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These figures do not include any expenditure on specific research projects, although some of the NBU's activity is in support of research initiatives. Defra's annual expenditure on bee health research has averaged around £210,000 since 2001.
Bee health services and research in Scotland and Northern Ireland are funded by their devolved administrations and do not involve the NBU.
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will support further research into the varroa mite to assist in further understanding honey bee colony collapse disorder. [HL3706]
Lord Rooker: The term colony collapse disorder is being used in the USA to describe cases in which some very large scale commercial operations have lost a high percentage of their hives. A wide range of possible causes are being investigated by researchers in the USA.
There have been widely reported, but isolated, cases in the UK in which beekeepers have lost a high percentage of their bee colonies. However, overall percentage losses are similar to previous years, albeit reflecting the gradual increase seen in the past five years.
The National Bee Unit provides training and advice to beekeepers on the control of the varroa mite. If widespread colony collapse in the UK was attributed to failure of control methods, the need for further research to develop new control methods would be considered along with other research priorities.
British Coal Compensation
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
In connection with the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal white finger litigation, which firms of solicitors made deductions from compensation awarded to claimants, either by collecting success fees, administration charges or union fees; and whether they will provide the names of each such solicitor. [HL1053]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): We do not have the information regarding payments made as success fees, administration charges or union fees, as the department is not party to any agreement between claimants and their representatives.
Court Martial: Disclosure
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Attorney-General on 27 March (WA 255), whether the documents to which he refers in that Answer will now be published. [HL3561]
The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith): I can confirm that a copy of the judge’s remarks at the end of the prosecution case and at the end of sentence in R v Payne and others (the Baha Musa case) are now in the Libraries of both Houses.
The document entitled 1 QLR Internment procedure dated 9 July 2003 is being placed in the Library by the Ministry of Defence in answer to Question HL 3559.
Elections: Registration
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their evaluation of the relative merits of household registration and individual registration in providing safeguards against electoral fraud and abuse. [HL3556]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The Government are unable to make such an evaluation of individual registration, as there is no robust evidence base. During the passage of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 the Government proposed piloting individual registration so that evidence could be collected. However, Parliament removed these provisions from the Act. Instead a scheme of postal voting identifiers was adopted with the support of all sides in Parliament.
Energy: Interconnector
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What further National Grid electricity interconnector openings will be announced in the next 12 months with countries such as France, Holland, Germany, Belgium and Ireland. [HL3642]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): I understand that there are currently no National Grid announcements planned of further electricity interconnectors in the next 12 months. An interconnector is, however, contracted to open on 1 April 2010 between Great Britain and the Netherlands.
EU: European Council
Lord Leach of Fairford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which Ministers will be attending the European Council on 22 and 23 June along with the Prime Minister. [HL3653]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): My right honourable friend the Prime Minister will lead the UK delegation at the European Council meeting on 22 and 23 June. The delegation will include my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary.
EU: United Nations Representation
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the suggestion that the European Union should hold a single seat in the United Nations Security Council with or without any changes to the present membership of the council by individual member states. [HL3641]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The charter of the UN states that only members of the UN can hold seats on the Security Council. The EU, like other regional organisations, is not a UN member. For a regional organisation to become a member, the charter would need to be amended. Even if the charter was amended to allow that, it would not be in the interests of either the EU or the UK to replace current representation on the Security Council with a single EU seat. The EU currently has five of the 15 members of the council.
The Government continue to favour reform of the Security Council to make it more representative of today's world, including permanent seats for Japan, Germany, India, Brazil and permanent African representation. The UK has also indicated its openness to interim proposals.
European Convention on Human Rights
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Council of Europe member countries have ratified Protocol 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL3680]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): Forty-one of the 47 Council of Europe member states have ratified Protocol 4 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Which Council of Europe member countries, other than the United Kingdom, have not ratified Protocol 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL3681]
Lord Triesman: The five Council of Europe member states, other than the United Kingdom, that have not ratified Protocol 4 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms are Andorra, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.
Galileo Project
Lord Pearson of Rannoch asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the current status of the European Union Galileo project; and whether it will have any military purpose. [HL3655]
Lord Bassam of Brighton: At the March 2007 Transport Council, the presidency and Commission reported on the current difficulties with the current contract negotiations with the private sector concessionaire bidding to run the Galileo public/private partnership (PPP). The immediate cause of the breakdown in negotiations is disagreement about industrial work-share between the partners in the bidding consortium.
As a result of the delays, the council gave the bidding consortium a deadline of 10 May 2007 to take the necessary measures to allow the resumption of effective negotiations. At the same time, the Commission was requested to prepare an analysis of the consortium’s response and to develop alternative options for taking forward the Galileo project. A more detailed discussion on these issues will follow at the June Transport Council, where it is expected that EU member states will be asked to decide whether to continue with the current negotiations or bring them to an end and request the Commission to explore in detail alternative options for proceeding with the project.
Galileo has been defined and agreed as a civil system since the project's inception. While Galileo's open service, like that of GPS, can be accessed by all and therefore could be used by military forces, Galileo remains a civil programme under civil control. This has repeatedly been confirmed by the EU Transport Council, most recently in its October 2006 council conclusions.
Health: Aortic Aneurysm
Lord MacKenzie of Culkein asked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate they have made of how many lives might be saved annually if universal availability of screening for aortic aneurysm in men aged 65 or over was rolled out across the National Health Service. [HL3485]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Based on modelling undertaken by the department for a programme screening all males for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) once they reach 65, it would be possible to prevent around 1,600 deaths related to this condition per year in England when the programme became fully operational.
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee has advised that screening for men aged 65 for AAA can be recommended in principle subject to two critical issues of reconfiguring treatment services and providing information and support to enable men to make an informed choice.
Health: Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease
Lord Turnberg asked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the contribution of specialist gastroenterologist nurses to the provision of treatment and care for patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. [HL3686]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): No assessment has been carried out centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders to assess the needs of their local communities and to commission services accordingly.
Health: Unlicensed Medicines
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
What powers are available to trading standards officers to prevent the marketing to United Kingdom mainland consumers of unlicensed medicinal products by companies based in the Channel Islands. [HL2317]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): Medicines licensing is primarily the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), a Department of Health agency. The agency's contact details are:
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Market Towers1 Nine Elms LaneLondon SW8 5NQTel: 020 7084 2000 Fax: 020 7084 2353Housing: Low Carbon Buildings
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Science and Innovation, Malcolm Wicks, on 14 April (Official Report, 175W), why grants under the low carbon buildings programme were not granted from May 2006 to March 2007 for renewable combined heat and power (CHP), micro CHP or fuel cells. [HL3587]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The low carbon buildings programme supports only technologies which are certified under the Clear Skies certification scheme. No commercially available products for micro-renewable CHP or fuel cells have sought certification under the scheme to date.
In terms of micro CHP, which is a technology with potential for the consumer market, we are awaiting the final conclusions of the Carbon Trust’s field trials, which are yet to complete. We have made alternative arrangements to consider renewable/micro CHP for large-scale projects under Stream 2B whereby an applicant must go through a due diligence process for an unaccredited system prior to a formal grant offer being made.
Housing: Sustainable Buildings
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they plan to hold new discussions with United Kingdom construction industry representatives regarding changes in building regulations, especially to part L, which would make the code for sustainable buildings for climate proofing mandatory rather than voluntary. [HL3547]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews): The Government are in an ongoing dialogue with the construction industry and other stakeholders and will consult them fully on any future changes to building regulations or the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes in England and Wales.
Iraq: Death Penalty
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make representations to the Government of Iraq to encourage them to abolish the use of the death penalty. [HL3644]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): The United Kingdom is firmly against the use of the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstance. Since the Iraqi Interim Government re-introduced the death penalty with effect from 7 August 2004, the United Kingdom, together with the European Union, has regularly raised our policy of opposition at the highest level, including with the Iraqi President and Prime Minister. We will continue to do so.
Iraq: Helicopters
Lord Garden asked Her Majesty's Government:
What category of damage the two United Kingdom Puma helicopters sustained in the collision north of Baghdad on 15 April; and when each is expected to be available again for operations. [HL3553]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson): The two Royal Air Force Puma helicopters that collided north of Baghdad on 15 April are in the process of being transported back to the United Kingdom. A formal assessment of the damage sustained to both aircraft will then be made following their arrival at MoD Boscombe Down. I will write to the noble Lord once this assessment has been undertaken and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Iraq: Refugees
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the outcome of the recent United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees conference in Geneva concerning refugees from Iraq and those internally displaced within Iraq. [HL3280]
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) conference was successful in drawing international attention to the plight of displaced Iraqis inside Iraq and in the region and recognising the burden this places on host communities and countries. The main outcome of the conference was the Government of Iraq's commitment to take the lead in providing support and security for their citizens, including for those who have fled the country. The conference also agreed a new UN strategic framework for humanitarian action in Iraq, which will co-ordinate UN action in support of the Iraqi Government's efforts. Further assistance to support the displaced was also pledged by a number of international donors.
Since January, the UK Government have provided £10 million to support emergency relief and other services to displaced and vulnerable Iraqis. This takes our total humanitarian assistance to more than £125 million since 2003. We will continue to work closely with the Iraqi Government and our international partners to ensure that needs are met.
Israel and Palestine
Lord Dykes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will seek to initiate a new United Nations Security Council resolution to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, combining a call for complete Israeli withdrawal with recognition by the Hamas Government of Israel as a legitimate state. [HL3646]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman): We have no current plans to initiate a new UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) relating to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We continue to stress to Israel and the Palestinian Authority that they should adhere to international law and respect all UNSCRs. We also maintain that Hamas must be committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, in line with the quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) position.
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