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Bolt Guns
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what checks are made on people purchasing bolt guns; and if he will make a statement. [87513]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
Captive-bolt
stunning devices used in the slaughter of animals are not firearms
within the definition of the
Firearms Act 1968. They are regarded as tools of the trade and, as such,
are not required to be held on a firearms
certificate.
DNA Sequences
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will require companies to check the use to which DNA sequences ordered from them are to be put prior to their dispatch to customers; [79988]
(2) if he will take steps (a) to license suppliers of DNA sequences and (b) to screen customers for the legitimacy of their proposed use of DNA sequences. [79989]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answers 26 June 2006]: There are no specific regulations that govern the sale, supply, or purchase of DNA sequences. The potential chemical hazards associated with the sequence itself would be covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended); if DNA sequences were to be used to create a biological agent, the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000 (as amended) are likely to apply. These provide for a high level of protection for human health and the environment (including animal and plant health). In addition, the Specified Animal Pathogens Order 1998 (SAPO), administered by DEFRA, regulates possession of nucleic acid derived from any animal pathogen specified under SAPO, In all cases the relevant containment and operating requirements laid down by HSE/Defra would need to be met.
Provisions in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 place an obligation on managers of laboratories and other premises holding specified pathogens or toxins to notify the authorities and to comply with the security requirements which the police may impose.
There is a wide range of legitimate uses to which DNA sequences may be put and the imposition of onerous controls could discourage valuable scientific research and industry use. The Government do not believe that it is necessary to require suppliers of DNA sequences to be licensed or for them to screen customers or check the intended use of the sequences. But we will continue to monitor the situation as the relevant technologies develop.
Energy (Schools)
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 3.35 of the Energy Review, Cm 6887, what plans he has to share with his counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government the practical lessons learned in the refurbishment of schools in England, including energy savings and carbon reductions. [86422]
Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
The DfES and
the Welsh Assembly Government will maintain contact throughout their
respective building programmes, and officials will keep each other
informed of major developments which impact on energy use in schools,
or which influence Government
policy with respect to the design and construction of school buildings
as they arise. There is extensive published material available from the
DfES on its capital programme to support the design and construction of
sustainable schools. This includes minimum standards that cover energy
efficiency and renewable energy for new buildings and refurbishments
within the schools capital
programme.
Case studies for completed school projects, energy benchmarking data, exemplar design solution and details of demonstration projects are also publicly available from the DfES.
Parliamentary Questions
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many written questions to his Department remained unanswered at 25 July for between (a) two and four weeks, (b) between four and six weeks, (c) between six and eight weeks and (d) more than eight weeks; and how many in each category were tabled for named day answer. [87919]
Mr. Darling: According to the Department’s parliamentary database the total number of unanswered parliamentary questions as at 25 July was 123.
Of these 100 were tabled for answer within the last 10 working days.
Those remaining unanswered questions between two and four weeks is eight, of which only one was a named day question.
Unanswered questions between four and six weeks is six, of which only one was a named day question.
Unanswered questions between six and eight weeks is nine, of which named day questions totalled two.
The Department aims to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day and to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of them being tabled. This is not always possible but the Department makes every effort to achieve this.
Renewable Energy
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much subsidy was paid to co-firing generators using wood supplies through the Renewables Obligation Certification Scheme in (a) 2002 and (b) 2005 and what estimate his Department has made of subsidy costs to co-firing generators in 2008. [89041]
Malcolm Wicks: Under the Renewables Obligation, electricity suppliers can meet up to a specified percentage of their obligation through co-firing. In 2002-03 and 2005-06, this was 25 per cent. and will be 10 per cent. for 2008-09.
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the UK’s total biomass requirements were supplied from harvesting of energy crops in 2005-06 and what he expects this percentage to be in 2012. [89042]
Malcolm Wicks: Short rotation coppice and miscanthus accounted for approximately 0.1 per cent. of the biomass co-fired in the 2005-06 Renewables Obligation compliance period—1 April to 31 May. The Government do not hold data on the use of energy crops in dedicated biomass plant.
The Government are keen to encourage the greater use of energy crops in co-firing and the recent Energy Review Report (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/page31995.html) contains a number of proposals in this area. These will be subject to further consultation.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the amount of UK-sourced wood that would be consumed by co-fired power stations in each year between 2006 and 2012. [89147]
Malcolm Wicks: Under the Renewables Obligation, electricity suppliers are currently allowed to meet up to 10 per cent. of their Obligation from co-firing of biomass in fossil fuel stations. This will decrease to 5 per cent. for the 2011-12 compliance period—1 April to 31 March.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006, Official Report, columns 864-65W, on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive what assessment he has made of the extent to which (a) the UK interpretation by the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML), as the appointed enforcement agency for RoHS, conforms with his Department’s published guidance material, (b) his Department’s guidance conforms with the European Commission’s original intent and (c) the NWML guidance conforms with the European Commission’s original intention for the Directive and which guidance is to take precedence in the UK for the RoHS Directive. [R] [88425]
Malcolm Wicks: As I said in my earlier answer, the only legally binding texts are the Directive and UK Regulations. The European Commission and the UK Government have each issued non-statutory guidance documents that aim to clarify the intent of the original legislation. NWML will enforce the RoHS Directive in line with the UK RoHS Regulations (SI 2006 No. 1463).
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006, Official Report, columns 864-65W, on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive what assessment he has made of the UK interpretation by the National Weights and Measures Laboratory as the appointed enforcement agency for RoHS, of the parts of the European Commission’s Frequently Asked Questions document relating to the exemption of fixed industrial manufacturing machinery as large-scale stationary industrial tools; and if he will ask the Commission to provide him with a report on whether guidance in that document is applied consistently across all member states. [R] [88426]
Malcolm Wicks: Large-scale stationary industrial tools are specifically mentioned as being outside the scope of Category 6 of the RoHS and WEEE Directives. The term ‘fixed installations’ does not appear in the Directive, but derives from Article 2 (1) of the WEEE Directive. In its Frequently Asked Questions non-binding guidance document, the European Commission refers to the definition of fixed installation that has been developed in connection to the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive and lists them as outside scope.
Following discussions held in Brussels, the UK has understood that ‘fixed installations’ is a general derogation applying across all the categories in both Directives. Recently this understanding has been discussed by the Technical Adaptation Committee of Member States that is chaired by the Commission. It will now be up to the Commission to decide whether or not to revise their Frequently Asked Questions document, but as it stands that document currently reflects the UK’s understanding.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006, Official Report, columns 864-65W, on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive if he will ask the Commission to assess whether the actions of (a) Germany (b) Spain and (c) other member states on the exemption of fixed industrial manufacturing machinery as large-scale stationary industrial tools are in conformity with the Directive and what assessment he has made of whether the National Weights and Measures Laboratory’s guidance goes beyond the requirements imposed by the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances Directive. [R] [88427]
Malcolm Wicks: Since RoHS is a Single Market Directive (based on Article 95 of the EU Treaty) that aims to harmonize member states’ legislation on the restriction of the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, it should be implemented in the same way across the European Union.
Large-scale stationary industrial tools are specifically excluded from the scope of RoHS. The term ‘fixed installations’ does not appear in the text of the Directive, but in the European Commission’s non-legally binding guidance document. This definition is currently under review but as it stands it reflects the UK’s understanding.
NWML enforce the RoHS Directive in line with the UK RoHS Regulations (SI 2006 No. 1463), taking due regard to both the European Commission and UK Government’s guidance documents.
Health
"Choosing Health" Agenda
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what requirement her Department places on strategic health authorities to report the rerouting of allocations from the “Choosing Health” agenda to offset deficits; and if she will make a statement; [89119]
(2) which strategic health authorities have reported to her that money allocated for the “Choosing Health” agenda has been rerouted to offset deficits. [89120]
Andy Burnham: The 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) identify £211 million in 2006-07 and £342 million in 2007-08 to support implementation of the “Choosing Health” White Paper. This funding is not ring-fenced within the revenue allocations and it is for individual PCTs to decide how to use their allocations.
Key “Choosing Health” deliverables are reflected in local delivery plans and monitored through public service agreements.
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed on girls aged (a) 10, (b) 11, (c) 12, (d) 13, (e) 14, (f) 15, (g) 16 and (h) 17 years of age in 2005; and how many were performed to save the life of the pregnant woman. [88544]
Caroline Flint: The information is set out in statistical bulletin 2006/01, “Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2005” copies of which are available in the Library and also on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/68/59/04136859.pdf.
For confidentiality reasons, no further age and ground breakdowns are available other than the detail published in the bulletin.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of women having an abortion in 2005 were married at the time of the abortion; what the statistical mode figures were for (a) the age of the woman, (b) the gestation of the pregnancy, (c) the number of previous children born to the woman and (d) the number of previous abortions undergone by the woman; and what the most common legal grounds were under which the abortion was performed. [88545]
Caroline Flint: In 2005, 17 per cent. of women having terminations were recorded as married. For all women residents in England and Wales the statistical mode in 2005 for:
age, was 20 years;
gestation, was eight weeks;
number of previous children, was no previous children; and
number of previous abortions, was no previous abortion.
The most common ground (96 per cent. of all abortions) was that the pregnancy has not exceeded its 24(th) week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in (a) Essex and (b) Bedford and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority had an abortion in 2005 who already had had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five or more previous abortions. [88546]
Caroline Flint: The information is set out in the following table.
Number of previous terminations(1) to women resident in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and Essex Strategic Health Authorities having terminations in 2005
| Number of previous terminations | ||||||
| SHA | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 and more ( 2) | Total |
| (1)
This is across the duration of a woman’s reproductive life-cycle
(approximately ages
15-49) (2) Group shown for totals 10 or more, in accordance with guidance from the Office for National Statistics | ||||||
Access to Work Scheme
Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many disabled staff in her Department received support through the Access to Work scheme (a) in each of the last five years and (b) in 2006-07. [82228]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect the numbers of disabled staff receiving adaptations and equipment paid for by access to work.
The Office of Disability Issues will be monitoring the situation to ensure that there is no detriment to current and future employees who are disabled.
Accident and Emergency Services
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1548W, on accident and emergency services; if she will list the hospitals in each category. [88835]
Ms Rosie Winterton: National health service trusts self-report the number of accident and emergency (A and E) services they provide against definitions set by the Department for the three types of A and E. The Department does not collect information at the level of individual hospitals. My reply on 7 June 2006, Official Report, column 707W, on A and E services, gave the number of A and E departments, by trust and by type.
Accident Reporting
Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of greater commercial pressures on healthcare providers in the NHS on the reporting of accidents and systems failure. [85279]
Andy Burnham: The Department has not undertaken a formal assessment. However, patient safety and clinical quality remains at the heart of the national health service reforms and the changes will strengthen the incentives on provider organisations to improve the clinical quality of the services they offer to patients. Experience from leading-edge organisations in the United Kingdom and other countries shows that safe care is also efficient care.
The responsible regulator will be assessing all providers against core standards of safety and quality. This assessment will include ensuring that providers have robust processes for continuous improvement of their safety, including local reporting and analysis of patient safety incidents and full participation in the national reporting and learning system. The National Patient Safety Agency will continue to work with NHS trusts to promote a culture of continuous quality improvement; reporting patient adverse events and near misses is a key component of that culture.
Commissioners may also wish to incorporate quality standards into their contracts with providers, and we will be publishing information on quality indicators to help inform patient choice. These could in future include objective measures of patient safety and clinical outcomes. Extensive comparable information on the quality and safety of care will give patients and commissioners a real understanding of the quality and services available.
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