§ Lord Redesdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many mentally and physically disabled people are left on Montserrat and what plans are in place to move them.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)There are approximately 300 persons on Montserrat with physical or mental disabilities.
Her Majesty's Government does not wish to remove people from Montserrat by force. On medical advice, approximately 20 people with special needs have been evacuated since August, and a specially chartered aircraft with 33 others will arrive in the United Kingdom on 7 November. In addition, we are contributing towards new facilities for the elderly and infirm on the island and improving the psychiatric care available.
§ Lord Redesdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many children and babies are exposed to ash on the north of Montserrat.
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThere are approximately 1,000 children under the age of 15 on Montserrat.
Sir Kenneth Calman, Chief Medical Officer, noted in his recent report that there was no risk in the north of silicosis from past exposure. Ash levels are affected by rainfall. the level of volcanic activity and wind direction. Falls in the north have been increased since the beginning of August due to explosive activity.
Her Majesty's Government have provided new ash-level monitoring equipment. The information obtained from it is made public on Montserrat, and monitored by air quality experts in the UK.