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175860

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the remarks of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, Yangjee Lee, on the "significant human rights concerns" of Burma’s new laws and her warning that they would "legalise discrimination, in particular against religious and ethnic minorities and against women".
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>We strongly support the mandate and work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma, Yanghee Lee. While her full report has not yet issued, we share her concerns about the proposed so-called protection of race and religion bills. Like her, we have concerns about the discriminatory effect these laws could have in Burma, particularly for religious and other minority groups and women, were they to be enacted. We have voiced our concerns over this proposed legislation to members of the Burmese government and parliamentarians. Most recently, Minister of State at the Home Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), raised the issue when she met Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw during her visit to Burma in January. The UK also endorsed a statement issued by EU Heads of Mission in Rangoon in January reiterating those concerns and calling on the Burmese government and parliament to ensure that all new legislation is fully compliant with Burma’s international human rights obligations.</p><p> </p><p>More widely, the British Government deplores the hateful and abusive language used by a prominent monk against Ms Lee following her recent visit. Such sexist abuse and intimidation of human rights defenders emphasises the need for the Burmese government to increase its efforts to strengthen respect for universal human rights and tackle hate speech. We call on the Ministry of Religious Affairs to act on the matter.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 10/02/2015 17:52:09 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

175861

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Fertility: Drugs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, on 14 July 2014 (HC Deb, col 448W), by Earl Howe on 2 December 2014 (HL2907) and by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, George Freeman, on 14 January 2015 (HC220047), which body is responsible for regulating the administration of drugs used in fertility treatment; which fertility clinics in the United Kingdom are known to have administered drugs to patients when the corresponding drugs have not yet been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), regardless of whether or not the clinics concerned have been licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA); which clinics in the United Kingdom that have been licensed by the HFEA are known to have administered reagents to permitted gametes or permitted embryos that are then introduced into patients when the reagents concerned have not otherwise been licensed by the MHRA for clinical use; how either the HFEA or the MHRA would be kept aware of all such instances; what the regulatory consequences are in each case; which body is responsible for collecting data regarding the effects of particular dosages on the welfare of the developing child and the health of the mother; and whether such data are collected on a case by case basis or as part of a clinical trial.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government body responsible for the safety and licensing of medicines in the United Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Under their terms of service, general practitioners and hospital doctors are allowed to prescribe any medicinal product, including any unlicensed medicinal product, in order to meet special clinical need (subject to any local funding arrangements). They should always satisfy themselves that the medicinal products, or other substances they consider appropriate for their patients, can be safely prescribed, that patients are adequately monitored and that, where necessary, expert hospital supervision is available.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The administration of medicinal products to patients undergoing fertility treatment is a matter of clinical judgment by the treating clinician. It is not regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Guideline <em>Fertility, Assessment and treatment for people with fertility</em> problems provides guidance for healthcare professionals on the use of such products, including those used for ovarian stimulation. The HFEA has advised that it does not collect information on the identity of medicinal products used in treatment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The HFEA is aware of some clinics that have administered reagents to permitted gametes or permitted embryos that are then introduced into patients when the reagents concerned have not been CE marked. Such instances are identified by sample audits conducted during the course of inspection and documented in the report of the inspection.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Although the HFEA does not hold information on the effects of particular dosages on the welfare of the developing child and the health of the mother, the HFEA expects clinics to do such monitoring as part of their licensing conditions.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 10/02/2015 17:27:13 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

175862

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	IVF
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 26 January 2015 (HL4064), why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) does not consider that discussion of genetic modification, as it might be considered to apply to the creation of human admixed embryos, can usefully add to the debate on the definition of genetic modification in humans; whether the basis for the HFEA’s particular position is legal, scientific, doctrinal, ideological or pecuniary; whether the HFEA is capable of distinguishing between human embryos that have been genetically modified or not; if so, why it is unable to determine whether the generation of any human admixed embryos as defined under section 4A(6)(a) to (c) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 would constitute genetic modification; and if not, how the HFEA is able to regulate such manipulation of human embryos.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>We are advised that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) does not believe that discussion of genetic modification, as it might be considered to apply to the creation of human admixed embryos, can usefully add to the debate on the definition of genetic modification in humans. This is because the current debate relates to the use of human eggs and embryos, which might be permitted for use in treatment, which would not involve the use of animal DNA, eggs or embryos.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The HFEA has also advised that the regulatory framework enables the Authority to provide appropriate oversight of all embryos used in treatment and research.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 10/02/2015 17:25:40 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

175863

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	IVF
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 26 January 2015 (HL4063 and HL4228), how members of the Expert Panel convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) were assured that the children were genetically normal in the absence of any further information when the published abstract only referred to a "normal karyotype" and there was no "data concerned" further to support this; whether each of the mitochondrial diseases listed in Annex D of the Department of Health’s consultation document entitled "Mitochondrial Donation" is associated with an abnormal karyotype; whether they will place in the Library of the House a full copy of the correspondence between the member of the HFEA’s Expert Panel and the Zhang research group; if not, why not; and on what date or dates the correspondence was shared with all other members of the HFEA’s Expert Panel.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4443
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>I have nothing further to add to the answers given previously on the subject of the published abstract of the Zhang research group.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>We are advised that all of the mitochondrial diseases listed in the consultation document are due to point mutations or deletions and thus there is a normal karyotype.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 10/02/2015 17:27:29 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

175864

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	IVF
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 21 January (HL4011) regarding the challenges facing the National Health Service of tackling obesity, what assessment the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has made of the impact of findings recently reported in the journal <i>Endocrinology</i> (Volume 155, Issue 11, pages 4554–67); and what data is held by the HFEA that would permit follow-up studies of children conceived via in vitro fertilisation, in order to establish whether or not trends observed in mice are similarly apparent in humans.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4444
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>The Human Fertilisation and Fertilisation Authority (HFEA) has advised that it has not made an assessment of the impact of findings recently reported in the journal Endocrinology (Volume 155, Issue 11, pages 4554-67). However, the legislative framework allows the HFEA to hold data that can be linked to other databases holding height and weight data (for instance the Clinical Practice Research Datalink). Providing this linkage is performed by researchers at a United Kingdom institution, it would be permissible to carry out follow-up studies of children conceived via in vitro fertilisation, in order to establish whether or not the trend observed in mice is similarly apparent in humans.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 10/02/2015 15:49:21 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

175867

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Pedestrians: Mobile Phones
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to criminalise the obstruction of traffic by pedestrians using a mobile device.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL4447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>Section 137 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended by sections 38 and 46 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982 and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Schedule 7) provides an offence of wilful obstruction of the highway.<br><br>Section 137(1) states an offence is committed if a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 10/02/2015 12:02:52 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

175868

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Pedestrians: Mobile Phones
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many traffic accidents have been caused or partly caused by pedestrians using a mobile device.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL4448
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Government does not hold any information about the number of traffic accidents that involve a pedestrian using a mobile device.</p> answering member printed Baroness Kramer question first answered 10/02/2015 12:02:29 answering member 1557 label Biography information for Baroness Kramer
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

175869

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Diabetes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in reducing the national diabetes-related amputation rate since their commitment to halve the rate two years ago.
tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
uin	HL4449
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>NHS England and clinical commissioning groups have responsibility for determining the overall approach to improving clinical outcomes from healthcare services for people with diabetes. Nevertheless, there are various actions at a national level which will help to ensure that all patients with diabetes receive good quality care, including foot care, to help improve outcomes and minimise amputation rates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The new National Diabetes Foot Care Audit, a module of the National Diabetes Audit, aims to establish the extent to which national guidelines on the management of diabetic foot disease are being met. The audit will provide local teams with the evidence needed to tackle any identified differences in practice which will lead to an overall improvement in management and outcomes for patients. Local and national level results will be available in March 2016. However, we do know that there has been an increase in the proportion of trusts with multidisciplinary diabetic footcare teams, from around 60% in 2011 to over 70% in 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of its focus on the Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy, NHS Improving Quality is working with the National Clinical Director for Diabetes to identify potential areas of service improvement such as diabetic foot disease. A number of Cardiovascular Strategic Clinical Networks are focussing on this to ensure that appropriate clinical pathways are in place which will deliver improved clinical outcomes for people with diabetes, including minimising amputation rates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Within NHS England, the National Clinical Director for Rehabilitation and Recovering in the Community and the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer are leading work to improve rehabilitation services, including collection and dissemination of good practice. This will help to improve outcomes, such as improving/maintaining foot health, by putting the patient at the centre of their care, and a focus on their goals.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 10/02/2015 15:21:44 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

175870

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Vulnerable Adults
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that support is made available for vulnerable defendants by registered intermediaries in the criminal justice system, as currently is the case for vulnerable witnesses.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4450
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that all defendants receive a fair trial. We are currently considering formalising the provision of intermediaries for vulnerable defendants. It should be noted that, as well as a variety of measures currently available to courts to ensure a fair trial, if necessary, the Judiciary can already grant the use of an intermediary to assist vulnerable defendants. <br></p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 10/02/2015 17:56:21 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

175873

registered interest
date	27/01/2015
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	NHS: Temporary Employment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Jolly on 27 January, when they expect the annual cost of £2.5 billion for National Health Service agency staff appointments to be reduced to £1 billion per annum.
tabling member printed	Lord Mawhinney
uin	HL4453
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>The Department is not imposing a target nor a timescale for reducing the annual cost of National Health Service agency appointments, because to do so in an arbitrary manner might put patients at risk. However, the Government expects NHS organisations, who are responsible for the recruitment and retention of their staff, to have a firm grip on their workforce planning and management including how much they spend on agency staff. NHS organisations have access to a wide range of advice, guidance and best practice available to help them with this. One of the new conditions we have recently introduced for those trusts receiving financial help under section 42 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 is to reduce their use of and the amount they spend on agency staff.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Earl Howe question first answered 10/02/2015 15:22:30 answering member 2000 label Biography information for Earl Howe
tabling member	121 label Biography information for Lord Mawhinney