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Cyprus

Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): The 2001 European Commission regular report on Cyprus' progress towards accession has a section on the situation in the northern part of the island. This includes economic statistics.

Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The European Council at Seville reiterated that in respect of Cyprus ''The European Union's preference continues to be for the accession of a reunited island''. The 2001 European Commission regular report on Cyprus' progress towards accession has a section on the situation in the northern part of the island. This includes economic statistics.

Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The UK is fully committed to the 1999 Helsinki Conclusions, which were reaffirmed at the Seville European Council, and which remain the basis of the EU's position on Cyprus. Helsinki stated that ''The European Council underlines that a political settlement will facilitate the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. If no settlement has been reached by the completion of accession negotiations, the Council's decision on accession will be made without the above being a precondition. In this the Council will take account of

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all relevant factors''. Her Majesty's Government believe that it is in all parties' interests to reach a settlement this year.

Malta

Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether Malta is included in the nations to be accepted into membership of the European Union; if so, whether Malta is included in the first tranche of applicant nations; and what is the preferred timetable for Malta's accession into the European Union.[HL4863]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Seville European Council reaffirmed that Malta is one of 10 candidates expected to complete negotiations for EU accession by the end of 2002 if the present rate of progress in negotiations and reforms is maintained. It is reasonable to expect Malta to sign the Treaty of Accession in spring 2003 and participate as a full member in the European Parliament elections in 2004.

Public Sector Civil Nuclear Liabilities

Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Pursuant to a statement of 28 November 2001, when the White Paper on arrangements for managing public sector civil nuclear liabilities will be published.[HL5063]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My honourable friend the Minister of State for Energy and Construction has announced today that the White Paper Managing the Nuclear Legacy—A Strategy for Action is being published today. Copies are available in the Library and the Printed Paper Office.

The White Paper sets out plans for radical change to current arrangements for the clean up of the public sector civil nuclear legacy, including the creation of a new body, the liabilities management authority, responsible to government and with a specific remit to ensure that clean up is carried out safely, securely, cost-effectively and in ways which protect the environment for the benefit of current and future generations. It makes clear the Government's determination to drive clean up forward systematically and progressively, using the best available skills to get the job done and, through competition, to promote the development of the supply chain and skills base required to sustain the clean up programme over the long term. It also underlines our commitment to ensuring that management arrangements are open, transparent and command public confidence. Implementing legislation will be brought forward at the first available opportunity.

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In the interim, a Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) has been established in the DTI to drive forward the clean-up work and to prepare the ground for the LMA. Membership of the LMU is drawn from the private and public sectors. The appointment of Bechtel as partner contractor adds international experience to the LMU, reflecting the Government's intention to ensure that the best skills are brought to bear on legacy clean up.

In line with the commitment to openness and transparency, the Government have consulted widely with stakeholders in the preparation of the White Paper and would welcome views on the proposed new arrangements and the way in which they should be implemented. Views should be submitted to the DTI by 18 October. Contact details are provided in the White Paper.

Egg Production: Battery Cages

Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether, in the event that, following consultation, they decide to ban the use of battery cages in England, they will also ban the import of eggs which are produced in such cages overseas.[HL4998]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): WTO rules currently do not permit the restriction of trade of goods based on methods of production. However, the EU has been successful in getting non-trade concerns, which includes animal welfare, firmly written into the Doha development agenda.

Wye Navigation Order

Lord Islwyn asked Her Majesty's Government:

    When they will make an announcement about the Wye Navigation Order.[HL5071]

Lord Whitty: The Environment Agency has applied for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 making it the navigation authority for the river Wye. A public inquiry into the application was held in 1997, following which further detailed representations were made. After careful consideration we have decided to accept the inspector's recommendation and, with the agreement of the National Assembly for Wales, make the order. A copy of the decision letter has been placed in both Libraries of the House.

Hospices: Funding

Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:

    How much funding has been used to date from that recently allocated to hospices in England and Wales.[HL4769]

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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Government have pledged in the NHS Cancer Plan that funding for specialist palliative care services in England, including hospices, will increase by £50 million per annum by 2004. This investment is included in the overall National Health Service investment for implementing the Cancer Plan. How the £50 million is deployed locally will depend on the needs of the area. Cancer networks have drawn up service delivery plans on palliative care to review the level of services offered in their area and these will ensure that each network has a range of palliative care services available. We are currently reviewing the outturn position for 2001–02 and the progress in that year.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence and Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances

Lord Naseby asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether they propose to merge the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and, if so, when.[HL4847]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We propose that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will provide the secretariat for the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances, starting with the committee's October meeting.

Revascularisation Procedures

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

    (a) what is their policy on providing funds for revascularisation procedures; (b) whether they achieved the target of 3,000 extra procedures by April 2002 set in March 2000 by paragraph 61 of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease; (c) what further increase is now planned; and (d) whether they consider that, pending the 2003 review by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, interim advice should be offered to hospitals on the use of drug eluting stents in the light of the preliminary results of the SIRIUS clinical trials in the United States and the RAVEL trials in Europe and Latin America.[HL4904]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government's policy on funding for coronary heart disease (CHD) is set out in its NHS Plan, published July 2000, a copy of which is available in the Library.

The National Service Framework for CHD published in March 2000 set an immediate priority that by April 2002 the total number of revascularisation procedures, over the 1999–2000 baseline, would increase by 3,000. More than 8,000 extra procedures had been carried out by April 2002.

Future plans are based on reducing waiting times for heart operations. By April 2002, no patient had been waiting more than 12 months for revascularisation. The NHS Plan targets are for a maximum six-month

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wait for surgery by 2005 and a three-month maximum wait by 2008.

It would not be appropriate for the Department of Health to pre-empt the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) by issuing interim guidance. The absence of guidelines from NICE does not prevent the NHS using new drugs or technologies. Standing guidance to the NHS (Health Service Circular 1999/176) asks NHS bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the new technology first becomes available.

Medical Negligence Claims

Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:

    How they will ensure medical negligence claims for up to £15,000 will be resolved within six months.[HL4920]

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Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Both the civil procedure rules and medical negligence dispute pre-action protocols set out the way in which all clinical negligence claims should be resolved. Whilst there is no requirement to settle cases within six months we would want to ensure that cases are handled quickly and that those with a valid claim receive speedy compensation.

Stem Cell Research

Lord Rea asked Her Majesty's Government:

    Whether they will publish the Government's response to the House of Lords' Select Committee report of Session 2001–02 on stem cell research.[HL5069]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government's response to the House of Lords Select Committee report on stem cell research is published today as CM 5561 and copies have been placed in Library.



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