| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Written Answers
Thursday, 22nd April 1999.
British Museum: Display of Prints and Drawings
The Earl of Clancarty asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Where members of the public can see displays of the nation's old master collection of prints and drawings in the British Museum without prior appointment free of charge.[HL1756]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The prints and drawings collections in the British Museum can be consulted without prior appointment and free of charge in the Students' Room of the department of prints and drawings. Displays with no admission charge drawn from these collections are being planned for the King's Library from May onwards. Loan exhibitions from the collections are also lent to other museums and galleries around the UK, some of which have no admission charge. The British Museum intends to review its policy on charges for temporary exhibitions regularly.
Local Government Bill: Proposed Powers
Baroness Hamwee asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What enactments have so far been identified as likely to require modification or to have their application excluded pursuant to Clause 15(1) of the Local Government Bill 1999, assuming the clause to be enacted in its current form; and[HL1958]
What powers have so far been identified as likely to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of Clause 15(2) of the Local Government Bill 1999, assuming the clause to be enacted in its current form.[HL1959]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): We are currently in discussion with a number of interested parties in order to build up a consensus on how best the Secretary of State could make use of these powers should they be granted to him by Parliament.
Those discussions are taking place on the basis of a paper which was prepared for the House of Commons Standing Committee which considered the Local Government Bill. That paper, in providing an illustration of the possible uses for these powers, identified four areas: facilitating joined-up service delivery including working across organisational boundaries to provide integrated public services; the development of more services delivery models with an emphasis on partnerships, clarifying the circumstances where local authorities can provide goods and services to others; and making better use of local authority assets. A copy of
the paper has been placed in the House Library. It is proposed to go out to consultation on a package of detailed measures in the summer of this year.Rough Sleepers, Victoria Street
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 13 April (WA 112), what is their target for the reduction in the number of those sleeping rough in the Victoria rough sleeping zone in (a) six months' time and (b) 12 months.[HL2023]
Lord Whitty: No intermediate targets have been set for reductions in the numbers of people sleeping rough in specific areas of London. We are working towards the main target of reducing the level of rough sleeping to as near zero as possible and of achieving at least a two-thirds reduction in the level of rough sleeping across England by March 2002.
A.4 Hogarth Roundabout-Hammersmith Flyover: Roadworks
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the nature of the roadworks on the eastbound section of the A.4 between the Hogarth Roundabout and the Hammersmith flyover; whether it is necessary to close one carriageway to traffic; and whether night and weekend working are planned to speed up completion.[HL2016]
Lord Whitty: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to write to my noble friend.
Letter to Lord Stoddart of Swindon from the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. L. Haynes, dated 21 April 1999.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the roadworks on the eastbound carriageway of the A.4 between Hogarth Roundabout and Hammersmith Flyover.
The works being carried out are to provide safety barriers in front of the parapets to the Netheravon Road subway, which is located on the A.4 just east of Hogarth Roundabout. They will provide increased protection to users of the subway. Off-peak daytime work was necessary between 12 and 15 April, as noisy breaking out operations were being carried out, which would have been too disruptive to local residents at night. One lane was closed in each carriageway for the protection of the workforce.
As the noisy works have now been completed, the further operations will now be completed as planned at night and during off-peak periods at weekends.
M.4: Roadworks
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the nature of the roadworks on the eastbound section of the M.4 between Junctions 4A and 1; what is the expected date of completion; and whether night and weekend working are planned to speed up the completion.[HL2015]
Lord Whitty: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to write to my noble friend.
Letter to Lord Stoddart of Swindon from the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. L. Haynes, dated 21 April 1999.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the roadworks currently taking place on the eastbound carriageway of the M.4 between Junctions 4A and 1.
The works currently in progress are for the construction of a bus lane between Junction 3 and the elevated section of the motorway. To minimise disruption they are taking place at off-peak times during the day, overnight at weekends and during the normal night-time routine cyclic closures. These works should be completed by mid-June.
However, to enable the work to take place, a temporary layout marked by cones is in place where the motorway reduces from three to two lanes. This is maintained during peak periods whilst works are suspended. This layout does not restrict capacity.
I have enclosed an information leaflet on the scheme, which I hope you find helpful.
MMR Vaccine
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of the coverage of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination for children of 16 and
24 months continuing at a lower level than in years prior to 1997, as reported in Communicable Disease Report of 29 January, and in the light of reduced parental confidence in the safety of MMR vaccine, as shown by Health Education Authority tracking studies, what plans they have to permit parents to choose single vaccines for mumps, measles and rubella.[HL1971]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman): We have no plans to supply single vaccines for mumps, measles and rubella through the National Health Service.
The use of single mumps, measles and rubella vaccines in place of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) is not recommended. It is not supported by any studies into its safety or efficacy, nor is there any evidence that doing this has any benefit and, indeed, it may even be harmful. MMR is the safest way for parents to protect their children against measles, mumps and rubella.
The small fall in MMR coverage has now stabilised. The Communicable Disease Report of 26 March 1999 showed that the latest figures, for October to December 1998, were the same as in the previous quarter. Coverage is now similar to that seen in the early 1990s.
Fluoridation of Water
Earl Baldwin of Bewdley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Hayman on 8 February (WA 1-2), how they reconcile the statement that there is "no evidence of allergy or intolerance to fluoride as used in the fluoridation of community water supplies" with the findings of the research review by Bruce Spittle MD, published in Fluoride Vol. 26 No. 4 267-273, 1993.[HL1965]
Baroness Hayman: We have full confidence in the judgment of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and its American counterpart which have had access to the same research studies as are quoted in the New Zealand review.
Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Associations
Baroness Pitkeathley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they have made on the future of the Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteers Reserve Associations.[HL2109]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert): The future structure of the Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Associations, TAVRAs, has been the subject of a joint study involving the TAVRAs themselves and the Ministry of Defence. We have accepted the joint recommendation of the Commander in Chief Land Command and Chairman of the Council of TAVRAs that we set in hand new arrangements to ensure that the areas of responsibility of TAVRAs in England are aligned with those of Government Office regions. Arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be unchanged. As a result, there will be a reduction in the number of associations from the present 14 to 13. This reduction will be achieved by the amalgamation of the South East and Eastern Wessex Associations to form a new association covering the counties of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Responsibility for carrying out the Eastern Wessex Association's current functions in Dorset will transfer to the Western Wessex Association. This structure recognises the tri-Service nature of the TAVRAs, which provide an essential link between the community and the Armed Forces. The changes to the financial arrangements that accompany this amalgamation will promote a closer working partnership between the TAVRAs, which
administer the volunteer estate, and the Army's regional command structure, which will command the Territorial Army units themselves.
The TAVRAs are established under the Reserve Forces Act of 1996, and these changes will be presented to the House in due course; we expect them to be complete by April 2002.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page