Written Answers
Wednesday, 20 October 2004.
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have evidence that anti-social behaviour orders are being used to prevent or impede non-violent protest and expression of political opinion; and whether this may have occurred in a recent case of leafleting outside the offices of Spearhead exhibitions in Richmond, Surrey. [HL4349]
Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are community-based orders that exist to protect the public from any behaviour, which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others. They are designed to protect those who directly experience anti-social behaviour and should have the interests of the community at their centre. It is up to local courts to determine whether ASBOs are necessary in individual cases.We are not aware of any ASBOs being issued for leafleting outside the office of Spearhead exhibitions in Richmond, Surrey.
Sierra Leone Police: Uk Training And Assistance
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the course of training and mentoring the Sierra Leone police, British police officers are giving advice on the equal treatment of gay and lesbian citizens; and whether they will offer assistance to the police in apprehending the criminals who raped and murdered Ms Fanny Ann Eddy, founder of the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association. [HL4385]
The United Kingdom has taken an active role in the rebuilding and training of the Sierra Leone Police. Through the Commonwealth Community Safety and Security Project (CCSSP) the United Kingdom has been providing training, managerial support and advice to the Sierra Leone Police. As part of this training, a 10-day residential training course is held at the Centrex police training centre in Bramshill for 12 senior Sierra Leone police officers each year. Diversity training, fairness and equality are golden threads running throughout all the training elements of this course. While the apprehension of those responsible for the murder of Ms Fanny Ann Eddy is a matter for the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), British police are helping to rebuild and strengthen the Sierra Leone Police generally. Furthermore, 10 seconded British police officers are serving on secondment in the UN Mission in Sierra Leone and responsible for training the Sierra Leone Police in issues including the respect for human rights. The Government are also actively involved in the setting up of the Human Rights Commission in Sierra Leone and remain committed to the promotion of human rights in that country.
Olympic Games 2012: London Bid
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 20 July (
WA 33–34) to questions concerning security measures at the Olympic Games, whether it will be necessary to include specific answers to such questions in the bid for the Olympic Games in 2012; or whether they do not expect the International Olympic Committee to ask such questions or similar ones about the scale and cost of security provisions. [HL4397]
The bidding process for hosting an Olympic Games requires each candidate to set out the structural arrangements that will be put in place to ensure that security and other preparations are comprehensive. The process does not require candidates to answer detailed security questions or submit details of all aspects of security planning.
Central America Free Trade Agreement
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have studied the proposed Central American Free Trade Area Agreement; whether it has yet been ratified by the six states; and what its impact will be on the Government's policies for investment and development in the region. [HL4307]
We have been following the negotiations for a US-Central America Free Trade Agreement. It was signed in May by the US and the five Central American states, and in August by the Dominican Republic, but it has yet to be ratified by any of the parties. It is a regional trade agreement and as such will have no direct impact on UK policies. But, if ratified, US-CAFTA should lead to greater harmonisation of trade policies and standards in the region and thus new opportunities for trade and investment. UK development assistance to the region will take CAFTA into consideration.
Pathfinder Programme
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many staff are employed at national level and in each relevant region on the housing market renewal pathfinder projects; and what is the cost of the administration of these projects at national level and in each relevant region. [HL4354]
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's market renewal team manages the market renewal pathfinder programme, which is investing £150 million in the current financial year in tackling low demand and abandonment. The team comprises 12 staff, the budgeted cost of which is £445,000 in the current financial year. In addition, staff in the Government Offices provide some support to the pathfinders as part of their broader portfolio of responsibilities. The cost of such support is therefore very difficult to quantify, but is substantially less than the cost of the London HQ team.
British Army: Regimental System
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Answer by Lord Bach on 14 September (HL Deb, col. 1021) on regimental lines, whether they consider that it is important that at least one regiment of the line should be clearly identified with each constituent area of the United Kingdom. [HL4244]
We recognise the importance of preserving, wherever possible, regional links within the new army structure. As a practical example the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment has been exempted from the reductions in infantry on the representational grounds of retaining a line infantry footprint in Northern Ireland.
Inland Revenue: Performance
asked Her Majesty's Government:What targets the Inland Revenue has been required to meet for electronic filing of self-assessment returns since the introduction of income tax self-assessment; what performance level the Inland Revenue has achieved in each year up to 2003–04; and what performance level the Inland Revenue expects to achieve in each of the years 2004–05 to 2007–08. [HL4374]
For data relating to 2000–01 to 2003–04, I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given by my right honourable friend the Paymaster General on 15 January, Official Report, Commons, col. 866W.The Inland Revenue is on track to achieve its performance levels in 2004–05 and 2005–06, which are set out on its website.
Licensed Premises And Smoking
asked Her Majesty's Government:What advice they are giving to local authorities with regard to the Licensing Act 2003 in terms of their discretion to introduce a smoking ban in public houses, bars and restaurants. [HL4383]
Under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003, public health is not a licensing objective. The guidance issued with the approval of Parliament to licensing authorities by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under Section 182 of the 2003 Act advises that no attempt should be made to use a licensing condition to impose a smoking ban on grounds of either health or desirability. Licensing authorities have also been advised that the only mandatory conditions that may be imposed are contained in the primary legislation itself, and that blanket conditions which cut across the individual consideration of applications must be avoided. Smoking bans are matters to be addressed under public health legislation and voluntary codes of practice.
Inland Revenue: Electronic Communication
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they wish to enourage income taxpayers to fill in their tax returns electronically; and, if so, why the Inland Revenue will not otherwise correspond with individual taxpayers by e-mail. [HL4410]
The Inland Revenue does encourage taxpayers to file their tax returns electronically, and is continually looking at ways of enhancing and developing its electronic services including all forms of electronic contact rather than just e-mail. Some e-mail, and services like e-mail, are already available and more will be provided in the future.
Private Sector Productivity
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the private sector of the United Kingdom economy, output per hour worked is (i) lower than; (ii) at the same level as; or (iii) higher than the output in (a) the United States; (b) France; and (c) Germany; and by what percentage in each case, for the most recent year for which figures are available. [HL4413]
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, to the Lord Patten, dated 20 October 2004.
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on productivity in the private sector. (HL4413)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not currently produce estimates of output per hour worked for the private sector in the UK and as such cannot make comparisons with the United States, France or Germany.
We do, however, produce international comparisons of whole economy output per hour worked on an experimental basis. These figures can be accessed from the ONS website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=9337
Public Expenditure
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest identifiable spending per head in (a) the United Kingdom as a whole; (b) England; (c) Scotland; (d) Wales; and (e) Northern Ireland. [HL4420]
The latest available data for total identifiable public expenditure per head in 2002–03 are UK £5,652, England £5,453, Scotland £6,579, Wales £6,479 and Northern Ireland £7,267. The source is Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2004 (Cm 6201).
Income Statistics
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest identifiable income per head in (a) the United Kingdom as a whole; (b) England; (c) Scotland; (d) Wales; and (e) Northern Ireland. [HL4421]
The latest available Office for National Statistics regional estimates for gross value added per head in 2002 published in April 2004 are United Kingdom £15,300, England £15,600, Scotland £14,400, Wales £12,000 and Northern Ireland £12,100.
Pediacel
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the empirical and clinical trial data for Pediacel, the new five-in-one vaccine. [HL4298]
Clinical trials conducted with Pediacel have demonstrated that it showed appropriate safety and effectiveness for use in the United Kingdom's primary infant immunisation schedule. The prescribing information (Summary of Product Characteristics) for this vaccine is in the public domain, and contains some clinical trial details of the vaccine's effectiveness and tolerability. Further Pediacel clinical trial data have been published in abstract form:Miller E, Southern J, Kitchen N,
et al. Interaction between different meningococcal C conjugate vaccines and the Hib components of concomitantly administered diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis/Hib vaccines with either whole cell or
acellular pertussis antigens. Poster presentation at 21st European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases Meeting, Sicily, 9 to 11 April 2003.
Castaneda, JL, Gonzalez, N, Lavigne, P, and Ortiz, E. Immunogenicity and safety of a fully liquid DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine with full primary IPV or sequential IPV-OPV in Mexican infants. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 8(Suppl 1), S71. 2004.
A summary of safety data from the UK trial with Pediacel has been submitted to a medical journal for publication. The manuscript for a further Pediacel trial (non-UK data) is in preparation.
The pharmaceutical company also provides to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency commercially restricted data as part of the licence application. Evidence for the safety and efficacy of Pediacel can also be derived from the experience of the use of a five component acellular pertussis vaccine (called Pentacel) in Canada as part of the routine schedule since 1997. This vaccine contains the same components as Pediacel. Since the introduction of this vaccine, over 10 million doses have been distributed. A number of papers showing the efficacy and safety of this vaccine in Canada have been published as follows.
List of published papers on Pentacel vaccine:
Scheifele D & Halperin SA. Haemophilus influenzae type B disease control using PENTACEL in Canada, 1998–99. Can Commun Dis Rep. 2000 Jun; 1:26(11):93–96.
Moore DL et al. Lack of evidence of encephalopathy related to pertussis vaccine: active surveillance by IMPACT, Canada, 1993–2002. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2004 Jun; 23(6):568–71.
Le Saux N et al. Decrease in hospital admissions for febrile seizures and reports of hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes presenting to hospital emergency departments since switching to acellular pertussis vaccine in Canada: a report from IMPACT. Pediatrics. 2003 Nov; 11(5):e348.
Halperin SA. Pertussis control in Canada. CMAJ. 2003 May 27; 168(11):1389–90.
Halperin SA et al. Simultaneous administration of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-inactivated poliovirus-Haemophilus influenza type b conjugate vaccine in children: a randomised double-blind study. Clin Invest Med. 2002 Dec; 25(6):243–51.
Nhs Chaplaincy Service
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the application by National Health Service trusts of the guidelines in respect of "religious affirmation" of patients when admitted and the passing on of this information to the National Health Service Chaplaincy Service is satisfactory. [HL4355]
The Government are aware of the issues raised by the Data Protection Act and in November 2003 the Department of Health issued guidance (NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff) to all National Health Service trusts highlighting the importance of providing a responsive NHS Chaplaincy Service operating within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act.In addition, the department has initiated a project to look at practical ways in which NHS trusts can obtain patient consent in order to share information about patients with their chaplaincy teams.
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull National Health Service trust is correctly applying the guidance on the recording of the religious affirmation of its in-patients and the passing on of this information to National Health Service hospital chaplains within the trust's area. [HL4356]
Birmingham and the Black Country Strategic Health Authority has confirmed that Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull National Health Service Trust is correctly applying the guidance (NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff) issued by the Department of Health to all NHS trusts which highlights the importance of providing a responsive NHS Chaplaincy Service operating within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act.In addition, the department has initiated a project to look at practical ways in which NHS trusts can obtain patient consent in order to share information about patients with their chaplaincy teams.
Channel Tunnel: Costs Of Intergovernmental Commission And Of Safety Authority
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the annual cost of the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority; and who funds these bodies. [HL4439]
Clause 27.8 of the Concession Agreement of 14 March 1986 establishes that the expenses of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Safety Authority are to be borne by the concessionaires and will be paid at the rate of 3 million ecus per annum at 1986 prices. For 2004–05, this equates to £3.6 million, which is divided equally between the British and French Governments.
Railways: Underline Bridge Strikes
asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of reported underline bridge strikes have led to railway lines being closed following inspections; and [HL4393]What proportion of underline bridge strikes have resulted in repairs being required to the railway line or bridge, affecting the safety of trains. [HL4394]
These are operational matters for Network Rail. Network Rail will respond directly to the noble Lord.