| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Government Departments: Telephone Numbers
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Department for Education and Skills and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3265]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Adonis): The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). To respond fully would involve an extensive internal and external information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. DfES does not keep central telephony
26 Apr 2007 : Column WA156
DfES currently employs a total of 35 non-geographic telephone numbers. These can be categorised broadly into two groups: those for use by citizens and those for use internally by DfES staff.
The DfES does not participate in revenue-share schemes associated with non-geographic telephone numbers and therefore derives no revenue from the use of these numbers.
Services used by citizens and accessed by customers calling non-geographic telephone numbers include (number of telephone lines in brackets):
Employment Service (2): citizens are able to obtain up-to-date information and advice on jobs and vacancies.Jobcentre Plus helpline (1): citizens are able to contact Jobcentre Plus to discuss the services it offers.Student support funding helpline (1): provides advice and guidance in connection with funding and support available for higher education services.Career development loans helpline (1): advice and guidance on adult learning loans.Aim Higher helpline (1): provides a complete guide to higher education services.Childcare recruitment (2): provides information on careers and training opportunities, working in early years childcare and play work.Attainment and achievement level tables order line (1): Schools performance tables order line.Public communications helpline (2): DfES inquiry line. Manage inquiries from members of the public.Main DfES switchboard number (1): will direct the inquirer to the area or team they wish to contact.Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) (1): the main number for the public to contact OSA, which administers and manages school admission arrangements, statutory proposals from primary and secondary schools.Child Support Agency (CSA) (1): originally set up as the initial contact point for the CSA. This number is no longer used for the CSA and will be re-allocated or ceased.Publications helpline/fax (3): manage requests to order official publications relating to the work of the DfES. Education maintenance allowance (3): a dedicated helpline for local partners, schools and colleges involved in delivering EMA to answer general and administrative queries.Learning Journey (1).Schools for Life—Get on Campaign line (1): advice and guidance on skills for life initiative which aims to improve the literacy, language and numeracy skills of adults.26 Apr 2007 : Column WA157
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many non-geographic telephone numbers are in use by the Department for International Development and its agencies; what services can be accessed by calling each of them; and what revenue has been received from them between September 2004 and September 2006. [HL3267]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): DfID has one non-geographic telephone number—0845 300 4100—for its public inquiry point. The department received no revenue from this line between September 2004 and September 2006.
Health: Social Care Services
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether financial considerations within National Health Service trusts are having an impact on the provision of social care services provided by local authorities; and, if so, what is the nature of such impact. [HL3231]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Putting the entire National Health Service in a financially sound position has been a key priority in 2006-07.
The NHS and social services have a duty to work together locally, in collaboration with other partners and individuals, to provide high quality health and social care services that both meet the needs of their local population and make the best use of available resources. The NHS has a legal responsibility to provide health and nursing care which social services are not able to provide.
Health: Spinal Cord Injuries
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Why National Health Service patients suffering with spinal cord injuries are required to travel to a clinic in Portugal for treatment; what comparable therapies using adult stem cells are available in the United Kingdom; and how many patients have been successfully treated for spinal cord injuries in treatments using embryonic stem cells. [HL3275]
26 Apr 2007 : Column WA158
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The National Health Service has sent no patients with spinal cord injuries to Portugal for treatment. However, we are aware that some patients have undergone treatment privately in Portugal, and have claimed some improvements in sensory and voluntary motor recovery.
Currently no clinics in the United Kingdom offer therapies to treat spinal cord injuries using either adult or embryonic stem cells.
Treatment of patients with spinal cord injuries, using either embryonic or adult stem cells, is still in an experimental stage. More research will be required before clinical trials can be undertaken to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of such interventions.
Immigration: Detention
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the detention of children for the purpose of immigration control is compatible with children's right to liberty and the United Kingdom's international human rights obligations; and what action they propose to take to provide minimum safeguards to ensure that the rights of children are not infringed. [HL3307]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Children are detained under immigration Act powers in two limited circumstances: either as part of family groups whose detention is considered appropriate pending examination or removal or, very exceptionally, in the case of an unaccompanied child whilst alternative care arrangements are made, and normally then just overnight. Detention in these circumstances is in accordance with Article 5(1)(f) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The arrangements to safeguard the welfare of children we detain include the contractual requirements under which removal centres operate and are closely monitored; the professional advice of a seconded senior social worker; the regular review of the detention of each child, which seeks to identify and address any welfare concerns—and which can lead to their release in appropriate cases; the statutory scrutiny, which both HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Children's Commissioner provide; and the work of the independent monitoring boards—which have a statutory role to visit and report on the conditions for and treatment of immigration detainees.
International Development: Health
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
What they have done, since the publication of the Department for International Development's 2006 White Paper, Eliminating World Poverty, to implement the commitment (mentioned in page 79) to help African partners solve their health staffing crises by expanding links between the UK National Health Service and poor countries; and what plans they have for further action. [HL3160]
26 Apr 2007 : Column WA159
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The principal way that DfID supports links between the UK National Health Service and poor countries is via financial support to the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET). THET provides support and best-practice guidance for links between UK health institutions and those in developing countries.
Lord Crisp's report, Global Health Partnerships, highlighted the valuable contribution that the UK NHS can make to strengthening health capacity globally. The report made a number of recommendations on the best ways of doing this, including continued support to THET.
The inter-ministerial group on health capacity in developing countries will oversee work to take forward the report. Trained health workers are the backbone of health services around the world. DfID supports its African partners to develop strategic national plans for the training and retention of health workers and to increase investment to the health sector overall, through both co-ordinated international support and domestic resources.
Iraq: Withdrawal
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will discuss with the coalition partners a proposal for the early withdrawal of all coalition forces from Iraq. [HL3292]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We have regular consultation with our coalition partners on the situation in Iraq. The withdrawal of coalition troops will not be driven by arbitrary timetables. British forces are in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi Government. We will leave once the conditions are right; that is when the Iraqi Government, our coalition partners and we are confident that the Iraqi security forces can operate without our support.
Israel and Palestine
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take steps to ensure that the European Union and other quartet partners apply balanced pre-negotiation conditions to both Israel and Palestine, including cessation of settlement construction and partial withdrawal of road-block checkpoints and military presence in the occupied territories. [HL3294]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We welcome the current fortnightly meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas, which discuss “quality of life” issues such as movement and access as well as political issues. We hope that they will continue.
We, along with the EU and quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia), have no plans to impose pre-negotiation
26 Apr 2007 : Column WA160
Local Government: Unitary Authorities
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which local authorities have applied for unitary authority status; when each of the applicants applied; and what is the current population of each applicant. [HL3199]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): We received 26 proposals for unitary authority status by the 25 January 2007 deadline. The local authorities' populations are as follows:
| Unitary Proposals | Population Estimates Mid-2005 |
| (000s) | |
|
Mid-Bedfordshire District Council and South Bedfordshire District Council | |
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |