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Food in Schools Programme
Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What progress they have made towards implementing the Food in Schools programme. [HL4425]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Food in Schools programme was launched by Health and Education Ministers in March 2001. A continuous professional development package for primary teachers has been delivered by trained secondary teachers. A self-analysis "toolkit" for schools to be used to identify what they are doing about food throughout the curriculum, school meals, tuck shops and out of school activities is being developed. These complement the National School Fruit Scheme which is now reaching 300,000 children in 2,300 schools. Other aspects of the programme are being developed and will be implemented shortly.
Smallpox Vaccine
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the smallpox vaccine to be manufactured in Germany by Bavarian Nordic was purchased through an intermediary rather than directly [HL4591]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: PowderJect, to whom the Government awarded the contract for the supply of smallpox vaccine, has an exclusive agreement with Bavarian Nordic, the manufacturers of this vaccine, to act as its suppliers in the United Kingdom. This collaboration between the companies was made clear from the outset and was confirmed in the written proposals submitted by PowderJect in response to their meeting with the Department of Health officials. Bavarian Nordic was also approached directly and confirmed that the vaccine supply must be through its chosen partners PowderJect.
NHS: Patient-centred Programmes
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they agree with the view of the head of the National Health Service Clincial Governance Support Team reported in the Health Service Journal on 30 May that the National Health Service is not patient-centred. [HL4662]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We recognise that the National Health Service over many years has suffered from a lack of national standards, outdated barriers preventing the NHS getting the best out of its dedicated staff, no independent inspection system, and—too often—by the NHS not putting the needs of patients first. It is not surprising, therefore, that the NHS Clincial Governance Support Team found examples where services were not patient-centered.
However a set of policies, programmes and structures were introduced in 1997 to improve the quality of care and patient safety.
This programme was first set out in the White Paper The New NHS: modern and dependable. It was developed further in A First Class Service: Quality in the new NHS which identified three main themes for improving quality in the NHS; clear national quality standards, ensuring local delivery and systems for monitoring delivery. The programme was then expanded and strengethed in the NHS Plan which was published in 2000.
The NHS Plan takes the quality agenda further, emphasising improving customer service and patient/citizen representation. The NHS Plan is about doing things differently: new ways of working, partnership and inclusivity, placing the patient at the heart of everything that we do. It is, in a very real sense, a chance to prove that a universal public service can deliver what people expect in today's world.
Delivering the NHS Plan—next steps on investment, next steps on reform (April 2002) sets out how we will ensure that the extra money agreed in the 2002 Budget is spent to best effect in improving the health and well-being of the country.
Anti-discrimination Legislation
Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in future legislation introduced by them, they will keep measures on disability separate from those on other subjects such as age and gender.[HL4580]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): Disability discrimination rights are dealt with separately in existing legislation. The structure of future legislation is ultimately a matter for Parliament to decide.
British Accounting Standards Board
Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answers given by the Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 27 May (HL Deb, cols. 1039-42), who appoints or elects the members of the British Accounting Standards Board; what are their terms of reference; to whom and how they are accountable; and how the ''membership'' to which they are responsible is defined.[HL4595]
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The Accounting Standards Board Limited is a company limited by guarantee, the sole director of which is the Financial Reporting Council Limited. The operating arm of the Accounting Standards Board Limited is the Accounting Standards Board (ASB). Its role is to develop accounting standards. It is recognised for that purpose under the Companies Act. The ASB is part of the private sector process of self-regulation which has the strong support of government.
The stated aims of the ASB are to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting, for the benefit of users, preparers and auditors of financial information. The ASB collaborates with accounting standard setters from other countries and with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in order to ensure that its standards are developed with due regard to international developments and it is the policy of the ASB to consult widely on any proposals.
The ASB is limited to a maximum of 10 members. The chairman of the ASB, Mary Keegan, is a full-time member as is the technical director, Allan Cook CBE. The remaining members of the ASB are part time and are drawn from the business, finance and accounting sectors.
Appointments to the ASB are made by an appointments committee comprising the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) chairman and deputy chairmen, currently Sir Bryan Nicholson, Sir Iain Vallance and Michael Groom respectively, together with three members of the FRC. The ASB is accountable to the FRC.
The chairman and deputy chairman of the FRC are appointed jointly by the Bank of England and DTI and funded jointly by them and industry.
UN World Conference on Ageing
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the speech made by the European Union's Commissioner for Social Affairs to the United Nations Conference on Ageing.[HL4745]
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: A copy of the statement made by Anna Diamantopoulou, Commissioner resonsible for the Employment and Social Affairs European Commission, at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid, has been placed in the Library.
EU Employment and Social Policy Council, Luxembourg, 3 June 2002
Lord Jordan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the outcome of the Employment and Social Policy Council held in Luxembourg on 3 June.[HL4858]
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: This was a quiet Council with a relatively thin agenda. Bill Stow, the Deputy Permanent Representative to Brussels, represented the UK.
The Council agreed a general orientation on a proposal to extend the provisions of Regulation 1408/71 to nationals of third countries legally resident in a member state. The European Parliament will now give an opinion. Council also discussed Chapters I and II of a regulation to simplify Regulation 1408/71, which co-ordinates the member states' social security systems in respect of persons moving within the EU. This dossier is subject to a German reserve which the Presidency hopes will be lifted before the Seville European Council, allowing an agreement on a general orientation to be reached.
The Council also agreed a general orientation on the European Co-operative Statute, which consists of a regulation and a directive on employee involvement. The European Parliament will be re-consulted on this amended Commission proposal, including the change of legal base.
The Council reached political agreement on a directive amending Directive 83/477/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks of exposure to asbestos.
The Council adopted two Resolutions at this meeting: the first, on a Community strategy on health and safety at work, is broadly similar to the recent Commission Communication; the second follows up the Commission's recent Action Plan on Skills and Mobility.
There was a lunchtime discussion on the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines which endorsed the Opinions of the Employment Committee and Social Protection Committee, stressing the importance of a balanced approach to economic, employment and social issues. A number of delegations, including the UK, argued that member states should do more to co-ordinate policies at national level.
The rest of the (shortened) meeting was taken up with reports on Spanish Presidency activities over the past six months, including: a Presidency report on the Barcelona Spring Council; the presentation of a paper on a Study and Guide that the Presidency had drawn up on methods of tackling violence against women; and a Presidency report on gender mainstreaming in different Council formations and the stuctural funds. The Presidency also provided reports on recent conferences, including the UN World Conference on Ageing.
The Social Protection Committee presented its report on social protection in Europe.
Under "Any Other Business", the Commission presented its plans for a directive on agency workers, following the failure of the social partners to reach agreement last year; and a recommendation on the health and safety of self-employed workers. Both of these are likely to appear at the next Employment and Social Policy Council in Luxembourg in October.
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