| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
ECGD: Yusefeli Project
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What applications they have received from British firms for Export Credits Guarantee Department cover by any British firms in connection with the Yusefeli project; and what standards they will apply in judging those applications in terms of the environmental impact, consultation with affected residents, resettlement plans and effects on local archaeology.[HL2314]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: ECGD received an application for support for the Yusefeli project from AMEC International Construction Ltd in December 1998.
In accordance with ECGD's business principles, international standards, such as the report by the World Commission on Dams and those contained in the guidelines of the World Bank Group, will be used as benchmarks for the assessment of the project.
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been conducted and we expect that a resettlement action plan (RAP) will also be produced. Best practice for both of these requires appropriate consultation with the affected communities.
Coastal Flooding
Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are taking precautions against coastal flooding resulting from ice melting in the Antarctic Region.[HL2197]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Predicted changes in the balance of ice held in Antarctica and elsewhere are taken into account in the sea level rise predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that are incorporated into guidance issued by Defra to coastal authorities. In addition, expert evaluation has concluded that the potential for more severe melting of land-based ice which could cause a significantly greater rise in sea level is very remote over the next century.
Glass, Paper and Plastics Recycling
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the total quantities of glass, paper and plastics presently recycled in the United Kingdom; and what is the current market demand for such recycled material.[HL2252]
Lord Whitty: The latest data held by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs indicate that 407,000 tonnes of glass, 4,711,700 tonnes of paper and board and 141,000 tonnes of plastics are recycled per annum. These figures include paper and board imports for recycling of 57,300 tonnes but do not include glass exports of 69,000 tonnes and paper and board exports of 402,300 tonnes.
However, we still use very significant quantities of virgin paper, glass and plastic. There is therefore great potential, dependent on market conditions, for increasing the amount of these materials that the UK recycles.
The Government have established the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), with £40 million of government funding from 2001 to 2004, to help create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products.
Thirsk
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs intends to apologise to farmers in the Thirsk area for her statements in the House of Commons on 12 November 2001 (HC Deb, col. 578), which were admitted to be inaccurate by Lord Whitty in a Written Answer on 20 December 2001 (WA 85).[HL2267]
Lord Whitty: The Private Secretary to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State wrote on 10 January 2002 to the National Farmers' Union in Thirsk to explain that the figures in the Secretary of State's statement in the House of Commons on 12 November 2001 related to the North Yorkshire region as a whole rather than to the Thirsk area and that there had been no intention to mislead in quoting them.
Oilseed Production
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answers by Mr Morley on 10 January (HC Deb, 991W), what factors have affected United Kingdom harvested production of oilseeds in 2000 and 2001, which came in at 66 per cent of 1999 production and 81 per cent of 1996 production. [HL2378]
Lord Whitty: In making their planting decisions farmers will take account of a range of factors relevant to the particular circumstances applying on their
farms. However, the decrease in the production of oilseeds in 2000 and 2001 is partly explained by the reduction in the specific aid rate payable for oilseeds under the Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS). As a consequence of the changes agreed in Agenda 2000, the aid rate for oilseeds will be equalised with that for cereals from the 2002 harvest, thus making planting decisions more market driven and less responsive to the level of subsidy available under the AAPS. In addition, poor conditions in the 2000–01 season have resulted in much lower oilseed yields in 2001, even though the planted area was higher than in 2000.A&E Units Wheelchair Access
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What monitoring is undertaken of the adequacy of facilities for wheelchair users and other severely disabled people in accident and emergency units; with which hospitals they are now satisfied in this regard; with which they are not satisfied; and if there is any action they will be taking to improve the facilities. [HL1722]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): This sort of monitoring is not carried out centrally. Section 21 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 ensures reasonable access to services by disabled people. The Government have issued guidance to the National Health Service (Health Service Circular 1999/999) on implementing Section 21 that requires all providers of NHS services to have completed a programme of implementation by 2004.
NHS Patients in Private Hospitals in London
Lord Brightman asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 13 December (WA 232), whether there exist any source or sources responsible to the Department of Health which can, if so required by the department, state how many beds in private hospitals in the London area were occupied by National Health Service patients on a specified date in 2001.[HL2292]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health does not have access to data about the number of beds in private hospitals occupied by National Health Service patients.
Since November 2000, the Independent Healthcare Association has collected monthly data from independent healthcare providers about the number of NHS patients treated by them. This covers outpatient appointments, day cases and inpatient treatment. A breakdown of the information will shortly be placed in the Library.
The department has recently surveyed health authorities and trusts on the amount of activity they are purchasing for NHS patients within the private sector and will make available key results in due course. The department is also currently reviewing its information needs as far as NHS-funded activity in the private sector is concerned.
Chiropodists
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What information the Department of Health has on the incomes and hours of work of people working in the private sector as:
(a) state registered chiropodists; and
(b) unregistered chiropodists for whom such work is their main occupation.[HL2295]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health does not currently collect information on rates of pay and hours of work of either registered or non-state registered chiropodists working in the private sector.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There are currently 8,706 chiropodists registered on the register held by the Chiropodists Board of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.
Figures for workforce data published in September 2000 show 3,470 chiropodists working for the National Health Service in England, 741 in Scotland, 175 in Northern Ireland and 262 in Wales.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Health communities interested in joining the Modernising Hearing Aid Services Project are about to be invited to declare their interest. Decisions on the sites which best fulfil the selection criteria will be made quickly thereafter and a list of those sites will be announced at that time.
A competitive procurement exercise to secure the delivery of digital hearing aids for the National Health Service will be undertaken in line with relevant European legislation.
How many chiropodists are currently registered on the Chiropodist Register of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine; and how many of these are currently working for the National Health Service in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England.[HL2299]
Following the announcement by the Department of Health on 24 December 2001 on digital hearing aids, when they expect to announce the starting dates for the next 30 National Health Service trusts providing digital hearing aids; and what process will be followed by the Department of Health in negotiating a new bulk purchasing contract for digital hearing aids.[HL2306]
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page