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Northern Ireland: Public Prosecution Service

The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I are pleased to announce today the launch of the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.

This new service was one of the main recommendations of the Criminal Justice Review, which was published in March 2000. The review itself stemmed from the Belfast agreement. The recommendations of the review were implemented by the Justice (Northern Ireland) Acts 2002 and 2004.

The public prosecution service will take responsibility for all prosecutions arising from a police investigation. It will provide an enhanced service for victims and witnesses, and encourage greater provision of prosecutorial and pre-charge advice to police. It will encourage the provision of prosecutorial and pre-charge advice to police to a greater degree. All charges will be reviewed by a public prosecutor before first appearance at court to ensure the case is properly brought. Prosecutions in the magistrates, youth and county courts will be carried out by public prosecutors. The new service will make use of the range of diversionary opportunities including informed warning, caution and youth conferencing as well as a range of restorative justice measures.

The number of cases dealt with by the service will increase from approximately 10,000 cases per year to more than 70,000 cases because it will take over all prosecutions originally conducted by the police. This increased demand will be met by a considerable increase in the number of lawyers, support and administrative staff. The current workforce of 150 staff and 40 lawyers will increase to 550 staff with 165 lawyers. The new service will grow to become one of the larger employers in Northern Ireland and the largest employer of lawyers and legal staff.

New staff will be subject to an intensive six-month training programme. It is a programme that ensures prosecution staff are not only knowledgeable in the law, but in the standards of fairness and of human rights that form the basis of any fair prosecuting authority. The training programme has already won a regional award in a national training awards UK competition.

The new public prosecution service will operate an enhanced case management system. When the Causeway project goes online on 21 June 2005, it will
 
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enable the service to receive files electronically. These, and other changes, will promote efficiency and help reduce the causes of delay.

The new prosecution service will also follow the recommendation of the Criminal Justice Review and be a regional service. It will have a devolved structure with regional prosecutors and five regional offices based in Ballymena, Lisburn, Londonderry, Newry and Omagh. This will not only allow for greater involvement with the community at a local level but will also create jobs in the regions.

The Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland is publishing a code of practice, which includes a code of ethics. These detailed documents will provide, for the first time in Northern Ireland, a detailed explanation of the factors and considerations taken into account in deciding on a prosecution and will set out the standards by which the prosecution will carry out its task. The code is the result of two periods of public consultation.

A copy of the code will be placed in the Library of the House.

Gulf War Illnesses

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Don Touhig) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

It has been a key principle of the Government's approach to dealing with the concerns of 1990–91 Gulf veterans that the Ministry of Defence will fund appropriate research into Gulf veterans' illnesses issues. In 2003, at the MoD's request, the Medical Research Council (MRC) undertook a review of research into Gulf veterans' illnesses and provided recommendations about where future studies should focus. One recommendation was that the MoD should pursue research to replicate preliminary US neuroimaging studies in the UK. The MRC subsequently hosted meetings of experts in order to consider what research might be carried out in the UK. Among the conclusions reached by the expert group was that a major study now under way in the US is likely to be definitive, and that there is no need to replicate the preliminary work in the UK. The group was also unable to identify a specific way in which neuroimaging studies could provide clear benefit to UK veterans. On 8 June 2005 the MRC advised that, based on current evidence, it does not recommend that this area of work be taken forward. Taking that advice into account, the MoD has decided that it will not now proceed with neuroimaging studies, although it would not close off the possibility of looking again at this once ongoing US studies have reported. The MoD continues to work with the MRC to take forward other recommendations of the MRC's 2003 review particularly in the area aimed at improving the long-term health of veterans with persistent symptoms.
 
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Ilex Urban Regeneration Company Limited

Lord Rooker: Along with David Hanson, Minister of State for the Department of Social Development, I have deposited copies of the annual report and financial statements of Ilex URC Limited for the year ended 31 March 2004 incorporating the auditor's report in the Libraries of both Houses.

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): My honourable friend the Minister of State (Rosie Winterton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council met on 2-3 June. I represented the United Kingdom. Items on the agenda relating to health were covered on 3 June. Items for discussion were: European Commission proposals for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on medicinal products for paediatric use; the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nutrition and health claims made on foods; the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the addition of vitamins, minerals and other substances to food; the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a programme of community action in health and consumer protection; obesity, nutrition and physical activity; combating HIV/AIDS; and community mental health action.

On the paediatric medicines regulation, the UK supported the European Commission on the length of the supplementary protection certificate extension. The Commission was content with the proposal to incorporate a review mechanism specifically aimed at studying the reward mechanism. The UK spoke in favour of public access to the paediatric clinical trials database. This issue will need to be discussed further by Council.

All member states voted in favour of a political agreement to the proposed regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food. The UK secured an amendment that safeguarded the development of "signpost" labelling for nutrients. The UK also made statements for the minutes concerning its disagreement on the choice of legal base and the need to ensure that opportunities were taken to reduce authorisation burdens in the next stages of the negotiation.

There was a qualified majority in favour of a political agreement to the proposed regulation on the addition of vitamins, minerals and other substances to foods.

The Council had its first discussion of the Commission's proposed health and consumer protection programme for 2007–13. The Council's exchange of views was structured around presidency questions focused on the health objectives of the proposal. The UK
 
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gave its support for the general direction of the new programme but stressed that it would be important to ensure that the programme respected the scope of the treaty.

Ministers unanimously adopted three sets of council conclusions on obesity, nutrition and physical activity, HIV/AIDS and mental health.

Ministers took note of presidency information on: the proposal to amend the council regulation on fees payable to the European medicines agency; the international health regulations; the framework convention on tobacco control; the proposal on additives other than colourings and sweeteners to food; and conferences held during the Luxembourg presidency.

Member states also took note of information from the Commission on: the follow-up to the G10 pharmaceuticals process; pandemic preparedness planning; the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; environment and health; the high-level group on health care and medical services; and follow-up to the tobacco products directive.
 
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On the follow-up to the tobacco products directive, the UK undertook to take forward any work from the Commission and the World Health Organisation that emerged on this issue during the UK presidency of the European Union.

Ministers also discussed the health response to the tsunami in south Asia.

Finance Bill: Clauses 17 to 19

Lord McKenzie of Luton: My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

Clause 17 of the Finance Bill (entitled "Authorised unit trusts and open-ended investment companies") contains powers to make regulations relating to the taxation of authorised investment funds. In order to inform discussion in Committee of the measures contained in clauses 17 to 19 of the Bill, I am arranging for a description of what these regulations will cover to be placed in the Library of the House.

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