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14 Oct 2009 : Column WA25
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Alcohol
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place copies in the Library of the House of the posters they produce warning of the dangers of alcohol abuse; and how they ensure that the posters are displayed in public buildings. [HL4955]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Copies of the posters from the Know Your Limits campaign have been placed in the Library.
Campaign materials may be ordered, free of cost, from the Department of Health. The attached table shows levels of uptake of these materials by central and local government, the National Health Service and other public bodies.
In 2008 posters, fact sheets and handouts were also made available free to all general practitioners for use in their offices or waiting rooms alerting them and their clients to the risks of excessive drinking. To date around 26,000 posters have been ordered (as a result of over 1,000 individual orders). Packs promoting this material were also distributed to all government offices.
Armed Forces: Medical Treatment
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British soldiers with major trauma injuries were treated at Camp Bastion's hospital in each month this year; and what were the survival rates for those injured. [HL5474]
The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The figures in the table below show all UK military service personnel who suffered a major traumatic injury, defined as their new injury severity score (NISS) falling in the range 16 to 75, from 1 January to 30 September 2009 inclusive, and who were treated at the UK role 3 hospital facility at Camp Bastion. Any of these individuals who subsequently died of wounds at any date up to 7 October 2009 after being admitted to this role 3 facility are shown in the second column below. Individuals categorised as killed in action (KIA) prior to arrival at the field hospital have been excluded.
| Month (2009) | Total Major Trauma Treated | Died of Wounds |
- The symbol ~ indicates a number less than five, and is used to protect patient confidentiality, in line with our standard practice for very low numbers of patients.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (a) British soldiers, and (b) soldiers from other nations were treated in the past three months at medical facilities run by the United Kingdom at Camp Bastion for injuries sustained during operations. [HL5475]
Baroness Taylor of Bolton: During the period 1 June 2009 to 31 August 2009 503 UK Armed Forces personnel have been treated at the UK field hospital emergency department at Camp Bastion for an injury sustained during operations. Four hundred and sixty-eight personnel from coalition forces have been treated at the UK field hospital emergency department at Camp Bastion during the same period.
Companies: Shares
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make it a condition of listing on the London Stock Exchange that a company's shares may only be lent for shorting or other purposes with the permission of shareholders at the company's annual general meeting. [HL5525]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The standards for admission to listing on stock exchanges are mainly established in EU directives-the listing directive, the prospectus directive and the markets in financial instruments directive. The FSA is responsible for applying and enforcing these standards for the admission of companies to the UK official list. I understand that the FSA has no plans to make the changes raised.
National Identity Register
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the Prime Minister's announcement to the Labour Party conference that ID cards would not be made compulsory during the next Parliament, the details of British citizens applying for or renewing their passports or driving licences will be added automatically to the National Identity Register. [HL5558]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): It is intended that, in due course, the provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006 should be amended by further primary legislation so that, from 2012 when fingerprint biometric passports are introduced, every adult applying for a British passport would be offered the choice of being issued with a passport or an identity card, or both documents, and their identity details and biometrics would be recorded on a single national identity register.
There are no plans for information of people renewing their driving licences to be held on the national identity register.
NHS: Staff
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 5 October (WA 473), whether the Department of Health's guidance Religion or belief: a practical guide for the NHS is required to be read by NHS staff; and how many copies of it have been published since it was first produced. [HL5499]
Baroness Thornton: This document is not required reading for all National Health Service staff. It was produced as a resource that staff can turn to when seeking guidance on issues of religion or belief, particularly in relation to the legal obligations on the NHS in this area. It includes a sample presentation that can be used for staff training purposes.
Although 2,000 copies have been printed since it was first published in January 2009, the guide is primarily a web-based document, available on the Department of Health website.
Olympic Games 2012: Hospitality
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial and other inducements, including vacations, periods of stay or trips on sea-going vessels for individuals and their family members, have been (a) offered to, or (b) requested by, in advance of the conclusion and signing of contracts for the hire of vessels and award of shoreside contracts, directors, members, staff or others employed by (1) the Olympic Delivery Authority, (2) the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, (3) the British Olympic Board, and (4) the British Olympic Association, by any representative of Top Sail Events and Charters Ltd or Red Sky Hospitality and Sailing Events of Portsmouth. [HL5405]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) publishes a hospitality register every quarter which is available on the London 2012 website and has a policy of not accepting any hospitality from
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The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is a company limited by guarantee, so my department does not hold details of its transactions.
However, LOCOG informs me its procurement processes are subject to ethical compliance standards that prohibit acceptance of hospitality from companies bidding for contracts.
The British Olympic Association is an autonomous membership organisation, and as such my department does not hold details of its transactions. I can confirm that the BOA and LOCOG have not awarded any contracts to either company.
Prisoners: Illness
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of three months or less. [HL5510]
Baroness Thornton: The department and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) do not routinely collect data on individual patient diagnoses and management, therefore it is not possible to give the number of prisoners with a terminal illness with a life expectancy of three months or less.
Visas
Question
Asked by Lord King of West Bromwich
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reduce the waiting time for student visa applicants at the visa centre in Jalhandar, Punjab, and at other visa centres subject to queues. [HL5550]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): All applicants are normally able to lodge their applications at Jalandhar and other visa application centres in India on the same day they attend the visa application centre.
The only exception to this was in the last week of September 2009 when very large numbers of students tried to make applications before a change in the maintenance requirements for tier 4 student visa applications came into effect on 1 October.
The application numbers were far in excess of those we would normally expect to see (in some cases a tenfold increase) and we were therefore unable to accommodate all applicants. The number of applications has declined since and student applications are again not subject to delays at the visa application centres.
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