| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 10 January (HL2036) concerning the design of badges for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, whether they will outline the reasons why no competitive tendering process was undertaken.[HL2279]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: As I explained in my Answer of 10 January, there were a number of reasons why no competitive tendering process was undertaken, including the comparative costs involved and the nature of the work.
Deputy Prime Minister: Purpose of Office
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the purpose of the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [HL1805]
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): The office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Office is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister. He is supported by a Minister of State (Mrs Barbara Roche MP), by a Parliamentary Secretary (Mr Christopher Leslie MP), and by myself for business in the House of Lords.
As First Secretary of State, the Deputy Prime Minister continues to deputise for the Prime Minister as required, drawing on the resources of other parts of the Cabinet Office as necessary. He oversees the work of the Social Exclusion Unit, which reports to the Prime Minister through him. He is also responsible for the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the nine Government Offices for the Regions. The Prime Minister has also asked him to be responsible for a White Paper on regional governance, in close liaison with my right honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and in co-operation with other Cabinet colleagues.
On international matters, the Deputy Prime Minister supports the Prime Minister. He continues to play a role in international climate change discussions and negotiations on behalf of the Prime Minister. More recently, the Prime Minister has also asked the Deputy Prime Minister to take on a similar role in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg in September 2002. In addition he sees visiting dignitaries and undertakes overseas visits on behalf of the Prime Minister; and oversees the work of the International Public Service Group. He also carries ministerial responsibility for the British-Irish Council and will deputise as necessary for the Prime Minister at meetings of the council.
The Deputy Prime Minister chairs Cabinet committees on domestic affairs and on the nations and regions; and sub-committees on social exclusion and regeneration and on energy policy. He also chairs the
newly established Ministerial Group (MISC18) on WSSD and continues to chair the Committee on the Environment.The Minister of State in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office supports the Deputy Prime Minister across the full range of his duties. In particular, the Minister oversees the work of the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices for the Regions, reporting to the Deputy Prime Minister on the development of their role and on the work of the regional network of the COI. The Minister leads on projects arising out of the work of the Social Exclusion Unit, is responsible for the work of the Business Co-ordination Unit, and acts as sponsor Minister for a number of PIU projects. She is also a member of a number of Cabinet committees, including those on the regions and social exclusion.
In addition, the Minister of State in the Deputy Prime Minister's office is Minister for Women. She co-ordinates equality issues across Whitehall as Chair of the Cabinet sub-committee on equality and has responsibility for the implementation of Article 13 (reporting to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry) and co-ordination of cross-cutting equality issues (on behalf of the three lead equality Ministers). She also reports to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry as the Cabinet Minister for Women on the day-to-day oversight of the Women and Equality Unit and sponsorship of the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Women's National Commission.
The Parliamentary Secretary supports the Minister of State and the Deputy Prime Minister across the range of their duties. He is also the Minister answerable in the Commons for the business I deal with and for day-to-day decisions on the Civil Service under the Prime Minister as Minister for the Civil Service.
As Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, I report direct to the Prime Minister. I also work closely with the Deputy Prime Minister as appropriate on related cross-cutting issues covered by the Cabinet committees under his chairmanship.
Animal Feed Checks: Funding
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How much of the extra £7.5 million that has been made available to ensure that animal feed has been properly checked at local level will be given to:
(a) each local authority; and
(b) for the sole purpose of checking on imported animal feed.[HL1589]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Food Standards Agency is providing funds in the current financial year in response to applications from individual local authorities.
For 2002–03 and 2003–04 the money will be provided to local authorities via the revenue support grant. The agency, in liaison with local authority representatives, is drawing up an enforcement programme covering all parts of the feed chain including imports of animal feed. The agency will monitor the use of these funds.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The analysis makes many assumptions and is a simplistic association between a rising incidence of breast cancer and the use of induced abortion but the analysis does not show this relationship to be causal. The potential link between induced abortion and subsequent breast cancer requires a more sophisticated study that would consider the effect of other risk factors and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund report will provide this.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No meeting has been held yet but the Department of Health is meeting the Disability Rights Commission to discuss a number of issues early this year.
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 17 December (WA 21), on what basis they conclude that Patrick Carroll's study does not provide evidence of a casual link between induced abortion and breast cancer.[HL2152]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 13 December (WA 69), whether they have met the Disability Rights Commission, the medical professions, and other relevant organisations to discuss the recent statement from the Disability Rights Commission that Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended) is incompatible with the principle that disabled and able-bodied people should be treated equally. [HL2153]
Whether the provisions of the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 extend to Scotland. [HL2159]
16 Jan 2002 : Column WA160
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Yes, the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 applies fully to all the United Kingdom countries, including Scotland.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their estimate of the total expenditure in the United Kingdom on research into Alzheimer's disease in each of the past 10 years, showing separately expenditure from public funds.[HL2170]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The main government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC spent approximately £8.2 million on dementia research in 2000–01 which includes Alzheimer's disease.
The Department of Health is supporting research into Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia including work on the effectiveness of Donepezil. Management of much of the research supported by National Health Service Research and Development funding is devolved and expenditure at project level is not held centrally by the department.
Available figures for DH (through the Policy Research Programme and the NHS R&D Programme) and MRC expenditure on Alzheimer's disease/dementia are:
| DH | MRC | |
| £000s | £000s | |
| 1994–95 | 236 | 3,795 |
| 1995–96 | 225 | 5,703 |
| 1996–97 | 149 | 4,780 |
| 1997–98 | 198 | 5,549 |
| 1998–99 | 287 | 6,050 |
The Department of Health does not routinely collect information on research expenditure from charities.
The Department provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the research councils and charities that take place in the NHS. Details of projects on Alzheimer's disease can be found on the National Research Register which is avialable on the Internet at:
http://www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page