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The predicted total spend on the vibration white finger (VWF) scheme based on forecasts prepared at the end of October 2006 is given below.

a) CAPITA and other contractors: £630 million (estimated). This is a total figure and has not been broken down into schemes. Medical costs (VWF only): £31 million (estimated).

b) Claimants’ legal costs: £161 million (estimated).

c) Defendants’ legal costs: £47 million (estimated). This is a total figure and has not been broken down into schemes.

d) DTI internal costs: information not available at this level.

e) Compensation: £1,728.5 million (estimated) including CRU payments.

The forecast does not include RPI.

The department is currently undertaking a forecasting exercise for close of accounts and will be able to offer a revised figure by the end of April 2007.

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Truscott: Our estimated date for substantial completion of the COPD scheme is spring 2009. We envisage that the total number of claims settled (by payment, denial or strike-out) will be circa 590K.

The predicted total spend on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) scheme based on forecasts prepared at the end of October 2006 is given below.

a) CAPITA and other contractors: £630 million (estimated). This is a total figure andhas not been broken down into schemes. Medical costs (COPD only): £395 million (estimated).b) Claimants' legal costs: £1,209 million (estimated).c) Defendant's legal costs: £47 million (estimated). This is a total figure and has not been broken down into schemes.d) DTI internal costs: Information not available at this level.e) Compensation: £2,540 million (estimated) including CRU payments. The forecast does not include RPI.

The department is currently undertaking a forecasting exercise for close of accounts and will be able to offer a revised figure by the end of April 2007.

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Truscott: All the surface worker claims registered under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation (BCRDL) have been rejected under the claims-handling arrangement and therefore fall outside it.

At 18 March 2007, the number of rejected surface worker cases within the BCRDL was 9,713. Compensation has not been awarded to any pure surface worker claims under the BCRDL. Ministers have considered the merits of ex gratia payments and concluded that payments cannot be made without liability being established.



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At this stage it is not possible to identify the number of other surface worker claims against British Coal that may be in existence. The presiding judge, Mrs Justice Swift, last week ordered that pure surface workers wishing to pursue a claim are to identify themselves by 29 June 2007. The department welcomes this progress.

Care Services

Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The National Health Service and social services have a duty to work in partnership to provide services that meet the needs of the local population. The NHS has a legal responsibility to provide healthcare and nursing care, which social services cannot provide. Delivering high-quality social care and healthcare in every area while remaining on a sound financial footing can only be achieved by NHS bodies and local authorities working together to make best use of the available resources.

Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Planning for the Comprehensive Spending Review is taking full account of the projections of the likely increases in demographic factors, principally the number of older people and the number of people with learning and physical disabilities, and likely inflation rates, based on trends in the past three years for employment costs for all staff in the social care sector, capital costs and the gross domestic product deflator for other costs.

These factors have been assessed in full consultation with the Local Government Association.

Carers: National Insurance

Baroness Hollis of Heigham asked Her Majesty's Government:



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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The information is provided in the tables below.

(i) Table 1 shows the estimated cost of providing a carer’s national insurance credit to those caring for at least 20 hours per week for those on attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance or the middle or higher rate care component of disability living allowance.

Table 1 £ million
202020302050

Gross

60

300

1,150

Net

50

200

800

Source: DWP estimates based on evidence from the Family Resources Survey, carer’s allowance caseload projections, demographic projections and administrative data.

(ii) Table 2 shows the estimated additional cost (that is, additional to the costs shown in Table 1) of extending the carer’s credit to all people who are estimated to be caring for at least 20 hours and not otherwise qualifying for state pension. Robust estimates in respect of people caring for those receiving any disability benefit are not available.

Table 2 £ million
202020302050

BSP only

Gross

0-5

0-5

0-5

Net

0-5

0-5

0-5

BSP and S2P

Gross

20

100

400

Net

15

70

250

Source: DWP estimates based on evidence from the Family Resources Survey, carer’s allowance caseload projections, demographic projections and administrative data.


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Cash Payments

Lord Stewartby asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): In general, companies offering goods and services are free to use whatever contractual terms and conditions they consider reasonable, including those involving methods of payment. Where the price to be paid depends on the method of payment, the Price Indications (Method of Payment) Regulations 1991 require appropriate information to be given to consumers. If prospective customers are unhappy with the contractual terms and conditions, they can seek to renegotiate the terms in question or seek alternative suppliers.

Climate Change

Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The UK Government have always played a significant role in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and have provided regular financial support since it was founded in 1988.

The UK has also co-chaired working groups of the IPCC covering the science of climate change (1988-2002) and the impacts of, and adaptation to, climate change (2002-present). This required that the Government fund the associated technical support units and chairs. Additionally, we are providing financial support for the head of the technical support unit tasked with preparing the synthesis report for the fourth assessment report, due for completion in November 2007. Finally, we provide travel funds to enable UK scientists to participate in the IPCC process.

Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:



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Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Department for Transport is investing £10 million over the next two fiscal years to support the Act on CO2 campaign. It has employed a range of specialist agencies to help deliver it:

Mindshare planned the media strategy;Leo Burnett developed and produced the advertising campaign;Elmwood designed the Act on CO2 brand;Iris secured in-kind support with relevant businesses to extend the Act on CO2 message;Forster was employed to extend our campaign messages; andBMRB will track the impact of the campaign.

All companies are on the Central Office of Information's procurement frameworks. The buying of media space has been through COI framework companies. Online media buying was carried out by Carat.

Fees to companies are either based on a monthly retainer option or a percentage of media spend. Specific payments to individual companies are commercially confidential.

Lord Palmer asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Rooker: The United Kingdom has commissioned research across many areas related to carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere, including observations, enhancing understanding of the processes that control the carbon cycle and projecting future changes.

The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) was established in 1992 to ensure that the observations and information needed to address climate-related issues are obtained and made available to all potential users. The GCOS secretariat reports to the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are measured across the globe at many sites, including Mace Head in Galway, Ireland; Mauna Loa in Hawaii; and the South Pole. Preliminary measurements from the Mauna Loa observatory show a global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 381 parts per million (ppm) for 2006, up from 379 ppm in 2005. The current level now far exceeds that at any time measured over the last 650,000 years. The United Kingdom funds measurement of other greenhouse gases (including methane, nitrous oxide and f-gases) at Mace Head, and provides these data to the NASA/Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment.

Research to enhance our understanding of the carbon cycle and to project future changes is funded through the research councils and the UK Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research.



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