asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be the exact definition of the term “alcohol-related” in the new indicator to be used by the NHS from April 2008 in relation to hospital admission; who will elicit and record this information; and whether all NHS hospitals will be obliged to use the same definition and monitoring method. [HL859]

The recently announced public service agreement on reducing the harm caused by alcohol and drugs included, as one of the national outcome-focused performance measures, an indicator relating to the rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions. The same indicator will also be included in the set of performance management indicators for both primary care trusts and local authorities (referred to respectively as the Outcomes and Accountability Framework and the Performance Framework for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Single Set of National Indicators.)

The definition of the alcohol indicator is “Rate of hospital admissions for alcohol related harm per 100,000 population”. Local figures on the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related harm per 100,000 population will be derived from the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set.

The rate is calculated using data on those finished in-year admissions that are classified as ordinary or day cases and that have a primary or subsidiary diagnosis code shown in the following table. Only those alcohol-related diagnoses with a sufficiently high attributable fraction (greater than 0.2) are used. Alcohol-related admissions are estimated by multiplying the total admissions within each diagnosis category, age group and sex by the corresponding attributable fraction. The numbers are standardised using the European age profile.

These data are available on a frequent and timely basis through an existing national data set (currently the HES.) This indicator will therefore measure the impact of prevention interventions, without creating an additional burden for local healthcare organisations.

The HES are considered to be sensitive to the impact of prevention interventions—ie, when prevention interventions are improved, hospital admission for specific chronic and acute conditions should slow in the short, medium and long term.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Department for Transport Aircraft Working Group research on cabin air contamination will look specifically at monitoring techniques suitable to detect tricresyl phosphate (TCP); and whether that research will utilise methods used by other organisations that have detected TCP such as the Royal Australian Air Force, Honeywell and the Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health. [HL1108]

The research is designed to capture any substance in cabin air. The Department for Transport is not aware that any other organisations have carried out air sampling during commercial flights and in particular during fume events.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What process was used to put out to tender the Aircraft Working Group research on cabin air contamination; and which groups were considered. [HL1109]

The work so far has been only to conduct functionality tests on equipment which might be capable of capturing substances released during fume incidents.  The Aviation Health Working Group (AHWG) decided to appoint an independent project manager who had not been involved in the debate so far.  Professor Helen Muir of Cranfield University was approved by several members of the AHWG as someone who could bring a fresh and independent oversight of the project along with knowledge of aircraft.  Professor Muir's work on aviation safety is well known but she had not previously been involved with aviation health.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they considered using the Federal Aviation Administration-funded Management of Exposure to Aircraft Bleed-Air Contaminants Amongst Airline Workers—A Guide for Health Care Providers as a basis for guidance to healthcare providers and aviation medical examiners on cabin air contamination. [HL1110]

We have seen the document but consider it logical first to pursue our current research into what substances may be present in cabin air, and then to consider action on any substances found.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What consideration they have given to the Co-operative movement's retail crime survey 2007, Working Together to Solve Retail Crime; and how they will be responding to its recommendations. [HL1136]

We welcome the Co-op's retail crime survey 2007 as an important contribution to the continuing joint efforts to tackle retail crime across the country.

We are considering how the recommendations in the report might be taken forward and shall continue to work with the Co-op and other retail organisations, through the National Retail Crime Steering Group and other partnership groups, to develop solutions to crime problems in the retail sector.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the status of the pound sterling, European euro and Turkish lira in each of the two United Kingdom sovereign territories on the island of Cyprus. [HL1178]

In appendix O to the treaty establishing the Republic of Cyprus, the UK Government agreed that “the currency of the Republic will be legal tender in the sovereign base areas”. From 1960 the sovereign base areas, including a large number of Cypriot citizens as well as the British military personnel who reside there, have used the Cyprus pound. The Republic of Cyprus replaced the Cyprus pound with the euro on 1 January 2008. At the same time the sovereign base areas adopted the euro as legal tender. The use of a currency in the sovereign base areas other than that circulating in the Republic of Cyprus would be impractical, and would run counter to our 1960 commitments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will next discuss proposals to assist the European Commission to proceed with its proposals for full unbundling of the ownership of energy utilities with the Slovenian European Union presidency and the nine countries opposed to the proposals. [HL1317]

The Commission's proposals for the unbundling of transmission systems, alongside the rest of their liberalisation package, are currently being considered by the Energy Council and the European Parliament. The majority of member states support the Commission's measures.

However, some member states have expressed significant reservations about ownership unbundling and have said that they will suggest an alternative model in the next few weeks. We await these proposals, but share the Commission's view that any such model must include structural as well as regulatory measures to separate transmission from non-network activities. Structural measures are essential if all incentive for transmission-system operators to discriminate in favour of one or another market player is to be removed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will discuss with the Food Standards Agency and the Nutrition Strategy Steering Group the case for modifying the nutritional labelling colour code system, in the light of consumer feedback since the system was introduced. [HL1312]

In March 2006 the Food Standards Agency made a commitment to independently review the impact of front-of-pack nutrition-labelling schemes in use in the United Kingdom. The Nutrition Strategy Steering Group has been consulted on the specification for the study, which is being managed by an independent expert panel. This project is due to report by the end of 2008.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What further representations have been received by the Ministry of Defence from Dr Malcolm Hooper, emeritus professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Sunderland, on the deaths and illnesses of service personnel deployed to the 1990–91 Gulf War; and what responses they are making to the questions now posed by him. [HL1223]

Professor Hooper wrote to Lord Drayson, then Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, on 24 September about the incidence of motor neurone disease among veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence wrote to Professor Hooper on 7 January responding to his concerns on this and related issues. A copy of this letter was placed in the Library of the House. We are not aware of any other correspondence having been received from Professor Hooper by the Ministry of Defence since the 24 September letter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information they have on the apology made and agreement reached by the Government of Japan with people there infected with hepatitis C by contaminated blood products approved by that Government; and whether the agreement reached in Japan will in any way affect policy in the United Kingdom. [HL1222]

Department officials have received no information from officials representing the Japanese Government about the recent announcement to provide blanket relief to people infected with hepatitis C through contaminated blood products.

The Government have great sympathy for people infected with contaminated blood products following National Health Service treatment in the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the response of Baroness Royall of Blaisdon to Lord Palmer on 3 July (Official Report, col. 897), what has been the outcome of their enquiries regarding the document entitled Homeopathic Services sent to Primary Care Trusts during May 2007. [HL1186]

We can find no record of the document having been issued with the knowledge or approval of the department. The department has provided clarification and advice on the use of the National Health Service logo to those who originated the document.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the allegation in the measles, mumps and rubella and measles and rubella vaccines litigation that the vaccines cause autism was the subject of any regulatory action by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. [HL1211]

The suggested link between measles, mumps and rubella and measles and rubella vaccines and autism has been thoroughly assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, and its independent expert advisory committees. The available evidence does not support a causal association between measles-containing vaccines and the development of autism, so no regulatory action has been taken.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

Further to his Written Answer on 22 October 2007 (WA 83) concerning the dress code in the House of Lords, what steps have been taken to enforce the dress code; and what success there has been. [HL1459]

I am not aware of any complaints regarding violation of the dress code. The House authorities have reminded staff of their role in advising Members and their guests of the agreed dress code in the Peers’ Dining Room, the Guest Dining Room, the Guest Room bar and the Barry Room. A reminder of the rules was also issued in the December edition of the Red Benches newsletter for Members. Ultimately, Members themselves are responsible for maintaining the dress standards.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

When the cleaning of the structure of the interior courtyards of the House of Lords will be completed. [HL1341]

The programme to clean the exterior of the Palace which began in 1981 entered its final phase in 1995 with the commencement of work to the internal courtyards. Cleaning has since been completed in four courtyards, including Speaker’s Court and Royal Court, the two largest courtyards. The next phase of work is planned to include Cloister Court, Star Chamber Court, Chancellor’s Court and State Officers’ Court.

Although it is desirable that the final phase should begin as soon as possible, the Parliamentary Estate Board is considering a number of competing work-project bids, including repair of the Palace roofs and modernisation of the Palace’s mechanical and electrical services. Commencement of the final phase of the stone-cleaning project may not necessarily be the highest priority.

Furthermore, a review has begun into the stone-cleaning programme to ensure that the methodology, scope and sequencing that have been employed so far remain the most effective and efficient. It will be necessary for this review to be completed, and its findings to be implemented, before the next phase of cleaning begins.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What plans they have to ensure that rail services for Liverpool operate without disruption during the city's year as European Capital of Culture. [HL1268]

It is for the relevant train operators to deliver train services in accordance with their respective timetables. Merseytravel, the local passenger transport executive, has confirmed that it has held discussions with train operators and Network Rail as part of its transport planning for Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many pensioners receive a pension credit greater than £30 per week; and what is the average amount. [HL1285]

As at May 2007 1,586,860 households receive pension credit payments greater than £30 per week. The average weekly payment for those in receipt of more than £30 per week is £72.83.

Source

DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data

Notes

1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

2. Average weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny.

3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What would be the estimated cost to the Exchequer net of tax reclaims of provision of an extra flat rate pension of £20 per week to all existing pensioners. [HL1286]

The estimated cost of paying an additional £20 per week to all pensioners with some existing entitlement to basic state pension after deducting tax, but before taking into account additional savings from income-related benefits, is around £11.5 billion in 2008-09.

Notes

1. The estimate is presented net of tax reflecting that the estimated additional tax revenue has been deducted. The proportion of additional expenditure saved through increased tax revenue in 2008-09 has been estimated using the department's policy simulation model.

2. There would also be additional savings from reduced income-related benefit payments. These have not been deducted from the estimated cost.

3. The estimate refers to the cost of paying an additional £20 per week to all pensioners with some existing entitlement to basic state pension living in the United Kingdom and overseas.

4. The estimate is consistent with mid-2006 GAD population projections.

5. The estimate is in 2007-08 prices and has been rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Jones of Birmingham on 10 December (WA 14) and the letter from Mr Alan Cook, managing director of Post Office Ltd, dated 11 December, how much Post Office Financial Services paid in creative costs for its share of the “people's Post Office” campaign run by Post Office Ltd. [HL1027]

This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the noble Lord. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

For Written Questions which are not answered because it is argued that to answer would be at a disproportionate cost, how the ceiling figure was arrived at and when; whether the amount has been increased; and who makes the judgment calculation. [HL1156]

The disproportionate cost threshold (DCT) currently stands at £700. Since 1991 the DCT has been set at eight times the average marginal cost of answering Written Parliamentary Questions. Marginal cost is taken as the direct cost of civil servants' time. Average cost is based on a sample of all Written Parliamentary Questions answered by those departments with the highest volume of Questions. Such samples are taken on a quinquennial basis, the next being due in 2009. In years between quinquennial samples, the Treasury applies indexation to the DCT but only increases it in £50 steps to avoid the need for frequent small increases. The last such increase was in November 2006.

The DCT is an advisory threshold, not an obligatory one. Ministers can decide that a Parliamentary Question should be answered regardless of cost where it is in the public interest to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether alterations to trunk roads and their immediate surroundings in national parks should respect the landscape in which they are set. [HL1318]

Government policy is to respect environmentally sensitive areas. It is set out in the integrated transport White Paper A New Deal for Transport.

Trunk road and motorway proposals that would have a significant effect on sensitive areas such as national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty are carefully assessed by the Highways Agency. Proposals would only proceed if there were a public interest where benefits clearly overrode environmental impacts, where there was no viable alternative, and where all reasonable steps had been taken to mitigate the environmental effects.

Landscape impact assessment carried out by the Highways Agency considers effects on landscape character, historic landscape character and the level of visual intrusion, and takes account of mitigation measures to reduce those impacts. Any remaining effects are reported to decision-makers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any exceptions to the prohibition on smoking in public places that apply in National Health Service hospitals; and, if so, what is the extent of those exceptions. [HL1381]

Exemptions from smoke-free legislation are set out in the Smokefree (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007. A copy of the regulations is in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What estimates have been made of the number of people who have stopped smoking in the city of Manchester in each of the last five years. [HL1282]

Information on the number of people who successfully quit smoking at the four-week follow-up (based on self-report) through NHS Stop Smoking Services in Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority for the past five years are available from the following publications listed below which have been placed in the Library:

Statistics on Smoking Cessation Services in England, April 2002 to March 2003, table 22, page 47, which was published on 12 November 2003;

Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2003 to March 2004, table 19, page 47, which was published on 29 October 2004;

Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2004 to March 2005 (annual statistical bulletin), table 18, page 44, which was published on 26 October 2005;

Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2005 to March 2006 (annual statistical bulletin), table 4.12, page 38, which was published on 28 September 2006; and

Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2006 to March 2007 (annual statistical bulletin), table 2.12, page 19, which was published on 17 August 2007.

Smokers who quit with the support of the National Health Service are significantly more likely to succeed. In the years since 2000, the number of smokers who have made use of the support available from the NHS Stop Smoking Services has increased by over 350 per cent.

The department runs highly effective campaigns to motivate and support smokers to stop smoking. During the last year, over a million people have responded to ask for support to stop smoking via the NHS smoking helpline, via the website gosmokefree.co.uk and the interactive TV link.

As a result of government action, smoking in England has decreased from 28 per cent of adults in 1998 to 24 per cent in 2005 (results for 2006 are due to be published on 22 January 2007.) These are the lowest smoking rates on record.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What has been the total operational cost of the suspicious activity reports (SAR) regime to the Government since it was created, including capital establishment costs; and [HL1141]

What has been the total operational cost of the suspicious activity reports (SAR) regime to the Government in the past 12 months. [HL1142]

Suspicious activity reports (SARs) are submitted to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) in the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).

Some £12,792,502 has been spent on the operation of the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) since April 2006, when the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) assumed responsibility for the UKFIU. In 2007 £7,305,511 was spent on the operation of the UKFIU.

This includes the running costs of the SARs transformation project. This is not contained within the FIU, but is an IT-enabled business change project entirely focused on improving the SARs regime. In addition, the overhead charge associated with running estates and IT for the UKFIU is currently around £1,200,000 per year.

Pre-SOCA figures are not available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 9 March 2004 (WA 156), whether the assessment that the threat of an electronic attack against the United Kingdom's critical national infrastructure that could disable a critical service is low has since been revised; and, if so, what is the current assessment of the threat posed by (a) a nation state; (b) a terrorist group; (c) an organised crime group; or (d) an individual. [HL1041]

The Government's current approach towards the protection of critical parts of the national infrastructure is to focus on the reduction of vulnerabilities that might be exploited by a variety of methods including electronic attack. By reducing vulnerability, protection is afforded against a variety of threat actors, such as foreign states, terrorist organisations or criminals. Advice on effective security measures to prevent or mitigate electronic attacks to the national infrastructure is provided by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and by the Communications Electronic Security Group (CESG), which is part of the Government Communications Headquarters.

In her recent Written Statement on protective security (14 November 2007, Official Report, Commons cols. 45WS-46WS), which included protection of the UK's critical national infrastructure (CNI), my right honourable friend the Home Secretary informed the House that there was a high standard of protectionof the CNI from the threat of terrorism. The CPNI and CESG are working effectively with government departments and the private sector to provide a proportionate level of protective security response commensurate with the different types of threat and risks affecting the CNI.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have considered incentive arrangements for electric-powered vehicles in this year's budget. [HL1322]

Electrically propelled vehicles where this is the sole means of power are already exempt from vehicle excise duty. The Chancellor keeps all taxation policy under review and considers all relevant economic, social and environmental factors in deciding future policy.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why photographs taken from Canberra overflights of eastern Zaire in November and December 1996 were not released; and to which agencies or Governments any information derived from the missions was communicated. [HL1121]

Imagery from photo-reconnaissance missions is not normally released to the public. In this case, there was a particular need for the public to understand the scale and nature of the humanitarian problem, and a selection of images were subsequently released to the media. The Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre produced a report based on the imagery collected. That report was distributed within the department to the Permanent Joint Headquarters, Headquarters Strike Command and Headquarters Land.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information they had received from United States military sources by 21 November 1996 on the number of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi who were present in eastern Zaire. [HL1122]

Any such information, if retained, is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate effort.