| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
5 Dec 2006 : Column WA115
Written Answers
Tuesday 5 December 2006
Ambulance Service: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How they have recognised the work of the professional and voluntary ambulance crews who have worked in Northern Ireland throughout the 25 years of terrorist activity. [HL440]
Lord Rooker: Ambulance staff are eligible to receive the ambulance service (emergency services) long service and good conduct medal, the Ambulance Service Association (ASA) long service medal and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal.
The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) is considering a proposal for a Northern Ireland volunteer medal for members of the Order of St John, the Order of Malta and the British Red Cross.
Animal Welfare: Wild Birds
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 7 November (WA 157-8), who will carry out research on conservation, illegal trade and local livelihood; to whom the research tender will be open; whether they will accept evidence from Bird Life International; when the research will be complete; and what will be the exact research agenda. [HL341]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): A research project has been tendered to assess whether the current ban has resulted in increased seizures of illegal imports, to identify how the ban has impacted on the livelihood of those in the source countries and how this may result in negative conservation. The tender process was carried out on a restricted basis, recognising the relevant knowledge and expertise required to carry out the study. Those invited to tender were as follows:
Overseas Development Institute;
World Conservation Monitoring Centre; and
Officials are considering the tenders received, with a view to letting the contract shortly. Once the contract is let, the research will take eight months. I see no reason to exclude relevant evidence from Bird Life International in the study. However, it will be for the successful candidate to decide, in conjunction with Defra, how such evidence is considered.
5 Dec 2006 : Column WA116
Benefits: Incapacity Benefit
Lord Skelmersdale asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The information is in the table.
Civil Service: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the community background of Northern Ireland civil servants who work in the North/South Ministerial sectoral in Armagh. [HL286]
Lord Rooker: Fourteen Northern Ireland civil servants work in the NSMC in Armagh. To provide a breakdown by community background of such a small group of staff would risk breaching the statutory requirement for confidentiality in fair employment monitoring legislation and would be contrary to the Data Protection Act.
Climate Change: Greenhouse Gases
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What research the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is funding to reduce the contribution agriculture makes to greenhouse gas emissions of nitrous oxide. [HL220]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Understanding and reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from farming and the interaction between GHG emissions and reducing the overall environmental impact of agriculture is a complex
5 Dec 2006 : Column WA117
We are also developing a policy position, supported by research and development work, on the use of anaerobic digestion to reduce methane emissions. The full range of research and development projects—past, current and proposed—to reduce emissions are available on the Defra website at www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/Default.asp.
Crime: Fuel Smuggling
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much they estimate has been lost to date this year from fuel smuggling and laundering in Northern Ireland. [HL445]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: Estimates of the revenue lost through the illegal consumption of diesel and petrol in Northern Ireland are not available because it is not yet possible to split revenue losses between those resulting from the illicit market and those from legitimate cross-border shopping. However, estimates of the total non-UK duty-paid consumption are reported in Measuring Indirect Tax Losses—2005, which is published alongside the PBR and can be found in the House of Commons Library. Estimates for 2005 are due to be published at the time of the PBR.
Economy: Growth
Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether gross domestic product growth is as appropriate an indicator of real economic growth as evidenced passenger growth. [HL315]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested falls within the responsibilities of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician, Karen Dunnell, to Lord Bradshaw, dated December 2006.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning GDP growth and evidenced passenger growth
5 Dec 2006 : Column WA118
Equality: Sexual Orientation
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (SI 2006/439) protects the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion against unnecessary limitation, in accordance with Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights; and, if so, in what ways. [HL438]
Lord Rooker: The regulations have been drafted in accordance with the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights. The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion has been afforded protection under the terms of Regulation 16. This provides an exemption from the regulations where organisations exist whose purpose is to practice, advance or teach the practice or principle of a religion or belief; or to enable persons of a religion or belief to receive any benefit or engage in any activity within the framework of that religion or belief. In all cases the protection is afforded where it is necessary to comply with the doctrines of the organisation or to avoid conflicting with the strongly held religious convictions of a significant number of the religion’s followers.
EU: Popular Myths
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Statement by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 20 November (WS 18), what are the “popular myths about fraud and corruption in the European Union” dispelled by the House of Lords European Union Select Committee's report on Financial Management and Fraud in the European Union (HL Paper 270, Session 2005-06). [HL401]
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The summary of conclusions (Chapter 7) to this House's European Union Committee report Financial Management and Fraud in the European Union (HL Paper 270-I) states at paragraph 145:
“Our investigation was not presented with any evidence of a culture of corruption in the Commission”.
At paragraph 146, the report states:
“We recognise that a lack of a positive Statement of Assurance does not necessarily indicate that high levels of fraudulent or corrupt transactions have taken place”.
5 Dec 2006 : Column WA119
“During our inquiry we heard considerable evidence on the Commission's financial management. None of that evidence supports the allegation that there is a significant element of corruption within the Commission”.
“We are generally satisfied with the Commission's procedures and reporting requirements on debt waivers. We see no evidence of the ‘ruthless exploitation’ of the procedures that some have suggested”.
Exports: Manufactured Goods
Lord Rana asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information on the value of manufactured goods exported from Northern Ireland to India in 2004-05 is shown in the table.
Extraordinary Rendition
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the conclusions of the latest European Parliament report on extraordinary rendition on the involvement of the United Kingdom and other European Union member states in assisting the Government of the United States in such air movements.[HL452]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The Government co-operated fully with the European Parliament Committee in its preparation of this draft report. We have found no evidence since 1997 of detainees being rendered through the UK or overseas territories where there were substantial grounds to believe that there was a real risk of torture. I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement made by my right honourable friend the then Foreign Secretary (Mr Jack Straw) on 20 January 2006 (Official Report, Commons, 20/1/06; col. 38WS), which clearly sets out our position.
5 Dec 2006 : Column WA120
Football: Use of Olympic Stadium
Lord Luke asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Minister for Sport has held discussions with either of the Premier League football clubs West Ham or Tottenham Hotspur about a possible move for the clubs to the Olympic stadium after 2012; on which dates such meetings, telephone calls or discussions took place; and what was the outcome. [HL264]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Minister for Sport had exploratory discussions about the legacy use of the Olympic stadium at meetings with representatives from West Ham United on 8 March 2006 and 3 July 2006, in phone calls with West Ham United on 18 May 2006 and 17 October 2006, and at meetings with representatives from Tottenham Hotspur on 7 March 2006 and 5 June 2006.
Freedom of Information: Environmental Information Regulations
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
When reviews have been held following refusal of information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004; and what was the nature and subject matter of the information held. [HL394]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Regulation 11 of the Environmental Information Regulations sets out the mechanism for those requesting environmental information to ask public authorities to review their response to requests. The request for a review must be made within 40 days of the date on which the requester believes the authority failed to comply with a requirement of the regulations. The Government do not hold information centrally on when these reviews take place.
The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) is committed to publishing quarterly updates on departmental performance under the Freedom of Information Act. This includes information on the number of requests referred for internal review on the grounds that requested information was not provided. The most recent of these was published on 29 September 2006 and can be found both on the DCA website at www.foi.gov.uk/reference/statsAndReports/stats06_ apr-jun.htm and in the Library. The next bulletin is due next month, while an annual report is due to be published in early 2007.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |