asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they plan to strengthen controls over British arms exports by (a) controlling all sales by British extra-territorial arms brokers, including military vehicles and other equipment; (b) covering the military activities of United Kingdom-owned foreign subsidiary companies; (c) requiring official approval for the re-export or transfer of military goods of which the original export was authorised; and (d) requiring that approved arms and equipment exports do not prejudice the sustainable development of poor countries. [HL1905]

On 6 February 2008 the Government published their initial response to a public consultation carried out as part of the 2007 review of export control legislation. The response can be viewed on BERR's website at www.berr.gov.uk/europeantrade/strategic-export-control/legislation/export-control-act-2002/review/index.html.

The initial response makes a number of specific commitments to enhance the controls and covers the issues raised at points (a) and (b). However, as stressed in that response, there are a number of areas where further research and analysis is required.

The Government are extending the current extraterritorial controls to encompass the activities of UK persons anywhere in the world in relation to small arms. It is currently considering extending this beyond small arms to possibly encompass other weapons. In doing so, it will need to ensure that any new regulations are proportionate to the risk.

The Government's initial response states that they remain of the view that to attempt to control directly the activities of UK-owned foreign subsidiaries—in effect to treat them as though they are based in the UK—is not legally viable and would be virtually impossible to enforce.

Similarly on point (c), the Government are not convinced that requiring exporters to seek re-export approval from the UK authorities is necessary or feasible, since such a system would be onerous to operate and extremely difficult to enforce in practice outside the UK's legal jurisdiction.

It is however possible that the Government's continuing analysis will result in further changes that will impact on these issues. The Government aim to issue a further response later in 2008.

On point (d), the Government consider that Criterion 8 of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, which requires the Government to take into account “whether the proposed export would seriously undermine the economy or seriously hamper the sustainable development of the recipient country” already provides adequate protection against the risk that exports of controlled goods will prejudice the development of poor countries.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What changes they propose to make to the policies and working arrangements of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills following the signing of the Central–Local Concordat on 12 December 2007, both in general and in specific response to the agreement in the concordat (a) that “there should be a presumption that powers are best exercised at the lowest effective and practical level”; (b) that central Government undertakes to “progressively remove obstacles which prevent councils from pursuing their role, including reducing the burden of appraisal and approval regimes, the ring-fencing of funds for specific purposes and the volume of guidance it issues”; (c) that the number of national indicators should be “around 200”; (d) that in relation to the negotiation of new-style local area agreements “this objective will require major changes in behaviour and practice from central government departments, their agencies, government offices, councils and local partners”; and what is the process and timetable for such changes. [HL1745]

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) is fully committed to the principles set out in the Central-Local Concordat, including in particular the new performance management arrangements for local authorities and their partners, based on a single set of 198 national indicators and a limited number of targets agreed in local area agreements (LAAs). We have ensured that skills are represented in the national indicator set and are currently working closely with other government departments, government offices, the Learning and Skills Council and others to agree the new LAAs with local authorities and their partners by June.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What instructions and advice are being given to Natural England concerning changes to their policies and working arrangements following the signing of the Central-Local Concordat on 12 December 2007, both in general and in specific response to the agreement in the concordat (a) “that there should be a presumption that powers are best exercised at the lowest effective and practical level”; (b) that central Government undertakes to “progressively remove obstacles which prevent councils from pursuing their role, including reducing the burden of appraisal and approval regimes, the ring-fencing of funds for specific purposes and the volume of guidance it issues”; and (c) that in relation to the negotiation of new-style local area agreements “this objective will require major changes in behaviour and practice from central government departments, their agencies, government offices, councils and local partners”; and what is the process and timetable for such changes. [HL1915]

The Central-Local Concordat, agreed between the Government and the Local Government Association (LGA), on behalf of local authorities in England, was signed in December last year. It commits both parties to a framework of principles to secure a new relationship between central government and local government. The operation of this agreement will be monitored on a continuing basis, through renewed Central-Local Partnership arrangements.

Statutory guidance to Natural England on its role in regional planning and associated matters, including LAAs, was issued in March 2007 following public consultation: paragraphs 5.7 and 5.8 refer. We have no plans to issue further guidance. Implementation of the guidance is a matter for the board of Natural England.

The guidance is available on Defra's website and I will undertake to send the noble Lord a copy of the guidance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the carbon capture and storage competition plant being promoted by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will manage carbon dioxide transport and storage. [HL1822]

The management of the carbon dioxide transport and storage elements of the CCS demonstration plant being supported by the Government is a matter for the project developer. Plans for the transport and storage elements will be assessed as part of the competitive process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment has been made of the likelihood of the 5.6 billion cubic metres of new gas storage capacity outlined in the May 2007 Energy White Paper being delivered; which proposed gas storage projects expected to contribute to this new capacity are currently awaiting determination by them; and when they expect to make decisions on these projects. [HL1773]

Underground gas storage projects with a design capacity of 2,045 mcm are currently in the planning process. The great majority of these applications fall to local authorities, under the Town and Country Planning Act. However, preliminary submissions under the Gas Act 1965 in respect of two projects—at Albury and Saltfleetby—are currently being considered by the Secretary of State. There is no statutory timetable for considering applications under this Act. If the Secretary of State allows the preliminary applications, the projects would proceed to the formal application stage, when they would be fully scrutinised in the statutory process. These two projects would have a combined capacity (included in the 2,045 mcm) of approximately 885 mcm.

The Government do not make probabilistic assessments that particular projects will proceed to commissioning. Whether to proceed with consented projects is a commercial decision, which will reflect technical and commercial factors. The current position is that new underground gas storage with a design capacity of some 2,059 mcm, and LNG storage with a design capacity equivalent to 922 mcm of gas in gaseous form, has been consented, and is either under construction or awaiting the start of construction. In addition, expansion projects are under way at a number of existing facilities, while a number of projects—some commercially confidential—are at the development (pre-consents) stage.

The Government's most recent assessment of the outlook for gas storage is set out in BERR's “Energy Markets Outlook”, published in October 2007 and available at www.berr.gov.uk/energy/energymarketsoutlook/page41839.html.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the carbon savings in tonnes per megawatt from wind-generated electricity. [HL1815]

The table below sets out the carbon emissions per megawatt hour from wind-generated electricity in 2006, compared with fossil fuels.

While there are little or no carbon emissions from the generation of electricity from wind power, there are, however, some emissions during the whole lifecycle of a wind turbine. The majority of the emissions occur during the manufacture of the turbines—for example, steel for the tower and concrete for the foundations. Emissions generated during the operation of wind turbines arise from routine maintenance and inspection visits by road vehicles for onshore wind farms and by boat or helicopter for offshore developments.

¹ Figures for fossil fuel emissions are the estimated emissions from power stations

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress is being made with the two discarded fish pilot schemes; whether the results so far are consistent with the European Union's findings that 60 per cent of fish caught are discarded; and whether they will introduce a plan to end the requirement to discard dead fish. [HL1902]

Rates of discarding are highly variable and dependent on the local abundance of fish, individual choices made by fishermen as well as the regulatory environment in which fishermen operate. I assume that the noble Earl is referring to the Irish Sea Data Enhancement Pilot Project and the gear trials in the North Sea Farne Deeps Nephrops fishery.

The intention of the Irish Sea Data Enhancement Pilot Project is to improve the understanding of the nature and extent of discarding in the Irish Sea in order that management measures can be developed to address the problem. The initial phase of the Irish Sea Data Enhancement Pilot has recently been completed. To ensure that the data collected from the pilot are consistent with existing national programmes, data are being validated to ensure that the estimates of discards that result from the project are both realistic and representative. An interim report from the project, which will include a detailed analysis of discarding in the Irish Sea, is scheduled for June for submission to the European Commission's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF).

The North Sea gear trials were conducted during the period 2003-06. The average annual estimated fish discarded by the English and Welsh fishing fleet in the North Sea Farne Deeps Nephrops fishery was 23 per cent (by number), 37 per cent (by weight). These figures are based on data obtained by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) observers who regularly sail onboard these vessels and measure both the catches and discards.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What functions and responsibilities the Secretary of State for Health has that apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [HL1244]

The Secretary of State for Health is responsible principally for health issues relating to England and for certain issues which are reserved in the different devolution settlements for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Reserved matters are for the United Kingdom Parliament and in general any executive functions are exercised by the Secretary of State for Health, other persons, bodies or authorities. The current position in relation to each devolved Administration is detailed as follows.

Scotland

In relation to health, Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998 specifies the following matters as reserved to the UK Parliament and thus outside the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament:

regulation of the health professions which were regulated prior to devolution;

misuse of drugs;

medicines, medical supplies and poisons;

embryology, surrogacy and genetics (including the subject matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990);

welfare foods;

abortion;

xenotransplantation; and

the vaccine damage payment scheme.

Other health matters are generally within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, though there is some flexibility in terms of functions and responsibilities.

Northern Ireland

Schedule 3 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 sets out reserved matters on which the Northern Ireland Assembly would not normally legislate and could do so only with the Secretary of State for Health's consent, and subject to parliamentary control:

human fertilisation, embryology, surrogacy and human genetics; and

xenotransplantation.

Other health matters are within the competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Wales

The majority of functions in relation to the provision of health services in Wales are now conferred directly on the Welsh Ministers under the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, the prime duty being that set out in Section 1, to continue the promotion in Wales of a comprehensive health service.

Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 sets out fields within which, with the agreement of the UK Parliament, legislative competence may be devolved to the National Assembly for Wales to make measures. The fields include health and health services, and social welfare. The UK Parliament retains legislative responsibility for such areas until legislative competence has been conferred by adding matters to the fields under Schedule 5. To date, legislative competence has been conferred with respect to NHS Redress (a matter inserted for field 9 (health and health services)).

Part 4 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 sets out the framework under which the Assembly's legislative competence may in future be broadened to encompass power to make Acts if approval is given in a referendum. However, certain health matters will still be reserved to the UK Parliament. These are listed in Schedule 7 to the Government of Wales Act 2006:

regulation of the health professions which were regulated prior to devolution;

misuse of drugs;

medicines, medical supplies and poisons;

human fertilisation, embryology, surrogacy and genetics;

welfare foods;

abortion;

xenotransplantation;

vaccine damage payments;

standards for, and testing of, biological substances; and

Health and Safety Commission, Health and Safety Executive and provision made by Health and Safety regulations.

International Obligations

While the settlements make clear that in relation to devolved matters, observing and implementing international obligations is within the competence of the administrations concerned, the UK Government are responsible for ensuring that international obligations are met across the UK. The Secretary of State has powers to enforce compliance with international obligations in respect of health and social care across the UK, covering devolved fields if necessary but, in the case of Scotland, the consent of the Scottish Parliament would generally be sought. In terms of the Scotland Act 1998 international obligations does not include European Community law and there is separate provision for this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will introduce annual cervical smear tests to detect cancer among women, instead of three-yearly tests. [HL1774]

There are no plans to replace three-yearly cervical screening with annual cervical screening.

In May 2004, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation, concluded that organised and quality-controlled cervical screening can achieve an 80 per cent reduction in the mortality of cervical cancer; and that women aged 25 to 49 should be screened no more than every three years, and women aged 50 to 64 no more than every five years. The IARC working group which made these conclusions consisted of 28 experts from 14 countries. This policy has been in operation in England since October 2003.

The National Health Service cervical screening programme is renowned as being one of the best in the world, and experts estimate it saves up to 5,000 lives per year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to media reports claiming widespread marine plastics pollution; and whether they plan to categorise plastics as dangerous waste. [HL1865]

In keeping with the European waste classification system, plastic waste is classified as non-hazardous, unless it is contaminated beyond specified threshold limits by dangerous substances. Further information on the classification of hazardous waste is provided in the Environment Agency's technical guidance document WM2, available on its website.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the proposed Marine Bill will include provision for tackling marine pollution. [HL1870]

Pollutants enter the marine environment by a number of different pathways, from both land and sea-based sources, and are already subject to extensive controls under a variety of different measures, permits and licensing regimes. These include Part 2 of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA), under which all deposits in the sea are controlled and the use of chemicals to disperse oil spills is authorised. The proposed Marine Bill intends to replace Part 2 of the FEPA with new streamlined arrangements for controlling such deposits and oil dispersants. It will also provide modernised inspection and enforcement tools and ensure that, where appropriate, a licensing authority will be able to require polluters to clean up pollution that they have caused.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

With respect to each year from 1998 to the present, how many graduates began secondary school teaching careers with degree qualifications in (a) English; (b) mathematics; (c) foreign languages; (d) ICT; and (e) physics.[HL1971]

Complete information relating to the degree qualification of graduates who began secondary school teaching careers is not available centrally.

The table below shows the number of final year postgraduate mainstream initial teacher training (ITT) trainees who gained qualified teachers status (QTS) and entered a teaching post in the maintained sector within six months of gaining their QTS, broken down by the subject of their ITT training and their undergraduate degree.

Notes

(1) Mainstream includes universities and other higher education institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment-based routes.

(2) The destination of trainees through employment-based ITT courses is not currently collected.

(3) Performance profiles data are collected at the end of a trainee’s first year, therefore 2006-07 data are collected in autumn 2007 and will be published in July 2008.

(4) Trainees who enter teaching posts in independent schools or schools where the sector is unknown are not included in the table above.

(5) The destination of some final year trainees remains unknown, therefore there are potentially more NQTs entering teaching posts within six months of gaining QTS year on year.

(6) There are additional postgraduate trainees on ITT courses where the first degree is unknown, so there are potentially more graduates gaining/entering teaching posts.

(7) The degree of undergraduate trainees, should they hold one, is not collected through the performance profiles data.

(8) The table above only covers those who hold a first degree in the subject of their ITT training course; it does not cover those who have a first degree in the subject but are entering an ITT course which is not in this subject.

(9) Those counted as having a degree qualification in the subject of their ITT course include both direct and related matches between degree and ITT subject. A direct match to the subject of ITT would be holding a degree in the subject of training, whereas a related match would be a degree with elements relating to the subject of ITT. For example within science a degree classified as a direct match would include degrees in subjects such as biology, chemistry and physics and a degree classified as a related match would include degrees in subjects such as medicine and dentistry.

(10) The method of classifying degree subjects changed as a result of the introduction of the JACS coding structure in 2002-03. Data collected prior to this date under the HESA coding system cannot be directly compared using the direct match alone. Therefore figures for both a direct match and a related match have been included.

(11) The breakdown of science trainees by specialism is not available.

(12) Trainees taking the assessment only are not included in “All secondary subjects” in the table above.

(13) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. * represents values which round to under 10.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

With respect to each year from 1998 to the present, how many secondary school teachers with degree qualifications in (a) English; (b) mathematics; (c) foreign languages; (d) ICT; and (e) physics left their teaching posts (1) within the first five years, (2) after five to 10 years; and (3) after 11 to 15 years.[HL1972]

The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.