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Bereavement Benefits
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in the light of the settlement of the case of Fielding v United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights, they will make bereavement benefits available to widowers without sex discrimination.[HL2859]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): Our reforms to bereavement benefits introduced in April 2001 mean that for the first time these benefits are available equally to both men and women. We have concentrated help where and when it is needed most—on immediate needs and on families with children.
Litigation currently in the European Court of Human Rights does not affect the rights of men or women to claim bereavement benefit today.
Immediate help with costs arising on bereavement is provided by a lump sum bereavement payment of £2000—double the old widow's payment of £1000. There is a weekly benefit for widowed parents who satisfy the qualifying conditions. A bereavement allowance is also available for 12 months, to give widows and widowers aged 45 or over without dependants time to adjust to their new circumstances.
Nursing and Midwifery and Health Professions Councils: Appointments
Baroness Billingham asked Her Majesty's Government:
- If appointments have been made to the Nursing and Midwifery and Health Professions Councils in readiness for their formal establishment on 1 April.[HL3553]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Nursing and Midwifery and Health Professions Orders 2001 provide for the Privy Council to make appointments to the new councils. I can confirm that members have accepted the invitations to serve for a three-year term from 1 April 2002. A list of their names is shown in the table.
Nursing and Midwifery Councils President Jonathan Asbridge—England Practitioner members Nurses Jonathan Asbridge—England Sharon Hall—Wales Kathleen McLean—Scotland Mary Hanratty—Northern Ireland Midwives Catherine Warwick—England Jean Keats—Wales Heather Shaw—Scotland Elizabeth Bannon—Northern Ireland Health Visitors Bronya Webster—England Marianne Cowpe—Wales Ishbel White—Scotland Fiona Wright—Northern Ireland Alternate members Nurses Professor David Sines—England Elizabeth Hewett—Wales Nancy Kirkland—Scotland Angela O'Connor—Northern Ireland Midwives Professor Paul Lewis—England Christine Hayes—Wales Mary Vance—Scotland Eileen Pollock—Northern Ireland Health Visitors Heather Livesey—England Angela Roberts—Wales Sheena Wright—Scotland Maureen Jamison—Northern Ireland Lay (Others) Education Professor Gordon Dickson—Scotland Professor Donald Pennington—England NHS Employers Catherine Gritzner—England Non-NHS Employers Trevor Purt—England Lay (users) Jill Carter—England Christina Funnell—England William Buxton—England Moi Ali—Scotland Alan Ferguson OBE—Northern Ireland John Leece Jones—Wales Health Professions Council President Prof Norma Brook—England Practitioner members Professor Diane Waller (Arts Therapists)—England Pamela Sabine (Chiropodists)—England Dr John Old (Clinical Scientists)—England Morag MacKellar (Dietitians)—Scotland Neil Willis (Medical Laboratory Technicians)—Wales Mary Crawford (Occupational Therapists)—England Clare McGartland (Orthoptists)—Northern Ireland Joanna Manning (Paramedics)—England Dr Robert Jones (Physiotherapists)—England William Munro (Prosthetists & Orthotists)—Scotland Dr Alexander Yule (Radiographers)—Wales Dr Anna Van Der Gaag (Speech & Language Therapists)—Scotland Alternate members Michael Barham (Arts Therapists)—England Paul Frowen (Chiropodists)—Wales Dr Graham Beastall (Clinical Scientists)—Scotland Gillian Pearson (Dietitians)—England Gordon Sutehall (Medical Laboratory Technicians)—England Carol Lloyd (Occupational Therapists)—England Helen Davis (Orthoptists)—England Michael Collins (Paramedics)—Wales Eileen Thornton (Physiotherapists)—England Laurence Hughes (Prosthetists & Orthotists)—Northern Ireland Rosemary Klem (Radiographers)—England Jacqueline Pearce (Speech & Language Therapists)—England Lay Members Education Prof Anthony Hazell—Wales Prof John Harper—Scotland NHS employers Robert Clegg—England Non-NHS employers Shaheen Chaudhry—England Lay (users) Jacqueline Stark—England Prof John Lilleyman—England Anne Foster—England Keith Ross—Scotland Christine Farrell—England Barbara Stuart—Northern Ireland Colin Lea—Wales Prof Jeffrey Lucas—EnglandMarinas: Local Authority Funding
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What funding is available to seaside authorities when planning to establish marinas.[HL3304]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): Local authorities may use their non-ring-fenced basic credit approvals (BCAs), which are issued by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, to support borrowing for any capital project. Councils may also use the general grant for revenue expenditure which is provided under the local government finance settlement. It is for authorities themselves to determine how they spend their BCAs and their general grant in the light of local needs and priorities for expenditure. Other funding may be available, depending on local circumstances.
United Kingdom Continental Shelf Oil Installations: Fatal Injuries
Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many fatal accidents have occurred on oil installations operating under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.[HL3307]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Since the Offshore Division (OSD) of the Health and Safety Executive was established in 1991 there have been 39 fatal injuries at all offshore installations operating on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). Of this total, in the period 1996–97 to 2001–02, 11 fatal
injuries occurred on offshore production and drilling installations. Included in this provisional figure for April 2001 to 31 March 2002 are three fatal injuries.Pesticides Incidents Appraisal Panel
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How long after their receipt of reports of pesticide incidents alleging ill health has the Health and Safety Executive's Pesticides Incidents Appraisal Panel (PIAP) taken to notify individuals of the classification of their reports for all cases appraised by the PIAP since 1996.[HL3342]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There has been no meeting of the panel in 2002 so information is available only for the years 1996 to 2001 inclusive. During those years individuals involved in over 60 per cent of the incidents put to the panel were notified of its assessment of their case within 15 months of the papers being received by the panel secretariat. Sometimes considerable delay in submission of incidents to the panel itself may arise because the secretariat seeks wherever possible to obtain additional confidential medical information. Seven per cent of the cases for the years in question have yet to go to the panel pending the collation of further information.
In a further 25 per cent of cases either the relevant information is not available or it was not considered appropriate to write to the individual. For the remaining cases, exceptional circumstances would usually have been the main cause for the longer time periods involved.
It should be noted that it is not the panel's purpose to advise individuals on possible links between pesticide exposure and ill health but rather to see if any general lessons can be derived from cumulative information on incidents and to report annually. Nevertheless, the secretariat endeavours to inform individuals of the outcome of their assessment as soon as possible after panel meetings.
Organophosphate Pesticides: Liability
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is the licensing authority, the employer or the end user of an organophosphate pesticide, veterinary medicine or human medicine who is ultimately liable for damage to human health following the finding by Cherry N. et al at the University of Manchester that some individuals have a genetic susceptibility to such damage.[HL3344]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There are responsibilites on each of the relevant parties at every stage of the approval, supply and use of such products. For pesicides and veterinary medicines, the registering authority must be satisfied that a product has no
unacceptable human health effects (as well as animal health and environmental considerations) and that it is efficacious, before it can be recommended for approval by Ministers and allowed onto the market. As regards to medicines for human use, the licensing authority is responsible for the issue of marketing authorisations. Marketing authorisations are made on the basis of a product's safety in the normal conditions of use, therapeutic efficacy, and qualitative and quantitative composition in the light of the information available.Suppliers of those products must provide information on labels and packaging in accordance with the conditions of approval set by Ministers. This will include instructions for proper use, and hazard classification.
Employers of those using such products, the self-employed and the users have responsibilities under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 (COSHH), which requires among other things that employers carry out a risk assessment and put in place appropriate control measures including preventing or reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals. Civil or criminal liability may arise where any such party does not fulfil its legal responsibility.
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