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To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 8 February (WA 81-2), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's Compliance Report for February 2009 stated there were no Grade A incidents at the time; how the HFEA had reclassified the grades of serious incidents; why; what were the
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To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 8 February (WA 81-2), whether incident 01079 at centre 0102 was considered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to be closed on 23 March 2009; whether incident 01073 at centre 0102 was initially considered by the HFEA to be closed before 23 March 2009; and why the HFEA contacted Mr Yacoub Khalaf again regarding those incidents after contact with the Sunday Times on 24 April 2009 (prior to publication of an article on 26 April 2009). [HL2390]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Thornton): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the services provided to the authority by Hanover Communications during 2007 and 2008 were strategic communications advice regarding regulatory action and associated litigation regarding licensed centres 0157 and 0206. These services were in addition to those provided by the HFEA's head of communications and press officer. The HFEA has also advised that the head of inspection did not receive the same financial support.
HFEA has advised that the matter to which its chief executive was referring is described in paragraph 2 of that same internal memo, which, I am informed, has been given to the noble Lord. As individual cases relating to this matter were resolved, details were placed on the HFEA's website. In addition, a programme of change at the HFEA (known as "Programme 2010") was commenced in late 2007 and extensively publicised. This programme has now been completed. To assess its effectiveness, the HFEA has commenced an internal governance review. Again, I am informed that the terms of reference of the review have been provided to the noble Lord.
The HFEA has advised that it does not hold a record of the particular witnessing system used in each licensed centre because it considers that this is not necessary to fulfil its statutory duties. The HFEA has implemented the recommendations of the Toft report and, in 2007, further recommendations regarding witnessing were incorporated into the seventh edition of the authority's code of practice. With regard to Ms Trish Davies, the HFEA has advised that it has nothing to add to the press statement of 11 January 2010.
With respect to the nature of the disproportionate costs referred to in my Written Answer of 8 February 2010 (Official Report, cols. WA81-2) the HFEA has advised that it would need to scrutinise all records created since 1991 in order to establish whether any have been lost following a request from researchers. The resources that this would involve would be substantial and would breach the £800 cost limit.
The incidents at centre 0102 relate to a complaint against the HFEA about the handling of events to which the noble Lord refers. This complaint is currently
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Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 19 January (WA 224-5), whether the use of women's eggs for research is considered a serious matter by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Acts provide for an egg producing an embryo by parthenogenesis. [HL2443]
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) received a copy of the document by Dr Alexandra Plows and others entitled Should scientific researchers be allowed to ask women to provide their eggs for disease research?-A statement of concerns in response to the current HFEA consultation; how the HFEA responded to each of the points raised therein; and why the HFEA did not include that document alongside Annexe F in the paper for a meeting held on 21 February 2007 (agenda item 8). [HL2444]
To ask Her Majesty's Government from whom the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority obtained permission to reproduce the Summary of Edinburgh meeting in a document published on its website. [HL2445]
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 8 February (WA 81-2), when Trish Davies highlighted that laboratory operators were the source of the majority of errors reported as "category A incidents"; and what solution was proposed by Dr Stephen Troup of Liverpool Women's Hospital at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's annual conference on 15 March 2005.[HL2448]
Baroness Thornton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that, regarding the use of eggs for research, it has nothing to add to the information that I gave in my Written Answer of 19 January 2010 (Official Report, cols. WA224-5). The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, applies to embryos, whether created by means of fertilisation or by parthenogenesis.
The HFEA has advised that the response from Dr Alexandra Plows and others, to which the noble Lord refers, was received and considered during the authority's public consultation in 2006. It is referred to in Annexe D to the paper to which the noble Lord also refers.
The HFEA has advised that the document Summary of Edinburgh Meeting, to which the noble Lord refers, is a publicly available document.
In respect of the noble Lord's final Question, the HFEA has advised that it understands this reference to relate to a written account of the authority's annual conference 2005, by Dr Neville Cobb, published on the website of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics. The HFEA has no comment to make about third-party accounts of its proceedings.
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Energy: Wind Farms
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the number of on-shore and off-shore wind-farm units in 2015. [HL2403]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The lead scenario for meeting our renewable target, as set out in the renewable energy strategy, suggests that the majority of the UK's renewable electricity will come from onshore and offshore wind.
However, the Government do not set targets for individual energy generation technologies but take a market-based approach to generation. It is therefore not possible to predict the exact number of units (wind turbines) that will be generating in 2015.
Expenditure: Office Equipment
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the Health and Safety Executive in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much it spent in total on all photocopier paper in the last year for which figures are available. [HL2399]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton): The Health and Safety Executive does not distinguish between photocopier and computer printing paper. The average cost for a 500 sheet ream of white A4 80gsm paper for 2008-09 was £2.18.
All paper used is 100 per cent recycled.
The total amount spent on all photocopying and printing paper for 2008-09 was £113,427.46.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by (a) the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and (b) the Government Equalities Office, in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2439]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Equality and Human Rights Commission does not record expenditure on photocopier paper separately and is unable to provide this information. The Government Equalities Office spent in the order of £4,500.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by (a) the Environment Agency, (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme, and
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The table below shows the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Environment Agency (EA), Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Defra.
Figures are for the financial year 2008-09.
| EA | WRAP | Defra | |
|
A4-ream wrapped, 80 gsm, 120,000 pa. A3-ream wrapped, 80 gsm, 2,000 pa. | |||
To ask Her Majesty's Government with reference to the Office of Government Commerce document Saving money on office stationery, what is the annual expenditure by public sector organisations on office stationery; how many different framework agreements there are across departments covering office stationery according to the Office of Government Commerce and Buying Solutions' records; and what is the total value of each framework agreement. [HL2616]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): It is for the relevant public sector body to account for their expenditure on office stationery. This information is not held centrally and to collect it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Office of Government Commerce has been notified by departments of five framework agreements covering office supplies. These are available on OGC's contracts database (www.ogc.gov.uk/contractsdatabase/).
Buying Solutions is the contracting authority for one pan-government office supplies framework.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier paper paid by the National Archives in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much it spent in total on all photocopier paper in the last year for which figures are available. [HL2354]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average purchase price, excluding value added tax, of a 500-sheet ream of white A4 80 gsm photocopier
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): The Office of Public Sector Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office merged with the National Archives in 2006. All expenditure is carried out by the National Archives.
To disclose the average purchase price of these products would prejudice the commercial interests of the National Archives and would give an unfair advantage to other suppliers.
The National Archives spent a total of £7,580 on all photocopier paper in 2008-09.
Forced Marriage
Questions
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any forced marriage protection orders have been made in cities with large British Asian populations such as Blackburn, Bradford or Leicester. [HL2417]
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken further to their assessment of the initial impact of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 to reach Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and to encourage them to respond to the object and purpose of the Act. [HL2418]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): Since implementation of the Act on 25 November 2008 and up to 28 February 2010, a total of 123 forced marriage protection orders (FMPOs) have been made, including in the areas of Blackburn, Bradford and Leicester county courts. This well exceeds the projected number of 50 orders per annum.
The initial impact of the legislation was set out in the policy paper One Year On. The policy paper highlighted the need for continuing publicity especially within the communities, for training, and for better interagency co-operation. One of the recommendations of that paper is to liaise and work with the Forced Marriage Unit to maintain awareness of the provisions of the Act and to reach "closed" communities.
The Forced Marriage Unit undertakes around 80 outreach events a year to both professional groups and communities to raise awareness of forced marriage and appropriate responses. This work includes raising awareness of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act and forced marriage protection orders.
The paper also highlighted the need for action balanced with caution and understanding of the impact of an application on a young person who then loses family and community and will need long-term protection and support. The policy paper is online at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/10508.htm.
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Forests
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, on 8 February (Official Report, Commons, col. 680W), why the area of new woodland planting declined from 2000 to 2009; why the amount in 2006 to 2009 was lower than previous years; and whether they expect that trend will continue. [HL2411]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The decline in new planting is due to a number of factors including the attraction of alternative land uses and the implementation of the response to the 2002 Sustaining England's Woodlands Review. This review led to our support mechanisms from 2005 placing an increased emphasis on the sustainable management of existing woodland, including the restoration and maintenance of our ancient woodlands.
The 2000-06 England Rural Development Programme woodland creation target was 30,000 hectares and this was exceeded. In the current Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 we have committed to creating 15,400 hectares of new woodland and we expect current planting levels to at least be maintained.
In its 2009 Low Carbon Transition Plan, the Government set out its intention to support a new drive to encourage private funding for woodland creation and options to achieve this are being explored.
G8
Question
Asked by Lord Cameron of Dillington
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional funds they have or will commit to research over the next three years as part of the G8 $20 billion commitment for global food security which states "investment in and access to education, research, science and technologies should be substantially strengthened at national, regional and international level". [HL2508]
Lord Brett: In 2008 the Secretary of State for International Development made a commitment to double funding to international agricultural research, reaching a target of £80 million per year by 2013. This commitment was reaffirmed in the recent White Paper, Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future.
The Department for International Development (DfID) is on track to meet this target. In the current financial year, DfID has spent more than £61 million on international agricultural research, contributing to the total UK support to food and agriculture of over £1 billion.
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Government: Office Equipment
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure, excluding value added tax, on photocopier paper by the Department for International Development in the latest year for which figures are available. [HL2503]
Lord Brett: The Department for International Development (DfID) spent approximately £44,000, excluding VAT, on standard A4 paper during 2008-09. This paper was used in both photocopiers and printers.
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