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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the projected timetable to bring together the reports of the Fundamental Review of Death Certification and Coroner Services with the third report from the Shipman inquiry covering similar issues; and[HL4213]
What plans they have to implement changes following the Coroners' Officers Working Party Report; and[HL4214]
Whether consideration has been given to housing coroners' officers in their local hospital, rather than the police station, to enable close working relationships in line with the recommendations in the report, Families and Post MortemsA code of practice.[HL4215]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Coroners are appointed locally to serve a specific district in accordance with the provisions of coroner legislation. The location of coroners' officers within a coroner's district is a matter to be decided locally depending on need and practicality. I understand that in a number of coroners' districts, officers are already located at hospitals.
When the report on the provision of Coroners' Officers was published in August 2002, we made it clear that it would not be appropriate to seek to implement any changes to the existing arrangements for the provision of officers in advance of the outcome of the wider ranging reviews then in hand.
The Report of the Fundamental Review 2003Death Certification and Investigation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was published on 4 June. My honourable friend Paul Goggins announced that in order to assist the Government to develop a coherent long-term strategy for the future of our death investigation processes, the Home Secretary had asked the chair of the Review, Mr Tom Luce, to undertake some further work to link the review's recommendations to the relevant findings of the Shipman inquiry. I expect this work to be completed in the autumn and for decisions to be taken on our programme of reform as soon as possible thereafter. We are also keen to ensure that we improve how the needs of the bereaved are met in the mean time.
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I have today laid before this House copies of the Forensic Science Service's Annual Report and Accounts for 200203. Performance against Agency targets 200203
The FSS met seven of its nine targets and put in a strong financial performance.
Financial targetsA 23.4 per cent return on capital employed was produced against a minimum target of 10 per cent.
A three-year rolling efficiency gain of 13.8 per cent was achieved against a target of 10 per cent. Service Delivery
A 74-day turn round time in 90 per cent standard jobs (violent and volume crime cases) was achieved against a target of 70 days.
Dispatch dates in 94 per cent of urgent, 93 per cent critical cases and 96 per cent in persistent young offenders cases were met against targets of 98 per cent, 98 per cent and 99 per cent respectively.
Dispatch dates in 93 per cent of all categories of cases were met against a target of 93 per cent.
An 11 per cent increase on baseline in a transactional index of customer perception was achieved against a target of five per cent.
Service level agreements were put in place with 98 per cent of police forces against a target of 92 per cent.
Application for 100 per cent of reporting officers for accreditation to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners, where appropriate, was achieved against a target of 100 per cent.
External quality accreditation to ISO standards was maintained.
The main targets for 200304, the agency's fifth year of trading fund, area as follows. The targets are set out in full in Annex A. Finance:
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): We have no viable means of ascertaining the numbers or identities of Iraqi military personnel who were killed or injured during the coalition's military action.
The Deployed Operating Instructions issued to all United Kingdom military units state that enemy dead are to be treated the same as UK military dead. This includes a direction that, where next of kin cannot be traced, the bodies are to be given the same funeral as would UK military personnel, subject to religious practices. Wounded enemy personnel are given care and medical attention that accord fully with our obligations under the Geneva Convention.
Lord Judd asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: We have no viable means of ascertaining the numbers of civilians who were killed or injured by cluster bombs during or since the coalition's military action.
United Kingdom and other coalition explosive ordnance disposal teams in the UK's area of responsibility have completed over 1,000 tasks and destroyed over 100,000 individual munitions. We do not record types of munitions destroyed.
A full survey of sites contaminated with unexploded munitions is now under way. The survey is being conducted in concert with other coalition forces, non-governmental organisations and demining companies. On average the survey is identifying 30 new EOD tasks each week.
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