asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the expected in-service date for the first of the planned new Royal Navy aircraft carriers.[HL6613]

As for all projects, the in-service dates (ISDs) for the future aircraft carriers will only be set following the main investment decision and once they have been approved by Ministers. This decision has not yet been taken.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What consideration they have given to the recommendations by Church Action on Poverty concerning the destitution, homelessness and vulnerability of many asylum seekers.[HL6016]

I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 14 June 2006 (Official Report, col. WA 25). The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) makes available support and accommodation for asylum seekers, who would otherwise be destitute, from the time they claim asylum in the UK to the determination of their claim. Asylum seekers whose claims are unsuccessful are required to leave the UK. NASS support cannot and should not be continued indefinitely for those who have no legal basis to remain in the UK. Under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, support and accommodation continues to be available for failed asylum seekers who are destitute and unable to leave the UK immediately due to circumstances entirely beyond their control. If there are problems in accessing support for such individuals, their cases should be notified to NASS for resolution.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What criteria the Home Office now applies when dispersing asylum seekers across the country.[HL6242]

In considering dispersal, a range of issues is taken into consideration, such as an adequate supply of suitable accommodation and relevant support services with the aim of maintaining good community cohesion. Under the new regional accommodation contracts, the arrangements for placing asylum seekers are now considered on a regular basis by regional strategic groups. Key local stakeholders including local authorities, the police, the health sector, the voluntary sector and the accommodation providers are represented.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What provision is made by the Home Office and the National Asylum Support Service to meet the needs of disabled asylum seekers; and what records are kept of disabled asylum seekers as part of the application process.[HL6315]

Details of any disability which an asylum seeker raises during the interview process in relation to their asylum claim will be fully taken into account. Special arrangements may also be made for the interview to take place to ensure that claimants with disabilities are able to present their case effectively. Claims for the grant of asylum are decided on their individual merits, against the criteria set out in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Particular attention is paid to claims where the disability is the result of the alleged persecution or the disability is the reason for the alleged persecution. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) considers the circumstances of all destitute asylum seekers when assessing their applications for asylum support. It takes into account particular needs when providing accommodation. Information relating to disabled asylum seekers is recorded on individual case files.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the position paper, Citizenship Denied: the Stateless British Children of Hong Kong, submitted to the Minister of State for Nationality, Citizenship and Immigration, Mr Des Browne, by the Lord Avebury and Tameem Abdulhusein Ebrahim in December 2004.[HL6450]

It is not general practice for government departments to disseminate unsolicited material produced by persons outside the Government and we do not propose to do so on this occasion. I understand that there is some provision for Peers to place documents in the Library of the House and the Government would have no objection if the noble Lord wished to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will review all candidates for employment referred to the Department for Education and Skills' List 99 in each of the past three years.[HL6514]

In her 19 January Statement, the Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly, announced the findings of a review of cases since 1997 where a decision had been taken by Ministers or officials not to place on List 99 individuals who were on the sex offenders register, or who had committed relevant offences before the introduction of the sex offenders register in 1997.

Ruth Kelly also announced, as an interim measure, the establishment of a panel of experts, headed by Sir Roger Singleton, to oversee the List 99 process. The panel is fully in place, advising the Secretary of State on cases for his determination. Sir Roger Singleton is reviewing all cases determined before 1997 where, had the sex offenders register existed, it would have resulted in the individual's inclusion on the register, and all cases involving a sexual offence or allegation which resulted in a decision not to include on List 99 or in a restriction or a partial bar. The aim of this review will be to establish if any individual poses a risk of harm to children and if any action should be taken.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the light of the National Audit Office report on The Right of Access to Open Countryside, what was the issue relating to data quality cited by the Countryside Agency which led to problems with the accuracy of the maps for the south-east; what were the causes of this development; what steps have been taken to ensure that there will be no recurrence; and whether any penalties have been applied to those responsible.[HL6481]

The Countryside Agency withdrew and re-issued the provisional map for the south-east because it discovered the initial map contained a number of errors. The agency attributed the errors in part to technical drafting issues, caused by the mapping tool used by the agency's mapping contractor, and in part to inadequate checking by the contractor of the changes made between the draft and provisional maps following the public consultation period.

As a result the agency put in place measures to ensure more rigorous checking of the maps and also switched to a more advanced mapping tool. Appropriate penalties were applied to the mapping contractor.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the light of the National Audit Office report, The Right of Access to Open Countryside, how many ordnance survey maps showing open access land have been (a) supplied to retail outlets; (b) sold directly; and (c) sold by retail outlets; and what was the value of these maps.[HL6473]

Ordnance Survey has provided over 1.75 million OS Explorer maps containing open access information to the retail trade. These have a retail value exceeding £13 million.

Ordnance Survey has sold some 31,000 OS Explorer maps direct to customers through its map shop on its website at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/mapshop/. These have a retail value of a little over £230,000.

A little under 750,000 OS Explorer maps have so far been sold through the retail channel. These have a value of some £5.5 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the light of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's recommendation that the newly developed inhaled insulin should not be available on the National Health Service, what assessment they have made of the needs of needle phobic diabetics.[HL6129]

A second appraisal committee decision on inhaled insulin from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was published on21 June for consultation. The current appraisal committee decision includes proven injection phobia diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist. However, this does not constitute NICE's formal guidance on this technology. The recommendations made are preliminary and may change after consultation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will waive the £85 visa charge for competitors at the international eisteddfod at Llangollen which starts on 4 July.[HL6546]

Fees for visa services are set to cover the costs of providing them in accordance with HM Treasury guidelines on fees and charges, and any decision to issue visas at less than the normal fee would need to be made financially good to UKvisas from another source. UKvisas has consulted other government departments to ascertain whether there are any public funds available to cover the expenses of foreign participants at the 60th International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, but has not identified any such funds. Unfortunately, we cannot therefore waive the fee for visas for this event.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they support the latest Austrian European Union presidency initiatives for open and public debates on the Council of Ministers’ activity in relation to new legislation.[HL6303]

I refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, on 26 June (Official Report, cols. WA 124-5); namely, that the European Council has agreed “an overall policy on transparency”, as itemised in Annexe 1 of its conclusions. The European Council also agreed to review this policy after six months to assess the “impact on the effectiveness of the Council's work”. The Government support this approach.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What subjects they propose to discuss with the Government of Finland as priority policies for the next European Union presidency starting on1 July.[HL6488]

We are especially keen to highlight the importance of the Hampton Court agenda agreed during our presidency last year: focusing on delivery for the citizens of the EU. Our embassy in Helsinki is in daily contact with the Finnish Government on a wide range of issues. More than 40 separate meetings have also taken place between Ministers and officials from the UK and Finland since March this year. These have covered topics as diverse as the future of Europe, enlargement, counter-terrorism, Afghanistan, competitiveness and innovation, development policy, energy, climate change, and justice and home affairs. We will maintain close contact with the Finns throughout their presidency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have made an assessment of any increase in opposition in the United Kingdom and within other member states to the European Union membership negotiations with Turkey.[HL6486]

Although the Government have not made a recent assessment, a Eurobarometer poll of UK citizens was published in February 2006. It shows 38 per cent in favour of Turkey joining the EU and 42 per cent against; a survey six months earlier showed 45 per cent in favour and 37 per cent against. The February survey shows figures for EU member states as a whole with 31 per cent in favour of Turkey joining the EU and 55 per cent against.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the agreement on the United Kingdom European Union budget rebate for the period 2007-14 can be changed without re-opening negotiations on the European Union budget as a whole.[HL6626]

The UK abatement arrangements are covered by the Own Resources Decision. The ORD has to be agreed unanimously in Council and then be ratified by each member state. For the UK, this will require primary legislation in the form of an EC (Finance) Bill. In practice, the Own Resources mechanisms have always been agreed as part of a package in conjunction with setting the EC expenditure commitments for the next multi-annual spending period, as was the case with the December 2005 agreement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the Cabinet Office will publish the list of ministerial responsibilities and contact details to incorporate the changes made on or before 5 May 2006.[HL6403]

I refer the noble Lord to the Statement I made on Tuesday 27 June, Official Report, col. WS 58.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many detainees at immigration detention centres have been moved to two or more different centres during their period of detention during(a) 2003-04; (b) 2004-05; and (c) 2005-06.[HL6597]

The required statistics could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the annual costs of each of the immigration detention centres run by private contractors.[HL6598]

The annual costs of each of the immigration detention centres run by private contractors are in the table below.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their assessment of recent changes to the immigration rules requiring overseas doctors already in training in the United Kingdom to apply for work permits.[HL6051]

The Department of Health worked with the Home Office to put in place transitional arrangements. Those doctors and dentists offered a relevant training programme before the changes were announced have the opportunity to complete that programme.

Overseas doctors and dentists will still be able to come and train in the United Kingdom. They will now need to meet the requirements of an employment category of the immigration rules—such as the work permit requirements—in line with the immigration rules for other professions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they have changed their closure plans for Oakington Detention Centre; how long the new contract will be for; whether the centre will come under new management; and what services it will continue to provide after September.[HL6349]

There is currently a rising demand for places in the immigration removal estate. We are urgently considering whether Oakington should remain open beyond September. However, this will be subject, among other matters, to suitable funding being agreed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many incidents of attempted suicides have been recorded since 1 January 2002 at immigration detention centres.[HL6595]

We do not keep records of attempted suicides, rather self-harm attempts. Figures for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 to 31 May 2006 are in the table. No figures are available for periods before this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 12 June (HL6043), whether they will publish in the Official Report the names, ages and, where appropriate, the regiments of all military and civilian British nationals who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since the commencement of the recent conflicts in those countries.[HL6276]

The names, ages and, where appropriate, regiments of all UK defence personnel who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan up to 23 June can be found in the table below in date order, with the most recent being listed first.

We know of some 40 British civilians that have died in Iraq since March 2003 and four have died in Afghanistan since March 2004. These numbers include deaths from natural causes but are not definitive figures as records include only those where consular assistance has been sought. The figures do not include British dual nationals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures they propose to take in Iraq to protect members of the Armed Forces from excessive personal risk.[HL6285]

In addition to the very comprehensive training received by all UK Armed Forces personnel, those deploying to Iraq receive theatre-specific pre-deployment training, which includes weapons training and force protection measures. In theatre, all personnel are subject to the reception, staging and onward integration process, which includes further weapons training and familiarisation with the area of operations. All troops deploying to Iraq are issued with enhanced combat body armour as standard. Commanders employ force protection measures as appropriate and these are kept under continual review.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Adonis on 14 June (WA 25), whether they propose that the annual Department for Education and Skills grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will provide an indication of how funding will be distributed on both a regional and local basis to each individual LSC.[HL6500]

The annual grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) sets out the total budget that will be allocated for the next financial year along with indicative allocations for any remaining years of the spending review period. It does not include allocations below the national level.

The LSC was set up to plan and fund post-16 learning, based on a detailed assessment of learning and skill needs. It works with a range of partners to inform the assessment of national, regional, sector and local priorities. This planning and funding system is responsive to the customers of education and training and must be driven by need, not by central design. It is for the LSC national office to allocate its budget to local areas, and for them to determine how resources can best be used to raise participation and learning and skills levels in the areas they serve. The LSC's regional directors also have a key role to play in agreeing plans, budgets and targets locally to ensure that both regional and local skill needs are met.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in light of the controls already in place for bonded warehouses where alcohol is stored and in view of the case for discreet operation, it is necessary for such warehouses to be required to obtain premises and personal licences under the Licensing Act 2003; and [HL6502]

Whether they support (a) the exercise of administrative discretion by licensing authorities; and (b) the absence of any requirement for bonded warehouses to obtain premises and personal licences under the Licensing Act 2003; and [HL6504]

Whether they are aware of any differences in the licensing requirements for bonded warehouses as a result of the various interpretations of the Licensing Act 2003 made by licensing authorities. [HL6505]

The holding and management of stocks of alcohol are not themselves licensable activities. Provided the alcohol is not sold to another party, there will be no need for a licence. A licence is not required for sales of alcohol from premises owned or leased by the seller for consumption off the premises, where the sale is made:

to a trader for the purposes of his trade;

to a club, which holds a club premises certificate, for the purposes of that club;

to the holder of a personal licence for the purpose of making sales authorised by a premises licence;

to the holder of a premises licence for the purpose of making sales authorised by that licence; or

to the premises user in relation to a temporary event notice for the purpose of making sales authorised by that notice.

The full range of activities carried out in any individual warehouse should be considered carefully, and legal advice sought if necessary, before any decision is made about the need for an authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act). The 2003 Act devolved the administration of licensing to individual licensing authorities, normally the local authority, and it is not for the Government to seek to direct that they adopt specific interpretations of the law.

In the first instance, it is for individual licensing authorities to interpret the law on the basis of their own legal advice. An appeal mechanism has been built into the 2003 Act to ensure that licensing authority interpretations can be challenged in the courts to ensure that they are reasonable and fair.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have assessed to what extent Section 192(1)(b) of the Licensing Act 2003 favours large operators who can supply to the trade from their own warehouses rather than small operators who use a third-party facility.[HL6506]

The Government have not yet made an assessment of the impact of Section 192(1)(b) of the Licensing Act 2003. The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of the Act throughout its first year of full operation and at the end of that period will assess whether any changes to the primary legislation are necessary and should be proposed to Parliament.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will reconsider their advice on the licensing requirements for bonded warehouses in the forthcoming review of the guidance to the Licensing Act 2003, especially when such warehouses are being operated discreetly.[HL6503]

We have made some amendments to the guidance on wholesale trading. These were published in the supplementary guidance which was laid in Parliament on 22 June 2006, and which came into force on the same day. A full review of the guidance is also being conducted, including a formal public consultation. As a result of this process, we expect to lay a revised version of the guidance before Parliament by the end of 2006.

It is important to recognise that guidance cannot amend primary legislation or direct particular interpretations of it.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are considering the introduction of separate charges for refuse collection by local authorities in England, on either a compulsory or permissive basis.[HL6441]

We have no current plans to introduce charging for household waste. The Government are considering what further steps are needed to tackle household waste as part of the review of the waste strategy, which will be published later this year. We are also looking at the spending pressures local authorities face, with regard to waste management, ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Variable charging is one of a number of tools that could be used to encourage waste minimisation and recycling of household waste. Local authorities already have powers to run incentive schemes or require householders to separate their waste for recycling. Recent research shows that at least half of English local authorities have run, or are running, some form of incentive scheme and some, such as Barnet, require householders to separate their recycling.

Many countries, including some in the European Union, have introduced successful household waste charging schemes, achieving reductions in waste arisings and increases in the separation of waste for recycling.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the average hospital bed occupancy rate in Wales in 1979; and for each five years from 1979 to 2003-04.[HL6542]

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the number of hospitals in Wales in each of the main categories, including district general, community, geriatric and mental illness in 1979; and for each five years from 1979 to 2003-04. [HL6543]

Information is not available in the requested categories. However, figures are available for total number of hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals, during this period.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the name of each external consultancy firm or consultant employed by the Home Office to advise on the proposed amalgamation relating to the Essex police constabulary; whether they will provide a summary of the work undertaken; and what was the cost in each case.[HL5875]

Consultants were contracted to assess the business cases from the eastern region, including those for Essex constabulary. Their work contributed to the case for amalgamation for Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire which can be found on the Home Office police restructuring website at wwww.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/police-reform/force-restructuring. The following consultancy firms worked on business cases in the eastern region: KPMG, Walker-Cox, Ernst & Young, Accenture and Methods. It is not possible to identify separately the cost relating to Essex.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the estimated cost of the rationalisation of police authorities under their plans for police force restructuring.[HL6328]

The currently projected cost of proposed amalgamation of English and Welsh forces announced so far remains around £391 million. Long-term savings made possible by mergers also remain currently around £145 million a year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Who is responsible for clearing away rubbish under the portico of Portcullis House on Bridge Street; when the cleaning will be done; and whether the cleaning will be done more frequently in future.[HL6340]

As the portico is outside of Portcullis House, it is technically a public walkway and its upkeep is therefore the responsibility of Westminster City Council.

Councils are required by law to keep their land free from litter and refuse and to keep public highways clean. This duty is set out under Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. A Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse has been issued under this Act in order to clarify councils' responsibilities in this area. The code defines standards of cleanliness in terms of Grades A (litter-free) to D (heavily littered with significant accumulations).

It then specifies time limits within which the council must restore an area to Grade A (for hard surfaces), should it become littered. These time limits are between half a day and 28 days, depending on land use intensity and whether or not any special circumstances apply.

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/litter/code.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will request that chief constables record the police time spent on tracing, interviewing or detaining foreign prisoners released under licence into the community since 1999.[HL5525]

This level of detail is not required under the annual data return that must be submitted to the department by police forces in England and Wales and we would not wish to impose additional burdens on police forces by asking them to carry out additional ad hoc surveys.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies appointed by the Secretary of State for the Home Department.[HL6529]

The remuneration and hours of chairs of public appointments as at 28 June 2006 are provided in the attached table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies appointed by the Minister for the Cabinet Office.[HL6532]

Details of the remuneration rates for the chairs of Cabinet Office-sponsored public bodies are published in the Annual Appointments Plan, which is available on the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-the-cabinet-office/public_bodies.asp. A copy has been placed in the Library.

All of the chairs are part-time and the time commitment for each chair varies from body to body. Some are very active. The Civil Service Appeal Board, for example, holds several hearings each week. At the other extreme, the Security Commission meets only when required.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies appointed by the Secretary of State for Defence.[HL6559]

The Ministry of Defence has 32 public bodies; six executive non-departmental public bodies; 24 advisory non-departmental public bodies; one independent monitoring board non-departmental public body; and one public corporation. Details of the remuneration of the chairs of these public bodies are published in the annual Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies, prepared by the Agencies and Public Bodies Team in the Cabinet Office. The most recently published edition of Public Bodies provides information as at 31 March 2005. All of these chair appointments are part-time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the salary and time requirements for all chairmen of public bodies appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[HL6560]

I have listed the remuneration details for each of the chairs below. Information on the time commitment for each could only be collated at a disproportionate cost and it would be difficult to provide an accurate figure anyway. While each post is advertised with an estimated time commitment, the work is demand-led and requires varying degrees of work outside of actual board or committee meetings. The chairs will usually undertake this work, often without seeking any additional payment. All of these posts are part-time. The information is correct as at 31 March 2006.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make representations to the Government of Romania on the imminent closure of orphanages before adequate alternative arrangements have been made to meet the needs of the resident children.[HL6490]

The Romanians are aware of European childcare standards and their obligation to take the best interests of the child into account when considering closing down orphanages. Both the European Commission and our embassy in Bucharest can raise any concerns with the Romanian authorities should they arise, but we currently have no plans to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will invite the European Union to provide long-term funds for Romanian and international non-governmental organisations organising adoption, fostering, family-sized homes and other support for orphans and abandoned children in Romania.[HL6491]

We have no plans to ask the EU to provide long-term funds for this purpose. Between 1990 and 2000, the EU contributed approximately €100 million to Romania for child protection and humanitarian support and is currently spending a further €13 million on childcare projects. The Government of Romania are working hard to improve childcare to meet EU standards and have made huge strides in this since the fall of the communist regime in 1989. Our embassy in Bucharest is in regular contact with non-governmental organisations in Romania and continues to support their work.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many individual complaints have been received by the European Court of Human Rights from residents of Russia since they became admissible; and how long it will take to hear and resolve such complaints.[HL6521]

Russia became party to the European Convention on Human Rights on 5 May 1998. From 1 November 1998 to 30 April 2006, 41,803 applications were lodged against Russia. Of these, 254 were declared admissible and 119 have received judgment. It is not possible to say how long it will take to hear and resolve applications. This will depend on the types of cases, their complexity, and how the respondent state chooses to deal with them. A new mechanism for bringing cases to the court came into effect on 1 November 1998 with the result that there are no statistics for Russia between May and November 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Secretary of State's power to make regulations controlling the advertising of gambling under the Gambling Act 2005 extends to advertisements by tipsters.[HL6562]

Section 327(1)(a) of the Gambling Act 2005 provides that a person advertises gambling if,

“he does anything to encourage one or more persons to take advantage (whether directly or through an agent) of facilities for gambling”.

Consequently, while tipsters are not directly involved in gambling, there may be circumstances under which advertisements by tipsters could fall within the Act's definition of advertising, and therefore within the scope of any regulations made by the Secretary of State controlling the advertising of gambling.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport intends to keep her regulation-making powers with regard to advertising in reserve for the time being, in favour of self-regulation by the advertising industry. The Advertising Standards Authority, in consultation with the Gambling Commission, is in the process of drawing up new advertising codes of practice, on which it will consult shortly. Advertising by tipsters will be subject to these codes, including general rules on misleading advertising.

My department is also in contact with the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) and Trading Standards with regard to tipster services.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will refrain from using the word “stakeholder” in all official government reports and other publications for which they are responsible.[HL6601]

“Stakeholder” is a commonly used word with an established meaning, both within government and in the private sector. The wording of government reports and publications is a matter for the relevant department.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect Sir Rod Eddington's review of the long-term links between transport and the United Kingdom's economic productivity, growth and stability to be completed; and whether the report of the review will be published.[HL6525]

In a Written Statement to Parliament on Thursday 29 June on the timing of the Eddington study, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that Sir Rod Eddington is,

“working to finalise his advice for publication around the time of the 2006 pre-Budget report”.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 18 May (WA 68), on what date they received the draft report of the research to inform a review of the mechanisms of how housing benefit is administered to Travellers claiming at county council, district and unitary council sites, and private sites; whether they propose to alter the draft before publication; and, if so, why they have not given Parliament, local authorities, Travellers and members of the public the opportunity of scrutinising the draft and suggesting changes.[HL6254]

The draft report was received by the department in December last year. It is normal practice for external research commissioned and funded by the department to go through a number of routine draft stages to ensure factual accuracy and the robustness of the evidence. The drafting process is not intended to affect the conclusions and findings of the research unless it brings new evidence to light or identifies a misinterpretation of the evidence presented in the research.

Drafts of research reports are working documents and not therefore circulated beyond the project advisory group until publication. The report is expected to be published shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 16 June (WA 51-2), which departments paid the costs incurred by the Sealand Boat Deliveries Ltd in the case against the Vehicle Operations Services Agency in the Llangefni magistrates’ court.[HL6470]

The costs awarded to Sealand Boat Deliveries by Llangefni magistrates’ court were made payable from central funds. The department responsible for this expenditure is the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the total consumption of water in cubic metres, including a breakdown of consumption per occupant, in the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in each of the past 10 years.[HL6229]

The information requested on water consumption in MoD Main Building in Whitehall is given in the table below. Unfortunately, we have not been able to establish the information for financial year 1996-97. The water consumption figures are rounded because actual consumption data is linked to billing periods, and these do not fall neatly into financial years. The figure for consumption per occupant is an approximation based on the total population of Main Building. MoD Main Building was largely vacant for redevelopment from August 2001 to May 2004 and this is reflected in the data, which also demonstrates a significant reduction in the average water consumption rate over the period. Work is in hand under the auspices of the Framework for Sustainable Development to improve this figure still further.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much water in total and per occupant in cubic metres was consumed in the headquarters of the Home Office in each of the past 10 years.[HL6567]

In order to contribute to the annual Sustainable Development in Government report, departments are required to submit data on the total volume of water used across their office estate, as well as the number of staff. From these data, departments calculate an average per person. The Home Office does not routinely retain information about average water consumption relating to particular buildings but we are able to supply the following details for our headquarters building for the past seven years. Figures up to 2005 relate to the previous headquarters building at 50 Queen Anne's Gate and for 2005-06 they relate to the new headquarters building at 2 Marsham Street (which consolidated staff from the previous headquarters and several other buildings).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much water in total and per occupant in cubic metres was consumed in the headquarters of the Department of Health in each of the past 10 years.[HL6571]

The Department of Health does not have a record of water consumption for years before 1997-98. The water consumption figures (in cubic metres) for its main London administrative estate are as follows.

The department does not have a record of building occupancy for years prior to 2002-03.

In 2004-05, the average water consumption per person per year was 7.12 cubic metres. This has significantly improved on the 7.7 cubic metres target set in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.