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Diabetes
Lord Carlile of Berriew asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they expect to publish the Diabetes National Service Framework; and when they expect the framework to reach full service implementation.[HL1346]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We will be publishing the Diabetes National Service Framework in two stages, the diabetes national service framework standards this autumn and the diabetes national service framework delivery strategy next summer. This will enable the National Health Service to prepare to plan for the 10 year implementation programme which will start in April 2003.
Air Pollutants
Lord Lewis of Newnham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to increase their research funding on the effects of air pollutants on health to take account of the annual costs of adverse health impacts and of air pollution abatement measures.[HL1367]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A call for research proposals has been advertised in the scientific press and the Department of Health's website.
As intended, this call has invited expressions of interest for a programme of research covering a range of air pollution topics.
The total amount of funding for this research programme will be approximately £1 million.
Prostheses
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there are any circumstances when depleted uranium is used in the manufacture of prostheses.[HL1418]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There are no circumstances of which we are aware when depleted uranium is used in the manufacture of prostheses.
Headlice Treatment and Organophosphates
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When shampoos for the treatment of headlice in which the active ingredient was an organophosphate were first marketed; and which organophosphates were licensed.[HL1419]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath : Shampoos for the treatment of headlice containing organophosphates (Malathion and Lindane) were on the United Kingdom market before the licensing of medicinal products began in the early 1970s when the licensing authority was established. Prior to this, no records were held on medicinal products.
The first fully approved shampoos for the treatment of headlice containing organophosphates were granted a licence for marketing in 1975. These contained Malathion.
School Playing Fields
Baroness Blatch asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many applications have been received to sell off school playing fields in (a) 1997–98; (b) 1998–99; (c) 1999–2000; and (d) 2000–01; and how many applications in each of those years have been agreed.[HL1443]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Before October 1998 there was nothing to prevent a local authority selling a school playing field if it wanted to. Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools are now required to obtain the Secretary of State's consent before disposing of playing fields or any part of a playing field.
Applications to sell school playing fields are approved only where it is clear that any proceeds will be used to improve or enhance school sports provision or education facilities. All applications made since mid-July this year are scrutinised by the Independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel to make sure that they conform to published criteria. The panel comprises representatives from the National Playing Fields Association, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, the education organisation Learning through Landscapes, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Local Government Association.
The table below sets out details of applications to sell off areas equal to, or larger than, a sports pitch.
| Year | Received | Approved | Rejected | Not yet Determined |
| 1997–98 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 1998–99 | 49 | 44 | 2 | 3 |
| 1999–00 | 29 | 27 | — | 2 |
| 2000–01 | 29 | 25 | — | 4 |
As we publish the criteria against which applications to sell school playing fields are assessed, local authorities and governing bodies do not bring forward applications which they consider do not meet the criteria.
Notes:
1. The table includes applications to dispose of school playing fields from local authorities, foundation, voluntary and former grant maintained schools.
2. All sale proceeds are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
3. XSports pitch" means an area of open grassed land which is equal to, or larger than, the Football Association's recommended 2,000m(4) area for games played by under-10s and which has a configuration making it suitable for sports, whether laid out as a sports pitch or not.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): The percentage of the annual total of National Lottery funding available for the good causes which has been made to the New Millennium Experience Company from the first year it received grant payment is as follows: 1997–1998 = 3.75 per cent; 1998–1999 = 7.4 per cent; 1999–2000 = 16 per cent; 2000–2001 = 5.14 per cent.
Grant funds paid to the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) as a proportion of total grant funds paid by the Millennium Commission for each year since the first grant payment was made are set out in the following table:
Answer covers complete years only since grant first paid to NMEC.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is expected to make formal recommendations on what may be contained in a bill of rights early in 2002. When those recommendations have been received, the Government will consider them and will consult with any interested parties, including the Irish Government at that stage. However, the Belfast Agreement does not specifically require the Irish Government to incorporate any bill of rights for Northern Ireland into the Irish constitution.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Paragraph 3(c) of Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 makes it clear that,
While the staffing of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission requires the approval of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, there is no prohibition on the commission collaborating with outside sources to aid it in its work.
What percentage of the annual total money raised by the National Lottery has been made over to the New Millennium Experience Company for purposes connected with the Millennium Dome in each financial year since the start of expenditure on the Millennium Dome; and what proportion such funds represented of total funds distributed by the Millennium Commission in each year.[HL1361]
Year Grant payments to NMEC £'000 Total grant payments £'000 NMEC grant to total MC grants paid %
1997–1998 74,182 185,428 40.0
1998–1999 144,318 387,060 37.3
1999–2000 280,500 507,882 46.1
2000–2001 92,000 433,543 21.2
Whether they have discussed with the Government of the Republic of Ireland (a) the fact that, under the first paragraph 9 of the Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity section of the Belfast Agreement, any bill of rights for Northern Ireland will have to be incorporated in the Irish constitution; and (b) that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's proposed bill of rights will require other changes to the Irish constitution. [HL1108]
Given that under Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, human rights is an excepted matter in Northern Ireland, why the Department of Education in the Northern Ireland Executive is able to (a) hold a conference on human rights (b) appoint an advisory teacher to work in the Children's Law Centre and (c) appoint five teachers to work in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, whose staffing is the responsibility of the Government under paragraph 4 of Schedule 7 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. [HL1109]
Xobserving and implementing international obligations, obligations under the Human Rights Convention and obligations under Community law",
are not excepted matters.
26 Nov 2001 : Column WA17
There is nothing in the Northern Ireland Act to preclude the devolved administration from holding events with a human rights theme. Indeed, the Northern Ireland departments are public authorities for the purposes of the Human Rights Act and under Section 24 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 are obliged to ensure that they do not act in any way that is incompatible with the convention rights. Similarly, any appointments made by the Northern Ireland Executive are a matter for them.
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