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18 Mar 2009 : Column WA35
Written Answers
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Afghanistan
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government for which other countries' armed forces the United Kingdom provides air bridge transport to Afghanistan. [HL2026]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The United Kingdom provides transport to Afghanistan from RAF bases in Britain, Germany and Cyprus via the strategic airbridge. While this is predominantly used for British personnel we also provide transport for military personnel from ISAF contributory nations, as well as members of the Afghan National Army. Additionally, foreign exchange personnel attached to UK units are carried when those units have been deployed to operations in Afghanistan, subject to the agreement of their own Governments.
Armed Forces: Aircraft
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what equipment and materials are used by the Royal Air Force for de-icing transport aircraft. [HL2024]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The RAF currently uses two different types of aircraft de-icer trucks, the Douglas and the SDI. The RAF uses a fluid called AL-34 to de-ice aircraft surfaces. The RAF plans to replace the Douglas model and companies will be invited to tender for this work later this year.
Armed Forces: Detention
Questions
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 26 February on Armed Forces: Detention (Official Report, House of Lords, cols. 352—55), whether they will publish information about the system enabling HM armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to detain people posing a threat to United Kingdom troops, allies or the local population while ensuring that the United Kingdom's obligations are complied with, including the safeguards against abuse. [HL1865]
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 26 February on Armed Forces: Detention (Official Report, House of Lords, cols. 352—55), whether they have changed the system enabling HM armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to detain people posing a threat to United Kingdom troops, allies or the local population by introducing new safeguards against abuse so as
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): Further to my noble friend's Statement to the House on 26 February outlining the improvements, particularly on detention record keeping, the MoD has made to its detention practices, we have put in place rigorous safeguards to ensure that detainees are treated properly. We will continue to carry out detention operations in accordance with our legal and policy obligations, in concert with the US and other allies. I have nothing further to add to what was said with regard to the Memoranda of Understanding the UK has entered into with other nations to protect against potential abuse of detainees.
Children: Street Children
Questions
Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Crawley on 7 October 2008 (WA 11), how much funding was provided in each of the past seven years to the street and working children programme in Burma; and to which non-governmental organisations and providers the funding was allocated. [HL1731]
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Crawley on 7 October 2008 (WA 10—11), how much funding was provided in each of the past seven years to the street children project Streets Ahead. [HL1732]
Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development's (DfID) funding to the street children project examples quoted in the Answer of 7 October in Kyrgyzstan, Burma and Zimbabwe by financial year are as follows:
EveryChild, Prevention and Rehabilitation Services for Street Children in Osh, Kyrgyzstan Republic, April-2005 to March-2009 (project completed).
World Vision—To improve the Status and Quality of Life among Children, Burma, May 1998 to June 2004 (project completed).
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UNICEF—“Streets Ahead” for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), Zimbabwe, July 2005 to March 2009 (project on-going).
Conflict Prevention and Human Security
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the establishment of an international panel on conflict prevention and human security; and, if so, what proposals they have for its terms of reference, structure, and funding. [HL2040]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): Conflict prevention and resolution is at the heart of the Government's policy framework. Public Service Agreement 30 sets out the Government's commitment to reducing the impact of conflict through enhanced UK and international efforts. We have not yet given detailed consideration to the proposal from the East-West Institute's International Task Force on Preventive Diplomacy about the formation of an international panel on conflict prevention and human security.
Countryside and Rights of Way Act
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the procedures and timetable for the review of the access maps in England under Section 10 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [HL2079]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Section 10 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 requires Natural England to review, at intervals of not more than 10 years, the conclusive maps of open country and registered common land issued under that Act. The current conclusive maps require review by 2014-15.
The Act does not set down specific procedures for this review. Natural England intends to consult publicly on how it should be conducted, beginning with a stakeholder workshop on 31 March 2009. Further details will be published, once available, on Natural England's website.
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Disabled People: UN Convention
Question
Asked by Lord Morris of Manchester
To ask Her Majesty's Government what further progress has been made towards ratification of the United Nations Convention on Disability Rights. [HL1979]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): On the 3 March I laid a Written Statement saying that the Explanatory Memorandum and Command Paper for ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would be laid before Parliament on that date. These documents were laid and they are currently the subject of parliamentary scrutiny.
Progressing to this stage, along with the signing of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on 27 February, demonstrates the Government's firm commitment both to the UN convention and to the principle that it enshrines—that disabled people have, and should enjoy, the same human rights as other people.
Energy: Wind Turbines
Questions
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances the national grid is unable to accept excess electricity from small wind turbines; and what then happens to the output. [HL1410]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): National Grid owns the high voltage electricity transmission system in England and Wales and operates the high voltage electricity transmission system across Great Britain. Distribution network operators (DNOs) own and operate the lower voltage distribution networks. Typically, small generators—eg small wind turbines and small wind farms—connect to the lower voltage distribution networks throughout Great Britain, rather than the high voltage transmission network. DNOs manage wind generation connected on their network.
Small scale embedded generators can normally be connected to the distribution networks without the need for the DNO to carry out detailed network studies to assess the impact of the connection. Therefore, embedded generators can then generate without restriction.
Small wind turbines—the DNO would assess the connection to ensure that the distribution network would be capable of accepting the output from the generator and this would identify any remedial works required. Once any remedial work was completed, the generation would be able to operate without the imposition of any restrictions.
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Small wind farms—the DNO will make an assessment of whether the connection and operation of the generator will impact on the transmission system. If it will not have, then as for small wind turbines, the generation would be able to operate without any restrictions being imposed by the DNO. If there is an impact on the transmission system, then National Grid in some cases, when balancing the electricity system, could request the DNO to reduce output which will in turn, request this of a generator connected to its network. However, more typically, when balancing the high voltage network, National Grid will ask generators directly connected to its network to reduce demand.
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage companies to manufacture or assemble components for both on-shore and off-shore wind turbines in the localities in which those turbines are to be erected. [HL2021]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: DECC has an established supply chain programme which links the UK supply chain to wind turbine manufacturers and aims to encourage companies to diversify into wind manufacturing. The team was closely involved in the work to bring Clipper Windpower (a US wind turbine manufacturer) into the UK, where it is developing its Britannia Project, a 7.5-10MW offshore wind turbine.
Building on this work, the Government will be launching an Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED), which will be a one-stop-shop for business and other stakeholders aimed at removing supply chain barriers to renewables deployment.
Extraordinary Rendition
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking with European Union governments, the government of the United States, Commonwealth governments and other concerned governments (a) to determine the extent of post-rendition practices, (b) to identify those responsible, and (c) to take appropriate legal action where illegal practices are identified; and what action they are taking to prevent such practices in future. [HL1957]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Malloch-Brown): There is no universally accepted understanding of the meaning of the term “rendition”. Accordingly the need for, and extent of, any action to determine the extent of post-rendition practices can not be assessed at a generic level.
In recent years public debate has focused on the term “extraordinary rendition”. The Intelligence and Security Committee has defined this as the extra judicial transfer of persons between jurisdictions for the purposes of detention and interrogation outside the normal legal system, where there is a real risk of torture or
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With regard to the identification and prosecution of crimes, these are a matter for the relevant authorities. Where there is sufficient evidence of unlawful activity on board an aircraft, or anywhere else, in UK territory or airspace, be it a rendition operation or otherwise, this would be investigated by the UK authorities. Where appropriate, the UK law enforcement authorities work with colleagues abroad in this respect.
With regard to the prevention of future rendition flights, our international partners are aware that we would grant permission for a rendition flight to pass through UK territory or airspace only if we were satisfied that it would accord with our domestic law and international obligations. We expect all states to abide by their international obligations.
Fluoridation
Question
Asked by Earl Baldwin of Bewdley
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the chief dental officer's letter of guidance in February 2008 on Fluoridation of Drinking Water (Gateway 9361) should have contained the claim in paragraph 5 that the York review confirmed that “there was no evidence of any risk to health” from fluoridation, when the senior reviewers of the York team stated in the British Medical Journal of 16 June 2001 that “we have been assiduous in our paper, our full report, and our contact with the media, not to convey a message of no evidence of harm”; and, if not, whether a correction will be brought to the attention of the addressees of the chief dental officer's letter. [HL2109]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): We stand by this assertion. The following quotations are from the executive summary of the report of the York review:
“Overall the findings of the bone fracture studies showed small variations around the 'no effect' mark. A meta-regression of bone fracture studies also found no association with water fluoridation”. “Overall, no clear association between water fluoridation and incidence of mortality of bone cancers, thyroid cancer or all cancers was found”.
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