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UDR and R IRISH Memorials
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How they will mark the murders of members of the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Regiment since 1969.[HL4424]
Lord Bach: The remembrance of soldiers from the Ulster Defence Regiment and latterly the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) who have died not only as a result of terrorist action but also through a variety of other causes is an ongoing process involving the whole regimental family of the R IRISH.
There are permanent memorials of varying formats at regimental, battalion and company level and in addition there are annual memorial services at regimental and battalion level, as well as those held by antecedent regimental associations.
There is also practical support from battalions and regimental welfare aftercare teams. They make sure that bereaved families are included in appropriate regimental and battalion events, organised annual outings and holidays and that they are aware of specific support groups and the Regimental Benevolent Fund.
More generally, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in another place on 20 March (Official Report, col. 313W) and 23 March (Official Report, col. 450-451W) that the New Armed Forces Memorial to all those who have been killed on duty or by terrorist attack since the Second World War will be located at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The names of those commemorated will either be engraved on the memorial or in rolls of honour that will be kept close by in the millennium chapel at the arboretum. The design of the memorial will be decided later this year. Funds will be raised by public subscription.
Costs: Litigants in Person
Lord Wedderburn of Charlton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many awards of costs have been made in recent years under the Litigants in Person (Costs and Expenses) Act 1975:
what was the range of amounts which were involved; what sums per hour were the basis of the calculations in such awards; whether any such award was made to a corporate body, and, if so, how far any such award was made in respect of the work of managers or other employees.[HL4395]
(a) in the ordinary courts; and
(b) in the Employment Appeal Tribunal;
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The information requested is not collected.
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The time limit for lodging an appeal in the UK is specified in Rule 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Appeals (Procedure) Rules 2000 as 10 working days. The rules came into effect on 2 October 2000. There is no evidence that this time limit has been incompatible with the dispersal of asylum seekers away from the South East. Asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service are usually dispersed prior to an initial decision being taken on their application.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Northern Ireland Court Service has not, to date, required advice from the Ulster-Scots Agency. The Northern Ireland Court Service has yet to receive any correspondence from its customers in Ulster-Scots or any requests from Ulster-Scots speakers to communicate in Ulster-Scots.
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Services are in urgent need of improvement in many developing countries, particularly infrastructure services such as telecommunications, distribution, water and financial services. Better services would provide support for those countries' manufacturing and agricultural activities and improve their export potential. Developing countries recognise the important part that services can play in the context of broader multilateral trade negotiations and are supporting this important part of the Doha development agenda.
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We have repeatedly raised the human rights situation in Chechnya with the Russian authorities, including during the Russian Foreign Minister's recent visit to the UK. We have also, with EU partners, pressed the Russian Government over the disproportionate use of force in Chechnya, called on them to investigate thoroughly and effectively all allegations of human rights violations in the republic and urged them to seek a political solution to the conflict.
The Russian Government have noted our concerns but have also sought greater understanding of their position: that the conflict in Chechnya should be seen in the context of the fight against international terrorism. We acknowledge and condemn the clear links between some extremist groups operating in Chechnya and the international terror network, but we continue to stress that any counter-terrorist operations should be conducted in strict adherence to the rule of law and must respect human rights.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): None. I understand that there is a variety of other sources of information on geodiversity issues. For example, the Association of United Kingdom Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGS) Groups publishes the UKRIGS Newsletter four times a year covering a range of issues including conservation. Earth Heritage is a twice-yearly magazine produced by English Nature, jointly with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales. It covers geodiversity issues and geological conservation and is aimed at a wider audience. Geology Today is an independently produced journal also aimed at a wide audience and covering geodiversity issues as well as other related topics. A range of other journals and publications are produced by the British Geological Survey, the Geologists' Association and the Geological Society.
The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Whitty: Compensation arrangements in the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 precisely mirror those in place prior to 19 April 2002 under the Sheep and Goats Spongiform Encephalopathy (England and Wales) (Compensation) (Amendment) Order 2001. This order substantially increased the amount of compensation paid for suspected scrapie animals which are compulsorily slaughtered for diagnosis in order to encourage farmers to report their suspicion of the disease.
The rate of compensation paid where a suspect animal is compulsorily slaughtered but the subsequent laboratory examination is unable to confirm the disease is linked to the true replacement cost but limited to a maximum of £400. In addition to this, Defra will pay the diagnosis and carcass disposal costs. Of course such animals were showing signs of a serious neurological disease when they were slaughtered and would very likely have died anyway. It is expected that owners of exceptionally valuable animals would have private insurance arrangements in place.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
(a) where it was published; and
(b) why it does not appear on the Department of Health's website for the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group.[HL4347]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The 1999–2000 National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Committee annual report was published in November 2000 and distributed to NHS commissioners and providers and professional bodies in December 2000.
The Annual Report was placed on the Department of Health's website on 8 December 2000 and can be accessed via http://www.doh.gov.uk/nscag/reports.htm.
Whether their proposed limit of two weeks on asylum appeals is compatible with their policy of dispersing asylum seekers.[HL4421]
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 15 May (WA50-51) concerning advice from the Ulster-Scots Agency, why the Northern Ireland Court Service has not sought any advice.[HL4458]
In what respects the proposed negotiating position of the European Union on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) will advance the well-being of the world's poor.[HL4189]
In the light of the new relationship between NATO and Russia, what discussions they have held with Russia about allegations of disproportionate security operations and the abuse of human rights in Chechnya; whether they have discussed the desirability of a political solution there; and what response they have received.[HL4398]
What steps they are proposing to take to inform the public on geodiversity issues following the closure of the periodical Geodiversity Update.[HL4322]
Why under the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) the market value of a sheep or goat slaughtered under Regulation 81 or 82 is limited when the value of a pedigree stock may be in excess of the maximum stated.[HL4415]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 7 May (WA 167), in relation to the annual report issued by the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group for 1999–2000:
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