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Israel and Palestine: West Bank
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the continuing military presence and road blocks in the West Bank by the Government of Israel is compatible with international law and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations since 1967. [HL6039]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Under the 1994 Oslo accords, Israel has security responsibility of areas B and C of the West Bank. Israel has a right to protect its citizens from terrorist attack but it also has a duty to ensure that the effect of its security measures on the Palestinian population is minimised. We will continue to raise this concern at all levels with the Israeli Government.
The territory beyond the green line which Israel occupied in June 1967 is occupied territory. UN Security Council Resolution 242 (1967), which the UK supported, calls for the,
"withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict, the termination of all claims of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries free from threats or acts of force".
We continue to urge Israel to act in accordance with international law.
We are concerned about the additional movement restrictions in the West Bank and the crossing points between Gaza and Israel. It is important that access and movement are improved, and we call on both parties to implement the 15 November agreement on movement and access.
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Land Registry
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Statement by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 28 March (WS 68), in what way the Land Registry system varies from that used for the single farm payment such that the Government can set the Land Registry a target to process 98.5 per cent of registrations without error. [HL5425]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The principles of the two systems are similar in that both organisations digitise to a scale of 1:2500 in the rural area. The underlying data in both cases are Ordnance Survey mapping.
MRSA
Lord Colwyn asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to investigate the National Health Service rapid review panel recommendation that the use of silver yarn fabric can significantly reduce or eliminate deaths from methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. [HL5996]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Although a silver yarn fibre was submitted to the rapid review panel, it was outside its remit because it was not a new or novel product. There is, as yet, no evidence that modifying fabrics by impregnating them with antibacterials or by other treatments has any impact on the rate of hospital-acquired infection, including methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus.
NHS: Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
On how many occasions in the past two years Ministers from the Department of Health have met the chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health; and what issues were discussed. [HL5885]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): Ministers from the Department of Health have met the chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) seven times since March 2004. Issues discussed pertained to patient and public involvement in health, as well as the running of the CPPIH.
NHS: Cost of Treatments
Lord Colwyn asked Her Majesty's Government:
In the last three years for which information is available, what was the total cost to the National Health Service of (a) drugs used in the hospital service; (b) drugs used in general practice;
- (c) homeopathic remedies used in the hospital service; and (d) homeopathic remedies used in general practice. [HL5984]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The following tables show the total England cost to the National Health Service for:
| Year | out-turn £million |
| 2002–03 | 2,013 |
| 2003–04 | 2,311 |
| 2004–05 | 2,638 |
Notes on drug spend: hospital service expenditure on drugs includes medical gases.
| Year | out-turn £million |
| 2002–03 | 6,342 |
| 2003–04 | 6.960 |
| 2004–05 | 7,370 |
Source:
Prescription Pricing Division, England. The total actual cost of drugs and appliances prescribed by GPs/nurses within England plus any central budget expenditure or locally authorised payments
General practice figures include pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS) receipt savings.
Decisions on the commissioning of complementary and alternative therapies, including homoeopathy, on the NHS are a matter for primary care trusts and local NHS service providers. The Government consider that decision-making on individual clinical interventions, whether conventional, or complementary or alternative treatments, is a local matter. There are, therefore, no centrally held records of NHS referrals for homoeopathic treatment.
NHS: Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin
Lord Harris of Haringey asked Her Majesty's Government:
What were the conclusions of the equality impact assessment carried out under the terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 on the decision to cancel the bulk subscription for the provision of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin; what consultation took place as part of that assessment; and whether they will publish that assessment. [HL6028]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): There was no requirement to carry out an equality impact assessment in this context.
Lord Turnberg asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Department of Health has decided not to renew the contract for the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin to be supplied to National Health Service doctors; and [HL6049]
Whether the Department of Health assessed the value to prescribing doctors, and the possible savings to the National Health Service, of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin before deciding not to renew the contract for this publication. [HL6050]
Lord Warner: The decision not to renew the Department of Health's national contract for distribution of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin was informed by our policy to devolve as much responsibility as possible to the National Health Service and to look very critically at central spending. It is our policy that central spending should be kept to an absolute minimum to maximise the resources available for the NHS to manage at local level.
The decision also took account of the availability of other sources of medicines information. They include the British National Formulary; National Prescribing Centre information and advice, which include coverage of new medicines; National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guidance; the wealth of information available through the National Library for Health; and various academic and professional journals. NHS prescribers also have
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access to advice from the network of local drugs and therapeutics committees and prescribing advisers.
Prisoners: Records
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the police national computer holds information on where a person is serving a custodial sentence; and whether the Home Office has online access to this information. [HL5845]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Information on where an individual is serving a custodial sentence is not routinely recorded on the police national computer (PNC). When the Home Office, the police service or other authorised parties wish to obtain the current location of a prisoner, they apply to the prisoner location service (PLS), operated by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Information on the PLS is updated on a 24-hourly basis. The PLS currently deals with 160,000 inquiries per year, 100,000 of which come from the police.
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