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Zimbabwe: England Cricket Tour
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in view of the status report on Zimbabwe outlined in the letter of 23 January from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the England and Wales Cricket Board, they will make a recommendation on whether the England cricket tour to Zimbabwe in October 2004 should go ahead.[HL1028]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The decision on whether to tour Zimbabwe is for the England and Wales Cricket Board to make.
Iraq: Local Councils
Lord Acton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proportion of the local and provincial councils in Iraq are directly elected.[HL1084]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Local and provincial councils throughout Iraq have been established, to varying degrees, through a mix of appointment, caucus-based elections and consultations. After the transition, it will be up to the new provisional Iraqi government to consider local governance under the terms of the Transitional Administrative Law—until a new constitution is in place by the end of 2005.
Western Sahara
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they will take, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, to secure Morocco's adherence to the United Nations peace plan for western Sahara within the three-month extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for a Referendum on western Sahara.[HL1085]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We will continue to urge Morocco to engage constructively with the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy, James Baker III, on the current Baker peace plan for western Sahara, to reach a solution that is acceptable to all parties and which allows for self-determination for the people of western Sahara.
Middle East: Gaza Settlements
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are encouraging the government of Israel to develop and implement their proposals for removing settlements from the whole of the Gaza strip.[HL1122]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: As we have made clear, we consider all settlements in the Occupied Territories illegal under international law and an obstacle to a comprehensive peace in the region. The Government regularly press the Israeli Government to freeze settlement activity and dismantle outposts in line with Israel's commitments under the road map. Any withdrawals consistent with the road map and which can help to produce a lasting solution are to be welcomed.
Voluntary Work: Insurance
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to reduce burdens of liability and regulation that fall upon individuals undertaking voluntary work. [HL859]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The burdens of liability and regulation that fall upon individuals undertaking voluntary work have been the subject of close interest by this Government for some time. Formal representations on these issues have rightly been directed to the Home Office, which is responsible for the voluntary and community sector, to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which is leading a government review of the employers' liability insurance system, and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), which is leading a government review of regulatory issues.
The Active Community Unit in the Home Office set up the Insurance Cover Working Group (ICWG) in July 2002, to look into insurance difficulties for the voluntary and community sector and advise on practical solutions. The ICWG engaged consultants Alison Millward Associates to undertake a study into the current position regarding the provision of insurance for the voluntary and community sector, including employers' liability, public liability and professional liability, and to make practical recommendations that will bring relief to the problems. The consultants' report was delivered to the ICWG in June 2003.
The DWP-led review of employers' liability aimed to assess the case for reforming employers' liability compulsory insurance (ELCI) and to identify the objectives and options for such reform. The second stage of its report was published at the end of 2003. The Better Regulation Task Force, acting for the DCA, aims to publish its findings later this year.
Action is already being taken following the publication of the DWP review and following careful consideration and wide consultation, a cross-departmental response to the consultants' proposed action plan is being drafted by the ICWG. This will be published at the beginning of March. All the accepted practical recommendations of these reports will be implemented in partnership with the voluntary and community sector, the insurance industry, local authorities and government departments.
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 January (WA 5–6), whether, in accordance with the recommendation of the Newton committee and the terms of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, both Houses of Parliament will be given the opportunity to debate all the recommendations of the Newton committee separately from deciding whether to renew the provisions of the Act.[HL1035]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave to my noble friend Lady Hayman on 19 January (col. 840). There will be separate debates in both Houses.
Good Practice Safety Guide
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State at the Home Office, Hazel Blears MP, on 11 November 2003 (HC Deb, col. 246W), when they intend to publish the event safety best practice guide.[HL1061]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The guide, which is now likely to be called the good practice safety guide, provides guidance to organisers of sporting and non-sporting events. We are currently awaiting clearance on the final draft from key partners. We expect that it will be published shortly.
Local Authorities: Local Advocacy Plans
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will place a statutory requirement on local authorities to produce a local advocacy plan.[HL936]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The Government have no plans to introduce such a requirement.
Gulf War 1990–91: Vaccines
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When Ministers were first made aware of the report dated 22 September 2001 by Lieutenant-Colonel Graham Howe, of the British Forces Health Service in Germany, on Lance Corporal Alexander Izett's previously unexplained illnesses after receiving multiple vaccinations for his intended deployment to the Gulf for the 1990–91 conflict.[HL979]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): I refer my noble friend to my Written Answers of 26 January 2004 (Official Report col. WA 10) and 28 January 2004, (Official Report, col. WA 43). The medical report in question was requested in order to assist with assessment of an individual war pensions claim and was specific to that case. Ministers are not involved in the determination of individual claims and were not, therefore, made aware of this report until it was first raised by the media on 12 January 2004.
A400M: Defensive Aids Sub-system
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many of the 25 A400Ms on order by the United Kingdom will be fitted with the defensive aids sub-system.[HL1147]
Lord Bach: Nine A400Ms will be delivered fitted with the defensive aids sub-system (DASS). The remaining 16 aircraft will be delivered ready for DASS to be fitted.
Obesity
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the annual cost to the National Health Service of problems associated with obesity and excessive body weight; and what estimates have been made of the annual cost of these problems to the United Kingdom economy, measured in terms of absences from work, social security benefits, premature retirement and early mortality, or any other indicator.[HL938]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The National Audit Office report Tackling Obesity in England, published in 2001, estimated that the direct cost to the National Health Service of treating obesity in 1998 was £9.5 million. Treating the consequences of obesity cost the National Health Service approximately £469.9 million per year, or about 1.5 per cent of the total NHS expenditure for that year.
Combining the direct cost of £479 million and indirect costs (earnings lost due to premature mortality and sickness absence) of £2.150 billion, the total estimated cost of obesity in England in 1998 was £2.6 billion. If the prevalence of obesity continues to rise at the present rate until 2010, the annual costs are estimated to increase by £1 billion, to £3.6 billion.
The total number of incapacity benefit (IB) beneficiaries at August 2003 was 1.5 million, of whom 900,000 have a diagnosis of obesity. The average weekly amount of IB in payment to people with a diagnosis of obesity is £78.85.
The Secretary of State for Health announced on Tuesday 3 February 2004 a period of consultation on a public health White Paper. This will provide the overarching framework for work on diet and nutrition, physical activity (tobacco and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)), and obesity that the Department of Health and other government departments are already engaged in. The consultation will trigger a wide-ranging debate with the public, the media, industry, voluntary groups and health professionals about how the nation can best tackle issues like obesity, smoking and STIs.
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