Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his Answer. Will he now confirm that next year the huge Spanish fleet, which is bigger than the rest of the Community fleet put together, will move into our northern waters for the first time? Will the Minister comfort British fishermen, their dependent families, myself and this House by saying what precautions the Government will put in place to...
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, this Private Member's Bill is very wide in scope—too wide—and the helpful, but very necessary, notes bear witness to that. I predict that, as it goes through its stages, including a Committee of the Whole House, it is likely to run out time. However, the noble Lord, Lord Lester, is a clever and patient man. He toiled long and hard for the Human Rights Act. Again, in this Bill he...
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, may I say that the Question is very well framed? I have worked on the Citizens Charter for many years and accept that patients who are ill, afraid and frightened to complain need the best possible access. I also point out that—
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, does the Minister agree that, although the NHS is free at the point of delivery, the NHS is not free? It is paid for, as is any other service. Does he also agree that a patient within the NHS should expect the complaints procedure to be as good as, if not better than, that in the private sector?
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I have a personal interest to declare in that my daughter-in-law is going to have a baby on 24th July, which will make me a grandmother. She asked me whether I think that she should have the triple vaccine. When I was a little girl, my mother used to send me out to play with children who had measles so that I would catch it and get it over and done with while I was very young. Now I...
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: What were the main findings of the recent Civil Aviation Authority and Joint Aviation Authorities research into the minimum seat space required for each airline passenger; and whether those findings will, as recommended by the Science and Technology Committee in the 5th Report for Session 1999–2000 on Air Travel and Health, be used to develop an unambiguous...
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: What steps they have taken (a) to promulgate their November 2001 advice to intending air travellers on action to help prevent deep vein thrombosis; and (b) to monitor ways that others further promulgate that advice; and, in particular, what arrangements they have made with airlines about active publicity to passengers in both economy and other classes at the...
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: How many passengers they estimate are carried annually on United Kingdom-registered aircraft that have re-circulatory ventilation systems incorporating less than the highest available standard of high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration; and what action they propose to take to reduce this number to zero.
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will consult the Association of Masters of Draghounds and Bloodhounds regarding the suitability of drag hunting as an alternative to live quarry hunting.
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 11 April (WA 125) (a) to what extent health issues were taken into account alongside safety considerations for the proposed new seat sizes for airline passengers; (b) whether there should be more generous minima for long-haul flights; (c) to the extent that minimum seat space is intended to...
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 11 April (WA 125), whether they will, in addition to monitoring the way in which airlines make use of the Government's November 2001 advice on deep vein thrombosis and travel, also study the extent to which the advice is understood by passengers at booking (in time to enable intending passengers...
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 11 April (WA 126), whether they propose any action to reduce to zero the number of airline passengers travelling on United Kingdom-registered aircraft which employ re-circulatory ventilation systems with less than HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) standard filtration.
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: What preparations are being made for the coming into force of the proposed Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (COM(2000)347) which requires the recycling and safe disposal of all household electrical waste.
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that helpful reply. However, does he agree that last month's vote by the European Parliament to remove a time-limited exemption of five years for the micro-businesses to which he has referred from the financing of collecting, recycling and treating electrical waste will cause great, and sometimes insurmountable, difficulties for many of Britain's smaller...
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, first, I apologise for my somewhat odd voice and hope that it will last for the few brief minutes that I shall speak. I welcome the second introduction of the Adoption and Children Bill which had its origins in the Conservative Government's review which took place in 1992 and was introduced largely thanks to Caroline Spelman, a Conservative Member in another place. I wish to speak...
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I add my voice to those of other noble Lords in thanking my noble friend Lady Anelay for giving us the opportunity to discuss the Bill today rather than the other night when I had lost my voice! First, I declare an interest as vice-chairman of the Port of London Authority which is responsible for providing a safe regime for navigation from a line drawn approximately between Harwich...
Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government: In view of the priority they give to drawing up authoritative advice on measures to minimise airline passengers' risk of deep vein thrombosis, whether they give similar priority to ensuring that this important advice is understood by those passengers.
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Will he confirm that that welcome change of heart will also cover the extent to which intending passengers, particularly those in vulnerable groups, get clear information in time to seek potentially life-saving advice before they travel? Does he agree that in-flight advice is too late for that unfortunate few?
Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, there is much to welcome in the Bill. Many of the proposed reforms to consumer protection and to the competition regime are particularly welcome. Although, as has been expressed already, to seek legislation so soon after the 1998 Competition Act shows a depressing lack of foresight. However, we are where we are. I declare an interest as president of the National Consumer Federation...
Baroness Wilcox: As the previous chairman of the National Consumer Council, I would be drummed out if I did not stand up to speak to this matter. As noble Lords have already said, there is a great sympathy around this, a sympathy for a desired general duty to trade fairly because of the gaps in the law. But I, too, find it difficult. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Borrie. In my years at the National...