House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 Mar 1993

Prerogative Powers

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions since 1987 the Government have bound the United Kingdom under international law by virtue of Ministers' prerogative powers ; and on which of these occasions prior approval was sought from Parliament.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Ministers do not have prerogative powers. All treaties entered into by the United Kingdom are concluded by Her Majesty's Government exercising the royal prerogative on behalf of the Crown. Ratification of treaties only exceptionally requires prior parliamentary

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approval, but all treaties which are subject to ratification are brought to Parliament's attention by being laid before both Houses for a minimum of 21 days. If primary or secondary legislation is required in order to ensure compliance with obligations arising under a treaty, the Government will not ratify a treaty until such legislation has been implemented. The information sought regarding which treaties required prior approval or legislation is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Zaire

Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government made to the Government of Zaire concerning human rights.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We are gravely concerned about the widespread abuses of human rights in Zaire, caused notably by the lack of control of the security forces. We intend to support a resolution at the current session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights deploring the continued serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Zaire.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

Tools for Self Reliance

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Tools for Self Reliance campaign ; and what action he is taking to assist the replenishment and supply of tools to developing countries.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have received a number of representations as a result of the Tools for Self Reliance campaign. The supply of appropriate technology, including hand tools, forms part of many of our aid projects, both those we support directly and those managed by non-governmental organisations. These include rural development projects, promotion of small enterprises and agricultural rehabilitation following natural or manmade disasters.

South Africa

Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government about their continued detention of black South African political prisoners in contravention of the Pretoria minute, signed in 1990, and the Further Idemnity Bill, gazetted in 1992.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have made it clear to the South African Government, and to all other concerned parties that the question of political prisoners and any other remaining disagreements should be resolved as soon as possible and should not be allowed to adversely affect progress on constitutional negotiations.

HEALTH

Oral Contraceptives

Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 5 February, to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo), Official

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Report, columns 376-77, and 11 February, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe), Official Report, columns 757-59, which brands of oral contraceptives are currently available on prescription ; and if she will list (a) the hormone dosages and (b) the cost of a month's supply for Eugynon 50, Minilyn, Minovlar, Minovlar ED, Norimin and Ovulen 50.

Dr. Mawhinney : The brands of oral contraceptives available on prescription are as follows :

Combined Oral Contraceptives

Binovum

Brevinor

Cilest

Conova 30

Eugynon 30

Femodene

Femodene ED

Loestrin 20

Loestrin 30

Logynon

Logynon ED

Marvelon

Mercilon

Microgynon 30

Minulet

Neocon 1.35

Norimin

Norinyl-1

Ortho-Novin 1/50

Ovran

Ovran 30

Ovranette

Ovysmen

Synphase

Tiadene

Tri-minulet

Triordiol

Trinovum

Trinovum ED

Emergency Contraception

Schering PC4

Progesterone-only Contraceptives

Femulen

Micronor

Microval

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Neogest

Norgeston

Noriday

Eugynon 50, Minilyn, Minovlar, Minovlar ED and Ovulen 50 have been discontinued. The hormone dosages and price of Norimin are as follows :


Active constituents                     |Price (one month's                     

                                        |supply)                                

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Norethisterone 1mg. Ethinyloestadiol 35                                         

  micrograms                            |65p

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out into the side effects of cheaper varieties of the oral contraceptive pill ; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney : Before any medicinal product may be marketed in the United Kingdom it is subject to stringent testing for safety, quality, and efficacy to enable a product licence to be granted by the licensing authority. Thereafter the safety of all licensed medicinal products is carefully monitored. Neither the licensing authority nor its advisory committee, the Committee on Safety of Medicines has the remit to take into consideration the cost of a medicine.

General Practitioners

Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has establishing the cost-effectiveness of those general practitioner services for which practitioners receive an item of service payment.

Dr. Mawhinney : Within the general practitioner remuneration system, item of service fees are paid in a wide variety of circumstances, some to promote specific health policies--for example, for certain immunisations-- and others to reflect variations in workload--for example, for providing treatment in the case of an accident involving a patient not on the practice list. There is no single way of measuring cost effectiveness in all such cases.

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NHS Employees (Freedom of Speech)

Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the final guidelines on freedom of speech for NHS employees will be published.

Dr. Mawhinney : We expect the final guidance to be issued shortly.

Elderly People, Newcastle

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate for the number of adults aged over 65, over 75 and over 85 years in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne (a) in 1982 and (b) in each year since 1986.

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Mr. Sackville : The information is shown in the table. The figures for 1991 are not fully comparable with those for earlier years. The provisional 1991 estimates have been based upon early 1991 census results, and are considerably more reliable than the current estimates for earlier years. The final estimates for 1991 will be issued in June 1993, after which the estimates for 1982-1990 will be revised to provide a consistent time series using data for both the 1981 and the 1991 censuses.

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