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Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, first, I want to congratulate my noble friend on her appointment as
chairman of Cancer Research UK, which brings together the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign, both of which have done sterling jobs over the years.As regards funding, I can confirm to my noble friend that cancer services remain a key priority for the Government and that the cancer plan projects that in the next financial year there will be an extra £407 million of funding for services. Of that, £76 million will be earmarked within NHS budgets. I can also confirm to her that we will performance-manage the NHS overall in order to ensure that the money is spent wisely and that cancer receives the priority it deserves.
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, does the Minister agree that erythropoietin may be of more benefit to cancer patients than blood transfusions? Would he go to the United States to see what it is doing and how it has monitored the process?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, I am afraid that the Chief Whip has said I am not allowed to go. The current state of knowledge of the drug, which we considered as a potential referral to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, and the guidance we have used so far indicates that there simply is not enough evidence on which to make a judgment.
A number of randomised controlled trials are being undertaken both within the US and Europe. When the results of those trials are known, and when we have more evidence concerning the effectiveness of the drug, we will again consider whether it will be worth referring the drug to NICE.
Foot and Mouth Disease
3 p.m.
Lord Monro of Langholm asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What lessons they have learnt from the International Convention on Prevention and Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease held in Brussels on 12th and 13th December.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, the Brussels conference usefully highlighted some of the key areas the European Union needs to address and we shall be working with our European partners in carrying the work forward. The conference identified the need to develop a broad range of disease control options, based on science and including emergency vaccination, to meet particular circumstances. It was agreed that there was a need for flexibility in the choice of methods for controlling and eradicating the disease, improved communications and an urgent need for tests to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals. The conference also considered ways of preventing future outbreaks, including tightening up on import controls at the European border.
A copy of the final report of the conference will be placed in the Library when it becomes available.
Lord Monro of Langholm: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that full reply. In declaring an interest as a farmer and in view of conflicting media reports, can he confirm, first, that the Government will not take the route of vaccination unless a complete veterinary test becomes available? Secondly, what steps are the Government taking to enforce import controls on food?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, the conference identified that vaccination may be useful as a tool for dealing with the disease. It did not pursue the route of declaring that pre-emptive or prophylactic vaccination was a sensible strategy. If we were to use vaccination as a method to control the spread of disease, it would be of great benefit if the tests were sufficiently developed and validated. To that end, some progress has been made; that is, to differentiate between vaccination and the presence of the virus in diseased animals.
As regards the question of food imports, through co-ordination of the various agencies we have undertaken several spot checks. We are presently considering whether we need to change our system of administering import controls. We have also requested that the present European regulations on import controls of food be examined in greater detail.
Lord Tanlaw: My Lords, I declare an interest in a family farm. Does the Minister agree that in any future outbreak—let us hope that there will not be any such occurrence—communications will be absolutely vital? Can the noble Lord confirm that the Government are keen to ensure that all farms are on-line? In areas such as the uplands of northern England and Scotland, does the Minister realise that it can take five days to repair a broken telephone line? Does he further appreciate that there is no access to broadband communications in those areas? What are the Government doing, first, to improve telephonic communications, which will make on-line farming at least a possibility? Secondly, and in my view more importantly, in order for farmers to diversify, are the Government addressing the issue of access to broadband communications via the Internet?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, so far as my responsibilities are concerned as regards improving the management of farms, along with streamlining and reducing the burden of regulation, it would be helpful for all farmers to have access to the Internet. It is clear that some difficulties persist in the remoter areas. My colleagues at the Department of Trade and Industry are addressing the issue of ensuring that the whole country is able to engage with current Internet facilities, as well as looking at the strategy for broadband access. However, the immediate benefits of access to the Internet are already recognised by many farmers—probably a higher proportion than most Members of the House would have guessed.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: My Lords, I am sure that the Minister understands that his
European colleagues are keen to learn the lessons of the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak in the UK. Given that, do the Government welcome the intention of the EU to hold a public inquiry into the matter?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, I am not sure that there is any intention on the part of the EU to hold a public inquiry. The Commission will consider all reports of the disease outbreak and will make a full report to the Council. The European Parliament is to establish a temporary committee. However, the European Parliament deliberately did not set up a committee of inquiry. I think that the noble Baroness is misinformed.
Earl Peel: My Lords, given that the Government have agreed the International Convention regulation imposing a 21-day restriction on the movement of livestock, can the Minister tell the House to what extent he thinks that the regulation will impact on the financial well-being of small farmers in the hills?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, as yet the European Commission has not proposed any change to the existing regulations covering foot and mouth disease. It is a matter that it will consider in the light of the Brussels conference and in the light of our own inquiries into control of the disease. Yesterday I announced an interim regime which will apply to movements from around mid-February. That regime is without prejudice to any long-term regime. It will continue to include the 20-day standstill period as a default measure, but in a significant number of cases, alternative arrangements where the 20-day rule will not apply will form a part of that regime. However, it is important that we take a precautionary approach. I believe that most farmers appreciate that.
Baroness Byford: My Lords, perhaps I may press the Minister a little further on the question of food imports. I believe that this matter was discussed by the conference in the light of both legal and illegal imports of meat. From what the Minister has told the House recently, I understand that this is a European matter. Equally, however, I understand that each member state is responsible for its own import controls. Can the Minister clarify the question of exactly who is responsible? If it is the responsibility of the Government, what extra measures have been put in place since the outbreak was first reported?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, the overall regulations on imports into Europe of meat and meat products from third countries is a European matter. Member states keep under their own authority certain aspects of the control regime. The regulations in Britain are slightly tighter than those in many other EU countries, in particular as regards personal food imports. Implementation of the controls is a matter for individual member states. We have been addressing the issue of whether the present range of authorities involved could co-ordinate more effectively, what powers might need to be adjusted and whether any regulatory change may be required on enforcement.
In my reply to the noble Lord, Lord Monro, I indicated that the method of implementing regulations was also a concern at the European level.
Millennium Dome
3.7 p.m.
The Earl of Northesk: My Lords, I beg leave to ask a Question of which I have given private notice; namely, to ask Her Majesty's Government what binding undertakings have been given by Meridian Delta Limited in return for exclusive partnership arrangements and the leasing of the Millennium Dome, and whether the sole shareholder of the New Millennium Experience Company will explain to Parliament the final report and financial statements of that company.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): My Lords, we agreed yesterday with Meridian Delta Limited to enter into a period of exclusive negotiations which it is intended will lead to the conclusion of a legally binding agreement which will provide for £200 million of investment in the Dome and facilitate £4 billion of investment in the regeneration of the Greenwich peninsula. Ownership of the Dome will not pass to MDL until that deal is concluded. The terms of the exclusivity involve an end date and provision for the Government to be able to bring the exercise to an end if reasonable progress is not being made.
MDL has already spent substantial sums on putting its bid together and, in agreeing to enter into exclusive negotiations with us, has committed itself to spending further substantial sums on the legal and consultancy work that will be necessary to reach final agreement. These are serious people and we chose not to announce the proposed deal until we were confident that it was deliverable.
Following the orderly winding down of operations by the New Millennium Experience Company, the company's directors yesterday took steps to commence a members' voluntary solvent liquidation and I, as NMEC's sole shareholder, have formally appointed Richard Heis and Stephen Treharne, two partners of KPMG, as liquidators.
NMEC's final annual report and financial statements for the period 1st January 2001 to 18th December 2001, produced for completeness to reflect the state of affairs when the liquidators were appointed, will be available in the Libraries of both Houses later today.
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