asked Her Majesty's Government:What conclusions they have reached about the future of the Defence Diversification Agency. [HL345]

We remain fully committed to defence diversification—the "spin out" of defence technology to the civil sector for wider benefit. The Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) has made a very successful start in delivering that policy objective since its establishment in 1999. The implementation of our Public Private Partnership proposals for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) will make a further and very substantial contribution to defence diversification. It will be in the interest of "NewDERA" to exploit opportunities for the "spin-out" of defence technology to the civil sector. At the same time we shall want to ensure that the Defence Scientific and Technical Laboratory (DSTL), the part of DERA to be retained in the MoD, also contributes fully to defence diversification activity.Since the DDA currently operates as part of DERA, some reorganisation over the next few months is inevitable. Responsibility for the agency, we propose, will be transferred from DERA to MoD headquarters, from where it would continue to facilitate the achievement of our defence diversification objectives. It would ensure that opportunities for "spin-out", and also the "spin-in" of civil technology to the MoD, are disseminated and exploited, and that industry is assisted with its own diversification planning. A major part of diversification activities would in future be undertaken from within NewDERA and DSTL, by existing DDA staff operating from their current locations, continuing the work that they do now, and transferred to NewDERA and DSTL for that purpose.We shall work closely with industry and other stakeholders to ensure that the DDA continues to secure our policy objectives. Detailed new arrangements will now be worked out and we shall consult about the staffing implications in the normal way. In the light of experience of the new organisation, we shall consider further the establishment of a Defence Diversification Council.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Atomic Energy Establishment at Aldermaston is operating under all the appropriate licences. [HL122]

The Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston currently operates under all licences appropriate to its role.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Atomic Energy Establishment at Aldermaston has full and unqualified emission permits with respect to the levels of radioactivity in waste products. [HL123]

The Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston is currently authorised by the Environment Agency to discharge radioactive waste within carefully prescribed and regulated limits. The Environment Agency carries out periodic reviews to ensure that these limits and the appropriate conditions imposed on AWE as part of its authorisation are fully observed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will take urgent steps to list the greenhouses in Elmhurst Park, Suffolk, which Woodbridge Town Council propose to dismantle and remove. [HL278]

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has asked English Heritage to assess urgently whether these structures meet the criteria for listing and to advise him accordingly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the fees to be paid by merchants and saddlers for registration in 2001–02 with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain under the Medicines (Exemptions for Merchants in Veterinary Drugs) Order 1998 have been determined. [HL316]

With the consent of the Treasury, the schedule of fees for registration, retention and restoration have been determined. This is given in the attached table:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19 December, whether the United Kingdom is under any obligation under international law or convention to remove corporal or capital punishment from the statute hooks of self-governing Overseas Territories. [HL291]

Abolition of judicial corporal punishment last year in the British Virgin Islands, the last Overseas Territory to do so, fulfilled the United Kingdom's obligation in that regard under the European Convention on Human Rights. There is no present international obligation to abolish capital punishment in the Overseas Territories, since the relevant Protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights have not yet been extended to the Territories. But the Government wish to be in a position to extend the Protocols, once the situation in the Territories fully reflects that in the United Kingdom.

asked the Chairman of Committees:What steps are being taken to ensure that there is a hearing loop system installed in the Moses Room prior to the first day of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill being taken in Grand Committee. [HL285]

A hearing aid induction loop was installed in the Moses Room in 1993. It is connected to the sound-activated microphone system, which must he switched on for the induction loop to work.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce the full composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Western European Union. [HL347]The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Jay of Paddington): The United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish the final evaluation report of research into pilot information meetings under Part II of the Family Law Act 1996, and whether they now intend to implement Part II of the Act. [HL317]

The final evaluation report has been published today, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. I am grateful to Professor Walker and her team at Newcastle University for the very detailed and informative report they have produced.On 17 June 1999,

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking in respect of the recommendations in the final report of the Civil Justice Reform Group in Northern Ireland. [HL314]

The final report of the Civil Justice Reform Group was published on 16 June with a consultation period until the end of September. My original purpose in establishing the group was to ensure a reform programme tailored to Northern Ireland's needs and informed by those with practical experience of the system.I am very grateful to Lord Justice Campbell, who chaired the group, and to the other members for their work. I am also grateful to those who responded during the consultation period. Broadly, I accept the report's main direction and its principal recommendations. There are notable departures from arrangements in England and Wales but I am satisfied they are appropriate in the Northern Ireland context.There are a few technical recommendations in relation to expert evidence on which I do not share the views expressed in the report. These will require further consideration and of course there are other points of detail to be looked at closely during the implementation process, but overall I am of the view that the report's recommendations represent a major step forward in the reform of the civil justice system in Northern Ireland to make it as accessible, economic and efficient as possible. Implementation will begin as soon as possible with an increase in the small claims jurisdiction early this year followed by an approximately two-year rolling programme of subordinate legislation and operational changes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What grants they have made towards marriage and relationship support in the current financial year. [HL348]

During the current financial year (2000–01), my department will spend £4 million on marriage and relationship support, an increase of £0.8 million on funding for the financial year 1999–2000.The funding has been allocated as follows: Relate—£2,396,585; Tavistock Marital Studies Institute £486,161; Marriage Care—£333,516; One Plus One—£357,000; Jewish Marriage Council—£48,313; Family Welfare Association—£99,925; London Marriage Guidance—£100,000; Parentline Plus—£60,000; National Marriage Week—£30,000; Community Family Projects—£30,000; 2asl.net—£40,000; and Asian Family Counselling Service—£18,500.The funding will be spent on improving existing marriage and relationship support services, research into the most effective interventions, and disseminating good practice.I am increasing the amount of money available to £4.5 million from the next financial year (2001–02).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to review the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity. [HL346]

As indicated in our response to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Local Government (Organisation and Standards) Bill (Cm 4529) we intend to review the code to reflect the changes in councils' constitutions and the referendums and petitions resulting from the Local Government Act 2000.We have today, therefore, issued a consultation paper setting out proposed alterations to the code. These proposals reflect in particular the importance of councils consulting with their local communities, that individual councillors can take decisions, and that referendums, petitions and mayoral elections can take place under the Local Government Act 2000. A copy of this paper has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the contractors at present holding contracts with the Highways Agency for the removal of litter from the motorways and trunk roads in England, indicating in respect of each contract the dates of starting and ending and the roads to be covered. [HL280]

On motorways and the trunk roads listed in Table A below, sweeping and cleaning is the responsibility of managing agents who supervise term contractors also employed by the Highways Agency. A map has been placed in the Library which, with Table B below, shows the areas where the agents and contractors operate and the starting and ending dates of their contracts.