§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the cost of implementing 549W council common position 70/98 of 23 November 1998 [OJ C404]; what was his position on this proposal; if qualified majority voting procedures applied; and if he will make a statement. [91843]
§ Ms JowellThe United Kingdom voted in favour of the proposal for the injury prevention programme set out in Common Position 70/98 under the qualified majority voting procedure and now adopted by Decision No 372/1999/EC.
The programme is a valuable initiative which we believe will enhance injury prevention work in the UK for a relatively modest outlay. In particular it will allow for the further development of a Community injury database, initially a continuation of the European Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System (EHLASS), which has driven the raising of safety standards safety throughout Europe.
Implementation of the programme is expected to cost euro 14 million (estimated £9.9 million) over five years, of which the UK contribution is estimated at £358,000 per annum. This, however, will be offset by payments the UK will receive under the programme for the supply of information to the database. The precise figures for these payments has yet to be determined but similar payments to the UK under the EHLASS system in 1996 amounted to £216,000.