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Mixed Sex Wards

Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to reply to the letter concerning mixed sex wards sent by Lord Stoddart of Swindon to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health on 12 December 2001.[HL3192]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A reply was sent on 11 March.

OECD Documents

Lord Jenkin of Roding asked the Chairman of Committees:

What reason has been given by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's sole agent for the distribution of OECD documents in the United Kingdom, Turpin's Book Distributors, for its requirement that it should be paid, in effect "cash with order", before it will dispatch an OECD document, even when the order comes from The Stationery Office which is a supplier to the House of Lords; and whether he regards the consequential two-week delay in meeting a request as acceptable.[HL3246]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Tordoff): I have been informed by the Director of the Public Affairs and Communications Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that Turpin Distribution Services Ltd, which handles the stock management and physical distribution of OECD publications, merely applies credit limits set by the OECD itself. It appears that The Stationery Office, which is one of two commercial distributors of OECD publications in the United Kingdom, reached this credit limit, and that Turpin therefore had to set TSO's account temporarily to "cash with order".

I understand that the noble Lord requested an OECD publication from the Printed Paper Office on 24 January. As a result of these difficulties between the OECD, Turpin and TSO, it was not received by the PPO until 7 February. This is an unacceptable delay and I have asked the PPO to ensure that it is not repeated. New arrangements are being put in place, by means of which the PPO should from now on normally be able to obtain OECD papers within three working days.

19 Mar 2002 : Column WA139

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