| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Cell Nuclear Transfer and Cloning
The Duke of Montrose asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the inclusion of human genetics in Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 means that cell nuclear transfer and cloning are matters reserved to Westminster.[HL2158]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Human cell nuclear transfer and cloning are reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament under Section J3 of Part II of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act, under the heading "The subject matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990". They were treated as reserved when the Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 was passed by the UK Parliament.
Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry
Baroness Gale asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action has been taken with regard to the civil servant in the Department of Health, Dr Peter Doyle, who was criticised in the report of the public inquiry into children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984 to 1995.[HL2385]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health commissioned independent assessors to lead a review of the inquiry report and other relevant information and make recommendations on whether or not any action should be initiated in respect of Dr Doyle. The assessors were Lesley James, former Vice-President of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, and Sir David Carter, Vice-Principal of Edinburgh University. Their overall conclusion was that Dr Doyle responded appropriately to the information he was given by Dr Bolsin on 19 July 1994 about poor results following paediatric cardiac surgery in the Bristol unit, taking into account the context in which he was operating at the time. They concluded that, while it is possible with hindsight to question Dr Doyle's decision not to examine the detailed data he was given by Dr Bolsin, any criticism has to be balanced both against the prompt and positive action he did take in writing to Professor Angelini at the Trust, raising the concerns that had been drawn to his attention and seeking reassurances, and against the subsequent assurances he was given. The Chief Executive of the Department of Health, Nigel Crisp, has accepted their conclusions, including the recommendation that no disciplinary action is warranted and that Dr Doyle should resume his current duties in the department, working as the Senior Medical Officer providing advice on renal services and transplant services—which he has done.
DCMS: Quinquennial Reviews
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which quinquennial reviews are currently being undertaken by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; and what are the dates by which they will be completed. [HL2236]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): The information is shown in the following table.
| Reviews currently being undertaken | Completion date | |
| National Gallery | ||
| Joint review | 31 March 2002 | |
| National Portrait Gallery | ||
| National Heritage Memorial Fund/ Heritage Lottery Fund | 31 March 2002 | |
| Sport England | 31 March 2002 | |
| Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art | 30 June 2002 | |
| Geffrye Museum | ||
| Horniman Museum | ||
| Joint review | 30 September 2002 | |
| Museum of London | ||
| National Museum of Science and Industry | 31 October 2002 | |
| English Heritage | 30 November 2002 | |
| Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester | 30 November 2002 | |
| National Maritime Museum | 31 December 2002 | |
| Registrar of the Public Lending | ||
| Right | ||
| Joint review | 31 December 2002 | |
| Advisory Committee for the Public | ||
| Lending Right | ||
Belfast Agreement: Parity of Esteem
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether representations were made to the Government of the Republic asking them to implement the Belfast Agreement of 1998 with respect to parity of esteem and equality of treatment for the Ulster Scots culture, language and history; and, if so, what was the nature of such representations, when they were made and by whom.[HL1636]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): No such representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government. We are not in a position to say whether any representations have been made from any other sources.
Northern Ireland: Victims of Intimidation
Baroness Park of Monmouth asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action, if any, has been taken to implement the recommendation, made by the House of Commons Northern Ireland Committee in its report on relocation following paramilitary intimidation published in March, that a single unit should be set up on the mainland to assist British displaced persons, in view of the further information provided in the Radio 4 programme, "An Imperfect Peace", on 3 December.[HL1860]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Government policy in this area has been to encourage people to liaise with the police in a bid to make them more secure within their own community, or, if they have been obliged to move, to work towards their re-integration. This is because there is a tension between the Government's desire to help those genuinely in need and, by so doing, actually furthering the objectives of those trying to force them from their homes. Formalising the development of policy and the co-ordination of support activities, as the commitee advocates, would risk sending a signal to paramilitaries that, by working to alleviate the consequences of their actions, the Government were tacitly allowing them to continue with impunity.
The Government are satisfied that the support necessary for victims of intimidation resettling in Great Britain is in place but that the committee is right to highlight the need for clear information to be available locally on how to gain access to that support. Citizens' advice bureaux appear to fulfil that function very satisfactorily; we are studying their guidance and, if it is considered that supplementary material or tailoring specific to the needs of victims of intimidation is necessary, we will pursue that with them.
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 11 December (WA 200), whether those who applied to become members of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and were rejected (either with or without an interview) have less merit than the nine commissioners who were re-appointed.[HL2126]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice (CPA) makes clear that first re-appointments may be made, subject to certain considerations, without the need for an open
competition. The re-appointments of the eight Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioners were made in accordance with that code of practice.Ministers decided that it was particularly important in considering appointments to a newly established body such as the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to strike a balance between injecting fresh thinking and providing continuity, especially while the commission was undertaking important, long-term projects such as the consultation exercise on the scope for a Bill of Rights in Northern Ireland.
As there is no statutory requirement for the commission to be a particular size, the Secretary of State decided to re-appoint the existing commissioners and to strengthen the commission's existing ability to respond to the demands on its time and very heavy workload by appointing new members to the commission.
Given the guidance on re-appointments from the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, it is not necessary or appropriate to compare the merits of those re-appointed with those who applied in 2001 to become members of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
Palace of Westminster Security Passes
Lord Elton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will initiate a debate in this House on the question whether all security passes giving admission to the Palace of Westminster should continue to be valid in all parts of the Parliamentary Estate.[HL2097]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: No. The question of access to the Palace is one, in the first instance, for Black Rod. If the noble Lord is anxious for a debate on this subject there is nothing to stop him entering the ballot for a debate. Alternatively, he could explore the possibility of using one of his own party's debate days if his idea commands sufficient support among his noble friends.
| Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |