House of Representatives

Monday, 3 June 2013 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3
improving health care for women and children, increasing
access to clean water and sanitation, and improving food
security through increased agricultural productivity.
In 2011-12, Australia spent around 13 per cent, or $643
million, of its aid budget on health programs and around
$194 million on water and sanitation programs. As
Australia's aid budget increases it is likely that funding to
address nutrition issues will also increase.
I trust that this information is of assistance.
Yours sincerely
from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob
Carr
Hasluck Electorate: Radio Station
Dear Mr Murphy
Community Radio Station Petition
Thank you for your letter of 11 February 2013 (reference
742/1187), regarding a submission received by the Standing
Committee on Petitions from 'the people and businesses
within the City of Swan region of Western Australia'. I note
the petitioners seek the assistance of the House to secure a
community radio service for the Midland CBD, within the
Local Government Area of the City of Swan, including a
variation to the Perth Radio Licence Area Plan, as necessary.
You may be interested to know the petition was referred
to the Australian Communications and Media Authority
(ACMA) for consideration, as under the terms of the
Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the ACMA is the
independent statutory authority responsible for the planning
and allocation of all broadcasting licences. In planning the
economic and efficient use of radiofrequency spectrum, the
ACMA is to have regard to planning criteria, including
demographics and the number of existing broadcasting
services in a licence area
(section 23 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992). The
Broadcasting Services Act 1992 also provides for the ACMA
to determine the number and type of broadcasting services to
be available in particular areas of Australia.
The ACMA has advised that it has received applications
for temporary community broadcasting licences (TCBL)
from two groups seeking to provide temporary community
broadcasting services within the City of Swan, including an
application from Swan City Community Radio Inc, for a
service to cater for the Midland CBD. In January 2013, the
ACMA advised both aspirant groups that the 104.1 MHz
frequency was suitable for use for temporary community
broadcasting purposes in the Swan TCBL RA1 licence area,
which encompasses the City of Swan (including Midland).
Both aspirant groups have notified the ACMA that they have
agreed to share the frequency, with each group broadcasting
for 84 hours per week.
It is expected that the communities in the suburb of
Midland will be able to access the Swan TCBL RA1 service.
I trust this information will be of use to the Standing
Committee on Petitions.
from the Minister for Broadband, Communications
and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy
CHAMBER
Dear Mr Murphy
Medical Research Funding
Thank you for your letter on 18 March 2013 regarding a
petition calling for the House of Representatives to invest
funding for research in to Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
and its accompanying illness Multi Chemical Sensitivities
(MCS).
As you may be aware, the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) is the Australian Government's
leading health and medical research funding body. The
NHMRC invests in research support through a variety of
mechanisms including investigator-initiated research
projects, broad programs of research and people support
schemes targeted towards supporting health and medical
research for the Australian community.
The NHMRC considers approximately 4,000 applications for
research funding each year and over 1,000 applications for
individual support from the more junior level scholarships to
senior level research fellowships each year.
In all cases, the research proposals are initiated by the
researchers and not predetermined by the NHMRC. These
schemes are highly competitive and undergo rigorous expert
peer review. Research focussed on ME/CFS has continued to
be well supported by the NHMRC with over $1.2 million
invested into this area of research between 2000 and 2012.
You might be interested to know that the NHMRC awarded
$500,000 over five years (2008-12) through a Practitioner
Fellowship to the University of New South Wales for
research into CFS led by Professor Andrew Lloyd. Professor
Lloyd has made a substantial contribution to the
understanding of CFS, with his work being the first to show
the prevalence and variability of CFS, its differentiation from
depressive disorders, its validity and reliability as a
diagnosis, the heritability of CFS, and the first substantial
randomised controlled trial of immune treatments.
For individuals with this complex medical condition, the
Government continues to support access to high quality
medical care and medicines through subsidies provided
under Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,
which provides funding for services delivered in hospitals
and supports good primary health care.
Once again, thank you for writing.
from the Minister for Health, Ms Plibersek
Age Pension
Thank you for your letter of 18 March 2013, about a petition
recently submitted for the consideration of the Standing
Committee on Petitions regarding increases to the rate of
Age Pension and health and age care issues for pensioners.
The Department of Human Services delivers payments and
services on behalf of a range of government departments and
agencies. The policy and legislation for the rate of Age
Pension falls within the portfolio responsibilities of the
Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP. The policy relating to
health care falls within the portfolio responsibilities of the
Minister for Health, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP. The
policy related to aged care falls within the portfolio
responsibilities of the Minister for Mental Health and
Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler MP.