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In addition to this, as part of its new flood management strategy—“Making space for water”— the Government are working with the ABI on a project that looks at what more can be done to encourage greater uptake of property-level flood protection measures and resilient repair of properties after a flood—both important adaptations for preparing the country's housing stock for the impacts of increased flood risk.
Crime: Public Interest Immunity
Lord Campbell-Savours asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Minister of State at the Home Office, Mr Michael, on 25 June 1998 (HoC Deb, cols. 589—90) on public interest immunity documents, whether they will review the answers to parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of that Question. [HL1215]
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Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Questions referred to asked my predecessor to comment on aspects of an individual case that are a matter for the police and the courts, not for Ministers. I understand that the documents referred to were the subject of a court order made in the course of a criminal prosecution. Following the House of Lords judgment in the case of Taylor and Others v Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Others, mentioned by my predecessor, a person who provides information to the police in confidence is guaranteed immunity from suit in respect of that information. Under the circumstances, and having particular regard to the House of Lords judgment, it would not be appropriate for me to take any further action, particularly given the considerable passage of time since the events in question.
Defra: Virology
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs funding was given to the work of virologists in agencies over each of the past five years; and what allocation is in place for the next two years, [HL1872]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Our agencies deliver a range of services to the department, which are supported by Defra funding from various budgets. These services include surveillance, research and emergency response capability that cover a number of specialist areas including virology. The department does not allocate a set amount of funding specifically to fund virologists; rather it is the responsibility of the agencies to ensure that an adequate service is provided.
Information on planned agency expenditure is set out in the department's estimates for the coming year,
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The majority of Defra funding into the field of virology supports the work of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), which focuses on animal health. Defra funding to support the VLA over the past five years is set out below:
Defra also provides funding for plant and fish virology at the Central Science Laboratory and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science respectively.
Over the next five to six years Defra, BBSRC and the Department for Trade and Industry will be working in partnership to co-fund a £120 million project to build a new virology facility based at the Pirbright Laboratory.
The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the reply by Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton on 1 February (HL Deb, col 334), who are the virologists employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and what are their relevant qualifications and agency location. [HL1908]
Lord Rooker: Information on the number of virologists employed by Defra (broken down by agency, qualification and location) is set out in the table below:
Energy: Electric Vehicles
Viscount Falkland asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they have discontinued end-user grants through the Energy Savings Trust for electric vehicle technology. [HL1909]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Following a consultation on the TransportEnergy grants in 2004, in response to which both industry and Government expressed support for a technology-neutral approach, the grant programmes were suspended.
Technology-neutral programmes were considered and developed, including the low carbon car grant programme, but a review of the programmes showed that they would not offer value for money.
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Other incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles include their exemption from vehicle excise duty and fuel-cost savings.
Environmental Justice
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Government have provided for access to environmental justice in a variety of ways. These are in accordance with, in particular, the Aarhus Convention on Access to Environmental Information, Public Participation in Decision Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.
When the UK ratified the Aarhus convention in February 2005, the Government published a detailed explanation of how they considered the EU and the UK complied with these obligations, including under requirements imposed under common Community measures. Further details are available on the Defra website.
EU: Overseas Aid
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the proportion of the United Kingdom's contribution to the total European Union expenditure on overseas aid. [HL2020]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The United Kingdom’s share of the EC budget in 2007 will be 17.08 per cent. The level of commitment for overseas spend is €6.578 billion. Of this, the EC expects 90 per cent of disbursements to be classed as official development assistance (ODA).
The United Kingdom's share of the European Development Fund (EDF9), which covers years 2003 to 2007, is 12.69 per cent. The commitment level over this period is €13.5 billion, all of which is likely to be ODA.
Government: Capital Assets
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What capital assets they own or jointly own in the Republic of Ireland; and what is the approximate value of each item. [HL1992]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government published an updated National Asset Register on the 30 January 2007. This itemises all assets owned by central government with a value above of £1 million. The National Asset Register is available on the HM Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Documents/Public_Spending_and_Services/National _Asset_Register/pss_nar_ 2007 index.cfm
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Health: Physiotherapy
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether physiotherapy and other allied health professions are represented as core disciplines on the Department of Health 18-week clinical partnership working groups. [HL1875]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The allied health professions, including physiotherapy, are represented on the clinical advisory group for 18 weeks by a member of the Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF). The AHPF is also represented on the 18-week stakeholder group, of which the acting Chief Health Professions Officer is also a member.
HIV/AIDS: Angola
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
What contribution they have made in each of the past three years to combat HIV/AIDS in Angola. [HL1641]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The UK has supported a number of interventions to tackle AIDS in Angola over the past three years, through the bilateral programme managed by the Department for International Development. This has included support for the establishment of voluntary counselling and testing centres, raising awareness through radio programmes, social marketing of condoms, study tours and institutional strengthening of the National AIDS Commission Secretariat.
The UK's bilateral contribution to programmes directly focused on AIDS in Angola has steadily grown, from £200,000 in the financial year 2003-04, to £422,970 in 2004-05, to £1,363,232 in 2005-06. In 2006-07, we expect to have given a further £1.1 million out of an overall bilateral programme of £5 million.
We have also contributed £18 million from bilateral funds for a UNICEF Southern Africa programme to protect orphans and vulnerable children from AIDS. In the first year of the programme (2006-07) US$1.4 million was allocated to Angola.
The UK is also a major global contributor to the principle multilateral organisations that are supporting Angola's response to AIDS: the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), the World Bank and the European Commission (EC). GFATM has a US$27.7 million programme on AIDS in Angola, of which US$12.4 million has been allocated since October 2005. The UK is a major supporter of GFATM, with commitments of £100 million in each of 2006 and 2007.
The World Bank is supporting a joint donor-government programme to address AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis programme in Angola, for which it has made available a grant of US$21 million. The UK contributed 13.2 per cent of funds to IDA
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In Angola, the EC is supporting the health sector as a whole, including €2.9 million for improving the use and management of blood in public health centres. The EC has also approved two new contracts with NGOs to minimise HIV transmission and the impact of AIDS in rural provinces of Angola, worth some €4.85 million. The UK's imputed share of EC funding is 17.4 per cent.
HIV/AIDS: Botswana
Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's Government:
What contribution they have made in each of the past three years to combat HIV/AIDS in Botswana. [HL1640]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The UK no longer has a bilateral programme in Botswana. The Government's policy on middle-income countries prioritises 10 per cent of our bilateral aid to large middle-income countries with a high proportion of poor people; highly indebted middle-income countries; and middle-income countries that are vulnerable to falling back to low-income status. Botswana currently falls into none of these categories and as such no longer benefits from a bilateral aid programme with DfID.
Botswana does, however, benefit from UK assistance through both regional and multilateral channels. We have committed £18 million from bilateral funds managed by DfID for a UNICEF southern Africa programme to protect orphans and vulnerable children from AIDS. In the first year of the programme (2006-07) US$1.3 million was allocated to Botswana.
We also provide £4 million support to the innovative multi-media Soul City edutainment regional programme in southern Africa. This 2003-07 programme reaches eight countries, including Botswana.
From 2002-06, we supported a £7.65 million regional programme implemented by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This had components in Botswana, where the programme supported social marketing of condoms, strengthening the National AIDS Commission and work to prevent HIV transmission at cross-border sites.
The UK is also a major global contributor to the principle multilateral organisations that are supporting Botswana’s response to AIDS: the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria (GFATM), the World Bank and the European Commission (EC). GFATM has a programme of over US $18.5 million on AIDS in Botswana, of which over US $9 million has been allocated since October 2005. The UK is a major supporter of GFATM, with commitments of £100 million in each of 2006 and 2007.
The EC contributes to Botswana's response to AIDS with €50.26 million towards the Education Sector Budget Support Programme (2006-09) which includes a focus on HIV prevention in schools. In addition, the EC supports regional programmes
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