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Written Answers
Wednesday, 17th April 2002.
Rifles and Shotguns
Lord Brougham and Vaux asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is considered a safe range for the use of (a) rifles and (b) shotguns. [HL3636]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): Much will depend upon the characteristics of the firearm concerned, the target and the nature of the land over which the shooting takes place. For example, different considerations apply to the shooting of wildlife in uplands as opposed to lowland areas. It is also important that targets are killed and simply not injured or left to die. Different considerations again apply in relation to clay pigeon shooting. It is a fundamental rule of shooting that a shot should never be taken if there is the slightest doubt about the safety of either the shooter or the public.
Upper Brook Street Barriers
Lord Colwyn asked Her Majesty's Government:
- For how much longer the barriers restricting traffic flow opposite the American Embassy in Upper Brook Street are likely to remain in place; and why diplomatic parking is permitted opposite these barriers, which leaves only a single lane for normal use. [HL3677]
Lord Rooker: This is an operational decision by the Metropolitan Police. The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis informs me that the barriers placed in Upper Brook Street are the result of the significant threat to American interests from international terrorism. This threat remains. Security measures across London are kept under constant review.
The diplomatic parking bays referred to are for the general use of the considerable diplomatic community that exits in the Grosvenor Square area. The commissioner assures me that there is no continuing traffic management problem there. His officers have met with the local community and neither the parking bays nor the barriers have been raised as issues.
Poverty Reduction: WTO Talks
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How the new round of World Trade Organisation trade talks, launched at the Doha Ministerial Meeting in November 2001, will be used to draw the poorest countries into the global economy; to increase their access to modern knowledge and technology; and to make progress towards the elimination of extreme poverty.[HL3444]
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The Doha Development Agenda (DDA), launched at the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Doha, will be a development focused trade round and has the potential to make a significant contribution to poverty reduction in developing countries. According to World Bank figures, the continued opening of markets to trade could lift an additional 300 million people out of poverty, helping make the millennium development goals on poverty reduction a reality. Increasing trade between countries will also increase the flow of investment, goods and services, helping to ensure that developing countries benefit from the advances in modern knowledge and technology.
To ensure that the poorest countries also benefit from participation in the global economy, the WTO has agreed a work programme for the least developed countries (LDCs) which, among other things, will look at participation of LDCs in the multilateral trading system.
Radioactive Waste
Lord Oxburgh asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many responses they received to the September 2001 consultation Managing Radioactive Waste: The Government's Consultation; how many of those were unsolicited responses from members of the public; and when they expect to announce their plans for the next stage of developing a policy for the long-term management of radioactive waste.[HL3415]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Her Majesty's Government have received 280 responses so far to the consultation Managing Radioactive Waste safely, which ended on 12 March. Responses are still being received, and I shall write to the noble Lord with further details as soon as I am able.
We shall announce our plans once we have considered people's views and agreed the next steps with our colleagues in the devolved administrations.
Landfill Tax Credit Scheme
Baroness Andrews asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they intend to launch a consultation on the future of the landfill tax credit scheme.[HL3838]
Lord Whitty: The Government are today publishing a consultation paper on the future of the landfill tax credit scheme. It seeks views on the priorities for funding from revenue currently spent through the landfill tax credit scheme, the merits of different funding mechanisms and any transitional arrangements. The results will feed into the decisions to be made as part of Spending Review 2002.
Copies of the consultation paper will be available from the House Libraries or from the Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk.
School Playing Fields
Lord Dormand of Easington asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many school playing fields were sold in each of the seven years 1995 to 2001. [HL3708]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced on 1 October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields that occurred in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s. Prior to October 1998, there was no regulation of the sale of playing fields at local authority controlled schools. No central records were kept of how many school playing fields were sold before October 1998.
Since October 1998, applications to sell school playing fields have been approved only where it is clear that any proceeds will be used to provide an overall improvement in school sports provision or education facilities. All applications made since 16 July 2001 are scrutinised by the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel to make sure that they meet the department's published criteria. The panel comprises representatives from the National Playing Fields Association, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, Learning through Landscapes, the National Association of Headteachers and the Local Government Association.
The table below shows the number of applications to sell school playing fields larger than a small sports pitch for the under-10s—that is larger than 2,000m 2 —that were approved in each year since October 1998.
| Calendar Year | Sports pitch applications approved |
| October–December 1998 | 7 |
| 1999 | 42 |
| 2000 | 32 |
| 2001 | 23 |
Notes:
1. The table includes applications to sell school playing fields from local authorities, foundation, voluntary and former grant-maintained schools.
2. All sale proceeds are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
3. "Sports pitch" means an area of open grassed land which is equal to, or larger than, the Football Association's recommended 2,000m(1) area for games played by under-10s and which has a configuration making it suitable for sports, whether laid out as a sports pitch or not.
Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Citizenship education will be part of the national curriculum for secondary schools from August 2002. It will consist of three main strands: political literacy, social and moral responsibility and community involvement. These will help young people to develop the skills and confidence they need to engage in active citizenship and feel they have a stake in society.
The National Curriculum Order for Citizenship—laid before Parliament on 23 June 2000 (No. 1603)—sets out the statutory requirements for the subject. Detailed guidance for secondary schools, based on the order, has been produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and sent to every secondary school and can be obtained from www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship. This allows schools flexibility in how they deliver the subject, for example as a discrete subject or through other subjects. The detailed guidance for primary schools will be available later this year.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will add familial hyperlipidaemia to the list of medical conditions that are eligible for exemption from prescription charges; and, if not, why not.[HL3543]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The list of medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges was agreed with the medical profession in 1968. Our policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements to people with other medical conditions, including familial hyperlipidaemia. We have no current plans to change the charging arrangements.
What issues will be covered when "citizenship" becomes a compulsory curriculum subject in September; and whether an outline of the subjects to be taught is yet available.[HL3745]
What criteria for inclusion underpin the list of medical conditions eligible for an exemption from prescription charges; and[HL3545]
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