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Speech Therapy
Baroness Uddin asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the Department of Health has planned a recruitment drive to attract specialist speech therapists[HL136]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Government are implementing a range of measures to recruit more healthcare professionals, including speech and language therapists. These include improving pay and conditions, encouraging the National Health Service to become a better, more flexible and diverse employer, increasing training, investing in childcare and continuing professional development, attracting back returners and running national and international recruitment campaigns. As at September 2002, there were 5,960 speech and language therapists employed in the NHS, an increase of 1,089 or 22 per cent since 1997.
Prescription Charges
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What data are available on the number of prescriptions written in England for English residents, but taken to chemists in Wales to dispense so as to avoid prescription charges.[HL288]
Lord Warner: The data available in England are in respect of the total number of items prescribed in Wales and dispensed in the community in England. Data in respect of items prescribed in England and dispensed in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How the Department of Health is working with the National Assembly for Wales to avoid abuse of free prescriptions for under 25 year-olds in Wales.[HL289]
Lord Warner: The Department of Health has regular contacts with the National Assembly for Wales at all levels on a wide range of health issues. However, prescription charges and exemption arrangements within Wales are a matter for the National Assembly itself.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Lord Roberts of Conwy asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish a comparative table showing hospital waiting lists in England and Wales.[HL334]
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there is a difference in the definition of waiting lists and waiting times for specific specialities and services between England and Wales.[HL352]
Lord Warner: For England waiting times information is collected from all National Health Service trusts and primary care trusts where these organisations provide either a consultant-led inpatient service or a consultant-led outpatient service or both. The information is collected at specialty level and covers waits for elective inpatient admission and first consultant outpatient appointment following general practitioner or general dental practitioner referral. The information is also collected on a commissioner basis and primary care trusts submit specialty level data on patients waiting for services for which they have commissioned.
Waiting lists for England are published by English commissioners and providers on the following website www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes. Welsh waiting lists are a devolved matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Elections: Postal Voting
Lord Norton of Louth asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking to ensure the security of the ballot in elections held by postal voting.[HL141]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin): There are already in place arrangements designed to protect the security of postal votes, in that postal voters are required to include with their returned ballot paper a declaration verifying their identity.
The Government recognise though that there has been some public concern about the security of all-postal elections. While the Electoral Commission's evaluation of the pilots held at the 2002 and 2003 local elections found no evidence of absent voting leading to an increase in fraudulent activity, the Government are not complacent. Therefore, the European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Bill includes two specific security measures—extending the power of arrest without warrant for personation to any location; and extending the time by which a prosecution must be commenced.
Further security measures, such as the use of watermarked or 'under-printed' ballot papers will also be included in the order setting out the detailed arrangements for the individual pilot schemes.
The Government are also actively considering which Electoral Commission recommendations aimed at increasing security and improving public confidence should become permanently included in UK electoral legislation.
Radio Frequency Identification Tags
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider that the use of radio frequency identification tags on consumer goods represents risk to civil liberty and privacy; and, if so, whether they have any plans to initiate an inquiry into such use.[HL153]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on consumer goods does not represent a risk to civil liberty or privacy. RFID tags merely identify objects and where such data are associated with personal information the provisions of the Data Protection Act apply. The Department of Trade and Industry sees no need for an inquiry into the use of RFID technologies at this time.
The Department of Trade and Industry is monitoring trends and developments in the use of RFID technology and is engaged with RFID technology suppliers, users, consumer and civil liberties representatives, the Home Office and the Department of Constitutional Affairs to identify real and perceived risks and agree means of addressing these.
UK Space Strategy 2003–06 and Beyond
Baroness Hilton of Eggardon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the UK space strategy 2003–06 and beyond has been published.[HL447]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The UK space strategy 2003–06 and beyond was published on 16 December. It was agreed after wide consultation in government and the space community and with other interested parties. It sets out our objectives of enhancing the
UK's standing in astronomy, planetary and environmental sciences; stimulating increased productivity by promoting the use of space in government, science and commerce; and developing innovative space systems to deliver sustainable improvement in quality of life. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses, and on the BNSC website www.bnsc.gov.ukEmployment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What the outcome was of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council held on 1–2 December.[HL444]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Smith, Member for Oxford East), my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Competition and Consumers (Gerry Sutcliffe, Member for Bradford South), and my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Health (John Hutton, Member for Barrow and Furness) represented the UK.
The Council reached partial political agreement on the articles of a new regulation to replace Regulation 1408/71 co-ordinating social security systems for people moving from one member state to another. In particular, member states reached a compromise on unemployment benefit for people who live in a member state other than the one where they last worked. This relates to a reimbursement system that member states have agreed to: the last state of work will reimburse part of the unemployment benefit paid by the state of residence. The UK retains a parliamentary scrutiny on this regulation.
The Council discussed the Commission communication on structural indicators for next year's spring Council and took note of the opinions of the Economic Policy Committee, the Working Group on Environment, Employment Committee and Social Protection Committee. The presidency invited the General Affairs and External Relations Council to adopt joint conclusions as close as possible to the existing draft.
The Council adopted conclusions on disability, on immigration, integration and employment and on gender equality indicators. The Council also agreed a general approach on a Council decision establishing a Social Protection Committee. Council noted the other business items without comment.
In the consumer affairs part of the Council, a resolution on the safety of services was adopted without comment. There was a general policy discussion on the proposed EC Regulation on Consumer Protection Co-operation, and the UK supported the proposal.
The main health business related to the proposal for a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Discussion focused on the scope of the centre, which is due to be operational by 2005, with member states agreeing it should concentrate initially on communicable disease, with the possibility of broadening the remit following external evaluation of its operations at a later date. Issues still to be resolved include the legal base, where the UK retained its reserve, and data protection requirements.
A draft Council decision was adopted authorising the Commission to negotiate the revision of the International Health Regulations under the framework of the World Health Organisation, within its area of competence.
The Council conclusions emerging from a conference on Healthy Lifestyles: Education, Information and Communication were adopted. These cover action on lifestyles monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment, aimed to help to develop a European action plan to promote healthy lifestyles.
The Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening advocating mass cancer screening through clearly established and scientifically proven methods in quality controlled screening programmes was also adopted, as was the Council Resolution on Pharmaceuticals and Public Health Challenges—Focusing on the Patients.
The Council adopted Council conclusions on medical devices which acknowleged the importance of medical devices in health and social care, endorse the good work done so far and invite further work to strengthen co-ordination, interpretation and implementation of the sectoral directives in the interests of protecting public health.
The Council received information from the Italian Presidency on the threat posed by malaria. The French delegation presented information on raising tobacco tax to help to reduce tobacco consumption and the Irish delegation presented proposals for the forthcoming Irish presidency where the emphasis will be placed on cardiovascular disease and e-health matters.
No votes were taken at this Council.
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