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(e) Copies of all prohibitions issued are sent to the competent authority in the home country of the operator and driver for them to take relevant action and/or initiate more in-depth investigations with the company concerned.
(4) North Wales Police cannot separately identify from their records HGVs from other types of vehicles detected speeding on the A55.
UN: Convenant on Civil and Political Rights
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether they will accept the right of individual petition under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [HL4650]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Government remain to be convinced of the practical value to the United Kingdom citizen of rights of individual petition to the United Nations. The UN committees that consider petitions are not courts, and they cannot award damages, or produce a legal ruling on the meaning of the law. In 2004, we acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. One of our reasons for doing so was to enable us to consider, on a more empirical basis, the merits of the right of individual petition. We are currently reviewing the United Kingdom’s experience under the optional protocol.
Vaccination and Immunisation
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How strategic health authorities (a) assess and (b) report the impact on National Health Service resources of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s guidance for non-routine immunisations. [HL4724]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are able to monitor the uptake of both routine and non-routine immunisations through the annual publication, NHS Immunisation Statistics. The most recent publication is for 2006-07, copies of which have been placed in the Library and are also available on the information centre for health
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Primary care trusts, which are the local providers of services, are held to account by their SHA based on the services commissioned.
Vehicles: Checks
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many checks on foreign-registered vehicles were carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the past three years; and how many vehicles failed these checks. [HL4772]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) carried out the following number of checks and prohibitions on foreign-registered vehicles in the past three years:
| Year | Checks | Prohibitions | |
Waste Management: Brofiscin Quarry
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by Lord Rooker on 28 March 2007 (Official Report, col. 1645), whether the Environment Agency Wales has obtained clarification of the liabilities of Solutia Incorporated or Monsanto under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to pollution at Brofiscin Quarry; and, if so, what are these liabilities. [HL4581]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): I have been informed by the Environment Agency Wales that before
16 July 2008 : Column WA178
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by Lord Rooker on 28 March 2007 (Official Report, col. 1645) and the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 2 April (WA 184), whether, in the light of the United States Bankruptcy Court's approval of the agreement designating Brofiscin Quarry as a legacy site, there are any impediments to the enforcement of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to recover the costs of remediation of that site. [HL4582]
Lord Rooker: I have been informed by the Environment Agency Wales that the agreement made between Solutia Inc and Monsanto in the US Bankruptcy Court does not impede the Environment Agency’s ability to enforce the provisions of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act as these apply to Brofiscin Quarry.
Whitehall: Pavement Works
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What will be the total cost, including fees and other expenses, of the pavement works in Whitehall and Great George Street; and when they expect these to be completed. [HL4631]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The total cost of the Whitehall Streetscape Improvement Project, which includes the pavement works in Whitehall and Great George Street, will be £25,000,000. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2010 and is being delivered by means of a rolling programme of phased works.
Works on Great George Street and Horse Guards Road have already been completed. The area in front of HM Revenue and Customs on Parliament Street is nearly complete and is now open to the public. Works outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be completed in time for winter 2008; and the works outside Horse Guards and 70 Whitehall are expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2009.
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