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Patient Information and Data Protection
Lord Carlile of Berriew asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps have been taken to ensure the continuity of provision by the National Health Service of information useful in epidemiological and pharmaceutical research, having regard to the provisions of current data protection legislation.[HL940]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health is working in partnership with the General Medical Council and the Information Commissioner to ensure that all parts of the National Health Service
have a clear understanding of how data protection legislation affects them. Work is also under way to help health service bodies to satisfy their obligation under the Data Protection Act 1998 and to develop options for anonymising patient information to minimise restrictions in its use.Where key activity appears to be a risk due to systems and processes currently being unable to meet required standards, Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 provides a basis in law for information to be used subject to appropriate standards.
Lord Carlile of Berriew asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What research is being carried out or funded by the National Health Service into the development of health information, with particular regard to the production of anonymised information for beneficial use in epidemiological and pharmaceutical research.[HL941]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health has commissioned work, which should be completed by March 2002, to identify options for anonymising patient information and to identify appropriate ways of extracting such information from National Health Service systems to support a wide range of uses.
Salisbury/Yeovil Railway Line
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 16 October (WA 89) about the railway line between Salisbury and Yeovil, whether they consider single lines in areas like this to be characteristic of a modern railway.[HL916]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The level of demand for rail services will determine whether particular upgrades represent value for money and priority for early investment.
Road Projects
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- For all new road projects costing over £50 million, what are the location, the anticipated cost, the date of public inquiry, the actual or planned date of starting work and the expected date of completion.[HL953]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
| Schemes Under Construction | Government Office Location | Tender Cost | Date of Public Inquiry | Actual Date of Starting Work | Expected date of Completion |
| A120 Stansted-Braintree Improvement | Eastern | £75m | 1996 (Planning Inquiry) | July 2001 | 2004 |
| A2/M2 Cobham J4 Widening | South East | £124m | Act of Parliament 1995-96 | November 1999 | 2003 |
| M6 Toll (formerly Birmingham Northern Relief Road) | West Midlands | Private Finance Scheme | 1994-95 | November 2000 | 2004 |
| Schemes In Preparation | Government Office Location | Estimated Total Cost (i) | Date of Public Inquiry (ii) | Planned Date of Starting Work (iii) | Expected date of Completion (iv) |
| A1(M) Ferrybridge-Hook Moor | Yorkshire & Humberside | £160m | 1995 | 2002-03 | 2005-06 |
| A1(M) Wetherby-Walshford | Yorkshire & Humberside | £50m | 1993 | 2002-03 | 2004-05 |
| A2 Bean to Cobham Widening (Phase 2 Pepperhill-Cobham) | South East | £74m | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2006-07 |
| A249 Iwade-Queenborough Improvement | South East | £79m | 2000 | 2004-05 | 2006-07 |
| A3 Hindhead | South East | £107m | 2003-04 | 2005-06 | 2008-09 |
| A303 Stonehenge | South West | £125m | 2003-04 | 2005-06 | 2007-08 |
| A46 Newark-Widmerpool Improvement | East Midlands | £82m | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2008-09 |
| M25 J12-15 Widening | South East | £94m | Public Inquiry | ||
| not needed | Timing depends on the decision | ||||
| on Heathrow Terminal 5 (v) | |||||
| M60 J5-8 Widening | North West | £82m | 1995 | 2003-04 | 2005-06 |
Notes:
(i) Estimated total costs are taken from A New Deal For Trunk Roads In England published July 1998, with the exception of A.3 Hindhead and A.46 Newark-Widmerpool, which were added to the Targeted Programme of Improvements in March 2001. The cost of A.2 Bean-Cobham Widening Phase 2 is different to that published in 1998 as the scope of scheme has changed.
(ii) Forecast dates are based on likely current programmes.
(iii) Anticipated date of starting work is subject to satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.
(iv) Expected date of completion assumes a two year construction period which may vary from scheme to scheme.
(v) The M.25 J12-15 widening scheme is necessary irrespective of whether or not planning permission is given for the proposed Terminal 5.
Lord Higgins asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There are no data collected centrally on the time taken to replace damaged lights. Local authorities are responsible for organising the necessary inspection and maintenance procedures for their roads. Response and repair times often vary depending on the strategic importance of the site.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Both the proposed physical agents directives on vibration and noise will affect most sectors of industry besides farming and forestry, in particular construction, manufacturing, mining and quarrying, transport and distribution, shipbuilding, motor vehicle manufacture and repair, public utilities, foundries and entertainment.
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Government have not costed the implications to individual industry sectors of either of the two proposed physical agents directives on vibration and noise. Regulatory impact assessments of the common position reached on both directives covering the costs to industry as a whole and the health benefits to workers have been prepared by the Health and Safety Executive. That on the vibration directive has already been submitted to the Select Committee on the European Union and has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. That on the noise directive is about to be submitted and will be placed in the Libraries when available.
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: It is unlikely that the two proposed physical agents directives on vibration and noise will have significant implications for most areas of national and local government, where there is limited use of powered hand tools and industrial vehicles and work in noisy environments. It will, however, be the function of the Health and Safety Executive and local authority inspectors to enforce the resulting domestic legislation.
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There is widespread use in the utilities industries of powered hand tools and it is therefore likely there will be significant implications for those industries from the proposed Physical Agents (Vibration) Directive and, to some extent, from the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive. The industries will need to ensure that exposure is controlled in accordance with the levels and actions set out in the directives and that other required measures, such as appropriate health surveillance, are undertaken.
Lord Glentoran asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The Health and Safety Executive has consulted widely with business on both physical agents directives on vibration and noise, including with both the CBI and the TUC. The HSE has also had discussions with several industry associations and has responded to a large number of inquiries from individual businesses.
What data they have on the time taken to replace damaged lights on traffic islands; and whether the time taken has increased.[HL976]
Which businesses, by category, besides farming and forestry, would be affected by the proposed physical agents directive.[HL964]
What are the likely financial implications for the agriculture, quarrying and road haulage industries of the proposed physical agents directive.[HL993]
What will be the likely implications for national and local government of the proposed physical agents directive.[HL994]
What will be the likely implications for the utilities industries of the proposed physical agents directive.[HL995]
What consultations have taken place with business likely to be affected by the proposed physical agents directive.[HL997]
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