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Iraq: Deaths of Civilians Employed by British Forces
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What compensation is paid to the families of Iraqis murdered while working as interpreters or translators for British forces; and[HL1964]
How many Iraqis working as interpreters or translators for British forces have been murdered since March last year.[HL1963]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): We are not aware of any Iraqis working as interpreters or translators for British forces who have been murdered. There is no provision for death benefit in the contracts of locally employed civilians.
Cyprus
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What areas of (a) Dhekelia and (b) Akrotiri Sovereign Bases in Cyprus will be transferred to the Cypriot authorities as part of a new settlement in Cyprus; and what areas will be transferred to the areas controlled by (i) Greek Cypriots and (ii) Turkish Cypriots.[HL2316]
Lord Bach: An offer to return areas of land currently within the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus formed part of the proposed settlement which was the subject of a referendum on 24 April. Regrettably, the Greek Cypriots rejected this proposal. The transfer of land will not therefore be implemented.
Iraq: Depleted Uranium Contamination
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 14 January (WA 87–88), how many United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel have been tested for total uranium in their urine; how many have had a follow-up isotope test; and what were the results of the follow-up tests.[HL2570]
Lord Bach: As at 29 April 2004, 290 test results had been received. Because of lower than expected demand for the testing, it has been possible to offer the total uranium test followed by the isotope test to all applicants. Detailed results are medically confidential. However, only a very small number of individuals have been found to have depleted uranium in their urine and all of these received injuries in "blue-on-blue" incidents. Only natural uranium was present in all the other samples.
Joint Combat Aircraft
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many aircraft will be procured under the Joint Combat Aircraft project.[HL2596]
Lord Bach: While no final decisions have been taken, our current planning assumption is that we will buy up to 150 short take off and vertical landing variants of the Joint Strike Fighter to meet our Joint Combat Aircraft requirement.
Licensing Act 1964: Section 77 Certificates
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, in light of the judgment on 7 April of the Court of Appeal in the case R (Luminar Leisure Ltd) v Crown Court at Norwich, a special hours certificate granted under Section 77 of the Licensing Act 1964 as amended will have to be reviewed individually to see whether customers resort to the premises for music or dancing or substantial refreshment during the extra permitted time; and whether, in examining any application for conversion of an existing alcohol, public entertainment, theatre, cinema, late-night refreshment house or night cafe licence, to which a special hours certificate is attached, into a premises licence, the licensing authority will have a duty to ensure that the conditions specified in this judgment are satisfied.[HL2539]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): The Licensing Act 1964 does not provide for any automatic review by the licensing justices of special hours certificates issued under Section 77 of that Act and the judgment of the Court of Appeal on 7 April does not require one. Once issued, a special hours certifcate remains in force for the lifetime
of the associated justices' on-licence, subject to its revocation. If the justices' on-licence for the premises is not renewed or is itself revoked, the special hours certificate would cease to have effect. If at any time while a special hours certificate is in force the premises ceases to hold a music and dancing licence issued by the local authority or a casino licence issued under the Gaming Act 1968, the Section 77 certificate is revoked automatically. At any time, it is also open to the chief officer of police to apply to the licensing justices for the revocation of a certificate, if:
- the premises have not been used as mentioned in Section 77 of the 1964 Act; or
- because a person has been convicted of selling alcohol at the premises outside of permitted hours; or
- on the whole, the persons resorting to the premises or part of them are there for the purpose of obtaining intoxicating liquor rather than for an appropriate purpose; or
- it is expedient by reason of the occurrence of disorderly or indecent conduct in the premises or any part of it to which the certificate relates.
Under Schedule 8 to the Licensing Act 2003, where an applicant applies to convert an existing licence and is successful, the licence must be granted subject to conditions which reproduce the effect of any restriction imposed on the use of the premises for the existing licensable activities under the relevant existing licence or licences, which includes a special hours certificate. When a special hours certificate is included in such an application, the requirements to provide music and dancing and substantial refreshment (or to be licensed as a casino) would be reproduced as a condition of the new premises licence.
Subtitling, Signing and Audio Description
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether current proposals from Ofcom on setting interim targets for subtitling, signing and audio description give full effect to the proposals set out in the regulatory impact assessment in connection with the Communications Bill and in statements made by Ministers during the passage of the Bill.[HL2552]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: It was our stated intention throughout the passage of the Communications Act that the legislation should give Ofcom the ability to set interim targets for broadcasters to meet on the way to reaching their 10-year access services targets. The regulatory impact assessment made a number of assumptions about possible interim targets for the purposes of estimating the related costs but these were not proposals.
During the passage of the Act in the House of Lords, we recognised the strength of feeling about promoting services to people with sensory impairments. This is why we introduced a fixed five-year interim subtitling target of 60 per cent for broadcasters to ensure progression before the 10th anniversary.
Anti-doping Agency
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What conclusions were reached on the future of the United Kingdom's Anti-doping Agency at the meeting of the Sports Cabinet on Tuesday 20 April.[HL2558]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The Sports Cabinet noted the recommendations of the PMP report and agreed that further work be undertaken and presented, for decision, to the Sports Cabinet in July.
Inland Revenue: Outstanding Taxpayer Debt
Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Of the outstanding £14 billion owed by taxpayers at 31 March 2003 as set out in the National Audit Office publication The Recovery of Debt by the Inland Revenue, what were the amounts outstanding:
(a) between one and two years;
(b) between two and three years;
(c) between three and four years;
(d) between four and five years; and
(e) over five years,
distinguishing in each case between PAYE, self-assessed income tax and corporation tax; and what were the comparable figures at 31 March for each of the previous five years.[HL2562]
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As mentioned in the National Audit Office report, over £3 billion owed by taxpayers was more than one year old at 31 March 2003, but it has not been possible further to analyse the figure of £14 billion. Comparable figures for previous years are not available.
Baroness Masham of Ilton asked Her Majesty's Government:
For each of the last three years for which figures are available, what was the cost of performing abortions in National Health Service hospitals and in private hospitals; and[HL2287]
What is the total number of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990); and, of these, how many were performed to save the life of the mother.[HL2288]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The total number of abortions performed in, and on residents of, England, Wales and Scotland, in National Health Service and private hospitals, are shown in the tables:
(1) provisional
Source:
Statistical Division, Department of Health
(2) provisional
Less than 0.2 per cent. of abortions performed in Scotland are to non-residents of Scotland.
Source:
The Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency to the NHS in Scotland.
The cost of performing abortions in NHS hospitals in England was £32.7 million in 2000–01; £35.7 million in 2001–02 and £38.2 million in 2002–03.
Information on the cost of abortions performed in the independent sector, whether NHS-funded or privately funded, is not held centrally.
The number of abortions performed in England and Wales on residents of England and Wales in the years 1968 to 2002 was 4.73 million. Of these 39,757 were performed under Sections 1(1)(c) and 1(4) of the Abortion Act 1967. These are cases where the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the
life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated or where the termination is immediately necessary to save the life or to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
For each of the last three years for which figures are available, what was the total number of abortions performed in England and Wales, and in Scotland; how many were performed in National Health Service hospitals; and how many in private hospitals; and[HL2286]bjc
NHS Private TOTAL
2002(1) 73,155 102,749 175,904
2001 76,190 100,511 176,701
2000 81,096 94,791 175,887
NHS Private TOTAL
2002(1) 11,446 148 11,594
2001 11,975 151 12,126
2000 11,815 180 11,995
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