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Ageing Process: Biochemical Action of Supplements
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In the light of the results of the research by B. Ames et al pubished in the National Academy of
- Sciences United Stress in February, which found that treatment of rats with N-acetyl-L-carntinine and lipoic acid reversed the ageing process, whether these two products can be prescribed for patients suffering oxidative stress-related illnesses, including myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome, Gulf War illnesses and fibromyalgia. [HL3662]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No. The researchers, led by Dr Bruce Ames, of the University of California at Berkeley, gave a combination of acetyl-L-carntinine and alpha-lipoic acid to rats the age of which was the equivalent of humans in their seventies. He estimated that the effect on the rats was the equivalent of making a 75 to 80 year-old human act middle aged.
These two chemicals occur naturally in the human body and both are available in health food shops. Acetyl-L-carntinine is sold as an energy booster and alpha-lipoic acid as an antioxidant with anti-ageing properties.
Studies were conducted into the biochemical action of the supplements comparing the behaviour of old and young rats and testing the memory of the animals fed the compounds. Results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This treatment has not yet been shown to be either safe or effective in humans. The fact that these chemicals occur naturally does not mean that they are safe when given in large doses, and nor does it mean that the combination is effective.
The combination has been patented and further studies are being conducted. In due course, marketing authorisation could be sought from the Medicines Control Agency in the United Kingdom. But until the quality, safety and efficacy of a medicinal form of these chemicals has been established, doctors will not be able to prescribe them, except on a named patient basis, with the manufacturer providing supplies. Doctors do this in the knowledge that they bear the full legal and clinical responsibility for the patient's condition in relation to that treatment.
The Historic Environment
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they have made with their plans to work with the Learning and Skills Council in order to ensure that some centres of vocational excellence could specialise in skills relevant to the historic environment.[HL3572]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): We have been exploring with the Learning and Skills Council how some planned centres of vocational excellence could specialise in skills relevant to the historic environment. The skills that are particularly needed in this area are those relating to construction and tourism for restoring, maintaining and promoting access to the historic environment.
The Learning and Skills Council has made an impressive start in addressing employers' needs in these skills areas. It established, in July 2001, 16 pathfinder centres of vocational excellence. One of these focuses on construction skills.
The Learning and Skills Council also announced in March 2002 some 70 additional centres of vocational excellence that will form the first main roll-out phase of the programme. Ten of these will specialise in construction and four in tourism.
In addition, the Learning and Skills Council has identified construction as a priority skills area for centres of vocational excellence to address in the future. We can expect to see further centres meeting the needs of the historic environment as the programme is rolled out fully over the coming two years.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will publish the consultation paper covering the range of options to be considered for the expansion of the sites and monuments records system.[HL3570]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): We are discussing implementation of our policy statement, The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future, which covers this issue, with English Heritage and others. We will publish an implementation plan shortly.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they have made with their plans
to work with English Heritage and other historic environment bodies to establish an annual historic environment week; and[HL3571]
What progress they have made in working with English Heritage to establish an historic attraction advisory unit in order to draw together best practice and advice from across the historic environment sector on marketing, visitor management, customer care and conservation.[HL3574]
Baroness Blackstone: We are discussing implementation of our policy statement, The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future, with English Heritage and others, including these action points. We will publish an implementation plan in the Spring.
Royal Parks Agency
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What procedures must be adopted in order that the status of the Royal Parks Agency may be changed to that of a non-departmental public body by the target date of April 2002.[HL3573]
Baroness Blackstone: The target date for establishing the Royal Parks Agency as a non-departmental public body is now 1 October 2002. Her Majesty The Queen will be asked to approve in Council a Royal Charter establishing the Royal Parks as a trust. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will then agree a contract with the new body to carry out its responsibilities under the Crown Lands Act 1851. This will require the approval of both Houses of Parliament of an order under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994.
Sport
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their response to the research, Boom or Bust? Voluntary Sport in Peril, published on
26 March by the Central Council of Physical Recreation.[HL3607]
Baroness Blackstone: The results of the Central Council of Physical Recreation's recent research are a useful contribution to the debate about the general financial health of sport at the local, amateur level. The report makes a case for a measure of relief to local clubs but the survey on which it was based did not ask clubs to express opinions about how such relief should best be delivered.
Works of Art: Temporary Export Licences
Lord Freyberg asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the maximum length of time for which a temporary export licence for works of art can be issued.[HL3671]
Baroness Blackstone: There is no prescribed limit to the period for which a cultural object may be the subject of a licence for temporary export.
Benin Plaques
Lord Freyberg asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the British Museum sold approximately
30 pieces of Benin bronze in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.[HL3675]
Baroness Blackstone: Under its governing statute, the Board of Trustees of the British Museum may dispose of objects from its collections in very limited circumstances, eg where they are duplicates. It is a matter for the trustees to take decisions about such disposals.
The sale of some Benin plaques from the British Museum to the Lagos Museum in 1950 was part of a dedicated attempt to help Nigeria to establish a museum service. The plaques sold were then considered to be duplicates of items already held by the British Museum. Ten were sold to Nigeria directly.
Another, smaller, number were sold via dealers to affirm the price before a further 14 were sold to Nigeria.Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What has been the cost of each of the reports prepared by the Office of the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland since it came into existence.[HL3231]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The Police Ombudsman advises that around 90 reports have been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Policing Board and the Chief Constable since her office was established. It would be disproportionate in cost terms to extract the information necessary to cost each of these reports.
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many persons have been arrested at the initiative of the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman.[HL3232]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Police Ombudsman advises that to date 17 persons have been arrested in the course of her work.
Northern Ireland: Terrorist Amnesty
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Belfast Agreement of 1998 contained the suggestion of an amnesty for all terrorists; and, if so, in which part it did so.[HL3289]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: At the Weston Park talks last summer both the British and Irish Governments accepted that there was an issue to be addressed with the completion of the early release scheme about supporters of organisations now on ceasefire against whom there are outstanding prosecutions, and in some cases extradition proceedings, for offences committed before 10 April 1998. Such people would, if convicted, stand to benefit from the early release scheme. The Government have undertaken to take steps to resolve the issue.
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