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Food: Eggs
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to stop imported eggs which are not free range being sold as free range eggs. [HL2834]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): All eggs, except those sold at the farm gate to the final consumer, must be stamped with a code that identifies the method of production (that is, organic, free range, barn or eggs from caged hens), country of origin, and producer identification. In the case of eggs from third countries, it may be possible to use the term “farming method not specified” where equivalence has not been established by the EC.
In November 2006, Defra called on the egg industry and retailers to ensure that the eggs they are selling are correctly labelled. This followed investigations by Defra into the alleged illegal practice in the egg industry involving the incorrect labelling of eggs, including the labelling of non-free range as free range. This investigation is aimed at stopping fraud that misleads the consumer and can be damaging to the egg industry. Two people have been arrested as a result of these investigations and this is now a matter for the police.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many imported eggs have been sold into the United Kingdom under misleading or inaccurate labelling in the past five years. [HL2835]
Lord Rooker: The Egg Marketing Inspectorate (EMI) regularly inspects egg premises and conducts checks to ensure that the labelling on the eggs relates to the method of production. Breaches of the egg marketing regulations are acted upon. On average, there are three prosecutions for breaches of the egg marketing regulations each year.
A major investigation by Defra, the EMI and West Mercia police into an alleged egg fraud is currently under way. This investigation has revealed possible connections with imported eggs.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any battery-produced eggs from the European Continent have been mis-sold as organic eggs in the United Kingdom. [HL2837]
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Lord Rooker: The Soil Association’s Organic Market Report 2006, under the “Multiple Retailer Imports” section, states that,
All organic production of eggs in the EC must meet the European organic standards set out in Council Regulation 2092/91 (as amended). This requires registration of organic egg producers and packers with approved national organic inspection bodies. Producers and packers will be subject to at least an annual inspection from these inspection bodies.
Gambling: Addiction
Viscount Falkland asked Her Majesty's Government:
In light of the British Medical Association's report Gambling Addiction and its Treatment within the NHS, whether they have made an assessment of the adequacy of funding for the treatment of gambling addiction. [HL1623]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Government share the British Medical Association’s view that, like other addictions, problem or pathological gambling can have a profound effect on health and well-being. The BMA's recent review on gambling addictions and its treatment within the National Health Service is a helpful contribution to our understanding of the issues.
Current evidence shows that very few people become problem gamblers, and only a small subset of these come forward for treatment. We currently have no reports of treatment being impeded by funding issues.
Problem gamblers, who are entitled to treatment under the NHS, can access services in primary care and secondary care including specialised mental health and addiction services. We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with local healthcare communities, which are responsible for assessing and commissioning services to meet the needs of the population they serve.
Gambling: Casinos
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the transcripts of the examinations in public before the Casino Advisory Panel are not yet publicly available; and whether they will now place these in the Library of the House. [HL2910]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Transcripts of the seven examinations in public held by the Casino Advisory Panel in August and September 2006 are being prepared and will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses shortly.
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Health: Continuing Care
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What the spend on continuing care was in each strategic health authority organisational boundary for 2005—06; and what this figure was as a percentage increase or decrease from the previous year. [HL2913]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The information requested is not collected by the department.
Health: Dermatology
Baroness Knight of Collingtree asked Her Majesty's Government:
What consultations have been held with those who provide dermatology services with regard to the increased use of referral management schemes in that field. [HL2757]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The use of referral management schemes is for local determination and local consultation. However, primary care trusts with their partners have been advised that it is good practice to review and, where necessary, develop existing referral management centres to make sure that they create tangible benefits for patients, and uphold the principles set out in Care and resource utilisation: ensuring appropriateness of care, published on 14 December 2006. This is available in the Library and at:
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4141316&;chk=iJxRrx
Health: Pharmaceuticals
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations Ministers have received following the Office of Fair Trading's recent report into the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme; and how they plan to consult with industry on this issue . [HL2525]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The Government have received initial representations from industry, and officials are engaging in discussions with a wide range of companies and other interested parties.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will assess the impact which the Office of Fair Trading's recent recommendations to change the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation
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What assessment they have made of the impact that the Office of Fair Trading's proposals for fixing the reimbursement of originator brands at 25 per cent more than generic medicines will have on (a) United Kingdom-based small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies; and (b) incremental innovation in the pharmaceutical sector. [HL2527]
Lord Truscott: The Government are examining all the implications of the OFT report and will put forward their conclusions in due course.
Health: Virology
Baroness Masham of Ilton asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many urology patients will no longer have continence products delivered to their home under the Department of Health's proposed reform of services relating to Part IX of the drug tariff in the event that the reform is implemented. [HL2223]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The department is consulting on the arrangements under part IX of the drug tariff for the provision of urology and stoma appliances, and related services, to primary care. The consultation is ongoing and no decisions have been taken. It is a stated objective of the consultation process that patient care will be maintained and, where applicable, improved.
House of Lords: Members
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
What the place of residence at the time of elevation was of each Peer created in each of the past 10 years, broken down by (a) nation within the United Kingdom, and (b) region of England for Peers resident in England at time of elevation. [HL2690]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The table below gives the breakdown of Peers’ place of residence at the time of their elevation. These figures date from 1 May 1997 to 16 March 2007.
Information Systems: DTI
Lord Harris of Haringey asked Her Majesty's Government:
In respect of the Department for Trade and Industry, (a) on how many occasions in the past year malicious programs have compromised departmental computer systems; and, for each occasion, how many machines were affected; how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and what was the impact on the department's activities; (b) what penetration tests have been carried out of information systems over the last year and what were the results, indicating in each instance whether the tests were carried out independently of the providers of the system concerned; and (c) on how many occasions in the last year the departmental management team has considered information risk. [HL2436]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): (a) In the past year, the computer systems at the DTI have been compromised by malicious programs (such as worms, viruses, et cetera) on nine separate occasions. On one occasion two PCs were affected; on another occasion three PCs were affected. On all other occasions one PC was affected (12 PCs in total). The malicious programs were removed as soon as practicable, and did not have any impact on the day-to-day running of DTI operations. This is out of a population of 4,960 PCs.
(b) All penetration tests carried out on DTI IT systems are undertaken from companies independent of the supplier of the service under test. All major DTI information systems have been penetration-tested in the last year, with no major issues identified.
(c) Over the past year, information risk has been discussed in a number of senior management forums within the DTI. Any final decisions on acceptance of information assurance (IA) risk lie with the departmental senior information risk owner (SIRO), in line with HMG information assurance governance structures.
Iran: Export Credit Guarantees
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Truscott on 19 March (WA 167) and Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 7 November 2006 (WA 125—6) on export credit guarantees for Iran, which companies approached the Export Control Organisation for advice; and what advice was given in each case. [HL2912]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The Export Control Organisation deals with applications for export or trade licences and requests for advice as to whether such licences are required. I cannot, however, release information about requests for ECO advice, or advice provided, as it is commercially confidential.
I can, however, say that all requests for advice on whether licences are required in relation to Iran are given full and careful consideration. All licence applications are rigorously assessed against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. Where the Government believe that the proposed export would contravene any of the criteria, they will refuse the application.
Local Government: Council Tax
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What is the number of domestic properties in band H in each local authority; and what percentage of the total number of domestic properties that represents in each local authority. [HL2947]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): A table giving the number of domestic properties in band H in each local authority in England and what percentage of the total number of domestic properties that represents in each local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.
The data are taken from the Valuation Office local lists as at 18 September 2006.
Data for Scotland are available at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/933/0040787.xls
Data for Wales are available at:
http://www.statswales.wales.gov.uk/TableViewer/tableView.aspx?ReportId=330
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