| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA135
Written Answers
Wednesday 25 April 2007
Ambulance Service: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Rooker: The ambulance service’s capacity is determined by its ability to meet the required national standard response time for category A (life-threatening) calls. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, along with the Boards' Commissioning Group for Ambulance Services, continues to work with NIAS on developing and implementing measures including new technology, dynamic deployment and additional deployment points designed to enable the ambulance service to meet the national standard response time.
Animal Welfare: Captive Birds
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, further to Statutory Instrument 2007/406 amending the planning laws to cover temporary protection for poultry and other captive birds, the planning authorities will have any right to check that the proposed temporary development is in proportion to the number of poultry to be stored therein. [HL2968]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The statutory instrument specifies the maximum permitted size of the temporary development to be used to house poultry or other captive birds. It does not relate the size of the building to the number of poultry to be stored therein. The statutory instrument does not confer any specific rights on the local planning authority to verify that the temporary structure is proportionate to the number of poultry. However, local planning authorities should be able to satisfy themselves of the suitability of the development once they have been notified. If necessary, they will also be able to draw on the advice of the local animal health office on stocking densities within each structure to ensure the welfare of the birds.
Armed Forces: Illegal Drugs
Lord Garden asked Her Majesty's Government:
Of those military personnel who tested positive for illegal drugs in 2006, how many have subsequently been required to leave the Armed Forces. [HL3039]
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA136
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): Of the total of 844 military personnel who tested positive in 2006, 782 (92.7 per cent) have left the Armed Forces or are in the process of being discharged.
Aviation: Liquid Explosives
Viscount Waverley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the required amount of weight and volume of liquids required to create a device that could cause destruction to an aircraft; and [HL3182]
What assessment they have made of the required amount of different liquids needed to create a device that could cause destruction to an aircraft by being strapped around the body and passing through the walk-through security apparatus undetected. [HL3183]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: Data generated by tests on improvised liquid explosives in the UK and partner countries together with historical data of the effects of explosives on aircraft were reviewed by an international group of experts who provided an assessment of the amounts of material that constitute a threat. Those data and the conclusion drawn by that group of experts were used to inform the security measures implemented at airports.
Care Services: Older People
Lord Smith of Leigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the conclusions of the report Securing Good Care for Older People; and how they envisage that such care would be funded. [HL3262]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The number of older people, particularly those aged over 85, is expected to rise sharply over coming years with significant implications for public services, such as long-term care for the elderly. Recent reports from Derek Wanless for the King's Fund, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and others have made important contributions to the debate around the future of social care provision, which will also be informed by individual budgets, partnerships for older people projects, direct payments and the In Control programme. In assessing proposals and as part of the long-term vision of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Government will consider whether they are affordable, whether they are consistent with progressive universalism and whether they promote independence, dignity, well-being and control in line with Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People, the White Paper Our Health, our Care, our Say and the National Service Framework for Older People.
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA137
Children and Young People: Discipline
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have plans to introduce any forms of national service for young people in order to assist them with their development, discipline, education and skills acquisition and to reduce anti-social, delinquent behaviour. [HL3214]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The Government have no plans for the reintroduction of national service.
Concessionary Bus Travel Bill
Baroness Scott of Needham Market asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there is a specification for the concessionary travel passes which will be needed to comply with the provisions of the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill. [HL3217]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: The department is working closely with local authorities and bus operators to finalise the concessionary travel pass specification.
Pass and logo designs have been commissioned, and initial designs have been received. These have been discussed with the department's Operations and Technology Stakeholder Group, which includes local government and industry representatives, and have undergone provisional testing by operators to assess their suitability in the bus environment. We are looking closely at whether to put in place a requirement that the new national concessionary travel pass be in a smartcard format and ITSO compliant.
The department intends to open a public consultation on the travel pass specification in early May. The consultation paper will consider all options such as whether the pass should be specified in ITSO smartcard form.
Crime: Sharp Instruments
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they propose to bring Northern Ireland legislation on the possession of sharp instruments in public places into line with the legislation in the rest of the United Kingdom. [HL2738]
Lord Rooker: The Government are determined to take knives off the streets of Northern Ireland. Over 1,500 potentially lethal weapons were taken out of circulation during the two knife amnesties and thousands of school children have been given the clear message never to carry a knife. A consultation also looked at a range of issues to combat knife crime and an announcement on the way forward will be made shortly.
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA138
Energy Demand Research Project
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
How the results and data obtained from the Energy Demand Research Project will be incorporated into their implementation of the European energy services directive (2006/32/EC) which is due to be implemented by May 2008. [HL3331]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): Article 13 of the energy services directive requires member states to ensure that where it is,
energy consumers are provided with meters that provide information on time of energy use. The directive also requires that, where appropriate, certain types of information relating to a consumer's energy consumption are provided on or with the bill for that energy.
The Energy Demand Research Project will involve energy companies conducting a range of trials where smart meters and feedback devices are installed in homes to test consumers' response to better information about their energy consumption. The different approaches tested in the trials will include information on displays, more accurate and informative billing and differential tariffs by time of day. This will allow the Government to develop their understanding of the cost-effectiveness of different approaches to the provision of information to consumers. This will help inform future policy development, including in relation to the ongoing requirements in Article 13 of the Energy Services Directive, which specifically recognises that cost, benefits and technologies will change over time.
Energy: Meters
Lord Teverson asked Her Majesty's Government:
How they intend to ensure that new smart metering technologies for gas and electricity energy consumption are introduced to homes throughout the United Kingdom so that households can intelligently manage their energy use and carbon savings; and [HL3327]
Whether they intend future domestic energy metering to incorporate both electricity and gas energy consumption meters; and [HL3328]
Whether they intend to set a framework for the introduction of gas and electricity smart metering for domestic energy consumption that is transferable and inter-operable between all energy suppliers; and [HL3329]
How they will address the issue of the current 20-year amortisation of domestic energy-metering equipment by energy suppliers to allow the current financial barriers to the timely introduction of smart metering to be removed; and [HL3330]
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA139
Whether they will consider requiring energy suppliers to replace existing prepayment metering with smart metering technology in order that costs to prepayment customers are reduced in a manner similar to that achieved in Northern Ireland. [HL3332]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): All gas and electricity meters already measure consumption, although smart meters and associated devices can give customers additional information, as well as, among other things, improving the accuracy of billing. With the support of the industry regulator, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), and the Government, gas and electricity suppliers are holding detailed discussions about the barriers to the introduction of smart metering, including the issue of inter-operability of meters and the need to avoid stranding metering assets. The Government will set out their position on metering, including smart metering, in the forthcoming energy White Paper.
Health: Dentistry
Lord Colwyn asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many redundancies from public health departments have been made by each primary care trust in the past year; and how many of these redundancies have been made within the field of dental public health. [HL3122]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The overall number of compulsory redundancies as at December 2006, the last published figure, was 1,446. Of these, 294 were made within primary care trusts. We do not collect or keep any data about public health or dental health within the redundancy data.
House of Lords: 1 Millbank
Lord Tyler asked the Chairman of Committees:
What estimate has been made of the costs of purchasing and refurbishing accommodation in 1 Millbank for use by the House of Lords in (a) 2006-07; (b) 2007-08; (c) 2008-09; and (d) 2009-10. [HL3420]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): As I announced on 22 March 2005, the cost of the acquisition of the 1 and 2 Millbank site was £65 million plus VAT on part of the premises. An initial payment was made in March 2005: the final payment of £22,181,250 plus VAT is payable in September 2007 and is included in the House's estimate for this year.
Robust estimates of the costs of refurbishment are not yet available. When the site was purchased, it was hoped that early surrender of the lease held by a third party in respect of one-third of the site would make it
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA140
Houses of Parliament: Old Palace Yard
Lord Berkeley asked the Chairman of Committees:
What action is being taken to repair the damaged blockwork road sections in Old Palace Yard; and who will fund the work. [HL3316]
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): Discussions are being held with Westminster City Council to plan for the repair of the damaged blockwork road sections in Old Palace Yard during implementation of phase 3 of the Corus barrier scheme this year. Maintenance of the road in Old Palace Yard and the funding of associated costs are the responsibility of Westminster City Council.
Lord Berkeley asked the Chairman of Committees:
Whether the blockwork sections of road in Old Palace Yard were designed to carry the current levels of traffic. [HL3317]
The Chairman of the Committees: The design of the blockwork used in Old Palace Yard exceeds the British Standard; however, the level of blockwork maintenance required is affected by the volume of traffic carried.
Housing: Fuel Poverty
Lord Whitty asked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate they have made of the level of fuel poverty by 2010 in (a) the United Kingdom, and (b) each of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. [HL3155]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): As fuel poverty is a devolved issue, monitoring of progress is taken forward on a country-by-country basis.
Projections of the number of vulnerable households in fuel poverty in 2010 in England can be found in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy 4th Annual Progress Report (www.dti.gov.uk/files/file29688.pdf).
25 Apr 2007 : Column WA141
Updated projections of fuel poverty in England in 2010 will be published in the Government's energy White Paper later this year. No similar information is available for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or for the UK as a whole.
Local Government: Council Tax
Lord Smith of Leigh asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will implement a rolling revision of council tax valuations to avoid the turbulence of periodic reviews. [HL3263]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government will stand by their commitment not to revalue during the lifetime of this Parliament. With the forthcoming three-year settlement for local government concluding in 2010-11, they would not expect to consider revaluation before that date. Even at this point there would need to be clear benefits given the costs to households that could be involved.
Nor do the Government believe that there is sufficient justification at this stage for committing to a regular cycle of revaluation for council tax. It is preferable to maintain the advantage of flexibility in judging the case for any revaluation in the light of all the circumstances.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |