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20 Jan 2010 : Column WA257
Written Answers
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Alcohol: Pricing
Questions
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the introduction of minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks would have on the viability of public houses, clubs and restaurants; and what is the forecast effect on the closure rate of public houses. [HL1228]
Baroness Thornton: The Independent Review of the Effects of Alcohol Pricing and Promotion by the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at Sheffield University estimated changes in alcohol consumption and consumer spending in both the on-trade and off-trade for a range of pricing interventions, including different levels of minimum unit price. The effects vary according to the intervention chosen and its level.
The ScHARR review has already been placed in the Library.
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the level of smuggling into the United Kingdom of the introduction of a policy of minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks. [HL1229]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): No assessment has been made of the effect on the level of smuggling into the United Kingdom of the introduction of a policy of minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks.
Anguilla
Question
Asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards an agreement with the Government of Anguilla over their plans for an economic stimulus to assist recovery from the global downturn. [HL1268]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): We are in regular contact with Anguilla about its desire to increase its borrowing, its financial shortfall and its plans to make significant savings.
Care Services: Free Personal Care
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration was given to the Prime Minister's proposal of free personal care at home prior to its
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Baroness Thornton: Consistent with longstanding practice, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed as to do so puts at risk the public interest in both collective responsibility and the full and frank discussion of policy by Ministers.
Civil Service
Question
Asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce, freeze or contain below inflation remuneration increases for permanent secretaries in the Civil Service. [HL1145]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Government have provided evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body suggesting that there should be no increase in the pay bill per head available for base pay for all members of the senior Civil Service (including Permanent Secretaries) for 2010-11. Copies of this evidence have been placed in the Library.
Climate Change
Question
Asked by Lord Pearson of Rannoch
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 6 January (WA 94), whether any agreement signed by the parties at the Copenhagen climate change conference or any subsequent meetings will be put before both Houses of Parliament under affirmative or negative procedure. [HL1200]
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Before ratifying or acceding to a treaty the Government would be required to publish and lay that treaty before Parliament in accordance with the Ponsonby Rule.
At Copenhagen, representatives of 49 countries reached agreement on a political accord, copies of which have been made available in the Libraries of the House. This does not have the status of a treaty and therefore the Ponsonby Rule does not apply. Building on the agreements reached at Copenhagen, the Government will continue to work towards a legally binding outcome in the form of a treaty in order to combat dangerous climate change.
As regards any future treaty, if it is subject to ratification or accession, it would be laid before Parliament under the Ponsonby Rule. If any debate is requested, it would be considered in the normal manner, and arranged in accordance with the internal procedures of Parliament.
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Defence: Grob Tutor Service Inquiry
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the qualifications and relevant experience of the Royal Air Force officers who carried out the recent inquiry into the accident involving two Grob Tutor aircraft. [HL1291]
The Minister for International Defence and Security (Baroness Taylor of Bolton): The inquiry into the accident on 11 February 2009 involving two Tutor aircraft was carried out by a team of three experienced RAF officers. As with all inquiries of this nature, inquiry teams are drawn from those with recent expertise in the relevant areas. In this case, the team comprised two qualified Tutor pilots with experience of air experience flying and instructing roles and a qualified aircraft engineer with previous experience in aircraft accident investigation.
Additionally, the team was supported by a range of experts including: service inquiry advisers whose full-time role is to advise on all aspects of aircraft accident investigation process and on the associated policies and procedures and advisers from the RAF's Centre for Aviation Medicine. The team also worked closely and shared evidence with the independent investigator from the Air Accident Investigations Branch on technical and operational issues. Technical advice was also provided by QinetiQ. The range of expertise both within and available to the team ensured that the inquiry was both professional, comprehensive and covered all relevant factors.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much United Kingdom aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated for educating children in each of the last 12 years. [HL1012]
Lord Brett: Details of the Department for International Development's (DfID's) expenditure in developing countries is published in Statistics on International Development, which is available in the House Library and on the DfID website at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2009/.
DfID expenditure for the past 12 years on the education sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo is presented in the table below.
| Year | £ in thousands |
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government what international programmes they are promoting to protect and increase the voice of women in the Congo in local and national decision-making bodies, and to ensure their participation in international organisations dealing with political empowerment and human rights. [HL1014]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead): We take women's empowerment in the Congo very seriously. Our embassy in Kinshasa has developed a gender strategy to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in the Congo and to tackle the serious and widespread problem of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). We have set ourselves a target of improving the representation of women in local, provincial and national parliaments in the Congo (from 8 per cent in 2006 to 30 per cent by 2011), and improving the capacity and visibility of current female elected representatives.
The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have ratified the international Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, but a serious gap remains between the legal framework that has been put into place and the reality on the ground. Our work to empower women in the Congo therefore focuses on providing support and advice to the Ministry of Gender and helping to build its capacity to mainstream gender issues across the whole of government; lobbying and providing training and support to parliament, political parties and election components; and through providing £58.8 million funding from 2008-2012 to the United Nations Development Programme Governance Programme which works to advocate and promote women's political empowerment.
Economy
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will set alternative goals for national economic policy following the United Kingdom Commission on Sustainable Development and President Sarkozy's high level economic report concluding that goals focused on increasing gross domestic product may not be consistent with sustainable development and efficient use of natural resources. [HL727]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): The Government recognise that GDP is not a perfect measure of welfare, and that measuring a broad set of quality of life indicators is desirable in informing national economic policy.
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The Government's objective is to build a strong economy and a fair society, where there is opportunity and security for all. While measurement of gross domestic product (GDP) data informs the Government's economic forecasts and related targets for the Government's fiscal plans, the aim of national economic policy is to raise the rate of sustainable growth, and achieve rising prosperity and a better quality of life with economic and employment opportunities for all. This requires other indicators, for example as set out in its sustainable development strategy Securing the Future, available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/publications/uk-strategy/documents/SecFut_complete.pdf.
The Government publish information on life satisfaction, broken down by socio-economic class, as part of the sustainable development indicators published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/progress/documents/SDIYP 2009_a9.pdf. Work to develop these indicators presents a number of methodological challenges, which the Government are working to help overcome.
Embryology
Questions
Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 16 December 2009 (WA 236-7), why the Hampton Implementation Review on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority suggested that the relationship between the Authority and those it monitors could, if left unmonitored, lead stakeholders to question the independence, objectivity and consistency of the authority. [HL1326]
Baroness Thornton: The Hampton Implementation Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) forms part of a series of reviews of the work of 36 national regulators against the principles of good regulatory and enforcement practice first set out in the Hampton report, Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement (2005).
The findings of the HFEA report reflect the views of a team consisting of peer reviewers drawn from other regulators and Better Regulation Executive officials, who visited the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in April 2009. The review conclusions are based on a range of evidence, including interviews with regulator staff and stakeholders.
In its report, the Hampton review team commends significant aspects of the HFEA's work as well as highlighting some areas for improvement. Since the review, the authority has already undertaken a number of steps to improve processes and address the issues raised. This work will continue, informed by the final report.
The findings of the report are for the HFEA to consider and it will implement changes as appropriate.
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Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Thornton on 16 December 2009 (WA 236-37), how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has responded to the finding in the Hampton Implementation Review on the Authority on making more effective use of sanctions; and what sanctions the Authority would apply on a licensed centre that withholds information inappropriately or provides misleading information to the Authority. [HL1333]
Baroness Thornton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has nothing further to add to the information I gave in my response of 16 December 2009 (WA 236-37). The HFEA's policy on the use of sanctions is outlined in its indicative sanctions guidance for licence committees, which is available on the authority's website at www.hfea.gov.uk/docs/Indicative_Sanctions_ Guidance.pdf.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Question
Asked by Lord Harries of Pentregarth
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the remarks by the Solicitor General, Vera Baird, on 2 December (Official Report, Commons, col. 1226), when they commissioned research on caste from the Equality Commission; and when they expect the commission to report its findings. [HL926]
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon): The Solicitor General's statement relates to a request which the Government Equalities Office (GEO) had, then, recently made to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to take forward the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance's recommendation that the EHRC should undertake detailed research on caste. The EHRC, which is an independent body, has subsequently indicated it does not intend to undertake research in this area at the present time, although it is discussing the issue with stakeholders.
GEO is therefore now in the process of seeking an alternative provider for this research on caste discrimination. It is working in consultation with both the EHRC and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
EU: Budget
Question
Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon
To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect a 6 per cent increase in the European Union budget for 2010 will have on the gross contribution of the United Kingdom to that budget. [HL1079]
The Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Myners): Under the 2009 Adopted EC Budget, UK Own Resources payments were set at £10,879 million. Under the 2010 Adopted EC Budget UK contributions were calculated at £11,735 million.
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