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Traffic Accidents and Mobile Phones
Baroness Hayman asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What routine information is collected after a road traffic accident to determine whether mobile phone usage featured in the circumstances of the accident.[HL2979]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The data on road traffic accidents involving personal injury are collected on a voluntary basis using the STATS 19 form. The data collection
system is reviewed regularly and the review team is currently considering the issue of collecting data on mobile phone usage in connection with a long-standing proposal to collect information on contributory factors to supplement the more objective data already collected. Agreement on any such changes to the existing data collection system should be reached by early next year.
Baroness Hayman asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assessment has been made of the incidence of mobile phone usage while driving in the United Kingdom.[HL2980]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Three observational surveys of mobile phone use by people while driving have been carried out for the department by TRL Limited. The latest survey, carried out in October 2001, showed that 2 per cent of the 27,900 drivers observed were using a mobile phone; 85 per cent of the phones observed in use were hand-held. The surveys are undertaken at road junctions at the same time as regular seat belt wearing surveys and may not be representative of the extent of mobile phone use by drivers on all roads. Consideration is therefore being given to the need for further surveys to monitor the position.
Baroness Hayman asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What specific research is being undertaken by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on the potential role of mobile phone usage in the causation of road traffic accidents.[HL2981]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There is clear evidence of an increased risk of an accident when using any type of mobile phone while driving. Detailed investigation is needed to establish the cause of any accident. Two research projects currently under way will help to establish the likely numbers of road traffic accidents involving mobile phones. One project involves carrying out in-depth analysis of police fatal road accident reports that identify distraction as a possible contributory factor. The other involves on-the-spot studies of accidents in order to improve the understanding of the influences of human involvement, vehicle and highway design on accident causation and injury mechanisms.
Medical Toxicology Unit
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 15 January (WA 110), how much was the funding for a specialist registrar at the Medical Toxicology Unit, London, by Zeneca (now Syngenta); how much staff time was funded; and for what period.[HL2762]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Medical Toxicology Unit received £15,000 from Zeneca in financial year 1999–2000 which contributed towards a locum registrar post in medical toxicology for nine months. This post was established with a specific focus on product safety and agrochemical toxicology, in line with guidelines on partnership arrangements. .
Haemophilia
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the cost of making recombinant treatment available to people with haemophilia in England in each year since the treatment was introduced; and whether the Department of Health's estimates for the next financial year include any provision for making the treatment more widely available.[HL2826]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information on the annual cost of recombinant treatment is not collected centrally. We are still considering the provision of recombinant clotting factors for all haemophilia patients in England.
Chiropody
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proposals they have to introduce interim arrangements, before the full implementation of protection of title under the Health Act 1999, to establish minimum requirements for safe practice for unregistered chiropodists such as a test of competence; and to ensure that patients are protected, as indicated by the statement by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 13 December 2001 (HL Deb, col. 1518) on the Health Professions Order 2001, when he referred to unregulated practitioners being trained chiefly to carry out basic foot care on otherwise healthy people.[HL2936]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: This is a matter for the Health Professions Council. The Health Professions Order 2001 provides a transitional pathway to registration for anyone who is not and never has been registered under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960. This pathway is open to those who can demonstrate that they have been practising safely
and effectively or that their qualifications and experience are comparable to the current requirements for registration. In either case, the new council may, but need not, require them to pass a test of competence.Northamptonshire Community Health Councils
Lord Freeman asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the two community health councils for Northamptonshire now have to be line managed and employed by the West Sussex and Surrey Health Authority.[HL2943]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath : In order to maintain a level of continuity for community health councils (CHCs) affected by the changes in National Health Service region boundaries, it was agreed nationally that they would remain, for pay and other personnel matters, within their current groups. In the case of the Northamptonshire CHCs, from 1 April this will be the South Region.
Personnel and paymaster services would continue to be provided by the health authority incorporating the current service level agreement provider. On 1 April that responsibility moves to the new Surrey and Sussex Health Authority for all CHCs included in the South Region.
In recognition of the fact that, from April, Northamptonshire CHCs will cover activities within the Midlands Region, both CHCs will be establishing links within the new Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Health Authority area in respect of their role in monitoring the NHS.
Wembley Stadium
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What role Ministers have played in the scrutiny of the list of candidates who are being considered for membership of the new board of Wembley National Stadium Limited. [HL3028]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): These are matters for the Football Association (FA) and Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL). Ministers have not played any role to date in the consideration of changes to the corporate governance of WNSL. My officials, together with those of Sport England, are involved in discussions relating to the proposals which the FA and WNSL are considering in response to Patrick Carter's recommendations and the conditions for government support which I set out to
the House on 19 December (Official Report, cols. 301–304). My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has asked Patrick Carter, in compiling his final report on the National Stadium project, to undertake an assessment of whether the Football Association and WNSL have satisfactorily addressed his concerns.Resort Casinos
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assessment they have made of the economic impact upon restaurants and public houses which are currently in business of the implementation of the proposals in the Budd report to permit the development of resort casinos.[HL3066]
Baroness Blackstone: Some of those who commented on the report of the Gambling Review Body argued that the changes in the law which it recommended, which would permit the development of resort casinos, would damage other leisure businesses in their areas by drawing customers away from them; others argued that resort casinos, by making the areas more attractive to visitors, could contribute to an overall increase in business. We intend to publish a partial regulatory impact assessment when announcing our conclusions on the report. This will include an overall assessment of benefits and costs for the gambling industry and the economy as a whole.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What assessment they have made of the impact upon employment in the gaming machine industry in the United Kingdom if the recommendations of the Budd report are agreed.[HL3067]
Baroness Blackstone: We have noted the concerns expressed by the gaming machine industry that full implementation of the recommendations in the report of the Gambling Review Body would lead to the loss of at least 4,436 jobs.
We intend to publish a partial regulatory impact assessment when announcing our conclusions on the report. This will include an overall assessment of benefits and costs for the gambling industry and the economy as a whole.
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