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The department does not report contract spend or performance to Buying Solutions, unless there is a specific problem with a supplier's performance.
European Parliament: Hereditary Peers
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 4 February (WA 66), whether there is discrimination between life Peers and excepted hereditary Peers in respect of their ability to return to the House of Lords after ceasing to be members of the European Parliament. [HL2189]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): The position of hereditary Peers was given full consideration by the House of Lords during the debate held on the European Parliament (House of Lords Disqualification) Regulations 2008 on 14 October 2008. We do not consider that these regulations are discriminatory in nature. The regulations were an interim measure in response to a particular issue that had arisen prior to the European parliamentary elections in June 2009.
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 4 February (WA 66), whether they will table an amendment to repeal the European Parliament (House of Lords Disqualification) Regulations 2008 in the Constitutional Reform and Government Bill currently before Parliament, or table an amendment to that bill extending the scope of the regulations to excepted hereditary Peers so that life Peers and excepted hereditary peers can serve as Members of the European Parliament on the same basis. [HL2190]
Lord Bach: The Government have no plans to table such amendments to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, as the Bill includes provision to allow a person who is a life Peer or an hereditary Peer who is a member of the House of Lords to resign at any time from the House of Lords.
Health: Medicines
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government which external bodies they consulted in preparing their impact assessment report in respect of the consultation on automatic generic substitution of branded medicines in the National Health Service. [HL2158]
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the evidence on which they built their view in the impact assessment report regarding automatic generic substitution of branded medicines in the National Health Service that the effects of the policy on (a) safety, (b) liability in the event of adverse events, and (c) job losses, would be negligible. [HL2159]
2 Mar 2010 : Column WA341
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Thornton): In developing the proposals and analysis set out in the consultation document The Proposals to Implement "Generic Substitution" in Primary Care, Further to the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) 2009 and its associated partial impact assessment, published on 5 January 2010, the department was informed by information from stakeholders. During 2009, the department undertook a series of meetings with key national stakeholders, representing general practitioners, community pharmacists, and manufacturers, to discuss the commitment in the PPRS agreement in England. These national stakeholders were the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry, the British Generic Manufacturers Association and the Ethical Medicines Industry Group. We also received written representations from a number of other stakeholders, such as individual manufacturers and patient groups, for example those representing people with epilepsy.
The department will publish references to the key articles reviewed to support the partial impact assessment on its website. We recognise that further evidence may be available in relation to these issues, which is why we are holding a full public consultation, to which all those with an interest can input. The consultation document and partial impact assessment can be found on the department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/index.htm.
Copies of the consultation document have already been placed in the Library. Details of the consultation events can be found on the NHS Primary Care Commissioning website at www.pcc.nhs.uk/events.
Pensions
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Crawley on 10 February (WA 165), what is the total cost of employer pension contributions for non-departmental public bodies. [HL2188]
2 Mar 2010 : Column WA342
Baroness Crawley: The information requested is not held centrally. Employer pension contributions for those non-departmental public bodies that participate in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme are accounted for in the Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts.
Shipping: Piracy
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the trial of the suspected pirates arrested by HMS "Cumberland" in November 2008. [HL2104]
The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The eight suspected pirates detained by Royal Navy forces in November 2008 remain on trial in Kenya. The defence case has now been heard by the court, with final submissions still expected from both the prosecution and defence. The UK continues to monitor progress. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the trial continues.
Stateless People
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many stateless people there are in the United Kingdom; and how they are categorised for the purpose of national statistics. [HL2118]
Baroness Crawley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for Office for National Statistics, to Lord Lester of Herne Hill, dated March 2010.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many stateless people there are in the United Kingdom; and how they are categorised for the purpose of national statistics.
The information requested is not available.
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