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Health: Stem Cell Therapy
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is (a) the number of scientists, and (b) the total allocation of public and private funds currently allocated in the United Kingdom for the development of embryonic stem cells and to work on adult stem cells. [HL3274]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Statistics on the allocation of private funds available for the number of scientists involved in embryonic or adult stem cell research are not collected centrally.
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In the March 2005 Budget, the Chancellor announced the establishment of the UK Stem Cell Initiative (UKSCI). A task force led by Sir John Pattison developed a vision and costed strategy, covering the period 2006 to 2015, to make the United Kingdom a global leader in stem cell research. The UKSCI report was published in December 2005 and made 11 recommendations. In their response, the Government accepted the recommendations in full. As a result, the Government have allocated an additional £50 million, bringing total investment up to £100 million, for stem cell research between 2006 and 2008.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
What hazards to health have been identified in connection with the use of embryonic stem cell therapies; and what therapies are currently available in which embryonic stem cells are being used; and [HL3276]
What hazards to health have been identified in connection with the use of adult stem cells; and what therapies are currently available in which adult stem cells are used. [HL3277]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The UK Stem Cell Initiative report in 2005 summarised experience with the clinical application of stem cell knowledge in areas such as bone marrow transplantation, skin grafting and eye surgery. It also noted the potential concerns over the safety and efficacy of other types of stem cell therapies and recommended specialist research ethics committee oversight of pioneering trials of stem cells. Some stem cell clinical trials will already fall under the remit of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee. Its membership has been strengthened to provide oversight of other relevant stem cell clinical trials and to act as a source of expert advice to researchers and other research ethics committees.
Home Office: Response to EU Committee
Lord Jopling asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 23 April (WA 118), whether they will now answer Question for Written Answer HL3073 by Lord Jopling. [HL3422]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on 23 April (WA 118).
Housing: Fuel Poverty
Lord Whitty asked Her Majesty's Government:
What energy efficiency measures and fuel poverty prevention measures they plan to include in future (a) building regulations, and (b) decent homes standards in the social housing sector. [HL3154]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The building regulations apply whenever work is carried out and the current energy efficiency requirements came into effect in April 2006. In the consultation document Building a Greener Future issued on 13 December 2006, the Government proposed improvements in the requirements by 25 per cent in 2010 and of 44 per cent in 2013 leading to a zero-carbon standard in 2016. The response is still being analysed. Before any amendment is made the detailed proposals will be subject to formal consultations, and they will include a review of the provision for works on existing homes as well as new construction. The building regulations do not address fuel poverty.
The decent homes standard has done much to address fuel poverty by increasing the energy efficiency of social housing stock and the homes of vulnerable people in the private sector. We have no plans to change the decent homes standard at this time.
Using the Government's standard assessment procedure for the energy rating of homes (SAP ratings) the average score for new dwellings built to 2006 standards is around 80. For social housing in 2003 the average is around 57, compared to 48 in 2001, whereas the average SAP rating for private housing was 50, up from 45. The SAP rating performance scale extends from 1 (poor) to 100 (excellent).
Immigration
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they allow officials from their embassies to interview foreign national asylum seekers for the purpose of documenting them only after the asylum seekers have exhausted their rights of appeal. [HL3243]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): No application for a travel document will be submitted to any foreign Government until any application for asylum has been refused. If the application has been refused, but an appeal is pending, then we would not delay applying for the travel document. For the purpose of satisfactorily establishing the nationality and identity of an individual, foreign government officials may interview the individual. However, Her Majesty's Government do not disclose information about the individual's asylum claim to other Governments.
Immigration: Asylum Seekers
Lord Ouseley asked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they propose to take to regularise the status of asylum seekers, particularly with regard to the right to work. [HL3335]
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Government will continue to consider asylum applications in accordance with current policy. We have no plans to allow those awaiting a decision on their asylum applications to work. However, asylum seekers may seek permission to take employment if their asylum claim remains outstanding for longer than 12 months without the Border and Immigration Agency making a decision on it, provided the reason for the delay cannot be attributed to them. Asylum seekers who are destitute are eligible to apply for asylum support.
Immigration: IND Caseholders
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Evans of Temple Guiting on 26 February (WA 292), what is the range of the number of cases held by each caseholder in the Immigration and Nationality Department. [HL2322]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): It is not possible to provide these data.
The Border and Immigration Agency is formed of many teams where differing priorities result in quotas and targets being set locally. The number of cases that any caseholder has at any time is affected by the intake, available resources and the individuality of each case, which can be complex and require further information.
Management data track cases individually rather than by caseholder.
Immigration: Torture
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Evans of Temple Guiting on 26 February (WA 292), what instructions or advice are available to an Immigration and Nationality Department caseworker who receives a report from a medical practitioner expressing concern that a detained asylum applicant may have suffered torture; and what steps the caseworker is expected to take. [HL3096]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The current asylum policy instruction and the asylum process manual instruction dealing with the involvement of the medical foundation are available to caseworkers and case owners on the Border and Immigration Agency's internal asylum website. These documents set out the steps that caseworkers and case owners need to follow. They are published on the external website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/asylumpolicyinstructions/and www.ind.home office.gov.uk/documents /chapter2/.
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Work is under way to draw up a combined policy and process instruction for asylum caseworkers and case owners on medical evidence, including allegations of torture.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government:
What revenue is gained by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency from interest gained on fees paid by pharmaceutical companies and held by the agency pending (a) assessment work being completed, and (b) refunds of fees made to applicants. [HL3150]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): As Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) funds from all its various sources of revenue are co-mingled and used to cover all its expenditures, it is not possible to identify which funds earning interest come from fees paid by pharmaceutical companies and held by the agency pending assessment work being completed and refunds of fees made to applicants.
The most recent published accounts for the MHRA show that in 2005-06 the agency received £463,000 in interest that year.
North Korea: Refugees
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have received from their diplomatic missions in south-east Asia about North Korean refugees, including some children, reaching that region; and whether they have received representations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on that issue and on the treatment of North Koreans in China. [HL3224]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We are aware of recent media reports of North Korean refugees arriving in south-east Asia. Where appropriate, we will continue to lobby against the forcible expatriation to North Korea of people who do not wish to return.
Our missions in the region have so far not received representations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We continue to lobby for the UNHCR to have a role in the handling of North Korean refugees in China, as elsewhere.
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Passports: Interviews
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the addresses of the passport interview offices in Wales; how many staff there are at each office; and what has been the total expenditure on premises, equipment and staff to 1 February 2007. [HL2268]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): There will be four interview offices located in Wales and the information is in the table.
The Identity and Passport Service is unable to separately identify the expenditure on these offices within the total 2006-07 costs of the whole office network.
| Office | Address | Staff (full and part-time) |
|
15th floor, Chartist Tower, Upper Dock Street, Newport, NP20 1DW | ||
People Trafficking
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will withdraw their derogation from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child before Parliament ratifies the European convention on action against trafficking. [HL2377]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): The Council of Europe convention on trafficking deals with particular activities that we are also seeking to combat. It defines those activities and sets out procedures to combat them that are practical, in such a way that signatories are aware when they are achieving compliance. It requires parties who sign to accept back a victim of trafficking who is a national, and that children will not be returned if there is an indication, following a risk and security assessment, that such a return would not be in the “best interests” of the child.
The UN convention does not contain such definitions. It is written in terms of broad statements rather than precise legal language and it is possible for signatory countries to interpret it in different ways. Notwithstanding the reservation, we consider that we have sufficient protection for children and safeguards for their welfare in our own domestic laws.
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Peru: Alberto Fujimori
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made representations to the Government of Chile in support of Peru's request for the extradition from Chile of former President Alberto Fujimori, to face charges related to human rights violations, corruption and money laundering.[HL3375]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The Government have not made representations to the Government of Chile in support of Peru's request for the extradition from Chile of former President Alberto Fujimori. This is a matter for the Peruvian and Chilean authorities.
Prisoners: Parole
Lord Eden of Winton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the replies by the Attorney-General on 12 March (Official Report, cols. 441-43), whether they will review the rules governing parole for prisoners convicted of a sexual offence who continue to protest their innocence; and [HL3323]
What consideration is being given to the case of Karl Smith, a prisoner at HM Prison Littlehey, who protests his innocence and has received legal advice that for that reason he may not be eligible for parole. [HL3324]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): Applications for release on parole licence are considered by the independent Parole Board and it would not be appropriate to comment upon consideration being given to individual cases.
There is no requirement for an offender to admit guilt prior to making an application for parole, nor is denial of guilt a bar to release on parole. Whether an offender denies the offence or not, the Parole Board must always satisfy itself that the risk of reoffending is sufficiently reduced not to jeopardise the safety of the public before it directs release. In doing so its starting point will always be that the offender was properly convicted by the courts. The Government are satisfied that this is appropriate.
Taxation: VAT
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 27 March 2002 (WA 72), why HM Revenue and Customs Notice 701/39, VAT Liability Law (August 2004) limits to 2,300 litres the amount of fuel oil, gas oil and kerosene which are deemed to be for domestic use at the reduced rate of VAT; and whether two deliveries, each under 2,300 litres, which together exceed 2,300 litres, made on the same day to the same premises qualify for the reduced rate of VAT. [HL3195]
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Lord Davies of Oldham: The reduced rate of VAT for fuel and power applies to supplies for “qualifying use”, which the VAT Act 1994 specifies as meaning domestic and charity non-business use. All other supplies of fuel and power have been subject to the standard rate of VAT since 1990.
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