asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will respond to the report from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) on the incidence of cancer and leukaemia in young people in the vicinity of the Sellafield site, West Cumbria, published today.

The Government are grateful to the committee for their thorough and comprehensive report, copies of which have been placed in the Library. Ministerial colleagues and I note the committee's concern about the continuing excess of leukaemia and lymphoma in young people in Seascale. We accept the recommendations made in the report, including the committee's recommendation that the incidence of leukaemia and other cancers in the area be kept under surveillance and reviewed periodically by the appropriate authorities. The Government also accept the committee's advice that there will be no benefit from continuing to investigate Seascale in isolation in the absence of new evidence of particular causative characteristics which could he relevant.We welcome COMARE's advice on research priorities and will continue to fund the department's long-standing programme of research in the field of radiation protection, seeking advice as necessary from expert sources. The department will also maintain contact with other funding bodies to ensure priority is given to relevant, high quality research.The Government's commitment to maintaining and updating effective radiation protection policies is demonstrated by the department's current spend of nearly £2 million a year on radiological protection research, together with support amounting to some £6.5 million a year for the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB).Following is COMARE's main conclusion:"We conclude that there has been a continuing excess of leukaemia and other cancers in 0–24 year olds in Seascale Ward in the post—Black period 1984–1992, primarily due to an excess of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and NHL. Taken together with the results for the earlier period 1955–62 (for which comparable statistical analysis is not possible) and 1963–1983 the data show that there has been a continued excess of leukaemia and NHL in Seascale for four decades. Such evidence as we have does not indicate any excess between 1900 and 1945. We have investigated possible causes of the excess in later decades and conclude that:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made an estimate of the effect of the National Lottery on charitable income.

The National Lottery has provided an unparalleled source of new funds for charities and the voluntary sector generally. The National Lottery Charities Board has so far made awards totalling £159 million, exclusively for the benefit of the voluntary sector. Furthermore, a very large part of the awards from the other lottery distributors has gone to the voluntary sector. Of the £1 billion allocated so far to arts, sports, heritage and millennium projects, almost £400 million has been awarded to voluntary sector organisations. This means that almost 50 per cent. of available lottery monies for good causes has gone to charities and voluntary organisations. As the lottery continues, similar sums of money will be available to the sector year on year.The claims which have been made so far have been based on surveys in which people state whether they have made any recent unplanned donations. These surveys say little about the size of donations, nor about whether any changes in giving are due to the lottery. A wide range of economic and social symptoms has been blamed on the lottery, from a decline in savings to a reduction in cinema attendances; but the causal link, not least for charities, is far from clear. The situation is further complicated by the fact that while there are charities which have seen donations declining since the introduction of the National Lottery, there are others which have reported an increase.During the passage of the National Lottery etc. Bill, the Government gave a commitment to monitor changes in charities' income following the introduction of the lottery. With the participation of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, the Government have set up a research programme to look at charities' income before and after the lottery was established. Provisional findings should be available by late Spring, more comprehensive findings by next year and final results by early 1998.Examination of charities' accounts is a more reliable and factually based method of approaching this issue than surveys of the public can be. It is, however, inevitably a longer term exercise and in the meantime public surveys, a useful but secondary method of researching the issue, remain the main source of information. While this is the case, firm conclusions cannot be drawn.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give an undertaking that asylum seekers with relatives in the United Kingdom will not be removed to third world countries through which they may have passed before their cases are considered here.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department has no present plans to change his policy, which is kept under review, in respect of the exercise of his discretion to consider substantively claims made by asylum seekers who have travelled here from a safe third country and who might otherwise be returned here.The Secretary of State will normally decide to consider a case substantively if the applicant's spouse or unmarried minor child is in the United Kingdom, or, if the applicant is an unmarried minor child, the applicant's parent is in the United Kingdom. In addition, discretion is exercised according to the merits of individual cases where the applicant is a parent whose married minor is in the United Kingdom (or vice versa); the applicant is an elderly or otherwise dependent parent; or the family link is not one which would normally be considered but there is clear evidence that the applicant is wholly or mainly dependent on the relative in the United Kingdom and that there is an absence of similar support elsewhere.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why Mr. Festus Otono, now in Her Majesty's Prison, Haslar, Gosport, has been detained for one and a half years; and when they expect his application for political asylum to be determined.

The decision to detain Mr. Otono was taken only after careful consideration of all the circumstances and only when the Immigration Service were not satisfied that he would comply with any terms of temporary admission. Mr. Otono made a bail application on 22nd March 1996, and the date for a bail hearing has yet to be set.Mr. Otono was refused asylum in the United Kingdom on 30th January 1995. His appeal was heard by a special adjudicator on 29th January 1996 and was dismissed on 12th February 1996. At a tribunal hearing on 22nd March 1996, the appeal was remitted for a further hearing before a special adjudicator. A date for the appeal hearing has yet to be set.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they plan to introduce computers into the handling of immigration casework.

The Immigration and Nationality Department has developed a programme to computerise the handling of immigration casework in order to deliver improvements in service, to strengthen the administration of the control and to produce substantial efficiency savings. A seven year contract is to be awarded to Siemens Business Services under the private finance initiative, by means of which the company will design, build, finance and operate a comprehensive new IT system for this purpose and assist IND in the introduction of appropriate working methods.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy on providing access from the motorway network to new motorway service areas.

The Highways Agency is consulted on all planning applications for new motorway service areas (MSAs). It will not normally object so long as the proposal meets a range of minimum requirements relating to the facilities to be provided and the spacing of the site from other MSAs, and provided the proposed access arrangements are acceptable in safety and traffic management terms. As a matter of policy, however, we do not expect to connect new MSAs to any motorway which, because of exceptional traffic circumstances, has been or is expected to be widened to dual five lane standard. To do so would invite further congestion on what are the most heavily used parts of the motorway network.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements they will make to examine the nature and extent of information currently provided on the export of defence equipment as recommended in Sir Richard Scott's report.

My department is leading the review recommended by Sir Richard Scott. It will examine the nature and extent of information currently provided, and will take account of the industrial, employment and diplomatic implications of any change in the longstanding parliamentary convention governing the disclosure of information. We shall be seeking the views of a wide range of interested parties and will report back to the House before the Summer Recess.Noble Lords wishing to comment on any issue that the review might cover should write to:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish their final proposals following the review by the English Tourist Board of the Crown classification scheme.

The English Tourist Board will shortly present my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage with proposals for a revised Crown accommodation classification and grading scheme. My right honourable friend intends to consult the tourism industry on these proposals before final decisions are announced.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in view of the current dispute between Eritrea and the Yemen over the Hanish islands, they accept that the United Kingdom as the former colonial power in the region, has some responsibility for the dispute; what protection they are offering to any British trading interests that may remain in the region; and what steps they are taking to promote a peaceful settlement of the dispute.

Her Majesty's Government do not consider they have responsibility for the dispute. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne provides for the future of the islands to be settled by the parties concerned. We support efforts by the French Government and others to help resolve the dispute, and have made clear we are willing to provide access for both sides to historical documents in our possession. We continue to ensure that British shipping and aviation are kept informed of developments in the area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ask the Commonwealth secretariat to conduct an inquiry into the compatibility of changes proposed to the Zambian Constitution with the Harare Declaration.

Her Majesty's Government have no plans at present to ask the Commonwealth secretariat to conduct such an inquiry.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that the indefinite detention of Fred M'membe, editor-in-chief of the

We are aware that two editors of the Post newspaper have been detained following a Zambian parliamentary ruling. We have no plans at present to ask the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to conduct a seminar on the use of contempt powers by parliaments. Meanwhile we do not intend to approach the Zambian Parliament about the detentions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the value of aid to Indonesia in each of the years 1990–91 to 1995–96; what is the projected value of aid to Indonesia in 1996–97, and what are the figures in each year for the cost of military and police training respectively.

The value of aid to Indonesia was as follows:

£ million
Year	Total ODA programme	CDC investments and other	Total gross expenditure
1990–91	17.59	7.57	25.16
1991–92	21.20	13.22	34.42
1992–93	21.39	11.29	32.68
1993–94	22.21	12.67	34.88
1994–95	21.42	30.04	51.46

In 1995–96 we expect the ODA programme to total some £38.4 million. On current planning, the anticipated level of the ODA programme for Indonesia for 1996–97 is broadly in line with the estimated spend for the current year. Figures for CDC investments are not yet available.