asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to place in the Library the 1998 Report by Dame Elizabeth Anson, the Independent Monitor, relating to the refusal of Entry Clearance where there is no right of appeal. [HL3849]

I have arranged for copies of Dame Elizabeth's 1998 Report to be placed in the Library today. I welcome the report and note Dame Elizabeth's recommendations, which will receive careful consideration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will make available the Annual Report and Financial Statements for 1998–99 of the New Millennium Experience Company. [HL3847]

Copies have today been placed in the Libraries of the House of the New Millennium Experience Company's Annual Report and Financial Statements for 1998–1999.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of the Magistrates Courts' Service; and whether they will give their views on the modernisation of Magistrates' Courts. [HL3846]

I have today placed copies of the Chief Inspector's annual report in the Library of both Houses. The Annual Report records the significant achievements of the local Magistrates' Courts Committees in rising to the challenges of this Government's modernisation agenda.The programme of amalgamating local Courts Committees to align their boundaries with others in the criminal justice system is on track, leading to better planning and communication between agencies; and local Courts Committees are becoming more accountable and more businesslike in their approach to performance management and improving the efficiency of their administration of the courts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish their response to the Committee of Inquiry into the Personality Disorder Unit, Ashworth Special Hospital. [HL3848]

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health is today publishing his response to the Inquiry Report. Copies have been placed in the Library. We have accepted the broad substance of the Inquiry Report and are taking appropriate action to ensure that its concerns are properly addressed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of the populations of England, Scotland and Wales are covered by the new Assisted Area map compared with its predecessor. [HL3740]

Under the current map, about 30 per cent. of the population in England, 64 per cent. of the population in Scotland, and 71 per cent. of the population in Wales are covered. Under our proposals, which have yet to be approved by the Commission, about 25 per cent. of the population in England, 49 per cent. of the population in Scotland, and 71 per cent. of the population in Wales would be covered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any wards or groups of wards which would otherwise have been eligible for inclusion in their list of proposed Assisted Areas were excluded because their population did not aggregate to 100,000; and, if so, which. [HL3803]

Many wards could not be included because, individually or in groups, they were isolated. However, it is not possible to list them individually, because the exercise of identifying the compact contiguous groups of wards with a population of over 100,000 was not undertaken independently of the exercise of combining areas of need with major areas of opportunity for employment creation, investment and regeneration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the definition of "contiguous" used in Annex C of the Government's proposals for new Assisted Areas, published on 15 July; and whether a national, regional or county boundary within the United Kingdom or a river, mountain or sea division prevents two otherwise contiguous wards from being treated as contiguous for the purpose of those proposals. [HL3804]

"Contiguous" is not defined in the European Commission's Regional Aid Guidelines.The Government have not regarded national, regional, county or mountain boundaries as being a limiting factor in forming contiguous groups of wards, nor, within reason, have they regarded rivers or parts of the sea as being a limiting factor in forming contiguous groups of wards.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish any formula or other methodology used to aggregate the statistical indicators listed in Annex C of the Government's proposals for new Assisted Areas, published on 15 July, for the purpose of formulating these proposals. [HL3805]

Each ward was considered individually against the criteria described in Annex C. As the document states, they were aggregated to form compact contiguous zones of over 100,000 population with the aim of combining areas of need with major areas of opportunity for employment creation, investment and regeneration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the proposals in Annex C of the Government's proposals for new Assisted Areas, published on 15 July, were formulated taking account of local dependence on manufacturing and not on other employment sectors. [HL3806]

The manufacturing indicator was used both to suggest possible future labour market weakness due to the long-term decline in the national market share of employment which is expected to continue, and to indicate possible areas of opportunity where regional industrial aid could be an appropriate policy response. The employment participation rate indicator takes account of employment in all sectors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to send a commission of scientists to the United States to glean first hand information about the benefits and risks of genetically modified crops so as to save time and duplication of effort on tests in this country that have already been carried out in the United States. [HL3658]

The Government have no such plans. Officials are studying practice and trials in a number of countries overseas, including the United States, through the OECD Expert Group on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology. All available research data are used in the regulatory process, including data from other countries. However, the UK ecosystem is unique and therefore information from other countries is not always relevant.

asked Her Majesty's Government:At what level in government the decision to install traffic lights on the A.2 at Kender Street, London SE14, was taken, on what advice the decision was based, and whether they will consider stopping the lights operating. [HL3708]

The decision to install traffic lights on the A.2 at Kender Street, London SE14, was taken by the highway authority, the London Borough of Lewisham, as part of the implementation of its red route proposals for the A.2.The signals provide a controlled crossing for pedestrians wishing to cross New Cross Road and form one element of a co-ordinated system of traffic lights including revised traffic signals at the junction of New Cross Road and Queen's Road. The council took the decision to switch on the traffic signals at Kender Street prior to the completion of the rest of the scheme because the new signals replaced a zebra crossing at the location. Had the council not done so, pedestrians would have continued to have difficulty in crossing New Cross Road. We understand that the civil engineering works being undertaken by the council have fallen behind programme and will not be ready for some weeks. Once all the work is complete, in early September, the scheme should improve public transport and pedestrian facilities in the area without undue delay to other road users.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the letter of approach that Integrated Communications Projects Ltd used in the first instance to seek sponsors for the presidency events from the 400 companies approached. [HL3624]

Integrated Communication Projects Ltd did not use a standard letter of approach to companies when seeking sponsorship for the events associated to the Edinburgh Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and those held during the period of the British Presidency of the European Union. Initial contacts were tailored to the recipient and the event for which sponsorship was sought.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 3 September 1998 (

Integrated Communications Projects Ltd (ICP) initially approached 120 companies in relation to their contract to seek sponsorship of the government-hosted events in 1997–98 and I have placed a list of these companies in the Library of the House. Subsequently, other companies were contacted by ICP as additional opportunities were identified: for example, over 170 companies were approached to sponsor the Technology Exhibition associated with the EU Council of Ministers Meeting in Cardiff, June 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of bills were paid on time by Government departments and their agencies during the financial year 1998–99. [HL3850]

There has been a further improvement in the payment performance of central Government as a whole. The majority of departments met the previous target of paying 95 per cent. of their suppliers' bills on time.There is no room for complacency and it is disappointing to see that a number of departments and agencies, including DTI, failed to meet this year's target of 97.5 per cent. I have taken steps to remind all departments and agencies, including DTI, of the importance of paying suppliers' bills on time and meeting the target.The target for the 1999–2000 financial year has been increased to pay ]00 per cent. of undisputed suppliers' bills on time. It is particularly important that the public sector sets an example to business and is seen to pay its bills on time.