Written Answers
Tuesday, 13th January 1998.
Central Council For Education And Training In Social Work: Review
asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the fundamental review of the functions of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.[HL 67]
We are today publishing the report of the review on behalf of the United Kingdom Ministers responsible for sponsoring the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW). Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.We will be considering in detail the conclusions and recommendations in the report, which is the result of an extensive consultation exercise, and we intend to act on the recommendations in the report designed to secure efficiency and good value for money in the way the functions are carried out.My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health announced in another place on 3 July,
Official Report, col. 231–232, our intention to establish a General Social Services Council. This was one of the matters to which the review of CCETSW was to have regard. We will be giving further thought to how best to build effective UK links on the regulation of the workforce consistent with the Government's plans for devolution. The report of the review paves the way for the establishment of a General Social Care Council (GSCC), as we now intend to call it, and makes clear the vital importance of drawing a close relationship between the regulation of training and of the workforce.
The Government have now decided that it is unnecessary to issue a further consultation document on their proposals to establish the GSCC. We intend to publish our legislative proposals in a White Paper in the spring after further discussion of the detailed issues within government and with all the key stakeholders. These will include service users, employers in all sectors, staff interests and professional bodies. In preparation for and to the benefit of the GSCC, we will carry out a formal stage two of the review based on appropriate recommendations in the report to examine issues of effectiveness and value for money.
CCETSW continues to play its vital role in ensuring an appropriately qualified and trained workforce. Achieving that objective remains central to our approach, but we do not see the need for a separate body for the regulation of training in the aftermath of the establishment of the GSCC.
Eu Public Health Issues
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have plans for taking forward European Union public health issues during the forthcoming United Kingdom Presidency of the EU. [HL 68]
The Government's main priority in the public health sphere during the United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union will be to demonstrate the practical relevance of the EU in promoting better health.There is already a substantial agenda for the Health Council, which will meet on 30 April 1998 and which the Minister for Public Health will chair. The main topics for the Health Council during the UK Presidency will be:
Communicable diseases
The European Parliament is due to adopt in January its opinion on the Council's common position on the proposal to establish a Community network for the surveillance of communicable diseases. The UK Presidency will seek to reach agreement on a final version of the decision. We will also arrange for the Council to review progress by the European Union-United States task force which is considering how to establish a global network for communicable disease surveillance.
Tobacco
The UK Presidency will take forward as appropriate any new proposals for the Community action which the Commission may bring forward to follow up its communication on combating tobacco consumption. The European Parliament will be considering the Council's common position on the proposal for a directive banning tobacco advertising and the UK Presidency will stand ready to facilitate adoption of a final version of the directive.
Rare diseases, pollution-related diseases and injury prevention
The UK Presidency hopes that the European Parliament will deliver its opinion on these three proposals for new public health programmes in time for the Council to adopt common positions at the Health Council meeting on 30 April.
Screening of blood donors and donations
We will take forward consideration of the Commission's proposal for a Council recommendation on the screening of blood donors and donations. Although a recommendation is not binding on member states, its adoption will signal their commitment to co-ordinate measures across the EU to secure blood safety.
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)
The UK Presidency will ensure the Council keeps under review developments in understanding of the causes and routes of transmission of the agent responsible for new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
Discussion on the future of public health in the EU
The UK Presidency hopes to hold a discussion on Community action in the field of public health after 2001 taking into account the new European Treaty agreed in Amsterdam in June, should this he ratified, and the forthcoming enlargement of the Union.
The discussion could also focus on how Health Ministers of the 15 EU member states might establish effective working relationships with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus to ensure that public health policy matters are properly considered in their plans to join the European Union so that an enlarged Union is able to continue to provide a high level of health protection for its citizens. In this context, the Council would clearly need to take account of the work already being done in the field of public health by the World Health Organisation and in particular its European Region and by the Council of Europe.
The Government also intend using opportunities outside the formal EU institutional framework to raise the profile of the EU public health agenda and to consider how it can contribute in practical ways to better public health across the Union. The Department of Health is discussing with, among others, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing conferences planned for the UK Presidency to build on the discussions started in the Health Council about the future of public health in the EU in the next century. These events will provide further evidence of the Government's determination to demonstrate how the EU public health machinery can be made to work towards achieving a better quality of life for the people of Europe.
Advisory Committees: Members' Interests
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will identify those members of the following bodies who have declared financial or other links with industries related to their spheres of activity
Financial or other links with industries related to their spheres of activity have been declared by members of the following bodies:(a)
The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances
The following members of this body have declared financial or other interests, either personal or non-personal, in the industries related to their sphere of activity:
- Dr. Simon Allison;
- Professor Ian Booth;
- Dr. Ann Kobza Black;
- Mrs. Anita MacDonald;
- Professor Alan Shenlcin; and
- Mr. Andrew Taylor.
(b) The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food
This body publishes an annual report which includes details of the members' declarations of interests. A copy of the 1996 report is in the Library.
(c) Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
A complete list of the financial interests declared by members of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) is published each year in the Committee's annual report. Copies of these reports are available in the Library and are available free of charge from the ACNFP Secretariat.
(d) Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides are required to declare interests for publication in the Committee's annual report. Copies of this report are available in the Library.
(e), (h) and (i) Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment; Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants; and Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment
Declarations of interests by members are published in the Annual Reports of these bodies, copies of which are available in the Library.
(f) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy
Register of members' commercial interests is published in the annual report of this body; copies will be placed in the Library.
(g) Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment
Dr. Gerald Draper has a non-personal interest, providing collaborative assistance to the National Grid.
(j), (m) and (n) Committee on the Safety of Medicines; Medicines Commission; and Veterinary Products Committee
All members of these bodies are required to declare any interests in the pharmaceutical industry. Declarations of interest are published in the Medicines Act 1968 Advisory Bodies annual reports. A copy of the 1996 annual report is available in the Library.
(k) Food Advisory Committee
The Food Advisory Committee (FAC) publishes details of members' interests, including financial or other links with industry, in its annual report. This publication is available free of charge from the FAC Secretariat, and copies are placed in the Library.
(L) Medical Research Council
Of the Medical Research Council's (MRC) 16 members for the 1997–98 session, the following have declared current financial or other links with industries related to their sphere of activity:
- Professor J. I. Bell: member of Scientific Advisory Board for Oxford Molecular; Director of Powderject UK; Director of Oxagen; Director of Isis Innovation;
- Professor L. K. Borysiewicz: consultant to Cantab Pharmaceuticals plc; consultant to SmithKline Beecham RIT (Belgium);
- Professor A. Haines: member of the Medical Advisory Committee of World Care;
- Professor E. Johnstone: consultant to SmithKline Beecham;
- Professor G. K. Radda (Chief Executive): Director of UK Medical Ventures LP (note: UK Medical Ventures is a seed investment fund set up as a limited partnership to foster exploitation activities, and particularly the creation of 'spin-out' companies based on MRC-owned intellectual property);
- Professor T. Robbins: consultant to Cenes plc; occasional consultant to Zeneca SmithKline Beecham, Pfizer and Unilever;
- Dr. B. C. Ross: Director Group Research Strategy & Alliances, Glaxo Wellcome R & D: Board member, Affymetrix Inc (USA);
- Dr. I. P. Sword: Director in Inveresk Research International Ltd.; Inveresk Clinical Research Ltd.; Caledonian Research Foundation Ltd.; Inveresk Property Services Ltd.; SGS (Holding) UK Ltd.; SGS (New Zealand) Ltd.; SGS (Australia) Ltd.; SGS-ICS Australia Pty; SGS Vietnam; Technology Project Services Ltd.; Lothian & Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd.; MRC Collaborative Centre; and MRC Collaborative Centre, Scotland Ltd.
All this information is included in the MRC's register of council and board members' declared interests, which is regularly updated by the individuals concerned.
Millennium Dome Costs: Sponsors
asked Her Majesty's Government:Which sponsors have so far made commitments to contribute to the costs of the Millennium Dome.
The right honourable Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) chaired a meeting of potential sponsors in June 1996 and laid the foundations for establishing significant private sector interest. That interest is being intensively followed up. Public commitments have been made by British Airways, British Telecom and the Corporation of London.The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) and IMG are now in the process of detailed and sensitive negotiations with a range of other national and international companies. These discussions have been given added impetus following the NMEC's announcement, in early December 1997, that 11 designers are under contract to develop further the Millennium Experience's content. The NMEC and IMG can now consider with potential sponsors how particular aspects of content can be shaped to meet their commercial requirements whilst at the same time ensuring the integrity of the Experience.
Children's Radio Services
asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements are being made to provide access for children to the free-to-air radio network on digital and analogue frequencies; andWhat provision will be made for a national free-to-air radio service for children and schools, following the Radio Authority's withdrawal of 225 kHz long wave, which had been proposed by Children 2000 and members of Her Majesty's Government for the purpose.
The frequency 225 kHz was assigned to the Radio Authority in 1996 to enable the authority to consider the feasibility of using it for new analogue radio services. However, the Radio Authority has concluded that a national service is not available on that frequency.The Radio Authority plans to invite applications early in 1998 to operate the national independent digital radio multiplex. This will include new national radio services. It is the Radio Authority's responsibility to award the multiplex licence, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has no plans to direct the authority by specifying the nature of those new services.Under the terms of its Charter and Agreement, the BBC is required to ensure that its output includes a high standard of original programmes for children and young people and contains programmes of an educational nature. Within this framework, decisions on editorial content and delivery of programmes are for the BBC itself.
Legal Deposit Of Publications
asked Her Majesty's Government:When they anticipate that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport will have completed its deliberations upon the responses to the previous administration's consultation paper,
Legal Deposit of Publications, issued in February; and
What plans they have to extend the legal deposit requirements to take account of the growth in electronic publishing and related media such as film, video and sound recordings, microfilm, computer discs and CD-ROMs.
My right honourable friend the Secretary of State is considering the way forward in the light of the responses to the consultation paper Legal Deposit of Publications. He will be making an announcement shortly.
Treasury Press Briefings
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many officials in the Treasury are currently authorised to give non-attributable press briefings; and how many of these officials are political appointees.
In common with past practice, non-attributable briefings are given by press officers and senior officials to help journalists with background information on complex and detailed policy issues.
Access To Museums And Galleries
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will define the term "access" as they use it in relation to the issue of free entry to the permanent collections of museums and galleries in the United Kingdom (for example, as used by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in his speech at the Turner Prize award ceremony on 2 December); and whether they consider the term "access" and "free entry" to be interchangeable in this context.
Access in this context means admission, but not necessarily free admission. The terms "access" and "free entry" are not interchangeable. Admission charges are not the only barrier to access and others such as opening hours and travel costs must also be considered.A consultation paper inviting views on a code of good access practice has been published and these will be considered as part of our continuing access review.
Civil Jury Trials In Scotland
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, following the Report of the Appellate Committee
in causa Girvan (Respondent) v Inverness Farmers Dairy and Another (Appellants), dated 13 November, they intend to request the Scottish Law Commission to review and, if appropriate, recommend changes to the law and practice relating to civil jury trials in Scotland.
The Government have no plans at present to request the Scottish Law Commission to review the law and practice relating to civil jury trials in Scotland.
Organophosphates: Interdepartmental Monitoring Group
asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the names and status of the members of the interdepartmental committee established to co-ordinate information on organophosphate chemicals, together with their remit; and whether they will make public the deliberations of their committee.
The interdepartmental committee will be chaired by Mr. Richard Carden, Head of Food Safety and Environment Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The group will comprise senior officials from: the Department of Health; the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions; the Ministry of Defence; the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices; the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Pesticides Safety Directorate (both executive agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food); the Medicines Control Agency (an executive agency of the Department of Health) and the Health and Safety Executive.The terms of reference of the interdepartmental group are:1. To monitor the processes by which information about organophosphates is shared between the Government Departments involved, with the aim of ensuring effective co-ordination; and to advise whether any changes in procedure are needed.2. To draw together all scientific evidence from UK and international sources relevant to the policy issues to which organophosphates give rise; to advise whether there are any gaps in the current state of scientific knowledge which should be remedied, and if so to propose how the new work might be commissioned.3. To examine the procedures by which organophosphate products are licensed for different purposes; to identify any variations; to advise whether procedures should be changed.
4. To take stock of such other questions, cutting across departmental boundaries, as Ministers may refer to them from time to time; with the aim of ensuring that all issues relevant to policy are examined by the appropriate experts and the results or conclusions made available to all departments concerned.
The group will make a first report to Ministers in February. This report, with Ministers' conclusions, will be made public.
Sand Eels
asked Her Majesty's Government:What research has been carried out into the sand eel population along the North Sea coastal strip; andWhat have been the yearly density spreads for the last 10 years of the sand eel population along the North Sea coastal strip; and
| Mean number of fish per 30 minute tow | ||||||||
| Age | ||||||||
| Year | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 1984 | 345,774 | 47,590 | 34,613 | 9,921 | 3,999 | 1,369 | 856 | 258 |
| 1985 | 121,905 | 74,509 | 38,843 | 23,455 | 10,872 | 1,959 | 962 | 119 |
| 1986 | 681,869 | 49,816 | 11,399 | 15,376 | 7,049 | 2,893 | 1,210 | 191 |
| 1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988 | 73,371 | 898 | 7,189 | 4,843 | 4,612 | 3,031 | 1,619 | 20 |
| 1989 | 813,752 | 9,059 | 977 | 3,820 | 3,893 | 2,017 | 462 | 86 |
| 1990 | 90,148 | 30,118 | 3,771 | 1,346 | 1,736 | 1,142 | 444 | 329 |
| 1991 | 1,009,024 | 10,001 | 1,925 | 1,694 | 750 | 53 | 21 | 5 |
| 1992 | 199,301 | 465,958 | 1,215 | 347 | 168 | 43 | 10 | 12 |
| 1993 | 635,331 | 18,180 | 73,176 | 2,176 | 361 | 150 | 72 | 23 |
| 1994 | 98,653 | 135,158 | 14,272 | 41,299 | 3,369 | 296 | 12 | 17 |
| 1995 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 589,368 | 23,056 | 12,513 | 1,836 | 1,185 | 1,387 | 524 | 72 |
| 1997 | 2,953,350 | 88,582 | 6,519 | 8,938 | 1,149 | 1,353 | 1,159 | 357 |
asked Her Majesty's Government:What evidence was taken into account in determining the limit on proposed catch quotas for
What effects have been noted on the drop in population and spread of seabirds along the North Sea coastal strip which are sand eel dependent.
Research on sand eels in which UK institutions are involved includes work on identifying whether there are discrete sand eel populations in the North Sea; estimating the uncertainty in the assessment of sand eel population; the dynamics of sand eel settlement and population and the investigation of alternative management measures for sand eels. The European Commission is also funding an extensive research project to investigate the effects of sand eel availability on foraging behaviour, efficiency, diet and reproduction of bird and fish predators. This project, known as ELIFONTS, is being led by the United Kingdom's Sea Mammal Research Unit. All these studies are expected to lead to an improved understanding of the impact of sand eel fisheries.Data from recruitment surveys carried out by the Scottish Office Fisheries Research Service Agency for the Shetland area show sand eel density as follows:the sand eel population along the North Sea coastal strip.
The proposal of the European Commission to introduce a total allowable catch (TAC) for sand eels in the North Sea took account of advice provided by the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management (ACFM) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. ACFM concluded that the sand eel stock appears to be within safe biological limits and that the stock can sustain current fishing mortality. However, it advised that fishing mortality should not be allowed to increase because the consequences of removing a large fraction of the food biomass for predator species are unknown.The United Kingdom welcomed the introduction of a TAC for North Sea sand eels at the Fisheries Council on 18-19 December 1997. However, the United Kingdom also pressed for the TAC to be set at a lower level and called for continuing analysis of the environmental effect of large scale industrial fishing.
Lottery Draws: Restriction
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have published the draft Bill to restrict the frequency of lottery draws.[HL 109]
My honourable friend the Minister of State published the draft Lotteries (Frequent Draws) Bill on 7 January for comments by 30 January.This follows his announcement on 13 November that the Government intend to introduce legislation seeking to restrict the frequency of on-line lottery draws under the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976.The draft Bill restricts the frequency of such draws to one a day on any particular premises in Great Britain.