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19 Jan 2006 : Column WA127
Written Answers
Thursday, 19 January 2006.
[The following Written Answer should have been printed on 18 January 2006 but was received too late for publication]
Fire Inspections: London Theatres
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
How often London theatres are required to have fire inspections during the course of a year. [HL3284]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Baroness Andrews): The relevant legislation does not require a specific frequency of fire safety inspections. It is for the relevant statutory enforcing authorities to determine the frequency with which they will inspect these and other premises in furtherance of their duty to enforce the law.
Aviation: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What would be the proportion of the United Kingdom's gas emissions that cause climate change originating from the aviation sector if air passenger numbers reach their prediction of 475 million per year by 2030; and [HL3345]
What would be the increase in carbon dioxide emissions per year if air passenger numbers rise in line with their prediction of 475 million per year by 2030, based on existing known technology. [HL3349]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Estimates of aviation emissions in 2030 were provided in Aviation and Global Warming published by the Department for Transport in 2004 and are available on the department's website at www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft–aviation/documents/page/dft–aviation–031850.pdf.
Cancer: Water Fluoridation
Earl Baldwin of Bewdley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to produce an updated analysis of United Kingdom ecological data on water fluoridation and cancer rates, as recommended in the Medical Research Council report Water fluoridation and health in September 2002 which they commissioned. [HL3291]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Government asked the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Dental Officer for England to prioritise the Medical Research Council's (MRC's) recommendations. Their first priority was research into the bioavailability of fluoride to compare levels of
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absorption from water in which fluoride occurred naturally with water to which it had been artificially introduced.
The results of the study that the Government commissioned from the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Newcastle were published in last October's edition of the Journal of Dental Research.
The Department of Health will consider the MRC's remaining recommendations in the light of the report of a major review of research on the toxicologic risk of fluoride in drinking water which the American National Research Council is due to complete in February 2006.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link: Passengers
Lord Fearn asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Davies of Oldham: As Eurotunnel does not keep a record of the occupancy of the vehicles that it carries on its passenger shuttle services, it is not possible to give a total figure for the number of passengers. However, since the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, Eurotunnel has carried some 25.9 million vehicles (i.e. cars, vehicles with trailers, caravans, campervans and motorcycles) and 0.7 million coaches.
Since Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel started in November 1994, some 66.8 million passengers have travelled through the tunnel by train.
These figures are to the end of September 2005.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Lord Vinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency requires those who are registering the ownership of a vehicle to state their age. [HL3356]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not keep a register of vehicle owners, but a register of vehicle keepers; that is, those who are responsible for the vehicle's use on the roads. The DVLA requires the vehicle keeper's date of birth in order to aid prosecution in any court proceedings.
Gulf War Syndrome
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal's decision in the cases of Richard Hilling and Mark McGreevy on 30 November 2005 on the use of Gulf War syndrome as a descriptive label, how many outstanding war pension claims from veterans of the 1991 Gulf War now awaiting determination could be affected by the reasons for decision in these cases. [HL3217]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The Veterans Agency is currently processing about 300 cases of first claims or claims for further conditions from veterans who at some time served in the Gulf. The data held do not separately identify the individual conditions being claimed. It remains the policy of the Ministry of Defence to award when evidence of disablement is attributable to, or aggravated by, service. Where appropriate, it is the policy of the Ministry of Defence to accept Gulf War syndrome as an umbrella term for ill-health caused by service and connected to the 1990–91 Gulf conflict.
Iraq: Reconstruction
Baroness Williams of Crosby asked Her Majesty's Government:
Of the $900 million they have committed for the reconstruction of Iraq since October 2003, and the $18.4 billion committed by the United States Government, how much has been diverted to other purposes, such as security; and how much has been spent on reconstruction. [HL3292]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The United Kingdom has pledged £544 million (US$ 900 million) for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq between 2003 and 2006, and disbursed over £460 million. This can be broken down as follows:
Of the £544 million total, we expect to disburse approximately £55 million on life-support, which includes providing security to personnel as well as other costs, such as their food and accommodation. Such life-support is necessary and integral to effective delivery of the humanitarian and reconstruction programmes above.
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Our £84 million contribution to the 2003 UN consolidated appeal included a £3 million contribution to the security costs of United Nations operations in Iraq.
The United States' $18.4 billion Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) is currently broken down by sector as follows:
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