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Mental Health: Suicide Risk Assessment
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
What statutory guidance is made available by the Department of Health to Mental Health Trusts in England and Wales for suicide risk assessment conducted before a patient with mental health problems who has not been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 is discharged into the community. [HL1372]
Lord Warner: Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Mental Health Services, published in 2003 by the National Institute of Mental Health in England, provides guidance to help mental health services in England measure systematically the extent to which they are addressing the recommendations of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness report Safety First, and includes advice on post-discharge prevention of suicide.
The Welsh Assembly Government have issued policy implementation guidance relating to the care programme approach that advises services of the need for thorough assessment prior to discharge into the community and for effective follow up and support services after discharge as this is a time of elevated risk.
Middle East: Women's Rights
Baroness Goudie asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to encourage the promotion of women's rights in the Middle East. [HL1430]
Lord Triesman: In addition to our bilateral dialogue and sponsored visit and scholarship programmes for women in the Middle East, we have increased our project support. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Global Opportunities Fund is, for example, supporting a women's rights ombudsman's office in Egypt, campaigning skills training for Kuwaiti women activists, a women's empowerment project in Morocco and women in democracy projects in Bahrain and Jordan. Through our G8 presidency, we are supporting the G8 Broader Middle East and North Africa initiative's Democracy Assistance Dialogue, which held its first meeting in Turkey last
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month on women's issues. On the EU track, we are supporting a series of workshops for women to feed recommendations into the future programme of the Barcelona Process ahead of the 10th Anniversary Barcelona Process Summit in November.
Baroness Goudie asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to encourage the United States to work co-operatively to promote women's rights in the Middle East, in particular with Saudi Arabia. [HL1431]
Lord Triesman: We work closely with the US, including through our embassies in Saudi Arabia and through our joint co-operation on the G8 Broader Middle East and North Africa initiative to promote reform. We are encouraging the Saudi Government to improve women's rights, particularly to allow women's suffrage. Both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Engaging with the Islamic World programme and the US Middle East Partnership Initiative have women's pillars that fund regional projects in support of women, including of Saudi women.
Motorcyclists: Offences
Earl Peel asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many fixed penalty notices were issued in England and Wales in each of the past five years to motorcyclists for (a) inappropriate or excessive speeding; (b) the use of illegal number plates; and (c) the fitting of illegal noisy exhaust systems; and [HL1283]
How many and what proportion of offences committed by motorcyclists for (a) inappropriate or excessive speeding; (b) the use of illegal number plates; and (c) the fitting of illegal noisy exhaust systems were dealt with by (i) a fixed penalty notice; (ii) a magistrates' court; (iii) a Crown Court; or (iv) other means, in England and Wales in each of the past five years. [HL1284]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: This information is not held centrally.
National Firearms Licensing Management System
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Who is responsible for the implementation of the National Firearms Licensing Management System in the Police Information Technology Department of the Home Office; how long the individual responsible has been in post; and what are the individual's qualifications; and [HL1470]
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 21 June (WA 163), whether the National Firearms Licensing Management System went live on 11 July; if not, when it did so; and by what date they expect it will be ready for use
- by polices forces throughout England and Wales; and [HL1471]
Which polices forces in England and Wales have (a) completed; (b) started; (c) not yet started; or (d) refused to start to prepare their records of firearm licensing for use with the National Firearms Licensing Management System, as required by Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997; and [HL1472]
Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 13 June (WA 104) concerning the National Firearms Licensing Management System, who has been selected as the supplier under the scope of work. [HL1473]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Police Information and Technology Organisation is a non-departmental public body and as such is responsible for the allocation of staffing and associated responsibilities for implementing any particular project.
Load and performance testing took place as planned in preparation for the live (Beta) pilot which was due to commence on 11 July 2005, I understand from PITO that the criteria were not achieved during this phase of testing and that regrettably the live pilot has had to be postponed. This issue is being urgently investigated and the supplier is confident of reaching a speedy resolution. However, because of the ensuing delay, it has been decided that it will not be rescheduled until the autumn when staffing levels in force Firearms departments will be more resilient.
All forces in England and Wales have started to prepare their records for use with the NFLMS.
The proposed audit of force local area networks is being taken forward separately from the implementation of NFLMS as part of a wider review of police networking requirements.
National Insurance Contributions
Baroness Hollis of Heigham asked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate will be paying national insurance in 2010 and in 2020 because they will be above the lower tax threshold. [HL1247]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The estimates for working age adults who earn over the lower tax threshold (primary threshold or lower profits limit) and hence pay Class 1 or Class 4 NICs in 2010 and 2020 are:
| Great Britain average numbers per week | ||
| Gender | 2010–11 | 2020–21 |
| Number Millions | ||
| Men | 14.50 | 14.75 |
| Women | 10.80 | 12.00 |
| Percentage of working age population | ||
| Men | 75.3 | 76.1 |
| Women | 61.5 | 61.7
|
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The estimates have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) and are for Great Britain only. Northern Ireland has an independent national insurance fund.
The estimates are based on the 2003-based population projections and define working age population to be all people aged 16 to state pension age.
The number of women includes women opting to pay at the reduced rate. The estimated number of female contributors increases significantly between 2010 and 2020 due to the rise in state pension age for women.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham asked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage and number of working age adults (by gender) they estimate in 2010 and in 2020 will be (a) economically inactive and (b) in full time education and not eligible for the accrual of national insurance either by payment or credit. [HL1251]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Government Actuary's Department (GAD) estimates of the percentage and number of economically inactive working-age adults in 2010 and 2020, are shown in the table. Similar estimates for those in full-time education are not available.
| Gender | 2010–11 | 2020–21 | |
| Number Millions | Men | 3.45 | 3.50 |
| Women | 4.45 | 5.15 | |
| Percentage of working age | |||
| population | Men | 18.0 per cent | 18.0 per cent |
| Women | 25.4 per cent | 26.4 per cent |
The estimates are based on the 2003-based population projections and define working age population to be all people aged 16 to state pension age.
The increase in the estimated number of working-age economically inactive females between 2010 and 2020 is due to the rise in state pension age for women. The trend for this group would have followed the similar pattern to that of males between the two years had the effect from raising the state pension age for women been excluded.
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