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We know of some 40 British civilians that have died in Iraq since March 2003 and four have died in Afghanistan since March 2004. These numbers include deaths from natural causes but are not definitive figures as records include only those where consular assistance has been sought. The figures do not include British dual nationals.
Iraq: Protection of Armed Forces
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures they propose to take in Iraq to protect members of the Armed Forces from excessive personal risk.[HL6285]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): In addition to the very comprehensive training received by all UK Armed Forces personnel, those deploying to Iraq receive theatre-specific pre-deployment training, which includes weapons training and force protection measures. In theatre, all personnel are subject to the reception, staging and onward integration process, which includes further weapons training and familiarisation with the area of operations. All troops deploying to Iraq are issued with enhanced combat body armour as standard. Commanders employ force protection measures as appropriate and these are kept under continual review.
Learning and Skills Councils
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Adonis on 14 June (WA 25), whether they propose that the annual Department for Education and Skills grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will provide an indication of how funding will be distributed on both a regional and local basis to each individual LSC.[HL6500]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): The annual grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) sets out the total budget that will be allocated for the next financial year along with indicative allocations for any remaining years of the spending review period. It does not include allocations below the national level.
The LSC was set up to plan and fund post-16 learning, based on a detailed assessment of learning and skill needs. It works with a range of partners to inform the assessment of national, regional, sector and local priorities. This planning and funding system is responsive to the customers of education and training and must be driven by need, not by central design. It is for the LSC national office to allocate its budget to local areas, and for them to determine how resources can best be used to raise participation and learning and skills levels in the areas they serve. The LSC's regional directors also have a key role to play in agreeing plans, budgets and targets locally to ensure that both regional and local skill needs are met.
Licensing Act 2003: Bonded Warehouses
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in light of the controls already in place for bonded warehouses where alcohol is stored and in view of the case for discreet operation, it is
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Whether they support (a) the exercise of administrative discretion by licensing authorities; and (b) the absence of any requirement for bonded warehouses to obtain premises and personal licences under the Licensing Act 2003; and [HL6504]
Whether they are aware of any differences in the licensing requirements for bonded warehouses as a result of the various interpretations of the Licensing Act 2003 made by licensing authorities. [HL6505]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The holding and management of stocks of alcohol are not themselves licensable activities. Provided the alcohol is not sold to another party, there will be no need for a licence. A licence is not required for sales of alcohol from premises owned or leased by the seller for consumption off the premises, where the sale is made:
to a trader for the purposes of his trade;to a club, which holds a club premises certificate, for the purposes of that club; to the holder of a personal licence for the purpose of making sales authorised by a premises licence;to the holder of a premises licence for the purpose of making sales authorised by that licence; orto the premises user in relation to a temporary event notice for the purpose of making sales authorised by that notice.The full range of activities carried out in any individual warehouse should be considered carefully, and legal advice sought if necessary, before any decision is made about the need for an authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act). The 2003 Act devolved the administration of licensing to individual licensing authorities, normally the local authority, and it is not for the Government to seek to direct that they adopt specific interpretations of the law.
In the first instance, it is for individual licensing authorities to interpret the law on the basis of their own legal advice. An appeal mechanism has been built into the 2003 Act to ensure that licensing authority interpretations can be challenged in the courts to ensure that they are reasonable and fair.
Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have assessed to what extent Section 192(1)(b) of the Licensing Act 2003 favours large operators who can supply to the trade from their own warehouses rather than small operators who use a third-party facility.[HL6506]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government have not yet made an assessment of the impact of Section 192(1)(b) of the Licensing Act 2003. The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of the Act throughout its first year of full operation and
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Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will reconsider their advice on the licensing requirements for bonded warehouses in the forthcoming review of the guidance to the Licensing Act 2003, especially when such warehouses are being operated discreetly.[HL6503]
Lord Davies of Oldham: We have made some amendments to the guidance on wholesale trading. These were published in the supplementary guidance which was laid in Parliament on 22 June 2006, and which came into force on the same day. A full review of the guidance is also being conducted, including a formal public consultation. As a result of this process, we expect to lay a revised version of the guidance before Parliament by the end of 2006.
It is important to recognise that guidance cannot amend primary legislation or direct particular interpretations of it.
Local Government: Refuse Collection
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are considering the introduction of separate charges for refuse collection by local authorities in England, on either a compulsory or permissive basis.[HL6441]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): We have no current plans to introduce charging for household waste. The Government are considering what further steps are needed to tackle household waste as part of the review of the waste strategy, which will be published later this year. We are also looking at the spending pressures local authorities face, with regard to waste management, ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Variable charging is one of a number of tools that could be used to encourage waste minimisation and recycling of household waste. Local authorities already have powers to run incentive schemes or require householders to separate their waste for recycling. Recent research shows that at least half of English local authorities have run, or are running, some form of incentive scheme and some, such as Barnet, require householders to separate their recycling.
Many countries, including some in the European Union, have introduced successful household waste charging schemes, achieving reductions in waste arisings and increases in the separation of waste for recycling.
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NHS: Wales
Lord Crickhowell asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the average hospital bed occupancy rate in Wales in 1979; and for each five years from 1979 to 2003-04.[HL6542]
| Hospital bed occupancy | |
| All specialities | % |
Lord Crickhowell asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the number of hospitals in Wales in each of the main categories, including district general, community, geriatric and mental illness in 1979; and for each five years from 1979 to 2003-04. [HL6543]
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: Information is not available in the requested categories. However, figures are available for total number of hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals, during this period.
Police: Reorganisation
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the name of each external consultancy firm or consultant employed by the Home Office to advise on the proposed amalgamation relating to the Essex police constabulary; whether they will provide a summary of the work undertaken; and what was the cost in each case.[HL5875]
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Consultants were contracted to assess the business cases from the eastern region, including those for Essex constabulary. Their work contributed to the case for amalgamation for Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire which can be found on the Home Office police restructuring website at wwww.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/police-reform/force-restructuring. The following consultancy firms worked on business cases in the eastern region: KPMG, Walker-Cox, Ernst & Young, Accenture and Methods. It is not possible to identify separately the cost relating to Essex.
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the estimated cost of the rationalisation of police authorities under their plans for police force restructuring.[HL6328]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The currently projected cost of proposed amalgamation of English and Welsh forces announced so far remains around £391 million. Long-term savings made possible by mergers also remain currently around £145 million a year.
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