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14 May 2007 : Column WA1
Written Answers
Monday 14 May 2007
Agriculture: Animal Feed
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
What checks they are carrying out to ascertain whether the problem of melamine fillers in animal feed imported from China applies to the United Kingdom as well as the United States. [HL3510]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The Food Standards Agency is putting in place a monitoring programme, including sampling and analysis, for relevant imports. It has also contacted relevant industry interests alerting them to the importance of conducting their own appropriate checks and controls, and reminding them of their obligations to report details of products which may not satisfy food and feed safety requirements.
Agriculture: Pesticides
Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements are in place for approval by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the contents of publications of the Crop Protection Association, a trade association of the pesticide industry, when such publications are part-funded by the department. [HL3558]
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker): Trade associations, such as the Crop Protection Association (CPA), are free to produce their own publications without specific departmental approval, unless the department is providing funding for a specific publication which carries the department's logo or other endorsement.
Armed Forces: Bowman
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consider appointing an individual on a five-year contract with total overall responsibility for the Bowman military radio system; and whether this individual might be made directly responsible to the Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support. [HL3361]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): Bowman CIP is one of the networks that underpin the aim of achieving network-enabled capability in defence. Management arrangements take account of the need to integrate Bowman CIP with other networks and systems. We recently clarified and strengthened the higher-level management arrangements for the Bowman CIP programme and we are reviewing how we could improve the governance arrangements for network-enabled capability to ensure that programmes such as Bowman CIP deliver the maximum benefit.
Armed Forces: Military Doctors
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures are being taken to ensure that military doctors who are returning from operational tours with the Armed Forces and therefore have been out of hospital medicine for several years will not be disadvantaged compared to National Health Service colleagues when applying for training posts under the medical training application service. [HL3608]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The recruitment and selection into specialty training in 2007 is a fair and open competitive process based on competencies as required by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board. In order to score adequately, the applicant must provide evidence of competence relating to the skills and competencies required. The applicant must cite relevant clinical experience as part of their evidence; however, this clinical experience does not have to have been gained in a hospital.
Arms Trade: Bulgaria and Romania
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made an assessment of the extent to which the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union is causing improvements in the transparency and control of arms exports from both states. [HL3528]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): All EU member states, including Romania and Bulgaria, are required to operate effective export controls in line with the EU code of conduct. Member states are committed to transparency in the conduct of the arms trade and provide detailed information as part of the EU's annual report on arms exports. If cases arise where we have concerns over the application of export controls, the UK raises them with the Government of the EU member state concerned.
Arms Trade: Russia
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
When they most recently discussed the worldwide effects of arms exports with the Government of Russia and the possible impact of these exports on cross-border wars and terrorism; and whether they plan to continue such dialogue bilaterally and though international fora. [HL3578]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman):The most recent UK/Russia senior official level talks on export controls were held in London on 3 May. This was part of an ongoing dialogue with Russia on export control issues. The meeting covered a range of issues, including the initiative for a global treaty on the trade in conventional arms. The UK will continue to engage with all international partners, including Russia, to improve international standards of arms exports and to continue to highlight the devastating effect of poorly regulated arms exports.
Civil Service: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they will take to prevent smokers from congregating in the doorways of buildings belonging to the Northern Ireland Civil Service. [HL3483]
Lord Rooker: This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.
Consumer Complaints: Northern Ireland
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
Who currently handles complaints of a consumer nature concerning young disabled people and the transport systems in Northern Ireland. [HL3482]
Lord Rooker: This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.
Embryology
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 17 April (WA 42—43), whether they will explain the feasibility of proposals to allow research activities that involve alteration of the genetic structure of human embryos in order to understand how specific gene defects lead to failure of embryo implantation, whilst maintaining a specific prohibition against transferral of such embryos to the womb of either a woman or an animal; and [HL3401]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 17 April (WA 42—43), bearing in mind that the other suggested aims of research on embryos might include understanding how specific gene defects lead to symptoms of disease, why embryonic stem cells would not be sufficient for such purposes; and to what extent organismal development might be required to establish the appearance of symptoms consistent with disease onset, especially in light of the current 14-day rule; and [HL3402]
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 17 April (WA 42—43), whether the continuation of licensing controls on research projects involving human embryos allows specific prohibitions in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to be reinterpreted without recourse to Parliament; and whether such prohibitions were breached by the regulatory authority when granting HFEA research licence R0153. [HL3403]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): The need to use embryos is a key consideration during the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's licensing process for embryo research. The regulatory framework requires the use of alternatives to embryos—for example, established embryonic stem cell lines—where suitable ones exist. Schedule 2 to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 sets out the activities for which licences may be granted. Licences for the purposes of a project of research involving human embryos cannot authorise any activity unless it appears to the HFEA to be necessary or desirable for one or more of the purposes specified. The law also makes it clear that no licence shall be granted unless the authority is satisfied that any proposed use of embryos is necessary for the purposes of the particular research project.
The Government recently published a White Paper, Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, and will shortly be publishing a draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny. The revised legislation will continue to permit the creation and use of embryos for research within limits and subject to regulatory oversight. It will continue to be the responsibility of the regulator to consider licence applications within the parameters set out in legislation. The Act currently prohibits culturing embryos for more than 14 days in vitro, and the Government do not intend to change the 14-day limit.
For research purposes only, the Government intend to remove the restriction on altering the genetic structure of a cell while it forms part of an embryo. This could aid understanding of genetic pathways involved in implantation and the mutations resulting in failure of implantation. For example, modifying a specific gene thought to affect the ability of an embryo to implant will allow scientists to learn about its function by looking at the effects on other genes in the early embryo. This approach could identify potential targets for treatment without the need to place the modified embryo in a woman.
A HFEA appeals committee licensed application R0153 on 1 September 2005. Following consideration of the overall intentions of Parliament and of the definition of genetic structure, the appeals committee concluded that none of the activities proposed in the application was prohibited, that they were necessary or desirable for specified research purposes and that the use of embryos was necessary for the purpose of the proposed research project.
EU: Article 308
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 16 April (WA 15), what were the circumstances surrounding the case on which the European Court of Justice delivered its Opinion 2/94 on 28 March 1996 (paragraph 29). [HL3628]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Pursuant to Article 300(6) of the Treaty establishing the European Community (then Article 228(6)), the Council lodged a request for an opinion with the European Court of Justice on 26 April 1994, on the following question: “Would the accession of the European Community to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 4 November 1950 ... be compatible with the Treaty establishing the European Community”.
Further background information is cited in the introductory paragraphs to the opinion, including at paragraphs III-6 to III-10.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 16 April (WA 15), what are the limits to which the European Court of Justice's Opinion 2/94 on 28 March 1996 (paragraph 29) can be applied. [HL3629]
Lord Triesman: Paragraph 29 of the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) Opinion 2/94 on 28 March 1996 is an explanatory disposition. Its aim is to clarify the scope of Article 308 of the Treaty on the European Community (then Article 235 TEC).
In Opinion 2/94 the Court of Justice gave an interpretation of Article 235 (now Article 308) which is of general application. The ECJ has often been asked to rule on the use of Article 308 of the TEC. From the case law of the court, it is clear that Article 308 cannot be used by the community to widen its competencies beyond what is needed to attain the objectives mentioned in the EC treaty.
As an example, paragraph 30 of the opinion makes clear that Article 308 “cannot serve as a basis for widening the scope of community powers beyond the general framework created by the provisions of the Treaty as a whole” and that it “cannot be used as a basis for the adoption of provision whose effect would, in substance, be to amend the Treaty without following the procedure which it provides for that purpose”.
EU: Budget
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their best estimate of the United Kingdom's net annual contributions to the European Union budget over the years 2007 to 2012 (a) if the United Kingdom's rebate is maintained, and (b) if it is not. [HL3514]
Lord Davies of Oldham: Based on the European Commission's forecasts and assumptions, and using the financial perspective table agreed on 17 December 2005, Treasury estimates for the UK's net contribution to the EC budget and the abatement are:
| £ billion 2004 prices (payments) | ||
| Net contribution post-abatement | Abatement | |
EU: Special Projects
Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give details of any financial contributions made to the European Union for special individual projects, including overseas aid to developing countries outside the European Union, for each of the past five years. [HL3515]
: The United Kingdom makes its contributions to the EC budget as a whole and not to individual projects within it. Details of the UK's contributions to the EC budget over the period 2000 to 2005 may be found in table 3.2 of the European Community Finances White Paper (Cm 6770, page 17) published in May 2006. The United Kingdom's gross contribution in 2005 to 2006, after taking account of the abatement, was £8.1 billion. In addition, the United Kingdom makes contributions to the European development fund, details of which are as follows:
France: President-elect
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What principal subjects they plan to raise in their first discussions with the new president of the French Republic. [HL3546]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): My right honourable friend the Prime Minister spoke to the president-elect, Nicolas Sarkozy, on 6 May to congratulate him on his election victory and to emphasise the Government's desire to work closely with the future French Government on a number of bilateral, European and foreign policy issues.
Health: HIV
Lord Adebowale asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much money they have spent on public health awareness campaigns to reduce the spread of HIV in each year since 1986. [HL3144]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Expenditure on sexual health campaigns, from 1986-87 to 1995-96, including HIV public education, contraception awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, is set out in the following table. It is not possible to separate out funding solely related to HIV awareness.
| £ million | |
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