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26 Apr 2011 : Column WA1

Written Answers

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Action on Smoking and Health

Question

Asked by Lord Naseby

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) received funding of £210,000 in 2009-10 and £220,000 in 2010-11 through the department's Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to Voluntary and Community Organisations. ASH received these grants specifically to carry out a defined project entitled Capitalising on Smokefree: the way forward.

ASH did not make a grant application to the department's Third Sector Investment Programme: Innovation, Excellence and Service Development Fund for 2011-12. The department currently has no other plans to provide ASH with funding in the next financial year.

Agriculture: Farming

Question

Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): Defra intends to show strong international leadership on food security, carefully considering and acting upon the report's findings. Actions will include:

Championing a more integrated approach by Governments and international institutions to global food security that makes links with climate change, poverty, biodiversity, energy and other policies.Continuing to press for full integration of agricultural greenhouse gases into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, take forward Nagoya work on international biodiversity, and promote the importance of sustainable intensification of agriculture more broadly.Continuing to press for reform of the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy so they are better focused on long-term environmental sustainability and avoid harmful subsidies, support the EU as it seeks to negotiate a genuinely pro-poor conclusion to the Doha Development Round, which includes a significant opening of agricultural markets, and plan an active role in talks in the G20, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and elsewhere aimed at finding ways of managing volatility.

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA2

Showcasing what can be achieved on food waste reduction within the UK, working with other countries and multinational companies to share and disseminate good practice.Working in partnership with our whole food chain, including consumers, to ensure the UK leads the way on sustainable intensification of agriculture, increasing the productivity and competitiveness of UK farming and the UK food chain while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and enhancing the natural environment and using resources more sustainably, so that agriculture and the food sector can contribute fully to the green economy.

Airports: Gatwick

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

Lord De Mauley: Her Majesty's Government have not had any discussions with the owners of Gatwick Airport about the impact of the proposed increases in landing charges.

Airport charges at Gatwick are capped and regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The structure of the airport's charges within the regulated cap is a matter for the airport operator.

Airports: Holding Rooms

Questions

Asked by Lord Avebury

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The pre-departure accommodation will hold up to nine families in self-contained apartments of various sizes to accommodate between two and six people.

It is not possible to establish the maximum number of families and children who can be accommodated per annum as the definition of a family is broad and they will stay for varying periods.

Families will only stay in the accommodation for a maximum period of 72 hours between the service of their removal directions and their flight departing the UK. In exceptional circumstances such as when a flight is delayed or cancelled because of a technical issue, it will be possible to extend a stay to a maximum of seven days with ministerial approval.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA3

Animal Welfare: Rabbits

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 29 March (Official Report, col. WA 235). The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal and to treat an animal in a way that fails to meet its welfare needs. We consider the requirements of the Act to be sufficient to ensure the necessary protection of the welfare of pet rabbits.

Animal Welfare: Sanctuaries

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The Government welcome the work of anyone who is able to provide for the welfare needs of displaced or unwanted animals. Examples of where people have come together on a voluntary or charitable basis to provide such care demonstrate the positive impact of volunteering and social responsibility, both key attributes of big society action.

Animals: Quarantine

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The UK's Pet Travel Scheme allows pet dogs, cats and ferrets from certain countries to enter the UK without quarantine, provided those animals meet the scheme rules which are in place to keep the UK free from rabies and certain other diseases. The UK currently has a derogation from the EU's harmonised pet travel scheme.

To ensure that that UK controls remain effective we are considering how the scheme will operate in the longer term and are in discussions with the European Commission.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA4

Anti-social Behaviour

Questions

Asked by Lord Stone of Blackheath

Baroness Northover: The Government's aim is to ensure that, in future, where a community or victim is suffering anti-social behaviour-particularly the sort of targeted, persistent harassment apparent in a number of high-profile recent cases-the police and other local agencies take the problem seriously, take the necessary steps to stop it permanently, and protect the vulnerable.

As part of that effort the Home Office published More effective responses to anti-social behaviour on 7 February, setting out proposals to reform the powers available to the police and their local partners, making them easier to use, less bureaucratic and more effective.

We are still consulting professionals and members of the public on the detail of those proposals, and will undertake an assessment of the likely impacts and cost savings once that consultation is complete.

Anti-social Behaviour: Databases

Questions

Asked by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: In January, the Home Office announced that eight police forces have volunteered, with local partners, to trial a new approach to handling calls from the public about anti-social behaviour, with the aim of improving the service to repeat and vulnerable victims.

There is no requirement that participants develop new databases as part of this work, and the Home Office has not provided any financial contribution to them to do so. The trials are based on a small number of core principles, including the use of risk assessment tools to identify vulnerable victims and using off-the-shelf IT systems to facilitate information sharing between agencies. The eight forces are free to decide how to adopt those principles locally.

Asked by Lord Laird

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: In January, the Home Office announced that eight police forces have volunteered, with local partners, to trial a new approach to handling calls from the public about anti-social behaviour, with the aim of improving the service to repeat and vulnerable victims. However, there is no requirement that participants develop new databases as part of this work. The trials are based on a small number of core principles, including the use of risk-assessment tools to identify vulnerable victims and the use of off-the-shelf IT systems to facilitate information sharing between agencies. The eight forces are free to decide how to adopt those principles locally.

The Home Office has had no discussions with the Information Commissioner relating to this work and has no plans to do so.

Armed Forces

Question

Asked by Lord Moonie

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The information requested is shown in the following table:



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA6

YearRequirementStrengthStrength as a Percentage of Requirement

1 April 1991

142,540

136,620

95.9

1 April 1992

141,190

133,450

94.5

1 April 1993

127,740

128,480

100.6

1 April 1994

114,980

116,110

101.0

1 April 1995

104,310

104,530

100.2

1 April 1996

104,020

99,530

95.7

1 April 1997

106,360

101,350

95.3

1 April 1998

105,770

100,880

95.4

1 April 1999

105,270

99,820

94.8

1 April 2000

106,400

100,880

94.8

1 April 2001

106,970

100,420

93.9

1 April 2002

106,970

100,410

93.9

1 April 2003

106,980

102,000

95.4

1 April 2004

106,730

103,560

97.0

1 April 2005

104,170

102,440

98.3

1 April 2006

101,800

100,620

98.8

1 April 2007

101,800

99,350 P

97.6

1 April 2008

101,800

99,350 P

96.5

1 April 2009

101,790

99,250 P

97.5

1 April 2010

102,160

102,200 P

100.0

1 April 2011

102,210

101,400 P

99.2

The full-time trained strength comprises trained UK Regular Forces, trained Gurkha and FTRS (Full Time Reserve Service) personnel. It does not include mobilised reservists.

All figures prior to 1997 exclude Gurkhas.

Figures marked P are provisional and subject to review.

Armed Forces: Children

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): Children under the age of 19 years at a school, other than at the unit where service personnel are posted, will be eligible for three return schoolchildren visits per year at public expense. Alternatively, the service parent may choose to claim public expense travel for the eligible child(ren) for six single journeys.

Travel must be by the most economical means and a personal contribution is required that is equivalent to 50 miles per single journey. This is calculated at a local level and taken from pay.

Any costs for additional visits are met by the parent.

Armed Forces: Depleted Uranium

Question

Asked by Lord Chidgey

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): Ever since the first proposals for the use of depleted uranium (DU) in anti-armour munitions, the Ministry of Defence has maintained a watching brief on related worldwide research activities. This includes research by the European Commission and independent agencies such as the

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA7

Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organisation and International Atomic Energy Agency. There has also been research into topics of direct relevance to the UK; the most significant involve personnel and battlefield monitoring.

No DU was detected in the vast majority (more than 99.5 per cent) of the almost 1,000 UK veterans tested by the analysis of urine samples. Some DU was present in a very small number of veterans injured when their vehicles were struck by DU munitions, but the exposures were at levels at which no adverse health effects are expected. No widespread contamination sufficient to impact on the health of the general population or deployed personnel was found in Ministry of Defence environmental surveys in southern Iraq and the Balkans.

The UK position remains that DU is weakly radioactive and has similar levels of chemical toxicity to lead. Measures to prevent or reduce intakes may sometimes be justified after DU munitions are fired, but the scientific consensus is that this will occur only in a very small number of very extreme cases. This is consistent with the findings of the agencies mentioned above and with the recent World Health Organisation statement that, "For the general population, neither civilian nor military use of DU is likely to produce radiation doses significantly above normal background levels".

DU has not been shown to present the health and environmental risks suggested in some quarters.

The 120 mm anti-tank round (Charm 3), fired by the Army's Challenger main battle tank, is the only in-service DU munition. I am withholding information relating to munition stock levels; its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

The Government's policy remains that DU can be used within weapons; it is not prohibited under current or likely future international agreements. UK Armed Forces use DU munitions in accordance with international humanitarian law. It would be quite wrong to deny our serving personnel a legitimate and effective capability.

Armed Forces: High Threat Operatives

Question

Asked by Lord Moonie

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine mental health team is assessing the mental health of all operational casualties repatriated with a physical injury that requires admittance for 14 days or more. These assessments are repeated at intervals over a two-year period.

In addition, it is recognised that high threat explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) operatives, by the nature of their work and the tempo of operations in Afghanistan,

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA8

are at an increased risk of exposure to significantly stressful situations while on operations. EOD teams are rotated through Camp Bastion on a routine basis to afford them a respite from continuous exposure to these high stress levels, and have ready access to a mental health professional within the camp.

In 2010, the Defence Medical Services undertook an Operational Mental Health Needs Evaluation (OMHNE) that looked specifically at EOD personnel, and which found a slight, but significant, increase in mental health symptoms among them. This survey, together with evidence from the chain of command, is being used to refine the current decompression package towards the specific needs of EOD teams. A further OMHNE in July 2011, surveying a range of UK personnel deployed in Afghanistan, will include further specific sampling of EOD operatives.

Armed Forces: Medals

Question

Asked by Lord Ashcroft

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Astor of Hever): There are currently no plans to introduce a National Defence Medal.

Nevertheless, the Government are undertaking a review of the rules governing the awarding of military medals in line with their commitment in the Programme for Government. The review is currently with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for final evaluation and I hope that an announcement of the conclusions of the review will be made shortly after Easter.

Arms Reduction

Question

Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: France intends to host the P5 Conference in Paris on 30 June 2011. We are working with France and our other P5 partners towards a comprehensive agenda that builds on the first P5 conference hosted by the UK in 2009, and that takes forward implementation of the Action Plan agreed at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in May 2010. We expect a communiqué to be released after the conference.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA9

Arms Trade

Question

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): On 16 March the Foreign Secretary announced a review of the Government's policy and practice with regard to the export of equipment that might be used for internal repression, in particular crowd control goods. The conclusions will of course apply to our procedures for assessing arms exports to all countries. The Government will report to Parliament after Easter. As the Foreign Secretary told the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, any decisions arising from the review will be discussed in Parliament.

Asylum Seekers

Question

Asked by Lord Avebury

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Following an open and competitive tender process Refugee Action has been administering the Assisted Voluntary Return programmes previously delivered by the International Organisation for Migration since 1 April 2011. The three available programmes remain the same.

Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programmes are available to assist those in the UK asylum system and those who are in the UK illegally who wish to return voluntarily and permanently to their country of origin (or, where permanently admissible, to a third country).

Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP) is for those who have sought asylum and those with certain forms of related temporary status in the UK. Returnees receive support in acquiring travel documentation, flight to country of origin and onward domestic transport, airport assistance at departure and arrival airports and up to £1,500 worth of reintegration assistance per person including a £500 relocation grant on departure for immediate resettlement needs and, once home, a range of reintegration options. The majority of returnees use their reintegration assistance in income generation activities.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA10

Assisted Voluntary Return for Families and Children (AVRFC) is for families comprising a maximum of two adult parents or legal guardians and at least one child (under 18) and from unaccompanied children (under 18) who have either sought asylum or who are in the UK illegally and wish to return home. Returnees receive support in acquiring travel documentation, flight to country of origin and onward domestic transport, airport assistance at departure and arrival airports and up to £2,000 worth of reintegration assistance per person including a £500 relocation grant on departure for immediate resettlement needs and, once home, a range of reintegration options. The scheme offers flexibility of reintegration for the whole family and increased emphasis is placed on the use of reintegration assistance for educational needs as well as income generation.

Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants (AVRIM) is for those migrants who have not sought asylum, but who are in the UK illegally and wish to return home. Returnees receive support in acquiring travel documentation, flight to country of origin and onward domestic transport, and airport assistance at departure and arrival airports. There is generally no reintegration assistance for AVRIM applicants however there is discretionary reintegration assistance of up to £1,000, considered on a case by case basis, available for vulnerable applicants.

Aviation: Card Payment Charges

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox):Which? has submitted a super-complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on card payment surcharges. We will carefully consider the OFT's response before making an assessment.

Aviation: Passenger Duty

Question

Asked by Lord McFall of Alcluith

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government's plans to extend air passenger duty to passengers aboard business jet flights are included in the Budget consultation document. Details of the new tax will be determined in light of the consultation responses. It is not therefore possible accurately to estimate potential revenues at the current time.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA11

Azerbaijan

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): No. Sadly, conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues to this day. The Government support the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) led peace process and we regularly urge both sides to make progress. The wars and conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan have caused terrible suffering on both sides that should not be forgotten. Only after peace is achieved in the region can reconciliation begin to help the populations come to terms with the events of the past.

Bank of England

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The most recent accounts of Bank of England Nominees Limited are available via the Companies House website and were published on 14 June 2010. It can be seen from these accounts that the company is currently dormant. The company is due to publish its next set of accounts by 30 November this year. The company is no longer exempt from company law disclosure requirements and currently no other persons are exempt from these requirements.

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Bank of England will publish accounts for the asset purchase facility (APF) for the year ended February 2011 before the Summer Parliamentary Recess. The amount due to or from HM Treasury under its indemnity to the Bank will be identified. The accounts are not exempt from any company law disclosure requirements.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA12

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: KPMG are the external auditors for the Bank of England and the Bank of England Asset Purchases Facility Fund Limited. As a dormant company, Bank of England Nominees Limited is not required under the Companies Act 2006 to appoint an external auditor.

Banking: Iceland

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The figure of £418,200,202 includes all cases, as of 4 January 2011, where it has not been possible to locate the investor; no response has been received to enquiries; the depositor has gone away without leaving a forwarding address; or claimants have realised mistakenly that they are not eligible to claim under Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) rules.

Payment for compensation for amounts up to £50,000 is a matter for the FSCS. Under the rules covering FSCS payouts, the FSCS will continue to pay compensation, provided that the relevant bank in question owes a legal liability to its customer.

There is currently no deadline for claims against HM Treasury for amounts above £50,000 except in the case of Landsbanki. In this case, depositors were notified by the FSCS in 2009 that claims for compensation for amounts above £50,000 must be submitted by 30 October 2009, the date by which under Icelandic law creditors of Lansdsbanki (including the FSCS and HM Treasury) were required to submit their claims.

Banking: Royal Bank of Scotland

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA13

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is seeking to produce a publishable report on the reasons for the failure of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). The Government agree that publication of such a report would be desirable.

Publication of the report, including seeking consent from RBS and other third parties, is a matter for the FSA as independent regulator. The Government do not have a copy of the report.

Asked by Lord Myners

Lord Sassoon: UK Financial Investments has meetings and discussions regularly with the management of the Royal Bank of Scotland, as it does with other organisations. We do not comment on such meetings and discussions.

Banks: Green Investment Bank

Question

Asked by Lord Barnett

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The Green Investment Bank's terms of reference are currently being considered and will be published at the end of May.

Banks: Vetting

Question

Asked by Lord Laird

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority, which will be replying directly.

Benefits

Questions

Asked by Lord German

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The incapacity benefit reassessment trial in Aberdeen and Burnley was designed to provide early indications of customer and staff reactions to the reassessment process.

Based on information up to 22 March 2011, 1,626 out of 1,700 cases have been assessed. Of these,

526 people (31 per cent out of 1,700) have been found fit for work. This includes 41 cases (2 per cent) that have been disallowed on administrative grounds primarily for failure to attend the work capability assessment, and 19 cases (1 per cent) closed at the request of the customer;616 people (36 per cent) have been assessed as having limited capability for work and placed in the Work Related Activity Group;484 people (28 per cent) have been assessed as having limited capability for work-related activity and placed in the Support Group;245 people (14 per cent) of claimants have appealed against the outcome of the reassessment process and had the appeal passed to the Tribunals Service. Because of the time taken to raise and process an appeal it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about the final number of claimants likely to appeal. It is not possible with the information available to determine the specific reason for the appeal; and74 (4 per cent) of claimants are still being assessed. Because some customers have not yet completed the reassessment process, the above proportions may change when all the outcomes are finalised.

Further information on the trial results has been published here: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/ib_reassessment.pdf.

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The table below shows the estimated average change per week per child as a result of freezing the rates of child benefit for the next three years rather than uprating by the change in the consumer prices index. These estimates are based on the latest projections of CPI.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA15

2011-122012-132013-14

Forecast change first child

-£0.65

-£l.55

-£2.05

Forecast change subsequent child

-£0.40

-£l.00

-£1.35

To ensure support is better targeted at low-income families with children, some of the savings from the freeze in child benefit have been recycled into significant above-indexation increases to the child tax credit in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Treasury analysis shows that modelled tax and benefit reforms announced since Budget 2010 may result in a small reduction in child poverty in 2011-12 and 2012-13; however, given the uncertainty around these types of estimates, this change may not be statistically significant.

Asked by Lord Willis of Knaresborough

Lord Freud: The information requested is in the table:

Non-means-tested benefit expenditure (£ millions)2009-10

Attendance Allowance

5,106

Bereavement benefits

650

Carer's Allowance

1,495

Christmas Bonus

154

Disability Living Allowance

11,459

Employment and Support Allowance-contributory

581

In-Work Credit

107

Incapacity Benefit

6,108

Industrial Injuries benefits

844

Job Grant

48

Jobseekers Allowance-contributory

1,089

Maternity Allowance

345

New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25-Plus Allowances

115

Over-75 Television Licences

549

Return to Work Credit

63

Severe Disablement Allowance

907

Specialised Vehicles Fund

16

State Pension

66,896

Statutory Maternity Pay

1,995

Statutory Sick Pay

64

Vaccine Damage Payments

#

Winter Fuel Payments

2,735

Total

101,325

Source: DWP accounting data and estimates

1) Information is out-turn, except for statutory maternity pay and statutory sick pay, which are estimates subject to further change.

2) Figures may differ from those currently published due to including more recent data and estimates. Updated figures are due to be published on 21 April 2011 at the following website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure.

3) Figures are rounded to the nearest £ million.

4) Amounts below £0.5 million are indicated by # or -#.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA16

Asked by Lord German

Lord Freud: The Government announced in the coalition agreement in May 2010 their intention to reassess all current claimants of incapacity benefits for their readiness to work.

My right honourable friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell made a Written Statement on 25 January 2011 which set out that the reassessment process had started on 11 October 2010 with a trial which was restricted to cases in the Aberdeen and Burnley areas. The Statement also advised that the introductory phase would begin in February 2011, with full rollout of national reassessment commencing in April.

The right honourable Member for Epsom and Ewell also wrote a piece for the Sunday Telegraph and the News of the World in advance of the commencement of national reassessment to set out clearly the rationale behind the process.

Departmental officials have also held briefing sessions for MPs and Peers, which included Ministers' personal events and a session in Portcullis House. The briefing packs for these events were available from the Vote Office.

Our press notices and official briefings are intended to provide clear and factual information about the incapacity benefits reassessment to prepare customers and other interested parties for this major change to the benefits system.

Reassessing all those on incapacity benefits is a significant task. All claimants will be moved onto employment and support allowance, other benefits more appropriate to their circumstances, or off benefit. We have been very clear that the department does not have a target for the number of people who must be found fit for work during the reassessment. We have also been clear that our objectives are to get people on to the right benefits at the right time, and to ensure that they get the support they need to help them return to work, while providing unconditional support to those with the most severe health conditions or disabilities.

Blind and Partially Sighted People

Question

Asked by Lord Low of Dalston



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA17

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The proposal tabled by Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Mexico is one of four texts for a legal instrument to improve access to books by visually impaired people currently being discussed at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Other proposals have been submitted by the United States of America, the African Group and the European Union. The UK worked closely with EU partners on the EU text.

The Government have considered all four texts carefully. Whilst we support the purpose behind the Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Mexico text, we believe that it contains elements that go beyond existing international agreements on copyright such as the Berne Convention. There is a need to strike the right balance between improving access and protecting the rights of authors and publishers. These concerns were raised at the last meeting of the relevant WIPO committee in November when member states discussed all four texts and agreed a work plan for further discussion.

Informal work is under way on a possible alternative, bringing together the elements of all four texts. The UK will continue to work constructively to find a solution on this important issue and looks forward to engaging in the detailed discussions at the next WIPO meeting in June 2011.

British Medical Association

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Ministers regularly meet with senior representatives of the British Medical Association to discuss the Government's National Health Service reform programme. We have had very frequent meetings since May 2010.

Budget 2010

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): There are no plans to update table A2 in the June 2010 Budget.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA18

Budget 2011

Questions

Asked by Lord Myners

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): This is not additional expenditure. "Single use military expenditure" is expenditure for items that can only be used in an operational setting, as opposed to dual use items such as vehicles, which are used in operational and non-operational environments. The £0.7 billion of single use military equipment in 2011-12 shown in Table 4.16 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook reflects the fact that £0.7 billion of single use military equipment Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits was allocated from the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits Special Reserve as part of the initial allocation of funding for the net additional costs of military operations in 2011-12. Single use military equipment scores as current expenditure in the National Accounts. As a result, this transfer has no impact on any of the National Accounts aggregates.

Asked by Lord Barnett

Lord Sassoon: The assumptions and methodologies underlying the costings for all the tax and annually managed expenditure (AME) policy decisions listed in table 2.1 of Budget 2011 are published alongside the Budget in the supplementary document Budget 2011 policy costings.

The assumptions and methodologies underlying the costings for tax and AME policy decisions announced at spending review 2010 or June Budget 2010 and listed in table 2.2 of Budget 2011 are published in the documents Spending Review 2010 policy costings and Budget 2010 policy costings.

Asked by Lord Barnett

Lord Sassoon: The fiscal impacts of measures designed to improve economic growth and employment are included in table 2.1 of Budget 2011, a copy of which is available in the Libraries of both Houses.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA19

Census

Question

Asked by Lord Hoyle

Baroness Northover: 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 ONS, to Lord Hoyle, dated April 2011.

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking Her Majesty's Government whether or not they will make information from the 2011 census available to any other Governments or, in the case of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (HL8425)

ONS will not provide personal census information to any foreign Government or US agency. Published statistics will be freely available to anyone, but these will have been subjected to our statistical disclosure control methods first to ensure that no individuals can be identified from them.

Children: Care

Questions

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): Figures are not collected centrally on the number of children being brought up by their grandparents.

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Lord Hill of Oareford: Returns from local authorities indicate that their expenditure on looked-after children in 2009-10 was some £2,888 million. This supported around 80,000 children who were in care for some or all of that year. This would equate to an average expenditure of £36,000 per child. However, the cost will vary considerably between individual children. For example, the University of Kent, which was commissioned by the Department of Health and the

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA20

Department for Education to produce Unit Costs of Health and Social Care 2010 (available at www.pssru. ac.uk/uc/uc20lOcontents.htm), has calculated that it cost local authorities £2,494 a week for a placement of a child at a residential children's home and £676 a week for a foster placement. Costs will be considerably more for children with severe disabilities or those with emotional and behavioural problems.

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Lord Hill of Oareford: There is no standard definition of long-term care. The data suggest that at key stage 4, the longer the period of time for which a child is looked after, the better his or her educational outcomes will be. The latest published statistics set out in Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities as at 31 March 2010 show that of those children who had been looked after for between five and six years, 16 per cent achieved five or more GCSE grades A*-C including English and mathematics compared to 8 per cent of children who had been looked after for between 12 and 18 months. The percentage for all children was 53 per cent.

The department does not collect data on the long-term employment of looked-after children and care leavers. The information published in the department's Statistical First Release Children Looked After in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2010 showed that the percentage of former care leavers whose local authorities were in touch with them and who were in education, employment or training around the time of their 19th birthday was 62.1 per cent.

Children: Street Children

Questions

Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Department for International Development (DfID) is committed to reducing poverty among children. We know that poverty is the root cause for many children living or working on the streets. The coalition Government are working to address this among the families and communities of particularly vulnerable children, working in partnership with Governments and other organisations, such as non-governmental groups and the United Nations (UN) agencies. This support helps vulnerable children (including those working or living on the street) in poor countries through the provision of basic health care, education and protection from violence and abusive

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA21

behaviour. This is in line with the recommendations of the recently adopted resolution of the UN Human Rights Council.

The coalition Government are also strongly committed to working toward children achieving their full potential, as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We continue to support the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which works in 190 countries around the world to improve the lives of vulnerable children.

Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Her Majesty's Government welcome the new International Day for Street Children: Louder Together, which this year (on 12 April) was the inaugural event. Street children are among the most marginalised and vulnerable in the world. A global event will help draw attention to the particular needs of street children, and contribute to the debate about how best to address these needs.

The Department for International Development (DfID) is committed to reducing poverty among children. We know that poverty is the root cause for many children living or working on the streets. Generating international attention that focuses on why children are forced to live and work on the streets is essential to addressing the problem. The coalition Government are committed to working with our partners in Governments and other organisations, such as non-governmental groups and the United Nations (UN) agencies, to meet the basic needs of children.

China

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made clear in a public statement on 4 April 2011 our concerns about the detention of Ai Weiwei. He called on the Chinese Government to clarify Mr Ai's situation and wellbeing and hoped that he would be released immediately. On 11 April my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister raised the case of Ai Weiwei and those of other dissidents detained in recent weeks when he met the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee, Yu Zhengsheng. Senior officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have also raised the case of Ai Weiwei with the Chinese Embassy in London. We will continue to monitor developments in Mr Ai's case closely and look for further appropriate opportunities to raise our concerns.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA22

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Questions

Asked by The Countess of Mar

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): Learning sets on relevant subjects are produced as part of the Continuing Medical Education programme for Atos Healthcare professionals. Learning sets are recognised as one of a range of personal development tools which can be used to learn new ways of working, share experiences and help with problem solving. They are based on the principle of self-directed learning and each learning set contains suggested sources of study. They also facilitate active participation, the sharing of knowledge, application of knowledge to practical problems and development of other skills such as facilitation skills. Although learning sets preclude the use of external speakers, other Atos learning events such as clinical conferences rely on the use of external speakers.

Trainees are updated on biomedical scientific developments for CFS and fibromyalgia that are relevant to disability assessment by accessing the sources provided in the learning set and by use of other training products relating to CFS and fibromyalgia, which are updated on a regular basis.

Asked by The Countess of Mar

Lord Freud: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recognises Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia as real and potentially significantly disabling conditions. Where a clinical diagnosis of CFS or fibromyalgia has been made, full account will be taken of their disabling effects.

The term "functional" in the training module refers to the effect of a condition on a person's ability to function on a day to day basis and has a different meaning to the term "functional" in the context of a "functional disorder".



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA23

Asked by The Countess of Mar

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council, which is the competent authority for medical training in the United Kingdom.

The General Medical Council's Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Continued Practice Boards have the general function of promoting high standards of medical education and co-ordinating all stages of medical education to ensure that students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

Training curricula are developed by medical schools and royal colleges.

Asked by The Countess of Mar

Lord Freud: Medical assessments done on behalf of the DWP look at the functional impact of a condition on an individual; entitlement to benefit is not based on medical condition/diagnosis. The DWP recognises that ME/CFS covers a spectrum and can be a significantly disabling condition.

The article, An Aetiological Model for ME/CFS, presents a theory (yet to be tested and proven) for understanding the cause of ME/CFS. The DWP's guidance to assessors appropriately focuses on the range of functional impairment related to particular conditions rather than on causation. This article does not address functional impairment; therefore there will be no change to the guidance as a consequence of it.

Civil Partnership Act 2004

Question

Asked by Lord Tebbit



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA24

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Ministers and officials met a range of denominations and groups as part of a listening exercise on the next steps for civil partnerships. Those who attended were representatives of the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Alliance, the Quakers, the Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, as well as representatives of the Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu faiths. Representatives also attended from Stonewall, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, Lesbian and Gay Christians, Changing Attitudes and Outrage. Representatives from other groups were invited but did not attend.

These groups were selected as a result of their interest in this issue during the passage of Section 202 of the Equality Act 2010 through Parliament and on the advice of the Department for Communities and Local Government which holds overall responsibility for the Government's engagement with faith communities.

A definition of equal civil marriage and partnerships will be one of the key issues to be considered during the further consultation with all those who have an interest in this area in due course.

Civil Service: Redundancy

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Individual departments and agencies are responsible for offering staff voluntary redundancy, and this information is not recorded centrally.

Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

Questions

Asked by Lord Norton of Louth

Baroness Garden of Frognal: The updated Civil Service Code, published in November 2010, contains a specific new reference which says, "Civil servants advising Ministers should be aware of the constitutional significance of Parliament, and of the conventions governing the relationship between Parliament and

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA25

the Government", reflecting the provisions of Section 3(6) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. All departments were notified of the introduction of the legislation and the new Civil Service Code and asked to inform all staff.

Additional guidance for civil servants, including those in the Cabinet Office, is provided in a number of ways, including in the Cabinet Office publication Departmental Evidence and Response to Select Committees and the online Guide to Parliamentary Work. The National School of Government's Core Learning Programme also includes relevant training, for example in the Parliament, Government and the Civil Service programme. This training is being incorporated into the common curriculum developed by Civil Service Learning.

Crime: Organised Crime

Question

Asked by Lord Hylton

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Neville-Jones): Law enforcement agencies co-operate with each other and with public, private and voluntary sector organisations on an operational basis to exchange information lawfully, harness expertise and maximise effectiveness against organised crime. Strategic co-ordination is facilitated through multiagency programme boards, involving key agencies including the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Government and private and voluntary sector organisations where appropriate.

The forthcoming Organised Crime Strategy will set out details of how the Government will improve co-ordination between all relevant partners to combat organised crime more effectively. The public, voluntary groups and the private sector will have an important contribution.

As international anti-corruption champion, the Secretary of State for Justice holds a key co-ordination role for government in international anti-corruption efforts. This includes consultations with colleagues in other departments, NGOs, and with other national and international stakeholders to ensure a coherent and joined-up approach to combat international corruption.

Criminal Records Bureau

Questions

Asked by Lord Tebbit



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA26

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has contracted out work on handling data in relation to the processing of applications for CRB certificates to its private sector partner, Capita. This does not involve the sensitive matching of a person's details to criminal conviction information, which is performed by civil servants.

Asked by Lord Lexden

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government do not hold this information. In processing a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) certificate, the CRB will provide information from records held on the Police National Computer (PNC) and other data sources to an employer and the employer makes a decision about the applicant's suitability. The employers do not notify the CRB of the outcome of their decisions and it is not therefore possible to indicate whether a person has been checked successfully or unsuccessfully. Having said that, the overwhelming majority of CRB certificates do not contain any police conviction information, with 92 per cent of checks being issued clear in 2010-11.

Croatia

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The total payments made to Croatia under EU pre-accession instruments over the period 2005-10 amount to €230.59 million. The European Commission plans to commit €479 million over the period 2011-13.

A financial package is currently being negotiated between the European Commission and the Croatian Government, the details of which have not yet been finalised. Once it has been finalised, the Government will make an assessment of any potential additional annual cost to the European Union budget following Croatia's accession to the EU.

Dangerous Dogs

Questions

Asked by Lord Stone of Blackheath



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA27

Baroness Northover: The Home Office published More Effective Responses to Anti-social Behaviour on 7 February, setting out proposals to ensure that the police and their partners have less bureaucratic, more flexible and more effective means to protect victims and communities from a range of local problems, including those caused by irresponsible dog owners.

We are still consulting professionals and members of the public on the detail of the proposals, and have not undertaken a specific assessment of the likely impact on ownership of dangerous dogs.

Asked by Lord Stone of Blackheath

Lord De Mauley: Following on from the Defra consultation on dangerous dogs issued last year, we have been discussing, across government and with interested parties, the measures needed.

This is a complex issue with no one solution, so we will be announcing a package of measures shortly. The Home Office is already consulting on a new streamlined legislative framework to tackle anti-social behaviour-including that involving dangerous dogs.

Death Penalty

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): It is the long-standing policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We regularly make representations to Governments to abolish the death penalty. Countries we have lobbied since 12 May 2010 include our top five priority countries and regions, which are China, Iran, the US, Belarus and the English-speaking Caribbean region. We have also raised the death penalty in a number of our other priority countries, as outlined in our Strategy for Abolition of the Death Penalty published in October 2010.

Debt

Question

Asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government estimate the amount of unsecured debt per head of the United Kingdom population to be approximately £3,430. This estimate is based on the stock of unsecured debt of £212 billion

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA28

from the Bank of England for February 2011 and the UK total population of 61.8 million from the ONS for mid-2009.

Assuming that those under 16 years of age do not hold any unsecured debt, the amount of unsecured debt per head of the UK population over 16 years old is around £4,250.

Deficit Reduction

Questions

Asked by Lord German

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government's fiscal mandate is to balance the cyclically-adjusted current budget at the end of the rolling five-year forecast period. The end of the forecast period at Budget 2011 was 2015-16 and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that the Government are on course to meet their target one year early in 2014-15. The OBR also forecasts that the Government will meet the supplementary target to ensure public sector net debt is falling, one year early, in 2014-15.

Setting this deficit reduction target was essential in order to help keep long-term interest rates down, helping families and businesses through the lower costs of loans and mortgages, and to keep debt and debt interest paid by the Government-and ultimately the taxpayer-lower than would otherwise have been the case.

Asked by Lord Barnett

Lord Sassoon: In line with previous practice, the Government have set separate resource and capital reserves in departmental expenditure limits (RDEL and CDEL), which provide a contingency to meet unforeseeable costs that arise over the 2010 spending review period, and an annually managed expenditure (AME) margin, which is a contingency against changes in the AME forecast. The latest figures were published in tables 2.3 and 2.4 of Budget 2011 and are summarised in the table below:

£ billion2011-122012-132013-142014-15

RDEL Reserve

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.5

CDEL Reserve

0.9

1.0

1.0

1.1

AME margin

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Total contingency

4.2

5.5

6.6

7.6

Total contingency as a % of total managed expenditure

0.6%

0.8%

0.9%

1.0%



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA29

In addition to the reserves held for contingency, the Government also set aside a special reserve for the net additional cost of military operations in the 2010 spending review. This reflected an agreed forecast for expenditure over the spending review period, taking account of the Government's military commitment in Afghanistan. This is not a fixed budget and the Treasury remains committed to funding all the net additional costs of military operations in Afghanistan from the special reserve.

Deputy Prime Minister's Office

Questions

Asked by Lord Touhig

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally): The cost of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office between May 2010 and February 2011 was £1,158,674. The Deputy Prime Minister's Office sits within the Cabinet Office and draws upon the support and resources of the wider department.

Asked by Lord Touhig

Lord McNally: Details of the Deputy Prime Minister's overseas travel expenditure are published quarterly and can be found on www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Within the UK, the Deputy Prime Minister travels making the most efficient and cost-effective arrangements, including by public transport. His travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel as set out in the Ministerial Code.

Asked by Lord Touhig

Lord McNally: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on security matters.

Directors of Public Health

Question

Asked by Baroness Gould of Potternewton

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): Annexe A of Health Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England sets out our vision for the role of the director of public health as the principal adviser on all

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA30

health matters to the local authority, its elected members and officers, on the full range of local authority functions and their impact on the health of the local population, including identifying health inequalities and developing and implementing local strategies to reduce them.

The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 proposes that following the abolition of primary care trusts, directors of public health, employed by local authorities but jointly appointed with the Secretary of State, will be responsible for the new public health functions transferred to local authorities.

The Bill does not prescribe to whom the director of public health shall be responsible, as this is a matter for local determination.

Disabled People: Mobility Scooters

Question

Asked by Baroness Gardner of Parkes

Lord De Mauley: We have no plans to consult other countries on the introduction of a recognised international standard in time for the Olympics and Paralympics. However, we will be seeking to ensure that information on the use of mobility scooters on public transport is available for all visitors to the Olympics and Paralympics.

Drugs: Appraisals

Questions

Asked by Lord Clement-Jones

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The report from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) made specific proposals for the appraisal of drugs for conditions with a prevalence of less than one in 50,000. We have no plans to ask NICE to establish a separate appraisal system for such drugs.

Asked by Lord Clement-Jones

Earl Howe: These are matters for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an independent body. Following the referral of a topic to NICE, technology appraisal guidance is developed in accordance with NICE's published process and methods guides.

NICE aims to issue draft or final guidance on the majority of drugs appraised through its single-technology appraisal process within six months of a drug's market authorisation.

Stakeholders in NICE technology appraisals, including the manufacturer or sponsor of the technology, are routinely kept up to date on progress as part of the appraisal process.

Asked by Lord Clement-Jones

Earl Howe: We have no plans to ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) or the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) to develop separate appraisal mechanisms to appraise orphan and ultra-orphan drugs, treatments for very rare diseases or treatments for children.

The vast majority of new drugs and significant licence extensions are considered through the topic selection process for NICE's technology appraisal programme. If NICE considers that by undertaking an appraisal it would not be able to add value, then for high-cost, low-volume drugs for very rare conditions, NICE can send the technology to AGNSS for assessment for possible inclusion in the arrangements for national specialised commissioning.

Under Section 8 of the National Health Service Act 2006, the Secretary of State can direct NICE as he deems necessary. However, Ministers are clear that NICE is an independent body and must be free to develop its own technology appraisal processes and methods.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA32

Education: Careers Advice

Questions

Asked by Lord Beecham

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Henley): The Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have consulted with stakeholders about the implementation of an all-age careers service, through a stakeholder advisory group comprising representatives from professional careers organisations and national bodies such as the Local Government Association. The careers service will be established by April 2012, with young people and adults able to access new arrangements for careers guidance from September 2011. Resourcing for the careers service is under consideration, and details of funding for the service will be communicated in due course.

Asked by Lord Beecham

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Education Bill proposes a statutory duty on schools to secure access to independent careers guidance for their pupils. The guidance must be presented in an impartial manner and include information on all post-16 options, including apprenticeships. Schools are otherwise free to determine how best to fulfil the duty. This approach recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about the support that should be offered to their students, working alongside specialist careers advisers where appropriate.

The new duty applies to pupils in school years 9 to 11. This summer, we will consult on extending the duty to young people up to the age of 18 studying in schools and further education institutions.

Education: ESOL

Question

Asked by Lord Greaves

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The equality impact assessment published

26 Apr 2011 : Column WA33

alongside Skills for Sustainable Growth (November 2010) found that, at the aggregate level, there are unlikely to be disproportionate impacts on protected groups. A separate assessment of how the changes may affect ESOL learners is currently being carried out by the department. I expect to be able to publish the assessment in due course.

Education: Nurseries and Primary Schools

Question

Asked by Lord Dykes

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): It is the responsibility of each local authority to manage the supply and demand for school places in their area and secure a place for every child of statutory school age who wants one. The department will continue to provide capital funding and monitor the situation with local authorities in regards to school places both in London and nationally.

Under Section 7 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure 15 hours per week of free early education for all three and four year-olds who want it. Ninety-five per cent of three and four year-olds take up some or all of their free early education entitlement. Local authorities should consider the preferences of parents in their area and ensure that there are sufficient places available across a range of nursery providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors.

Embryology

Questions

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the information requested by the noble Lord on the experts referred to in my Written Answer of 28 March (Official Report, col. WA 211) is shown in the following table:



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA34

Mitochondrial Donation: Experts who have been Peer Reviewers for HFEA or Members of HFEA Committees
Based in the UKBased outside the UK

a) Peer reviewer for HFEA research licence applications

2

2

b) Member of either the HFEA's Horizon Scanning Panel or of its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee

3

2

c) Neither

11

16

Notes:

A total of 34 experts were sent the call for evidence, some of whom have been a peer reviewer for HFEA research licence applications and also a member of the HFEA's Horizon Scanning Panel or Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee and are, therefore, counted twice in the table.

Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

The HFEA has also advised that its call for evidence be sent to the following funding bodies and professional societies with an invitation to distribute more widely if relevant:

Academy of Medical Sciences;Association of Clinical Embryologists;Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors; Association of Medical Research Charities;Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; British Fertility Society;British Medical Association;British Society for Human Genetics; Genetics Interest Group;Human Genetics Alert;Medical Research Council;Mitochondrial Research Guild;Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists; Scottish Stem Cell Network;Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders;Society for Reproduction and Fertility;Society For The Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism;the Children's Mitochondrial Disease Network;the Mitochondrial Medicine Society;the Mitochondrial Research Portal;the Mitochondrial Research Society;the Royal Society;the UK Stem Cell Foundation;United Mitochondrial Disease Network; andWellcome Trust.

Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it sent out its call for evidence to the individual experts, funding bodies and professional societies referred to on 28 February 2011. The authority did not seek confirmation of receipt.

The HFEA has also advised that one of the experts referred to is currently an HFEA research licence holder.

The HFEA has advised that it received submissions of evidence from three individuals who had not directly been sent the call for evidence and a joint submission from two individuals, one of whom had not directly been sent the call for evidence. The HFEA does not hold information on how many of these individuals were informed by other funding bodies and professional societies or responded to the announcement on the authority's website.

The HFEA has been asked to report to the Secretary of State by mid-April. This apart, no timetable has been set for consideration of whether regulations should be made to allow mitochondrial transfer.

Employment: Northern Ireland

Questions

Asked by Lord Lexden



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA36

Baroness Garden of Frognal: The statistical information the noble Lord has requested is not held by Her Majesty's Government. Employment matters and the Northern Ireland Civil Service are devolved and the responsibility of the relevant Northern Ireland Executive Minister.

Chapter two of the HM Treasury paper Rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy, which was drawn up in consultation with Northern Ireland Ministers, provides an analysis by Treasury Ministers of the current state of the Northern Ireland economy. This can be viewed at:

www.hmtreasury.gov.uk/consult_rebalancing_ni_ economy.htm

Employment: Work Programme

Question

Asked by Lord German

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): The list of preferred bidders is available in the Library and on the supplying DWP website.

Energy: Biofuels

Questions

Asked by Lord Bradshaw

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): As indicated by my noble friend Lord Marland in his Written Answer of 28 March (WA212), the intention is that the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation shall provide double support of biofuels derived from wastes and residues, including used cooking oil. An open consultation is currently under way at www.dft. gov.uk/consultations/open/2011-05.

Asked by Lord Bradshaw



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA37

Lord De Mauley: The Government have no specific plans to support this biofuels plant.

However, we are currently consulting on proposals to amend the renewable transport fuel obligation to implement the transport elements of the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which requires the UK to source 10 per cent of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020.

These proposals include providing additional support for biofuels made from waste by awarding two renewable transport fuels certificates to each litre of fuel supplied. Crop-based biofuels will continue to get one certificate per litre, as long as they meet the mandatory sustainability criteria.

In addition, if the plant produces biodiesel made from used cooking oil (UCO) it will benefit from the 20p lower fuel duty rate for this particular fuel which will run until April 2012.

Energy: Gas and Electricity Prices

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): An explanation of the impact of the carbon price floor on wholesale electricity prices and the likely average bill impact is provided in HMRC's Tax Information and Impact Note which was published alongside the Budget.

This is available online at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6111.pdf

Energy: Nuclear Power

Question

Asked by Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

Lord De Mauley: The Government Chief Scientific Adviser has played a key role in the wake of the Fukushima incident to enable the Government to access sound scientific advice in real-time as the situation has developed. This role has focused predominantly on the more immediate events in Japan, including chairing the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (http://www.bis.gov.uk/go-science/science-in-government/global-issues/civil-continegncies) and helping to ensure that practical advice, and where appropriate reassurance, has been available to British citizens in the region.



26 Apr 2011 : Column WA38

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has asked the UK Chief Nuclear Inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry. He has asked for an interim report by mid-May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be put in the public domain.

The Government Chief Scientific Adviser and the Chief Nuclear Inspector continue to liaise and are working jointly to provide this important advice to government.

Energy: Oil and Gas

Questions

Asked by Viscount Astor

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon): The Government believe that a trigger price of $75 per barrel is appropriate, but will set a final level and mechanism after seeking the views of oil and gas companies, and motoring groups.

Asked by Viscount Astor

Lord Sassoon: The 2011 Budget made a commitment that, "In future years, if the oil price falls below a set trigger price on a sustained basis, the Government will reduce the Supplementary Charge back towards 20 per cent on a staged and affordable basis while prices remain low."

Asked by Viscount Astor

Lord Sassoon: The 2011 Budget documentation sets out that "the Government does not expect a significant impact on investment or production in the forecast period as a consequence of this measure".

Therefore the impact of the increase in the supplementary charge on the costs of, or the timing of, decommissioning is also not expected to be significant in the forecast period.

The Government will work with the industry with the aim of announcing further, longer-term certainty on decommissioning at Budget 2012.

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