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Chemical Protection Programme
Lord Bach: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The UK's chemical protection programme is designed to protect against the use of chemical weapons. Such a programme is permitted by the Chemical Weapons Convention, with which the United Kingdom is fully compliant. Under the terms of the convention, we are required to provide information annually to the Organisation for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In accordance with the Government's commitment to openness, I am placing in the House of Commons Library a copy of the summary that has been provided to the organisation outlining the UK's chemical protection programme for 2004.Afghanistan: Expansion of ISAF
Lord Bach: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Since the inception of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in December 2001, the United Kingdom has been a key contributor. We have maintained a continuous presence in Kabul where our troops have once again established a high reputation. That useful work has been complemented by our provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Mazar-e-Sharif, currently operating under the command of the coalition across the five provinces of Balkh, Faryab, Jowzjan, Samangan and Sar-e-Pol. No one should doubt the United Kingdom's commitment to Afghanistan.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1510 authorised ISAF to expand beyond Kabul and offered the opportunity to start to bring the ISAF and the PRTs together. Since December 2003, NATO has operated its own PRT in the north-eastern city of Konduz as part of ISAF. Building on that experience, and that of coalition PRTs, NATO's detailed operational planning to expand the ISAF across Afghanistan is nearing completion. In view of the parliamentary Recess I believe the House would wish to be informed of developments which are likely to occur shortly.
Within this planning, and in conjunction with our international partners, we have offered to NATO to lead the expansion process in the north of the country, where we already have a significant presence through our own PRT. As part of our expanded commitment, and once NATO has agreed its operational plan, we shall lead a second multinational PRT that we intend to establish in the northern city of Meymaneh. Again, in co-operation with our international partners, we shall establish and maintain facilities to support PRTs across the north of Afghanistan. Finally, we plan to transfer command of the PRT in Mazar-e-Sharif from the coalition to the ISAF.
This will require some increase in the number of British troops routinely deployed in Afghanistan, although until negotiations with our international partners are complete, I am not in a position to indicate what the precise total will be but I will keep the House informed as this develops. I can confirm, however, that this commitment, which will utilise forces allocated to but not deployed forward in Afghanistan and some other enabling elements in the initial stages, is sustainable.
The expansion of the ISAF will be a major challenge. The United Kingdom, in line with our determination to help the Afghan people to rebuild their country, is resolved to play its full part in meeting that challenge. By leading expansion in the north we shall do so in a sustainable and effective manner to the long-term benefit of Afghanistan and her people.
Clinical Trials Directive
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): We are today laying before Parliament the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004, which will implement into United Kingdom law Directive 2001/20 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 April 2001 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to the implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use. The regulations will come into force on 1 May 2004, the date by which member states are required to implement the directive.
These regulations will ensure that the rights, safety and well-being of clinical trial subjects are protected by requiring sponsors of trials to be responsible for designing, conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials according to principles of good clinical practice derived from the principles set out in the amended 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. In addition, the regulations will further protect public health by ensuring that the results of clinical trials are collected, recorded and analysed in accordance with internationally recognised principles so that they can be audited and verified before being used to impact on public health, for example through a publication that changes medical prescribing practice or as evidence to support applications to place medicines on the market.
The regulations will provide a statutory basis for:
standardisation of procedures for ethical and competent authority consideration and authorisation;
good clinical practice (GCP) standards for commencing and conducting clinical trials;
good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards for medicines used in clinical trials; and
inspections against internationally accepted principles and standards of GCP and GMP, supported by enforcement powers.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Department of Health will be publishing guidance on the new procedures which the regulations will implement from 1 May 2004. This will cover applications for clinical trial authorisations, inspections, ethics committee applications, informed consent for incapacitated adults and sponsorship of clinical trials.
The Government have undertaken extensive consultation with stakeholders in both the pharmaceutical industry and the non-commercial clinical trials sector on how to implement the directive.
Where possible, concerns expressed by the non-commercial sector, in particular, about the possible regulatory burden, have been taken into account in the UK regulations. Furthermore, the MHRA and Department of Health have been working with stakeholders to help them to comply with the practical requirements of the regulations. The Government believe that the regulations achieve a proper balance by safeguarding the rights of patients involved in clinical trials while avoiding a disproportionate impact on those who carry out clinical trials.Her Majesty's Land Registry: Key Performance Indicators and Targets 2004–05
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin): My noble and learned friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor has today set the following key performance targets for Her Majesty's Land Registry for 2004–05.
| KPI Target | 2003–04 | KPI Achievement(At 6/2/04) | 2004–05 |
| Customer Service—Speed | |||
| Percentage of office copy and official search applications processed within two working days. | 98% | 100% | 98% |
| Percentage of all registrations processed within 20 working days. | 80% | 88% | 80% |
| Accuracy | |||
| Percentage of registrations processed free of any error. | 98.5% | 98.8% | 98.5% |
| Overall Satisfaction | |||
| Percentage of customers who, overall, are very satisfied/satisfied with the full range of services provided by Land Registry. | Better than94 | 98.7% | Better than95 |
| Financial | |||
| Percentage return on average capital employed. | 6% | 6% | 3.5% |
| Efficiency | |||
| Cost per unit in: | |||
| cash terms | £29.08 | £27.23 | £28.98 |
| (real terms) | (£22.17) | (£20.55) | (£21.43) |
- Critical Action Points
| 2003–04 | Outcome at 6/2/2004 |
| Start pilot implementation for e-discharges. | Achieved. |
| Make all key Land Registry information services available over the Internet. | Title Plans not yet available online. |
| Implement the Land Registration Act 2002. | Achieved. |
| Report to Ministers on proposals for e-conveyancing service and procurement strategy. | Submission forwarded on 27 February 2004. |
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Mr John Healey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am today laying regulations confirming the introduction of quantitative restrictions on travellers bringing tobacco products from those new EU member states taking advantage of a derogation allowing them to delay meeting minimum duty levels on certain tobacco products.
The restrictions will apply from 1 May to the following:
cigarettes bought duty-paid in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia;
manufactured tobacco products 1 bought duty-paid in the Czech Republic; and
smoking tobacco 2 bought duty-paid in Estonia.
Where new member states take advantage of the derogation, existing member states are entitled to maintain the same restrictions on the import of cigarettes and some other tobacco products bought in those countries for a traveller's own use as are currently applied to travellers arriving from third countries, including the new member states.
The Excise Duty Points (Etc.)(New Member States) Regulations 2004, the Customs and Excise Duties (Travellers' Allowances and Personal Reliefs) Order 2004 and the Channel Tunnel (Alcoholic Liquor and Tobacco Products)(Amendment) Order 2004 allow the UK to maintain these restrictions.
After Accession on 1 May, travellers to the UK bringing in tobacco products from the countries covered by the regulations will be restricted, as they are currently, to a limit of 200 cigarettes, or, in the case of Estonia, to a limit of 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of smoking tobacco; or, in the case of the Czech Republic, to a limit of 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250 grams of smoking tobacco.
While the EU minimum duty rates are not met, uncertainties over the impact of EU enlargement on excise smuggling and cross-border shopping are also heightened.
The Government will therefore review both the operational and principled justification for retention of quantitive restrictions after 12 months in light of developments in smuggling and shopping patterns, and in light of progress made by the new member states to comply with the minimum duty levels.
Customs and Excise has plans in place to explain the restrictions to the travel industry and general public.
2004–05
Customer Service: Enable printing of authenticated results of official searches and copies in a customer's office.
Land Registration: Carry out consultation on a standard form of lease.
Electronic Service Delivery: Start the pilot for processing e-lodgement of forms.
Make Land Registry data available to the EULIS demonstrator.
1 Manufactured tobacco products includes cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco.
2 Smoking tobacco is hand rolling tobacco (HRT) and pipe tobacco.
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