simple majority, with each member state having one vote.
Anthrax Immunisation
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many members of the Armed Forces who were recently advised to be inoculated with anthrax vaccine in order to protect them against possible exposure during service have exercised their right to refuse to be inoculated.[HL1825]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert): The level of uptake of immunisation against anthrax appears to vary considerably depending on unit location. For example, the latest figures show that
66 per cent. of troops stationed in Kuwait have taken the vaccine, compared with 18 per cent. of servicemen and women serving afloat in the Gulf. As of 13 July, the overall position was that 4,482 UK service and MoD personnel had been offered a course of anthrax immunisation, of whom 3,010 had declined.NATO Strategic Concept
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the United States Government have discussed Presidential Decision Directives 62 and 63 on the subject of Infrastructure Vulnerability, with NATO allies; and what are the implications of these directives for NATO's new Strategic Concept.[HL2404]
Lord Gilbert: The United States Government held working level discussions on Presidential Decision Directive 62 and 63 with United Kingdom government officials in Washington on 12 June 1998. It is expected that the US Government will hold similar discussions with other NATO members.
One important aim of the revision of NATO's Strategic Concept is to ensure that it is appropriate to NATO's new security challenges, many of which are being addressed by Allies nationally, including the US. The revision of NATO's Strategic Concept is being discussed by all Allies and the results will be presented to NATO Heads of State and Government when they meet next year. Decisions will be taken on the basis of consensus among current Allies.
Iraq: No Fly Surveillance
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What in international law is the status of the sorties performed by British aircraft involved in No Fly surveillance in Iraq; whether they, or the United States aircraft in company with which they fly, have been authorised by the United Nations Security Council to attack targets in Iraq; and, if so, in which circumstances.[HL2646]
Lord Gilbert: Coalition aircraft police the northern and southern No Fly Zones in support of Security Council Resolution 688, which calls on Iraq to end the repression of the Iraqi population. Iraq is well aware that it must not interfere with operations in the No Fly Zones. The coalition has the right to act in self-defence when the safety of pilots and aircraft is threatened.
Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles
Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the status in international law of unmanned combat air vehicles; what conventions apply to their deployment, use and transfer; and what they are to count as for purposes of air traffic control.[HL2647]
Lord Gilbert: No unmanned combat air vehicles are known to exist at present, and we are not aware either of any conventions which would apply specifically to them, or of any requirement at present to categorise them for the purposes of air traffic control.
Ministry of Defence: Reviews
Baroness Maddock asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the reviews currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence will be published during the parliamentary summer Recess.[HL2787]
Lord Gilbert: The Strategic Defence Review concluded with the publication of a White Paper (Cm 3999) on 8 July. The other review the Ministry of Defence has been undertaking is into arrangements for compensating service personnel, or their dependants, for illness, injury and death, and this review is still in progress. No decision has yet been taken on the timing of the publication of the outcome.
Defence Diplomacy
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How far the Ministry of Defence's Defence Diplomacy Policy will be developed in co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Department of Trade and Industry with the specific objective of preventing violent conflict.[HL2903]
Lord Gilbert: Defence Diplomacy is designed to help to dispel hostility, build and maintain trust, and prevent conflict. The nature and complexity of Defence Diplomacy means that this aim can be met only by integrating defence activities very closely with those of other government departments, particularly the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. These departments have been involved in developing the concept from the outset, and this will continue.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page