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Outpatient Appointments
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 6 December (HL Deb, col. 939), how many patients were waiting over 26 weeks for a first outpatient appointment in March 1997; and how many patients are waiting now. [HL2138]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: I regret that the reply I gave on 6 December at col. 939 of Hansard was incorrect.
At the end of September 2001 (the most recent data available), the number of patients waiting over 26 weeks for a first outpatient appointment was 92,821. In March 1997 the number of patients waiting was 70,689.
Questions for Written Answer
Lord Jopling asked the Leader of the House:
- Whether in future he will ensure that, in the Minutes of Proceedings, the name of the government department from whom a reply is awaited appears alongside those Questions for Written Answer which have remained unanswered after 21 days, together with, at the end of each calendar year, a list of the number of times each department has been thus named, with the total number of days exceeding 21 which the department has caused questions to remain unanswered. [HL2026]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): In my Answer of 19 December (Official Report, col WA 69), I explained that my office had commissioned a new computer database to help track and monitor performance on Answers to Written Questions tabled by noble Lords. The database should be operational shortly. In addition, Ministers and civil servants have been reminded of the need for timely and helpful answers to Parliamentary Questions. Before embarking down the route proposed by the noble Lord, I would prefer to wait and see if these initiatives bring about an improvement in performance.
Belfast Agreement
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Following the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's letter of 24 March 1999 to the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, whether the Commission had sought clarification or elaboration on, inter alia, the
- meaning of the word "consult", "advise", "scope" and "supplementary" in the paragraph of the Belfast Agreement of 1998 quoted by the Secretary of State; and whether they will publish any such correspondence received or sent. [HL2034]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission did not seek any clarification on the meaning of particular words in the paragraph of the Belfast Agreement of 1998 quoted by the Secretary of State. We understand that the commissioners did not feel that the words required any clarification.
Northern Ireland Bill of Rights
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What text the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is quoting on page 14 of Making a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, published on 4 September. [HL2035]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: On page 14 of the Making a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland consultation document published on 4 September 2001, there are five quotations. The first one is taken from the letter dated 18 May 2001 from the Prime Minister's Office to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The second is attributed to the Irish Government. The other three quotations are taken from the Belfast Agreement.
Education: "The Learning Country"
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will arrange for the responses received by the National Assembly for Wales to their consultative document The Learning Country to be placed in the Library of the House before Second Reading in this House of the Education Bill. [HL2226]
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: I have arranged for copies of the said document to be placed in the Library today.
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