Written Answers
Tuesday, 18 May 2004.
Northern Ireland Department Of Culture, Arts And Leisure
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 6 April (
WA 219) concerning consultants employed by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, when Dónall Ó Riagáin first gave advice to the department; on what topics; and whether any of his days' consultations were for e-mail and telephone consultations. [HL2464]
Mr Dónall Ó Riagáin first provided advice to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in August 2000. He has provided advice on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and, on a business case for the Ulster-Scots Academy. Mr Ó Riagáin has provided advice by e-mail and telephone.
Northern Ireland Civil Servants: Legal Representation
asked Her Majesty's Government:Under what terms Northern Ireland civil servants are able to obtain legal representation by the Crown for cases arising, from actions taken in the course of their duties; how these terms differ between Northern Ireland Civil Service departments; and what are the corresponding terms applicable to civil servants seconded to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. [HL2569]
The NICS policy in relation to publicly funded legal action is contained in the Staff Handbook. The policy applies to all NICS civil servants uniformly across the departments/agencies, including those seconded to the PSNI. Civil servants may be granted legal representation, or some or all of their legal costs at public expense. The decision to fund is based on the merits of an individual case and depends on the act in question being committed within the scope of the officer's employment and whether it is in the department/agencies' interests to grant assistance.
Asylum And Immigration (Treatment Ofclaimants, Etc) Bill
asked Her Majesty's Government:On what basis they have calculated the number of cases that they believe the High Court will have to deal with as a result of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill. [HL2715]
The number of cases expected to be dealt with at the High Court has been calculated using current and anticipated caseload and behaviour including rates of appeal and statutory review applications.
asked Her Majesty's Government:What additional resources, if any, are to be allocated to the Lord Chief Justice to allow his courts to administer the new tasks proposed in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill. [HL2716]
The Government are analysing the resource impact to the system as a whole, including the Administrative Court, and will ensure that the respective areas of the court system are resourced to deal with any additional workload and process changes required to run the new appeals system.
asked Her Majesty's Government:How the contribution of lay members in the Immigration Appeal Tribunal is to be continued in the future. [HL2718]
Clause 14 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill establishes a single tier tribunal to replace the current two tier system. When the new tribunal is brought into force, Part 2 of Schedule 2 to the Bill provides that adjudicators and legally qualified members of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal (IAT) will transfer automatically to the new tribunal. The Lord Chancellor has informed the House that the new tribunal should comprise legally qualified members only and that Government do not intend to deploy lay members.
Population Aged 18 Years
asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the number of 18-year-olds in the population in each of the years from 1992 to 2004. [HL2742]
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, dated May 2004.
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the population of 18 year olds. (HL2724)
The attached table shows population estimates, for England and Wales, from mid-1992 to mid-2002. The latest year for which population estimates are available is 2002. Mid-year population projections have therefore been provided for 2003 and 2004.
The mid-1992 to mid-2000 population estimates for England and Wales are interim revised population estimates. They are subject to revision later in 2004.
Estimated1 and projected2 population aged 18 years England and Wales, 1992–2004
| |
thousands
| |
Year
| Population
|
| 1992 | 635.3 |
| 1993 | 609.3 |
| 1994 | 584.6 |
| 1995 | 565.1 |
| 1996 | 572.1 |
| 1997 | 615.6 |
| 1998 | 638.6 |
| 1999 | 643.7 |
| 2000 | 608.2 |
| 2001 | 628.7 |
| 2002 | 649.2 |
| 2003 | 679 |
| 2004 | 676 |
Sources:
Office for National Statistics1
Government Actuary's Department2
1. Estimates for 1992–2002
2. Projections for 2003 and 2004
Sasser Worm Attack
asked Her Majesty's Government:When the National Infrastructure Co-ordination Centre first became aware of the Sasser worm attack; and when it first issued an alert to systems that make up the United Kingdom Critical National Infrastructure; and [HL2709]Given that Microsoft had made available on 12 April a patch that would have prevented the Sasser worm attack, what steps were taken by the National Infrastructure Co-ordination Centre to ensure that all systems that make up the United Kingdom Critical National Infrastructure had installed this patch; and [HL2710]Whether Coastguard Service is regarded as part of the United Kingdom Critical National Infrastructure; and if so, what were the reasons for the service falling victim to the Sasser worm attack. [HL2711]
On receipt of the bulletin from Microsoft, the National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre (NISCC) issued a briefing to the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) on 13 April at 19:15, giving details of the threat to systems posed by Sasser. This was followed by a further three alerts issued on 19, 23 and 30 April, warning of the potential of a worm and advising system owners to apply the patch that Microsoft had made available. Additional bulletins were issued on 1 and 3 May as the situation developed.
NISCC has no regulatory authority and therefore can only inform system owners that patches are available and advise them that these patches should be applied.
The Coastguard Service is part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which in turn is part of the Department for Transport, and forms part of the Critical National Infrastructure. The MCA is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the infection.
Sudden Adult Death Syndrome
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of recent deaths of sports personalities in Northern Ireland, they will institute and encourage scientific investigation of the condition referred to as sudden adult death syndrome. [HL2439]
On 12 March 2004, the Government announced that a new National Service Framework chapter on arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death would be published within one year.An expert group has been formed to investigate these conditions and produce this chapter, and will be considering what further research may be needed on these issues.
Alcohol Treatment Centres
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 20 April (
WA 31), which local authorities in the north-east region contribute along with the National Health Service to the funding of alcohol treatment centres. [HL2497]
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Dental Services
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 17 March (
WA 53), what mechanisms are in place to ensure that primary care trusts provide primary dental services to homeless people; and what action will be taken if it is found that these services have been reduced due to lack of use. [HL2518]
National Health Service primary dental services may be accessed through General Dental Services, Dental Access Centres or through the Community Dental Service. There is no reason why homeless people should not be eligible to receive NHS primary dental care in any of these ways.
Under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, primary care trusts will have new responsibilities to provide or commission primary dental services in their area to meet all reasonable requirements. With this new duty will go the £1.3 billion (2003–04) currently held centrally. In this way PCTs, will be better able to match resources to the local oral health need. The PCTs will be performance managed by their strategic health authority in relation to their dental function, as they are in relation to other statutory functions.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 9 March (
WA 160), which countries they intend to contact in order actively to recruit dentists; and whether they will provide details of any agreements. [HL2520]
We have been making contact with accession states through our embassies. The Minister of State for Health, Mr John Hutton, recently visited Poland, the largest of the accession states, and secured an agreement for a programme of managed recruitment. We are developing plans to take this forward.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 9 March (
WA 160) what discussions they have had with the British Dental Association and the General Dental Council regarding the movement of dental personnel to the United Kingdom from European Union accession countries; and what is the number of dental personnel from European Union accession countries aiming to come to work in the United Kingdom after 1 May 2004. [HL2521]
There are dentists from the accession states who would be interested in coming to work in England. We are exploring these possibilities, but have not at this stage tried to estimate numbers. Poland which is the largest of the accession states has agreed to a programme of managed recruitment. We have had discussion with the General Dental Council to ensure that the processes for dentists from the new accession states wishing to join the GDC register are clear and straightforward.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 17 March (
WA 52), whether dentists are still being encouraged to take up Personal Dentist Service (PDS) contracts in the context of the field sites as specified in the new dental contract of 2005. [HL2522]
Contracts for "Options for Change" remuneration field sites are based on over five years of successful piloting of Personal Dental Service contracts but will reflect the particular circumstances of these practices and the models they are designed to test out.
The base contract designed for local contracting of dentistry is modelled on the PDS contract and interest in moving to the PDS in advance of the new contract has increased in recent months. We have received and are processing applications to move over 350 dental practices to PDS.
For those dentists who want to change from the General Dental Service item of service system, we will continue to support them to move into PDS arrangements. This option is open to all dentists and currently we have three-month turn-around time from receipt of application to approval.
Human Tissue Bill
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is meant in Schedule 2 to the Human Tissue Bill, which states that no member of the Human Tissue Authority should have a professional interest in any of the kinds of activity within the remit of the Authority; and [HL2623]Why it is proposed that the chairman of the Human Tissue Authority should have no professional interest in any of the kinds of activity within the remit of the authority; and [HL2624]Whether the members of the proposed Human Tissue Authority will he paid for their services; and, if so, why. [HL2625]
Schedule 2 to the Human Tissue Bill states that the Human Tissue Authority will consist of a lay chair, and members appointed by the Secretary of State for Health for limited periods. The membership would comprise people with relevant professional experience, but not less than half will be lay members. The Government believe that in this way the authority will be able to build confidence among both professionals and the public in the donation and use of human tissue. Paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 allows the chair and members of the authority to be paid such remuneration as the Secretary of State may determine. It is standard practice that members of executive bodies receive remuneration for the contribution that they make.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Human Tissue Bill proposes the creation of two inspectorate boards rather than one. [HL2626]
The Human Tissue Bill proposes the creation of a Human Tissue Authority with a remit covering removal, storage, use and disposal of human material. Compliance with relevant codes of practice, licence conditions and directions would be monitored through regular inspections. The Bill proposes the creation of an inspectorate of organs and tissue for human use, with a remit covering transplantation, and an inspectorate of anatomy and pathology, covering other uses of human tissue regulated under the Bill.
This division reflects the different quality and safety issues, and the diverse technical, ethical, and administrative considerations and expertise required in each case.
General Practitioners
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many general practitioner principals or salaried general practitioners (excluding trainee
| Table 1: General practitioners 1 headcount and whole time equivalent in England and Wales, 1997–2003 | ||||||||||||||
| Number (Headcount) | ||||||||||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | ||||||||
| Number | Number per 100,000 population | Number | Number per 100,000 population | Number | Number per 100,000 population | Number | Number per 100,000 population | Number | Number per 100,000 population | Number | Number per 100,000 population | Number | Number per 100,000 population | |
| England GP | ||||||||||||||
| Headcount | 28,046 | 57.67 | 28,251 | 57.90 | 28,467 | 58.11 | 28,593 | 58.16 | 28,802 | 58.32 | 29,202 | 58.92 | 30,358 | 61.02 |
| England GP Whole | ||||||||||||||
| Time Equivalent | 26,359 | 54.20 | 26,455 | 54.22 | 26,558 | 54.21 | 26,557 | 54.01 | 26,628 | 53.91 | 26,833 | 54.14 | 27,624 | 55.52 |
| Wales GP | ||||||||||||||
| Headcount | 1,779 | 61.51 | 1,778 | 61.39 | 1,792 | 61.85 | 1,795 | 61.81 | 1,807 | 62.15 | 1,808 | 61.94 | 1,822 | 62.29 |
| Wales GP | ||||||||||||||
| Whole Time Equivalent | 1,679 | 58.05 | 1,674 | 57.80 | 1,685 | 58.15 | 1,681 | 57.88 | 1,681 | 57.83 | 1,679 | 57.51 | 1,680 | 57.42 |
| Table 2: General practitioners 1 by commitment in England and Wales, 1997–2003 | |||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| England Full Time | 23,328 | 23,217 | 23,160 | 22,984 | 22,785 | 22,584 | 22,848 |
| England Part Time | 4,718 | 5,034 | 5,307 | 5,609 | 6,017 | 6,618 | 7,510 |
| Wales Full Time | 1,497 | 1,485 | 1,489 | 1,471 | 1,451 | 1,442 | 1,419 |
| Wales Part Time | 282 | 293 | 303 | 324 | 356 | 366 | 403 |
Notes:
1 GPs excluding GP retainers and GP registrars.
Data as at 1 October 1997–99, 30 September 2000–03.
Source:
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
2001 ONS Population Census.
2002 ONS Based resident population projections for mid year 2003.
Department Of Health: "Arm's Length Bodies"
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many quangos for which the Department of Health is responsible have been created since 1997. [HL2621]
On 1 June 1997 there were 52 non-departmental public bodies and 13 special health authorities. The comparable figures at 1 April 2004 were 49 and 21 respectively.
Continence Services
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many integrated continence services have been established to date in line with the Older People's National Service Framework. [HL2783]
Implementing this milestone and monitoring progress is the responsibility of strategic
general practitioners), both in absolute numbers and numbers per population, have been employed full time in England and Wales in the years 1997 to date. [HL2687]
Information on the number of headcount and whole time equivalent general practitioners (excluding GP retainers and GP registrars) per 100,000 population in England and Wales each year since 1997 is shown in table 1.The number of GPs working full time and part time in England and Wales is shown in table 2.health authorities. Monitoring information on progress with this milestone is not collected centrally.
Organic Crops: Use Of Pesticides
asked Her Majesty's Government:Which pesticides are permitted on organic crops. [HL2693]
The pesticides currently permitted under the European regulation on organic production, Regulation (EEC)2092/91, can be found in the following tables taken from Annex II part B of the regulation.They may be used in the UK only in so far as approval is given for their use under the relevant UK legislation. ☼indicates the active ingredients that are currently approved pesticide products for use in agriculture, horticulture or the home garden in the UK.
ANNEX II
B Pestiides
1. Substances of crop or animal origin.
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| Azadirachtin extracted from | Insecticide |
zadirachta indica. (Neem tree) | Need recognised by inspection body |
| (*) Beeswax | Pruning Agent |
| Gelatine | Insecticide |
| (*) Hydrolysed proteins | Attractant Only in authorised applications in combination with other appropriate products of this Annex II, part B |
| Lecithin | Fungicide |
| Plant oils (e.g. mint oil, pine oil, caraway oil) | Insecticide, acaricide, fungicide and sprout inhibitor |
| ☼ Pyrethrins extracted from | Insecticide |
Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium.
| Need recognised by inspection body |
| Quassia extracted from | Insecticide, repellent |
Quassia amara.
| |
| ☼ Rotenone extracted from | Insecticide |
Derris spp. and Lonchocatpus spp. and Terphrosia spp. | Need recognised by inspection body |
II Micro-organisms used for biological pest control
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| Micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi) e.g. ☼ Bacillus thuringensis, Granulosis virus, etc. | Only products not genetically modified in the meaning of Directive 90/220/EEC1 |
1OJ No L117, 8.5.1990, p. 15. |
III. Substances to be used in traps and/or dispensers General conditions:
- the traps and/or dispensers must prevent the penetration of the substances in the environment and prevent contact of the substances with the crops under cultivation.
- the traps must be collected after use and disposed of safely.
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| (*) Diammonium phosphate | Attractant only in traps |
| ☼ Metaldehyde | Molluscicide |
| only in traps containing a repellent to higher animal species | |
| only during a period expiring 31 March 2006 | |
| Pheromones | Attractant; sexual behaviour disrupter |
| only in traps and dispensers |
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| Pyrethroids (only deltamethrin or lambdacyhalothrin) | Insecticide only in traps with specific attractants; only against Batrocera oleae and Ceratitis capitata wied |
| Need recognised by inspection body | |
| (*) In certain Member States the products [market] with (*) are not considered as plant protection products and are not subject to the provisions of the plant protection products legislation. | |
IIIA Preparations to be surface-spread between cultivated plants
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| ☼ Iron (III) orthophosphate | Molluscicide |
IV Other substances from traditional use in organic farming
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| Copper in the form of | Fungicide |
| ☼copper hydroxide, | Until 31 December 2005 up to a maximum of 8 kg copper per hectare per year, and from 1 January 2006 up to 6 kg copper per ha per year, without prejudice to a more limited quantity if laid down under the specific terms of the general legislation on plant protection products in the Member State where the product is to be used. |
| ☼copper oxychloride, (tribasic) ☼copper sulphate, cuprous oxide | |
| For perennial crops. Member States may, by derogation to the previous paragraph, provide that the maximum levels apply as follows: | |
| the total maximum quantity used from March 2002 until 31 December 2006 shall not exceed 38 kg copper per ha; from 1 January 2007, the maximum quantity which may be used each year per ha shall be calculated by subtracting the quantities actually used in the 4 preceding years from, respectively, 36, 34, 32 and 30 kg copper for the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and following years. | |
| Need recognised by the inspection body | |
| ☼(*) Ethylene | Degreening bananas |
| ☼Fatty acid potassium salt (soft soap) | Insecticide |
| (*) Potassium alum (Kalinite) | Prevention of ripening of bananas |
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| Lime sulphur (Calcium polysulphide) | Fungicide, insecticide, acaricide |
| Need recognised by inspection body | |
| ☼Paraffin oil | Insecticide, acaricide |
| Mineral Oils | Insecticide, fungicide only in fruit trees, vines, olive trees and tropical crops (e.g. bananas) |
| Need recognised by inspection body |
Name
| Description; compositional requirements; conditions for use
|
| Potassium permanganate | Fungicide, bactericide only in fruit trees, olive trees and vines |
| (*) Quartz sand | Repellent |
| ☼Sulphur | Fungicide, acaricide, repellent |
| (*) In certain Member States the products marked with (*) are not considered as plant protection products and are not subject to the provisions of the plant protection products legislation. | |
2. Products for pest and disease control in livestock buildings and installations:
Products listed in section 1 of Annex IIB.
Rodenticides.