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Energy: Nuclear Power Stations
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress is being made in their discussions with the Government of France on the proposed nuclear power stations joint project. [HL2787]
Lord Bach: The French and UK nuclear safety regulating authorities announced enhanced co-operation on 27 March. In particular, they will work together to establish a joint project approach to the regulation of the European pressurised water reactor should that go on to the next stage of generic design assessment alongside other reactor designs, following the prioritisation process recently announced by the UK Government. This joint approach in relation to the EPR will not prejudice other designs involved in the prioritisation process.
Families
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the interests of reducing carbon emissions, they will consider introducing a policy to discourage large families through fiscal means. [HL3031]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government's objective is to provide financial support to families in a way that meets their needs, and does this primarily through a combination of child benefit, which goes to all families, and child tax credit, a payment to families on low to moderate incomes. Both child benefit and child tax credit pay more for additional children, recognising the higher costs these families face.
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Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): Families are free to be whatever size they choose and the Government support them in this choice in a wide range of ways including through our childcare strategy, tax credits, benefits and services offered through Sure Start children's centres and extended schools.
Fishing
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
With reference to the Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008 (SI 2008/691), whether Articles 3, 4 and 5 provide that tope may be caught using a rod and line but may not be landed in England nor transhipped to a fishing boat from another part of the United Kingdom; and whether tope may, in those circumstances, be landed in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. [HL2856]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Tope (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 2008 prohibits tope caught by rod and line from being landed, alive or dead, in England only. Anglers can continue to practise catch and release. Only tope caught by methods other than rod and line, up to a limit of 45 kg per day liveweight, may be landed. Tope caught by any method may currently be landed in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Tope may not be transhipped by UK vessels in English waters and within British fishery limits, excluding Northern Ireland zone, the Scottish zone, Wales or the territorial sea adjacent to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
We understand that the Welsh Assembly Government intend to introduce an equivalent statutory instrument and the Scottish Executive are considering this matter further. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland has no plans to introduce similar measures.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Publications Carbon Footprint
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the carbon footprint of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office brochure Better World, Better Britain, published in February. [HL2803]
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The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not estimated the carbon footprint of this publication.
Gangmasters
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
With reference to the Gangmasters (Licensing Conditions) (No. 2) (Amendment) Rules 2008 (SI 2008/638), what is the estimate for 2008—09 of the numbers of annual fees that will be charged in each fee band; what was the actual figure for 2006—07; and what is the latest prediction for 2007—08. [HL2824]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The information requested is set out in the table below.
| Number of licences issued by turnover band 2006-07 — 2008-09 | ||||
| Fee Band | Turnover | 2006-07 | 2007-08* | 2008-09* |
| * Numbers for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are estimates as at 28 February 2008 | ||||
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
With reference to the Gangmasters (Licensing Conditions) (No. 2) (Amendment) Rules 2008 (SI 2008/638), why renewal fees increased by 11.1 per cent for bands A and B and 7.9 per cent for Band C. [HL2825]
Lord Rooker: Under Treasury funding rules, the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) is required to cover the cost of its operation from the licence and application fees it receives.
The GLA fee levels for the 2008-09 financial year were set following public consultation. On the basis of the outcome of this consultation, the GLA decided that licence fees for band D licence holders should not be increased. Band D licence holders are the smallest businesses licensed by the GLA, with turnovers of less than £1 million in the sectors regulated by the authority. Keeping band D licence fee levels unchanged represents a saving in real terms for more than 72 per cent of licence holders. To meet its cost recovery target, the GLA has had to increases fee levels for licence holders in bands A to C.
Gulf War Illnesses
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 17 January (WA 278), what representations the Ministry of Defence has had since 24 September 2007 from Dr Malcolm Hooper, emeritus professor of medicinal chemistry at the
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans (Derek Twigg) will write to my noble friend setting out the position regarding recent letters from Professor Malcolm Hooper. In broad terms, however, these letters do not raise substantive new points on Gulf veterans' illnesses that would affect our understanding of their causes or the steps we might take to help those affected.
Health and Social Care
Baroness Tonge asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many quasi-autonomous non-governmental agencies attached to health and social care exist. [HL3016]
Baroness Thornton: Details of the department's public bodies, executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and special health authorities, for 2007 have been placed in the Library.
This information is now published on the Appointments Commission website at: www.appointments.org. uk/docs/public_bodies_2007.pdf and will be updated annually.
Health: Alzheimer’s
Lord Taylor of Warwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the new electronic tags for Alzheimer's patients will be available through the National Health Service. [HL2939]
Baroness Thornton: The department has no plans to make electronic tags available to people with Alzheimer's disease through the National Health Service.
Health: Anthrax
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 25 March (WA 82), whether they will provide the same statistics with regard to anthrax. [HL2875]
Baroness Thornton: Anthrax vaccine is not routinely offered to the public in the United Kingdom. Vaccination against bacillus anthracis is recommended only for those at highest risk of occupational exposure; for example, those handling dead animals, e.g. tanners and vets and laboratory staff who may be handling organisms. Data on the numbers of people vaccinated are not routinely collected.
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The Health Protection Agency issues vaccine for the purpose of occupational protection and during the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007, 2,430 doses of anthrax vaccine were issued by the agency. A primary course of vaccination for pre-exposure prophylaxis normally comprises four doses of vaccine followed by an annual booster dose.
There is no vaccine immunoglobulin for anthrax vaccine.
Health: Genito-urinary Clinics
Baroness Tonge asked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage of people seeking an appointment with a genito-urinary medicine clinic are seen within 48 hours; and how this varies between regions. [HL3017]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Information on the number of first attendances at genito-urinary medicine clinics seen within two normal working days in January, the latest month for which figures are available, by strategic health authority is shown in the following table.
| England and strategic health authority | Percentage of first attendances seen within two normal working days |
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