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Oil Shipment Standards: "Erika" Incident
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Given that on inspection the tanker Erika was rejected as unfit for carrying oil safely at sea by two major oil companies, Shell and BP Amoco, but was considered fit for charter by Total Fina, what steps they will take to set tougher standards for the shipment of oil in European Community waters.[HL917]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Government, with the International Maritime Organisation and other EU member states, are considering what additional measures might help prevent a repetition of the "Erika" incident. If we find that additional regulations are necessary, we will pursue them actively through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN specialist agency responsible for the promotion of maritime safety and the prevention of marine pollution, and the European Union as appropriate.
Common Land and Village Greens
Baroness Howells of St Davids asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have for reviewing the legislation affecting common land and town and village greens.[HL1009]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): We have published a consultation paper on common land--Greater Protection and Better Management of Common Land in England and Wales. The paper looks at three key areas: issues concerning the registration of common land and village greens; the consent regime for fencing and other works; and wider management issues. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. We have invited comments on the paper by 10 April.
Lead Shot Restriction: Entry to Private Premises
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether an extension of the powers of entry for the enforcement of Environmental Protection (Restriction on the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2170) from the police to officials of the Environment Agency or English Nature has to be authorised personally by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions or whether the decision to extend the powers can be delegated to an official of his department; and what documentary authorisation would need to be shown to the owners of premises
- by anyone other than a police officer seeking to enter the premises for the purpose of enforcing the regulation.[HL861]
Lord Whitty: The issuing of authorisation notices for enforcement of Environmental Protection (Restriction on the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2170) has been delegated to an official of my department.
An individual seeking to enter the premises for the purpose of enforcing the regulation Environmental Protection (Restriction on the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2170) would be required to show the authorisation notice from the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ensure that Parliament is notified as soon as practicable after the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions authorises anyone other than a police officer to exercise powers of entry into private premises for the purpose of enforcing the Environmental Protection (Restriction on the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2170).[HL862]
Lord Whitty: As we have previously stated, there may be very rare occasions where another competent organisation such as the Environment Agency or English Nature is better placed to enforce the regulation, and the regulation needs to contain this element of flexibility.
If circumstances arise that the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions authorises another competent organisation other than a police officer to exercise powers of entry into private premises for the purpose of enforcing the Environmental Protection (Restriction on the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2170), a copy of that authorisation notice will be placed in the House Libraries as soon as is practicable after that notice has been issued.
Lead Shot Restriction and the Devolved Authorities
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their criteria for imposing consistency throughout the United Kingdom in environmental and health regulations, given that the protection of wildfowl from lead poisoning applies only in England.[HL864]
Lord Whitty: It is inherent in the principle of devolution that there will not necessarily be consistency of regulation throughout the United Kingdom and that measures will not necessarily be implemented on a consistent timetable.
All the devolved administrations are responsible for various matters concerning environmental protection,
though in many cases the framework provided by Community law, or by other international organisations, will provide a consistency of effect and of timing between the regulations.As regards legislation and the Environmental Protection (Restriction on the Use of Lead Shot) (England) Regulations 1999 (S.I 1999/2170), the decision on whether to implement similar legislation in Wales and Scotland is a matter for the devolved authorities. The devolved authorities are currently considering the implementation of lead shot legislation.
Arable Area Payments Scheme: Retrospection
The Earl of Courtown asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will confirm that the new rules concerning 2 metre boundary limits under Part I of the Arable Area Payments Scheme will not be retrospective.[HL803]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman): We would not expect to make adjustments to previous years' claims in cases where a field margin which was found on inspection in 2000 to be over 2 metres wide would previously have been considered eligible under the Arable Area Payments Scheme.
CS Disinfectant
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the motto of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate "Assuring the Safety, Quality and Efficacy of Veterinary Medicines" is consistent with the performance of that organisation in establishing the safety, quality and effectiveness of CS Disinfectant as an additive to the organophosphate sheep dip Top Clip Gold Shield before the disinfectant was withdrawn by the manufacturers.[HL817]
Baroness Hayman: All veterinary medicinal products must satisfy the criteria of safety, quality and efficacy established by the Medicines Act 1968 and which are now central to the authorisation procedure laid down in Directive 81/851/EEC. This product, which had a licence of right, was included in the review of sheep dip licences in 1992 and CS Disinfectant was voluntarily removed from the product, in common with phenolic compounds in other sheep dips.
Aged Hospital Patients: Statistics
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many patients in National Health Service hospitals are aged (a) over 90; (b) over 80; and (c) over 70; and how these figures compare with 1990, 1980, 1970 and 1960.[HL897]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The information is given in the table. Data for 1960 are not available.
| Number of Patients | ||||
| Discharges and deaths | 65 and over | 75 and over | ||
| 1970 | England and Wales | 860,920 | 386,340 | |
| 70 and over | 80 and over | 90 and over | ||
| 1980 | England | 995,720 | 361,720 | 53,620 |
| Admissions | 70 and over | 80 and over | 90 and over | |
| 1989-90 | England | 1,403,769 | 580,082 | 70,593 |
| 1997-98* | England | 2,393,274 | 1,003,300 | 157,000 |
Figures from 1980 onward are for England only. Other matters are for the Welsh National Assembly and the Scottish Executive.
Notes:
HIPE and HES data do not provide the number of people treated, as patients could have been discharged (HIPE), or can be admitted (HES) more than once within a given year.
England and Wales cannot be separately identified in the 1970 data.
Data for 1970 cannot be aggregated to the requested age-groups.
* Figures for 1997-98 are provisional; no adjustments have yet been made for missing records or invalid/unknown diagnoses.
Source:
Department of Health, Hospital In-patient Enquiry (HIPE), and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES).
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: It is not possible to tell which of the statutory instruments that have been made since May 1997 amend existing regulations, repeal existing regulations or are deregulatory in their effect, except at disproportionate cost.
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: If expenditure on business sponsorship is revenue expenditure incurred wholly and exclusively for business purposes, the expense is deductible when calculating the sponsor's business profit for tax purposes.
How many new regulations have been made by the Treasury since May 1997; and how many have been repealed.[HL653]
How commercial sponsorship of government activity is treated in tax terms by the Inland Revenue.[HL858]
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