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Disabled People
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report for 2007, figure 25, why the percentage of employees classified as disabled fell from 7 per cent of total staff in April 2006 to 4 per cent nine months later. [HL5498]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The figures published in figure 25 of the departmental report show some inaccuracies. The department has rectified these data, which show a clearer picture on our disabled employee representation. Our figures show not a reduction but in fact an increase in the Defra network.
We have put in place a greater level of scrutiny on our metrics within this field and are currently encouraging this throughout the department.
The data have been checked and the correct information is shown, together with data for April 2006 for comparison.
| Core Defra | ||
| Disabled % | ||
| Pay Band | April 2006 | January 2007 |
| Core Defra and all Agencies | ||
| Disabled % | ||
| Pay Band | April 2006 | January 2007 |
Elections: Registration
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
What communications they received from, and what discussions they held with, the Association of Electoral Administrators about the potential problems of holding an election in early November. [HL5479]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Ministry of Justice officials have regular meetings and discussions with the Association of Electoral Administrators that cover a range of electoral topics, including the administration of future elections. The issue of a general election in the autumn was discussed at a recent meeting.
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in view of the last dates for individual registration before a particular election and for the receipt of applications for postal and proxy votes, the Westminster parliamentary election timetables are appropriate and practical; and whether they plan to discuss these matters with the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators, political parties, representatives of local authorities and other bodies. [HL5481]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government hold regular meetings with key electoral stakeholders, at which a range of electoral matters are discussed.
Embryology
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the decision of South Korea's ministry of health and welfare to prohibit the transfer of somatic cell nuclei from animals into enucleated human eggs and to further restrict the types of eggs that can be used for cloning to immature or abnormal eggs prepared for in vitro fertilisation and those which become surplus following pregnancy; and whether they have any plans to do the same. [HL5436]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): The Government keep abreast of developments in the regulation of embryo research in other countries. The Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill and the Government response to the report from the Joint Committee on the Human Tissue and Embryos (Draft) Bill, set out a framework for the regulation of embryo research appropriate for the United Kingdom. The Government have not proposed to restrict the types of human eggs that may be used in embryo research.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why the Medical Research Council's provision of financial incentives to partake in the use of human oocytes for somatic nuclear transfer has taken precedence over implementation of the February 2004 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines regarding National Health Service provision of three in vitro fertilisation cycles to all infertile couples. [HL5466]
Lord Darzi of Denham: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is an independent body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. It provides funding for research applications submitted by the scientific community, and does not normally commission research to address specific questions. The MRC always judges applications in open competition with other demands on funding taking into account scientific quality and importance to human health.
When the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published the clinical guideline on fertility services in 2004, we made it clear that we expected primary care trusts (PCTs) to move over time to the provision of three cycles of in vitro fertilization as recommended. Decisions on the funding of fertility services are made by PCTs and, with the patient support organisation Infertility Network UK, we are helping them to identify and share best practice in the provision of services.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 6 February (WA 118-19), 17 April (WA 42-43) and 18 June (WA 9-10) regarding the use of human embryos in basic research, how they will enforce paragraph 11 of the Declaration of Helsinki and paragraphs 8.3 and 10.3 of the International Society for Stem Cell Research guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research. [HL5467]
Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government have proposed, as part of their review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, that the law will make it clear that basic research involving human embryos is permissible, subject to controls.
Schedule 2 to the Act sets out the activities for which licences may be granted. As specified in paragraph 3 of that schedule, licences for the purposes of a project of research involving human embryos cannot authorise
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In assessing whether any proposed use of embryos is necessary for the purposes of that particular research project, the HFEA will take into account all relevant international conventions.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answers by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 28 June (WA 157-58) and Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 12 July (WA 240-41), whether they propose to alter by order the stage of development at which an animal attains protected status under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 with regard to injecting human embryonic stem cells into a tetraploid embryo of another species. [HL5469]
Lord Darzi of Denham: There are no plans to alter the stage of development at which an animal attains protected status under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have taken steps to ensure that the conduct formerly associated with Woo-Suk Hwang in South Korea remains unique to that country; and how they ensure that all research licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority conforms to World Medical Association standards as set out in the Declaration of Helsinki. [HL5470]
Lord Darzi of Denham: Schedule 2 to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 sets out the activities for which licences may be granted. As specified in paragraph 3 of that schedule, licences for the purposes of a project of research, involving human embryos, cannot authorise any activity unless it appears to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to be necessary or desirable for one or more of the purposes specified. Further, the law makes it clear that no licence shall be granted unless the HFEA is satisfied that any proposed use of embryos is necessary for the purposes of the particular research project.
New guidance on the use of human eggs in research will be added to the HFEA's code of practice in November 2007. This guidance takes account of the wording of the Helsinki Declaration.
Energy: Upstream Oil and Gas
Lord Barnett asked Her Majesty's Government:
What were the receipts from the United Kingdom's upstream oil and gas activity, both onshore and offshore, for the whole of the United Kingdom's continental shelf for 2006-07 and the estimated receipts for the next five years. [HL5636]
23 Oct 2007 : Column WA102
Lord Davies of Oldham: The outturn for 2006-07 and projections up to 2012-13 for North Sea revenues, which includes both onshore and offshore upstream oil and gas activity, can be found in tables B8 and B9 of the 2007 Pre-Budget Report.
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