Written Answers
Thursday 21 November 2013
Agriculture: Livestock
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect rare breeds of farming livestock in the United Kingdom that are marked as “critical in the annual Rare Breeds Survival Trust watchlist.[HL3384]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord De Mauley) (Con): The 2012 UK Country Report on Farm animal genetic resources published by Defra and the Devolved Administrations in April 2013 describes what is being done to support breeds at risk and the current status of the UK’s rare breeds. The report sets out the progress that has been made in influencing animal health, environmental and biodiversity policies so that they recognise the role of rare breeds and in research to support conservation and sustainable use of these breeds. It also highlights areas of work planned including improving mechanisms for monitoring and developing conservation technologies. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust contributed to and fully supported the report.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/191781/pb13938-fangr-country-report-2012.pdf
Embryology
Question
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Anne Milton, on 19 June 2012 (HC Deb, 941–2W) regarding the increased risk identified from the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), for how long the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has believed that ICSI was “being used far too widely”, as described by the Chair of the HFEA in The Independent on 3 November; whether the HFEA is focusing on individual clinics with high ICSI levels, as recommended by Professor Allan Pacey in the same article; and, if so, how. [HL3288]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it is aware of the number of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles carried out at each licensed clinic and the rise in the aggregate number over the past few years. Its code of practice requires all licensed clinics to have clinical protocols that set out when
ICSI can be used. Decisions by the HFEA to investigate clinics with a particularly high use of ICSI are taken on a case by case basis.
Guantanamo Bay
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received the report of the August visit to Guantanamo Bay detention camp by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; and, if so, whether they will publish that report. [HL3393]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We have contacted the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concerning their visit to Guantanamo Bay in July 2013. We understand that this was a short needs assessment visit intended to determine whether or not it could add value for ODIHR to prepare a trial monitoring exercise. The visit was of a technical nature and there will therefore be no published report. We understand that ODIHR is still considering possible further activity relating to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
Health: Dermatology
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure nationwide implementation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Psoriasis quality standard published in August.[HL3385]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which quality of life measures are used by general practitioners when assessing the impact of skin disease on patients' lives.[HL3386]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from healthcare services lies with NHS England.
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 places a duty on NHS England to have regard to National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) quality standards. Clinical commissioning groups should also have regard to them in planning and delivering services, as part of a general duty to secure a continuous improvement in quality.
NHS England advises that it is working with NICE to ensure guidance and quality standards are available to commissioners and providers.
No assessment has been made of the extent to which quality of life measures are used by general practitioners when assessing the impact of skin disease on patients' lives.
Health: Pharmaceutical Pricing Schemes
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the agreement on a new Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, they intend to withdraw proposals for a Value Based Pricing Scheme. [HL3260]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government is committed to introducing a broader value assessment for new medicines covered by value-based pricing, through the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal programme.
As set out in my written statement on the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme on 6 November, Official Report, columns WS19-20, NICE will carry out a full public consultation before implementing its methods for broader value assessment in autumn 2014
Health: Tuberculosis
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for enhancing co-ordination between their responses to tuberculosis internationally and within the United Kingdom.[HL3319]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): The Government is working in a number of areas to ensure co-ordination between their national and international responses to tuberculosis (TB).
Public Health England (PHE) is leading a national oversight group to develop a national TB strategy. The Department for International Development and the Home Office contribute to cross government discussions on TB control in the United Kingdom and internationally.
PHE works in close collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization on TB prevention and control activities in the UK and internationally. UK TB surveillance and monitoring is integrated with international surveillance efforts, and PHE leads the European Reference Laboratory Network for TB.
The Home Office and PHE are collaborating closely in the roll out of pre-entry screening for lung TB for migrants from countries where TB is common who apply for a visa for longer than six months. Data sharing arrangements to ensure appropriate follow up of such migrants in the UK are being developed.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that patients who contract tuberculosis in the United Kingdom receive the best possible care, regardless of where they are in the country.[HL3320]
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the National Health Service meets the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines regarding nurse to patient ratios for tuberculosis patients.[HL3321]
Earl Howe: Since 2010, the Health Protection Agency, now part of Public Health England (PHE) has led the roll out and adoption of tuberculosis (TB) cohort review across the country. Cohort review involves the systematic periodic review of the management of all TB patients for treatment completion and contact investigation, and is a key component of TB program evaluation and improvement.
PHE is leading an oversight group for TB to develop a national TB strategy. The strategy will support the development of local TB networks in high incidence areas, including encouraging collaborative commissioning and more integrated service planning across the National Health Service, social care and public health sectors. National support to local TB networks will include conducting local service reviews, identifying evidence based interventions and monitoring achievements against national standards.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance in 2012 on recommended staffing ratios for TB patients. All clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a duty to take account of NICE guidelines. NHS England allocates funding to CCGs, who commission health services on behalf of their local population. It is for local CCGs to decide how to best use the funding allocated to them, underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs.
Housing: Social Housing
Questions
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assumptions were made about the response by tenants in social housing to the introduction of the under-occupancy charge in their estimate of the savings to the Exchequer the measure would generate.[HL3459]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): It was not possible to accurately anticipate behavioural change by either landlords or tenants prior to the introduction of the removal of the spare room subsidy. An assessment of the responses made to the change will be made as part of the two year independent evaluation that is currently underway.
The interim findings from the evaluation will be published early next year.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current estimate of the number of tenants in social housing affected by the under-occupancy charge who have taken in lodgers.[HL3460]
Lord Freud: The information requested is not available.
We are currently undertaking a two year independent evaluation which includes research on how those impacted have responded.
The interim findings from the evaluation will be published early next year and the final report will be available in 2015.
Internet: Regulation
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to regulate websites which encourage self-harming.[HL3171]
Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con): Government favours a self-regulatory approach to the internet; it is not for Government to tell media organisations whether they can publish certain content, beyond that which is illegal. Where websites include content which may encourage self-harm Government expects those website providers to act responsibly, for example by having robust processes in place for addressing content which contravenes acceptable use policies and by listening, and responding, to the concerns of their users.
In addition, the Prime Minister announced, following his summit of 18 November, that the four largest Internet Service Providers will shortly be delivering network-level family-friendly filters. Categories giving parents the opportunity to filter suicide or self-harm content will be offered by the majority of the ISPs.
Iran
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Statement by the Foreign Secretary on 8 October (HC Deb, col 27), what representations they will make to the government of Iran concerning its breaches of United Nations resolutions.[HL3373]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s continuing nuclear activities in contravention of UN Security Council Resolutions. We have repeatedly expressed these concerns to Iran in E3+3 talks, through the IAEA Board of Governors, in our bilateral engagement, and through the UN 1737 Committee. The most recent E3+3 negotiations with Iran have made progress towards a first step agreement that would create the confidence and space to negotiate
a comprehensive settlement of the nuclear issue. Negotiations will resume on 20 November. Throughout, we have been clear with Iran that UN Security Council resolutions (and sanctions) will remain in place until Iran has restored international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
Israel
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they will make to the government of Israel regarding that country's adherence to United Nations resolutions.[HL3374]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): We encourage all Member States to fulfil their obligations as Members of the UN wherever and whichever way those obligations are laid out. We routinely call on Israel to abide by such international obligations, and have a regular dialogue with Israel on issues contained in United Nations resolutions, including those relating to the Occupation, human rights and the Middle East Peace Process. We raised these same issues at Israel’s Universal Periodic Review session on 29 October.
National Archives
Question
Asked by Lord Lester of Herne Hill
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 8 November (WA 83), whether the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council on National Records and Archives will publish decisions taken at its meetings, including those taken at the Council's meeting scheduled on 14 November.[HL3383]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord McNally) (LD): Summaries of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on National Records and Archives’ quarterly meetings are published on The National Archives’ website. These can be found at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advisorycouncil
NHS: Accident and Emergency Services
Question
Asked by Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking with the College of Emergency Medicine and the Royal Medical Colleges to promote support for the work of emergency medicine consultants by consultants and trainees in other medical specialties.[HL3418]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe) (Con): Health Education England (HEE) is continuing to work with the National Health Service and the College of Emergency Medicine to support the work of emergency medicine consultants.
HEE is committed to working on a number of workforce innovations to help alleviate the workforce problems in accident and emergency departments. HEE is working with a number of different stakeholders (including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, NHS Employers, service providers and NHS England) through the Emergency Medicine Workforce Implementation Group to develop alternative training routes for Emergency Medicine and a range of mid-level non-doctor clinician posts.
Palestine
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to protect Palestinian-owned businesses in the West Bank from attack.[HL3375]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): It is not the role of the British Government to protect Palestinian-owned businesses in the West Bank, but we continue to build the capacity of the Palestinian security forces to protect the civilian population in the areas in which they operate. We also continue to stress to Israel the need for Israeli security forces to provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population as required by Israel’s obligations under international law, and to prosecute those extremist settlers committing violence and damaging property.
Railways: Franchises
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 7 November (WA 76), whether it will be a condition of bidding that franchisees receive a positive clearance from the competition authorities before their bid is accepted.[HL3355]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Kramer) (LD): The Department for Transport wishes to ensure that after the award of a franchise there is no risk of the franchise start being delayed or the scope of services jeopardised because of competition issues. Bidders are responsible for identifying any prohibitions, required divestments of interests or undertakings and for demonstrating to the Department that they have a strategy for mitigating any such issues.
Samaritans
Question
Asked by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they provide to the Samaritans.[HL3361]
Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD): Government supports the Samaritans in a range of ways. For instance, the Samaritans receive financial support from the Department of Health (DoH) in support of the ‘Call to Action on Suicide Prevention’ campaign, reducing lives lost to suicide and ensuring people bereaved or affected by suicide receive the right support. This complements the Government’s suicide prevention strategy. The Samaritans Annual Report 2012/13 also details £451K funding from the National Offender Management Service for the delivery of the Listener Schemes in Prison.
The Samaritans is a federated structure of more than 200 branches who use the Samaritans brand in their delivery and it is difficult to quantify the level of support which goes to central office and the level going to local support services.
Government also provides non-financial support, for example Guildford Samaritans received the Queen’s Award for voluntary service in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2013.
Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to monitor the effects of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 on small and medium-sized enterprises.[HL3343]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The Home Secretary will review the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 and publish a report to Parliament before 30 September 2018. The report will set out the objectives intended to be achieved by the Act and the extent to which they have been achieved. The impact of the Act on small and medium-sized businesses will form a part of that overall assessment.
Scrap Metal: Theft
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many instances of metal theft there have been in (1) England, and (2) Cornwall, in each of the last three years.[HL3456]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): The information requested is not available for earlier years, from the police recorded crime data collected by the Home Office. However, data on metal thefts recorded in
England and Wales is due to be published for the first time on 28 November 2013. This will cover the number of offences involving metal theft in 2012/13, both at a national level and by police force area.
Syria
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the numbers of women and children now held in prisons in Syria; and whether they foresee any ways of securing their release. [HL3353]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con): The situation inside Syria and the difficulty of acquiring reliable data means
that the UK is not in a position to make an independent estimate of the number of women and children in detention. However we note with great concern the UN Commission of Inquiry report in September, which stated that thousands of people had been apprehended since the start of the conflict, with most suffering a string of interwoven human rights violations. We are also aware of non-governmental organisations who are working on the issue of human rights violations of detainees.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has supported the Syrian National Coalition’s call for the release of detainees, most recently in his Statement to Parliament on 11 November. In addition, the London 11 communiqué in October re-affirmed support for the Geneva I communiqué which called for the release of “arbitrarily detained persons, including especially vulnerable categories of persons”.