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The Defra interim epidemiological report was published on 16 February. It identified two possible hypotheses for the introduction of H5N1 into the poultry premises at Suffolk: introduction associated with imports from Hungary and introduction via wild birds. The report concluded that introduction via the importing of products from Hungary is the most plausible cause. However, the investigation is ongoing and no possibilities have been ruled out. A full report will be published when the investigation is complete. It is likely that it will take a few weeks yet.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
What discussions took place between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency following the outbreak of avian flu at the Bernard Matthews plant. [HL2212]
Lord Rooker: Numerous discussions took place involving Defra, the Department of Health (DoH), the Health Protection Agency (HPA, an agency of the DoH), and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) following the recent outbreak of H5N1 in Suffolk. These took place at official and ministerial levels.
Representatives from the DoH, HPA and the FSA formed part of Defra's National Disease Control Centre. In addition, on 16 February, a joint report was published by the FSA, Defra, the HPA and the Meat Hygiene Service. It looked at the source of imported meat at Holton, with a view to determining whether it came from Hungary.
British Citizenship
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the judgment of the High Court in the case of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin [2007] EWHC 199 (QB), they will take steps to reimburse those who had incurred unnecessary expenses following the change of Rules in question; and whether, if the Government are unable to consult interested parties on future changes in the rules for the reasons given in evidence, they will conduct their own assessment of the potential adverse financial effects of those changes on persons with limited leave to remain, and publish the results at the same time as the changes in the rules. [HL2056]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): We are considering the implications of the judgment of the High Court in the case of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin [2007] EWHC 199 (QB). The changes to the rules did not amend the existing immigration status of any doctors, so it is not appropriate to consider reimbursement.
Care Services
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the number of individuals selling their home each year in order to pay for nursing care. [HL2030]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The department does not collect that information.
National Health Service care, including nursing care and continuing care, is free at the point of delivery.
Social services care is means-tested, based on an individual's assets, and is provided by local councils.
Since 2001, no one has had to sell their home in order to enter a care home, as they can agree a deferred payment with their council, which is claimed back later. Under this scheme, the council meets the cost of the care-home place, and these costs are recouped from the estate of the resident on death.
Discrimination
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which statutes discriminate against Roman Catholics; and whether they propose to take action to remove such provisions. [HL2170]
The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The Coronation Oath Act 1688, the Act of Settlement 1701, the Acts of Union 1707 and the Accession Declaration Act 1910 have provisions that prevent Roman Catholics or those married to Roman Catholics from accession to the Throne. The Government currently have no plans to bring forward legislation on this issue.
Elections: Registration of Expatriates
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many British expatriates excluding members of the Armed Forces are registered to vote in the United Kingdom. [HL2100]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The total number of British expatriates, excluding members of the Armed Forces, who are registered to vote in the United Kingdom as of 1 December 2006 is 15,090. The Office for National Statistics released this data in its annual electoral registration figures on 22 February 2007.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many British expatriates excluding members of the Armed Forces they estimate to be eligible to register to vote in the United Kingdom. [HL2101]
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Office for National Statistics is responsible for producing population figures, but it is not required to estimate the number of expatriates eligible to vote in the UK, thus this information is not available.
Energy: EU Directive
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have, and what consultations and actions they are taking, to implement the European Energy Services Directorate (2006/32/EC). [HL2164]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Defra continues to make progress towards implementing the energy end-use efficiency and energy services directive by 17 May 2008. We started consulting on aspects of the directive that have an impact on the wider public, with a recent consultation on billing and metering provisions, which ended on 6 February.
Defra expects to consult stakeholders further on our implementation plans later this year. We will also use the opportunity provided by the forthcoming energy White Paper, and June's Energy Efficiency Action Plan—itself a requirement of the directive—to keep stakeholders informed of progress.
Energy: Light Bulbs
Lord Jones of Cheltenham asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any plans to phase out incandescent light bulbs in order to lower carbon emissions, bearing in mind the recent success of such a scheme in Australia. [HL2173]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): The Government remain committed to working with other Governments, manufacturers and retailers to phase out the least efficient light bulbs.
As members of the European Union (EU) single market, neither the UK nor any other member state can unilaterally phase out inefficient products. Such actions need to be taken by member states acting together.
The eco-design for energy-using products framework directive provides a forum for considering options and priorities for establishing energy efficiency standards for energy-using products. Following pressure from the UK and other member states, domestic lighting products have now been added to the list of priority products for consideration. An initial scoping study will begin in the next few months.
We are also discussing with retailers and manufacturers how we can remove the bulk of inefficient lighting products from UK shelves in advance of any mandatory EU action.
Gulf War Illnesses
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why their reporting of the research findings at Porton Down on effects of using pyridostigmine bromide and vaccines stated that they raised no cause for concern in relation to Gulf War illnesses when data in the published research indicated that such treatments, and in particular pyridostigmine bromide, have potentially important effects on the central nervous system; and why in the papers, both in the results and discussions sections, these data were either not mentioned or minimised. [HL2051]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): Government statements on the Vaccines Interactions Research Programme provide an accurate summary of the research findings. The study papers represent a full and accurate report of the results, the interpretation of which was the subject of oversight from an independent panel of experts and veterans representatives. In addition, they have been independently reviewed as part of the peer-reviewed publication process.
Health: Clinical Excellence Awards
Baroness Turner of Camden asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make clinical excellence awards available to health care workers other than doctors. [HL2082]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Government have no current plans to do so.
Health: Food Supplements and Herbal Remedies
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many complaints about food supplements and herbal remedies being marketed in the United Kingdom with illegal health claims by companies based in the Channel Islands have been referred by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to the appropriate agencies in Guernsey and Jersey in the past two years; and what information the agency has received about the subsequent investigation of such complaints and the eventual outcomes; and [HL2146]
When and for what reasons it was made illegal to offer kava kava for sale in the United Kingdom; and what assessment they have made of (a). the implications for public health of this decision; and (b) the legality of the continued marketing of products containing kava kava for sale to United Kingdom consumers by mail order from the Channel Islands; and [HL2147]
When and for what reasons it was made illegal to offer melatonin for sale in the United Kingdom; and what assessment they have made of (a). the implications for public health of this decision; and (b) the legality of the continued marketing of products containing melatonin for sale to United Kingdom consumers by mail order from the Channel Islands; and [HL2148]
What assessment they have made of the claims that Beres Drops cure cancer by the Healthy for Life company of the Channel Islands in its direct marketing to United Kingdom consumers; and [HL2149]
What steps they propose to take to prevent direct-mail advertising from the Channel Islands offering products banned in the United Kingdom and products for which promotional health claims are made that would be illegal in the United Kingdom and the European Union; and [HL2150]
What powers are available to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to prevent the marketing to United Kingdom mainland consumers of unlicensed medicinal products by companies based in the Channel Islands; and what steps they will take to address this issue. [HL2151]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has referred nine complaints to the Guernsey authorities and seven to the Jersey authorities since 1 January 2005. The MHRA received feedback from the Guernsey authorities on three cases. In two cases there were no offences under Guernsey law and in the third case the company was not actually based in Guernsey. The MHRA received feedback on three cases from the Jersey authorities. In all three cases the companies were not actually based in Jersey.
A prohibition order on the sale, supply and importation of kava kava in unlicensed medicines, other than for external use, came into force on 13 January 2003. The order was made following advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission (the independent advisory committees advising the Secretary of State) that kava kava poses a rare but serious risk of liver toxicity. Similar action was taken in relation to kava kava in foods. The Guernsey authorities have investigated the supply of kava kava by a company apparently based on that island. The investigation showed that the product was not actually being distributed from Guernsey but from Cyprus. A complaint has been referred to the authorities in Cyprus.
There are no special legislative restrictions on the sale or supply of the hormone melatonin. Unless it is being supplied as an unlicensed medicine in accordance with the relevant statutory controls, a medicinal product containing melatonin requires a marketing authorisation before it may be lawfully sold or supplied. The status of melatonin under medicines legislation was first considered in 1989. The MHRA is unaware of any implication for public health by the classification of melatonin as a medicinal product. The MHRA refers complaints about the sale and supply of melatonin from the Channel Islands to the relevant regulatory authority.
The MHRA considers that the claims made for beres drops bring the product within the definition of a medicinal product. No assessment of the accuracy of those claims has been made as no application for a marketing authorisation has been received. Although the product was being sold by a Guernsey-based company, the MHRA took action to prevent advertising by a United Kingdom publication.
There are no specific powers in the medicines legislation administered by the MHRA or in the Postal Services Act 2000 to control direct-mail advertising from the Channel Islands. The legislation administered by the MHRA does not apply to the Channel Islands. Advertisements issued from the islands would be the responsibility of the relevant authorities within those islands.
The legislation administered by the MHRA does not apply to the Channel Islands. The islands have their own legislative Assemblies and are responsible for the regulation of activities relating to medicinal products that take place from those islands; therefore, any suspected illegal activity is referred to the relevant authority in the Channel Islands for investigation.
Information Commissioner
Lord Smith of Finsbury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made an assessment of the use that the Information Commissioner has made of the extra funds granted to him by the Government to reduce the number of complaints being investigated by his office. [HL2126]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): On 26 October 2006 the Information Commissioner laid before Parliament a report on his progress. This report explains the changes he has made to his office and sets out the improvements in complaints handling that he has made since the beginning of 2006.
The ICO's grant-in-aid forms part of the DCA's delegated expenditure limit, and the DCA's principal accounting officer is responsible to Parliament for ensuring adequate management controls to safeguard the public funds granted to the commissioner. My department meets regularly with the Information Commissioner to discuss performance and expenditure.
Iraq: Basra
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the Basra Provincial Reconstruction Team's budget; which countries are contributing to this budget; and what proportion of funding is provided by the United Kingdom. [HL2252]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The Basra Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is a multinational team that provides capacity-building support to Iraqi institutions at the provincial level and provides assistance and advice for international support for provincial development.
The PRT does not have a budget; however, it is a vehicle for implementing or advising on the implementation of projects that are funded by a variety of sources. These include the Department for International Development (DfID) (value of projects: £20.5 million) and the Better Basra Fund (approximately £20 million jointly funded by DfID, the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office). The US Government have allocated US$40 million to projects to be implemented by the PRT.
Staff for the PRT have been supplied by the Government (10 civilians and three military), the US State Department (one) and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (three).
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the Provincial Reconstruction Team's baseline assessment of Basra was produced; and what criteria it uses to monitor progress in Basra. [HL2253]
Lord Triesman: The baseline assessment was produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in consultation with our embassy office in Basra and the Multi-National Division (South East). The assessment is based on a standard format developed by the US-led PRT national co-ordination team in Baghdad.
The Basra PRT uses a range of criteria to measure progress in various sectors, including: the effectiveness of the Iraqi security sector (including the police, army and prison service); employment levels; agricultural production; the effectiveness of the provincial council in awarding and managing reconstruction contracts; public access to the judicial process; the transparency of the justice sector and the availability of basic services such as water, electricity, healthcare, sanitation, housing and education.
Iraq: Police
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps United Kingdom Armed Forces deployed in south-east Iraq have taken to assist the Government of Iraq in addressing the corruption, militia infiltration and politicisation of the Iraqi police service. [HL2136]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): UK forces carry out directed strike operations against known corrupt persons and militia members in the Iraqi police service (IPS). In addition, they work to ensure that the security situation and force protection is sufficient to enable around 50 civilian and contracted specialists to provide training and mentoring to the IPS. The Royal Military Police also provides some additional training and monitoring.
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