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Gulf War 1990–91: Vaccines
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that neither the use of organophosphates as pesticides nor of pyridostigmine bromide to protect against nerve gas could have exposed troops involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict to neurotoxins; and when pyridostigmine bromide was last given to British troops. [HL4496]
Lord Bach: Our approach continues to be guided by the balance of scientific evidence available. No case of acute organophosphate poisoning was recorded in UK troops in the Gulf in 1990–91. The current balance of evidence does not support the existence of adverse health effects arising from long-term low dose organophosphate exposure.
The published peer-reviewed scientific evidence confirms that there can be short-term effects associated with pyridostigmine, and these were identified in personnel in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict. However, the adverse effects reduce and disappear when the use of pyridostigmine bromide is discontinued. Pyridostigmine bromide in the form of nerve agent pre-treatment set (NAPS) tablets was last issued to Service personnel deployed during OP TELIC in 2003.
Royal Navy: Visits to Chile
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What visits of Royal Navy vessels to Chilean ports were planned for July and August this year; and which of those visits actually took place. [HL4512]
Lord Bach: There were no visits by Royal Navy vessels to Chilean ports during July and August this year. A visit from HMS "Leeds Castle" was planned, but in the event, the port visit offered by the Chilean authorities proved impractical due to time and distance constraints.
Royal Navy: Disposals
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: On current plans, the fleet ships and submarines listed will reach the end of their service lives on the following dates and will then be disposed of:
1 Nov 2004 : Column WA9
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: There are no plans to dispose of Royal Navy fixed-wing aircraft in the period up to the end of 2007. The Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft, which form part of joint force Harrier and come under the command and control of RAF strike command, will be withdrawn from service by 31 March 2006 and will be available subsequently for disposal.
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Bach: The only planned disposal of Royal Navy helicopters between now and the end of 2007 are the withdrawal from service of the remaining two Sea King Mk6 aircraft. This will take place by March 2006.
Gulf Veterans Medical Assessment Programme
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
How long Colonel Bhatt worked for the Medical Assessment Programme of the Ministry of Defence; and when and why he ceased to do so. [HL4547]
Lord Bach: Colonel Bhatt worked as a service consultant physician in the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme from November 1996 to June 1997. As was made clear in paragraph 14 of the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses: A New Beginning document, published on 14 July 1997, he left at his own request to go to another post.
HMCS "Chicoutimi"
Lord Trefgarne asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Royal Navy was responsible for certifying the seaworthiness of the Canadian submarine HMCS "Chicoutimi" (formerly HMS "Upholder") before it set sail for Canada recently. [HL4577]
Lord Bach: Following refurbishment and reactivation, HMCS "Chicoutimi" (formerly HMS "Upholder") met all appropriate Royal Navy standards for acceptance and operational service, by the handover to the Canadians on 2 October 2004. The Royal Navy endorsed the submarine's clearance for sea using the Royal Navy's acceptance procedures.
Council Tax
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they intend to undertake a revaluation of domestic properties in England for the purpose of council tax. [HL4663]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The revaluation of the English domestic property stock will start after the antecedent valuation date (AVD) that being 1 April 2005. Thereafter a new property list based on the values as at the AVD will be published in draft on 1 September 2006, six months before the list comes into force for council tax billing purposes on 1 April 2007.
Local Government Finance
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
What would have been the total cost this year if the ceilings applied to the new formula grant scheme for local authorities in England, broken down by class of authority, had not been applied and floors had been maintained. [HL4666]
Lord Rooker: The White Paper Strong Local Leadership—Quality Public Services announced our intention of having floors and ceilings within the local government finance settlement. The floors ensure that all authorities receive a reasonable increase in grant each year on a like-for-like basis. These must be paid for within the total amount of grant that goes to authorities each year. If there had been no ceilings then the full cost of the floor would have to have been met by the scaling factor.
The total cost of floors for each floor and ceiling group for 2004–05 is tabled below:
Diabetes
Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much diabetes types 1 and 2 cost the National Health Service annually; whether they will institute a universal screening programme for type 2 diabetes; and whether they will provide funding for the self-monitoring of blood glucose for those with type 2 diabetes.[HL4575] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The recent report by Wanless Securing good health for the whole population: Final report—February 2004 states that the total cost of treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes is £1.3 billion per year.
The evidence does not support general population screening for type 2 diabetes. There is emerging evidence to suggest that it may be clinically and cost effective to screen specific sub-groups of the population who are at high risk of developing diabetes. The National Service Framework for Diabetes: Delivery Strategy committed the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) to advise the Department of Health by 2005 on the most effective policy for screening for type 2 diabetes. The NSC is undertaking a project to assess the feasibility of screening in primary care those at greatest risk of diabetes.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance of management of type 2 diabetes—blood glucose in September 2002. Funding to meet recommendations of the NICE has been included in the allocations made to primary care trusts for the period 2003–04 to 2005–06. However, this funding is not separately identified. The total of PCT allocations is £45 billion for 2003–04, £49.3 billion for 2004–05 and £53.9 billion for 2005–06. This represents an increase of £12.7 billion or an average of 30.8 per cent over the three years 2003–04 to 2005–06. Therefore the Secretary of State for Health expects patients treated under the criteria in the NICE guidance to have their therapy funded by the PCT trust.
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