asked the Chairman of Committees:

Whether he will consider changing the water offered in committee rooms to jugs of tap water, bearing in mind reports of the level of carbon dioxide emissions generated by the bottled water industry through transport.[HL7598]

The House began to use bottled water following a number of breakages of carafes and glasses which caused minor cuts, and injuries to staff. Given the limited time available for Committee Rooms to be prepared between meetings, the provision of bottled water is quicker and more sanitary than the filling and washing of carafes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What support they propose to give to the world convention on the “Titanic” scheduled for Belfast in April 2007.[HL7675]

Central Government are not directly involved in the funding of the world convention on the “Titanic”. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board, however, will support the “Titanic” convention team by assembling and distributing information packs on Belfast's “Titanic” sites and by promoting public relations. The tourist board will also seek to secure discounted hotel rates for delegates attending the event.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the present strength of: (a) the Royal Navy; (b) the Army; (c) the Royal Air Force; and (d) the Royal Marines; and how these figures compare with the same figures three years ago.[HL7779]

Figures showing the strength of the UK Regular Forces on the 1 September 2003 and 2006 are shown in the table below.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many shooting incidents involving United Kingdom military personnel have been investigated by the Royal Military Police to date; and how many of these have been successfully prosecuted. [HL7424]

As the question does not specify timeframes or location, it has been assumed that the question refers to the main operational theatres of Op TELIC and Op HERRICK. The following information covers the period from 2003 to the present.

RMP investigations are instigated to determine the circumstances of a shooting incident and whether there is a case to answer. In the vast majority of these cases the investigation has determined that the action fell within the rules of engagement. 149 cases were closed with no further action recommended.

^[1] “Shooting incidents” is defined as shootings by UK personnel which may have resulted in the injury or death of other people and which may be contrary to the rules of engagement.

^[2] The prosecution of an individual that has resulted in a conviction at court martial or through summary dealing.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the review by the Insolvency Service of the effectiveness of the Bankruptcy Restriction Order introduced by the Enterprise Act 2002 is expected to be completed.[HL7572]

The final report concerning the evaluation of the personal provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002, including the bankruptcy restriction order regime, is due to be published in autumn 2007. The first interim evaluation report was published in March 2005 and the second in March 2006.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the waiting times for the processing of British nationality applications made under Section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981 and the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 respectively on the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate “Applying for British nationality” website.[HL7642]

The average waiting time for processing applications under Section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981 currently stands at 11 weeks. It is not possible to obtain this information in respect of applications under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 except by examining individual case records at disproportionate cost.

The information on waiting times shown on the Home Office IND website does not discriminate between applications made under different sections of the British Nationality Act 1981 and does not currently include applications made under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make inquiries into the reasons for any mistakes made in British citizenship certificates recently issued under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997.[HL7645]

I refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave him in HL7531.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the community background of Northern Ireland civil servants who work in the North/South Ministerial Secretariat in Armagh.[HL7918]

Fourteen NI civil servants work in the NSMC in Armagh. To provide a breakdown by community background of such a small group of staff would risk breaching the statutory requirement for confidentiality in fair employment monitoring legislation and would be contrary to the Data Protection Act.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many closed circuit television cameras operating in the Greater London area are under the control of government departments or government agencies.[HL7852]

No exact data on the number of CCTV cameras operating in the London area under the control of government departments or government agencies is held. There is currently no central database holding information of that kind.

This issue has been highlighted in the Home Office/ACPO report on a national CCTV strategy, which is currently under development. The figure is likely to be quite small in comparison with the total number of cameras in operation in London.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have made an assessment of the number of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras surveying public walkways or places in the Greater London area under the control of the private sector; and what regulations apply to the installation and operation of CCTV cameras.[HL7853]

No estimates of the number of CCTV cameras controlled by the private sector have been made centrally. An estimate of 4.2 million CCTV public space cameras was made in 2003 in the UK as a whole, and 400,000 for London. Plans for the installation of any CCTV systems whether or not they are to be used to survey public walkways or places, should be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many farmers have applied to receive the single farm payment in the current year; and what is their estimate of the number of applicants who have the equipment and skills to access the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website.[HL7880]

For the 2006 scheme year, 110,841 applications were received for the single payment scheme (SPS) of which 279 applications were received after the final deadline of 10 July. The total number of applications includes some duplicates from the same applicants which are being identified and removed.

There are no figures specifically relating to SPS applicants and access to computers. However, Defra’s whole farm approach reviewed English farmers’ access to computers in 2005. The best data found were in the December 2003 Survey of Agriculture, stating that 66 per cent of farmers had access to a computer, of whom 91 per cent had access to the internet. Regarding IT skills, the best data found was a 2003 Farm Business Survey that reported that 55 per cent of farm businesses in England used a computer for business.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much the Home Office has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the past 10 years.[HL7820]

The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Regarding Section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted.[HL7587]

DETI commenced equality-related consultations in line with its obligations under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 once the department's equality scheme had been approved by the Equality Commission in April 2001. Between 2001-02 and 2005-06, DETI carried out eight such consultations. They were as follows:

2001-02

Industrial Development Act (Northern Ireland) 2002.

2002-03

Equality impact assessment on DETI policies in relation to support for existing industry and for the attraction of new inward investment.

Equality impact assessment on DETI policies in relation to support for companies to undertake research and development activity.

Equality impact assessment on DETI policies to assist companies to increase international competitiveness by promoting management development and encouraging employers to develop the skills and versatility of those in employment.

Energy Bill.

An assessment under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 of Insolvency Service policies 2003-04.

Equality impact assessment on DETI policy to encourage and maintain the most favourable regulatory climate for the growth of business, industry and commerce.

Equality impact assessment on DETI policy to promote and maintain a fair trading environment in which consumers are protected against malpractice and responsible business activity is encouraged.

For each of the above, DETI consulted with those groups and individuals who had requested that they be included on the consultation list which was established as part of the department's equality scheme for this purpose. A copy of this list will be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Regarding Section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies.[HL7588]

Summary details on responses to DETI equality-related consultation exercises are already in the public domain and can be accessed on the DETI website.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What has been the impact of the failure hitherto to include Amendment No. 2 (AMD 14905) March 2004 in the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1521).[HL7892]

No impact. The electrical contracting industry has been working to Amendment No. 2 of BS767 “Requirements for Electrical Installations” since 2004.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What notice period of inspections is to be given under paragraph 9(2) of the Measuring Instruments (Active Electrical Energy Meters) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1679).[HL7894]

This paragraph provides the power for GEMA (and NIAER) to carry out inspections of UK notified bodies it has designated.

Following designation, GEMA will carry out inspection visits regarding the exercise of the notified body's duties and functions under the Measuring Instruments (Active Electrical Energy Meters) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1679). The timing and notice period for such inspections will be agreed wherever possible between GEMA and the notified body on a reasonable basis. What constitutes a reasonable notice period will be dictated by individual circumstances.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have made an assessment of the Amnesty International report, Children at War: Creating hope for their future; and what practical help they are giving through their development programme to the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of children under arms in the Democratic Republic of Congo.[HL7794]

We welcome the Amnesty International report on children associated with armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the attention it draws to this important issue. Some progress has taken place since the Amnesty International report was compiled. Out of an estimated 30,000 children associated with armed forces, 19,054 had been demobilised when Amnesty International compiled its data (31 June 06). The figure is now 27,346 (30 September 2006). Demobilisation is ongoing, although at a very slow rate. Amnesty is right to demand more from the Congolese Government. We continue to push for the total demobilisation of all child soldiers.

The UK has given £15 million over five years to the World Bank-led multi-country demobilisation and reintegration programme (MDRP), covering DRC and neighbouring countries. We have also given £3 million to the 2006 International Committee of the Red Cross appeal for DRC, which includes programmes for protection and reintegration of children.

The disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process in DRC is far from finished, and we agree with Amnesty International that there is much more work to be done to complete the complicated and sensitive task of fully reintegrating children. This is particularly so for girls linked with armed groups. We are talking to the World Bank about how to ensure that the DRC's national DDR body—CONADER—and international and national implementing organisations that specialise in this area continue to receive appropriate support.

Amnesty's report calls for the removal of school fees in DRC to ensure that opportunities for education are available to all, including vulnerable groups such as demobilised children. DfID is currently discussing a major project with the World Bank to increase access to primary education in DRC by helping to reduce these fees.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals they have to encourage the growing and processing of plant material for the manufacture of biofuel.[HL7885]

The Government are incentivising the production and use of biofuels through a 20p per litre duty rate cut for biodiesel and bioethanol which has been extended to 2008-09. This has led to a growth in the sales of biofuel, and figures from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs give a total of around 21 million litres sold in July this year. This suggests a likely market share of around 0.5 per cent of road fuels for 2006, doubling that of 2005, produced from a variety of feedstocks.

To further develop the supply of biofuels, a renewable transport fuel obligation will be introduced in April 2008 which will require 5 per cent of fuel sold in the UK to come from a renewable source by 2010. A number of companies are building biofuel processing plants in the United Kingdom which will use UK-grown crops, such as oilseed rape, sugar beet and wheat, as a feedstock. Farmers can claim the single payment for biofuel crops grown on set-aside land or where the €45 per hectare energy aid payment is claimed for crops on non-set-aside land.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have proposals to reduce light pollution throughout the United Kingdom.[HL7883]

The Government are developing proposals to control light pollution in England as an annexe to planning policy statement 23 (“Planning and Pollution Control”). The Government will aim to consult on the draft annexe in 2007.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the members of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulations were appointed; after what process they were appointed; when they were appointed; and how many of the members live in Northern Ireland.[HL7772]

The members of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation (NIAER) were appointed through open competitions under the monitored kitemark scheme of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (OCPANI). The appointment details are as follows.

The chief executive of the NIAER, Mr Iain Osborne, is also a member of the authority and was appointed on 23 August 2006 with OCPANI approval. One member of the authority lives in Northern Ireland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the current situation as regards the proposed European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights and its relevant agency in Vienna.[HL7891]

The charter of fundamental rights and freedoms signed in Nice on 7 December 2000 is a political declaration by the member states of the European Union. The Government expect that the separate Commission proposal to establish a European Union fundamental rights agency in Vienna as an extension of the mandate of the existing European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia will be submitted to the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 4 and 5 December 2006.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What plans they have to promote the concept of fair trade in Northern Ireland.[HL7830]

The Government fully support the concept of fair trade. As part of the Government commitment, it is planned to host a reception at Hillsborough Castle for representatives of local government and NGOs which will promote fair trade.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What were their criteria in choosing Frontier Economics Limited to review the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.[HL7941]

Frontier Economics was selected from the HMRC framework agreement list for pre-approved consultancy services on the basis of their expertise in economic consultancy. They have a proven track record of producing high quality work for a number of government departments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What were the qualifications of Frontier Economics Limited to review the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.[HL7942]

Frontier Economics was selected from the HMRC framework agreement list for pre-approved consultancy services on the basis of their expertise in economic consultancy. It has a proven track record of producing high quality work for a number of government departments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the object and purpose of the review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by Frontier Economics Limited.[HL7943]

The object and purpose of the review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 undertaken by Frontier Economics Limited was:

to examine the cost of delivering FoI across central government and the wider public sector;

to provide an assessment of the key cost drivers for FoI; and

to examine options for change to the current fees regime for FoI.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the terms of reference of the review of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by Frontier Economics Limited prescribed four options for amending the regime, rather than permitting Frontier Economics Limited to consider other options.[HL7944]

Frontier Economics was asked to consider the impact of four options for change which could be introduced by secondary legislation. Frontier Economics was asked to focus its study on these four options but was not confined to these options. The report shows that it explored variations of these broad options.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their estimate of the likely impact on the volume of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to government departments for information about government policies, practices and procedures of the proposal to (a) include reading time, consideration time and consultation time in the calculation of the appropriate limit (£600) above which requests could be refused on cost grounds; and (b) to aggregate requests made by any legal person, or persons apparently acting in cohort, to each government department for the purposes of calculating the appropriate limit.[HL7945]

The Frontier Economics report, published by my department last month, shows that the total volume of requests across all government departments would reduce by 4 per cent if reading, consideration and consultation time was included in calculating the appropriate limit and by 8 per cent if non-similar requests were aggregated for purposes of calculating the appropriate limit. This assessment is based on an hourly rate of £25.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Statement by the Lord Bach on 14 November 2000 (HL Deb, col. 186), whether it remains their policy that the maximum fee for requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 should be 10 per cent of the marginal costs of seeking and finding the information; and, if not, what are the reasons for the change in policy.[HL7946]

There is currently no provision to charge a fee under the appropriate limit. The Government have announced that they are not minded to introduce such a fee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Department for Education and Skills has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements.[HL7615]

The department has processes in place that enables members of staff to raise in confidence any issues of concern. Staff are encouraged to report concerns initially to their line manager, but where they feel unable to do so, they can approach the department's whistleblowing officer or the Permanent Secretary in confidence. Staff also have access to independent advice at any stage of the process including the trade union or whistleblowing charity Public Concern at Work.

The department's process also deals with concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money. The department's fraud policy statement encourages staff to report concerns to their line manager or to use the other reporting options, which are available via the whistleblowing policy, the fraud hotline or by talking directly to special investigation unit staff.

The department treats all allegations seriously and encourages a culture in which staff can challenge in an open and honest way.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements.[HL7651]

The department has in place whistleblowing arrangements for staff to report their suspicions of fraud and other suspected anomalies.

These have been drawn up in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. They aim to encourage staff to submit concerns in good faith in the knowledge that they will be protected from victimisation or harassment which may come about as a result of their disclosure. They comprise clear guidance available to all staff through the intranet; an e-mail “hotline” to a nominated director; and ultimate right of referral to the Permanent Secretary.

The department also has arrangements for raising concerns under the Civil Service Code where staff are encouraged to raise issues where they believe they are being asked to act contrary to the code. Under these arrangements staff are asked to talk to their line manager or to the department's nominated officers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, since its formation, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has had an underspend; if so, how much was underspent; and within which financial year the underspend occurred.[HL7968]

Defra has underspent against its final departmental expenditure limit (DEL) each year since its formation, as follows:

2001-02—£177.702 million

2002-03—£148.411 million

2003-04—£258.617 million

2004-05—£163.198 million

2005-06—£1.102 million (provisional)

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any local authorities have made gating orders since the Highways Act 1980 (Gating Orders) (England) Regulations 2006 came into force; and, if so, for which highways they have made the orders.[HL7858]

It is not possible to provide details of the number of gating orders made since the Highways Act 1980 (Gating Orders) (England) Regulations 2006 came into force because the data are not collected centrally.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

With what regularity air filters in those parts of the House of Lords with air conditioning are (a) inspected and cleaned, and (b) replaced.[HL8060]

Filter maintenance is managed by the Parliamentary Works Services Directorate using the House's computerised facility management system. The frequency of filter inspections and replacements is specified in the operation and maintenance manuals provided after the commissioning of new filter installations. The frequency of inspections is reviewed periodically based on reports about the condition of filters.

The Parliamentary Works Services Directorate carries out approximately 10,000 filter maintenance and replacement tasks per year across the parliamentary estate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the average length of detention of asylum seekers subject to the fast track process at immigration removal centres; and how this compares with the figures before the process was introduced.[HL7804]

At Oakington the average time to initial decision from date of application for the first two quarters of this year was 12 days. Following completion of the Oakington process at this stage claimants may be further detained after they have been served with a decision in accordance with general detention criteria or released on temporary admission.

The average length in detention in 2005-06—that is, from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006—for asylum seekers subject to the fast-track process at Harmondsworth who were removed from the UK in that period was 65 days. The equivalent figure for Yarl's Wood was 57.5 days.

Since the Oakington, Harmondsworth and Yarl's Wood fast-track processes are end-to-end processes from the initial asylum interview through to removal, meaningful comparisons with the figures before the process was introduced cannot be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How long victims of torture, rape and sexual violence have under the fast track process at immigration removal centres to obtain independent legal and professional advice in time for both their initial claims and their appeals; and what priority their cases receive.[HL7805]

Onsite legal services are available to all claimants detained at Oakington for their application to be considered under the fast-track process irrespective of the basis of their claim for asylum. All claimants who enter the detained fast-track (DFT) process at Harmondsworth or Yarl's Wood are offered the services of a duty representative but they can instruct their own private firm instead if they wish.

Claimants detained at Oakington can be referred to the Medical Foundation by representatives in the same way as other claimants who are not detained. If the Medical Foundation agrees to accept a claimant for pre-assessment the claimant is taken out of the Oakington process. The referral is usually accepted within 24 hours. Similarly at Harmondsworth and Yarl's Wood, if a written confirmation of a Medical Foundation is produced before the initial decision is made, claimants are released from detention and the DFT process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What guidelines they give to Department for International Development staff and human resources managers in India on caste-based discrimination; and how they ensure that there is no discrimination against Dalits in their employment policy.[HL7753]

DfID India is committed to supporting the Government of India in their efforts to combat caste discrimination and social exclusion in all its forms through our development support. DfID India's employment policies seek actively to encourage applications from a wide range of applicants, and DfID India promotes diversity and social inclusion in all of its employment practices in line with DfID's people strategy.

Job advertisements for opportunities in DfID India, and selection processes, include clear diversity messages to promote DfID India's interest in reaching out to marginalised groups including Dalits. With the objective of attracting applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds, job vacancies are now widely publicised through national daily newspapers, Indian employment agencies, organisations and advocacy groups working to address discrimination. As part of this process, specific instructions are given to recruitment agencies working with DfID India in relation to marginalised groups including Dalits.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the answers by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7 January 2004 (Official Report, cols. 169-72), whether they are now in a position to seek the closure of websites which provide personal details of active opponents of fascist and racist parties. [HL7429]

The Home Office is currently working with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Crown Prosecution Service to review criminal activity relating to the websites of various extremist groups and consider what further opportunities may exist to take action against both websites and those responsible for them.

Many extremist groups take care to ensure that their websites remain inside the boundaries of the law and, although offensive to many, the material published may therefore not actually be illegal. However, effective voluntary arrangements exist with internet service providers in this country, who may be willing to remove material from their servers which is not illegal but is offensive if it breaches the terms and conditions of their service.

If a website that is hosted by a UK internet service provider publishes illegal material, we would expect it to stop hosting the site on request. There are challenges arising from the fact that these websites are often hosted abroad, and the ISP operates under different legislation to ours.

However, where material that incites criminal offences in the UK has been published or if illegal material was uploaded from the UK, those responsible may be prosecuted in this country, regardless of where the website is hosted.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the investigation into alleged discrimination against Protestant employees at InterTradeIreland will be completed; and whether the result will be published.[HL7882]

The inquiry into the equality of opportunity aspects of the anonymous allegations made against InterTradeIreland has been completed and a draft report is being considered by the two sponsor departments and the InterTradeIreland board. No decision has yet been taken on the question of publication of the report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the community background of the employees of InterTradeIreland.[HL7917]

At 1 October 2006 InterTradeIreland, the trade and business development body, employed 41 permanent staff. The community background of these staff has been identified as:

Roman Catholic: 34

Protestant: 6

Non-determined: 1

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the European Union's temporary international measures for transitional humanitarian aid to Palestinian families will prevent serious malnutrition in Gaza and the West Bank.[HL7948]

According to reports by the World Health Organisation (WHO) the percentage of underweight children in Gaza aged between nine and 12 months rose from 4.5 per cent in June to 5.6 per cent in August. Over the same period in Gaza, anaemia in children rose from 52 per cent to 70.5 per cent. In the West Bank, although August figures are not available, the percentage of underweight children aged between nought and 24 months rose from 3.4 per cent in January to 4.2 per cent in June. Anaemia in children rose from 43.9 per cent to 49.4 per cent over the same period.

The European Union-led temporary international mechanism (TIM) is helping to alleviate the difficulties faced by many Palestinian families in Gaza and the West Bank. So far, around 40,000 vulnerable Palestinians identified as needing social hardship support have benefited from cash payments. The TIM is being expanded to provide cash payments to an additional 50,000 Palestinians, identified by the World Food Programme as in need of food aid. In addition, the lowest paid public sector workers have also received payments through the TIM, including 11,900 health workers.

DfID is providing up to £12 million to the TIM, of which £9 million has been committed to specific programmes, including cash payments for poor Palestinians. DfID also made a contribution of £15 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in April to support its vital role providing social support and other essential services to Palestinian refugees.

However, aid alone cannot eliminate the suffering in the occupied Palestinian territory. The only way that life for the majority of Palestinians will improve is through progress towards peace with Israel. We hope that Hamas will commit to the quartet principles in order for the peace process to resume.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the campaign over the past three months to reduce sickness amongst the employees of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.[HL7887]

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has reported a reduction in sickness absence rates from 7.25 per cent in June 2006 to 4.24 per cent in September 2006. Reduction in sick absence rates occurred within both the long-term and short-term sick absence monitoring categories as detailed in the following table.

The number of long-term absence cases has fallen from eight staff members in April to May 2006 to three members of staff at present. All staff have been made aware of the new absence triggers which prompt early consideration/action. These are being closely monitored and issued by the human resources department within the NITB.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any proposals to recognise the work of the voluntary ambulance services throughout the civil unrest in Northern Ireland.[HL7829]

No.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What files were lost by the Big Lottery Fund in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the fund; whether any work or projects will be delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.[HL7906]

The Big Lottery Fund lost 1,196 boxes of files in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent. Files held in archive were closed grant files, rejected application forms and audited finance documents with no ongoing business need. They were being stored in off-site archives for the Big Lottery Fund's retention periods. The only impact that has been identified is that they will be unable to respond to freedom of information requests for documents that were destroyed. The Big Lottery Fund believes that enough information is held electronically that the impact of the loss of these files will be minimal. There is no indication that any projects will be delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire as only closed or rejected grant files are stored offsite. It is estimated that no costs will be incurred.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What files were lost by the Medical Research Council in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London in July; what impact these losses will have on the council; whether any work or projects will be delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.[HL7908]

On 12 July 2006, a fire occurred at the Iron Mountain storage facility at Twelvetrees Crescent in London. The Medical Research Council (MRC) head office and a number of MRC units use Iron Mountain to store inactive files and material off-site. Twelvetrees Crescent is one of a number of Iron Mountain's storage facilities used by the MRC and only a fairly small proportion of the MRC's records were stored there.

The MRC lost records that had been created at its head office, the MRC prion unit, and the MRC national survey of health and development (NSHD). The head office records were a mixture of policy, administration, grant and transaction files. The records from the MRC prion unit contained the results of scientific research work conducted at a biological services facility that was closed down several years ago. The MRC NSHD material consisted of all the paper copies of information collected in 1989, paper copies from seven of the 13 data collections in the women's health study, and all the paper copies of data collected between birth (1946) and 1972 for 42 study members.

Some of the head office records were of relatively short-term significance: these would have been routinely destroyed in future by applying internal records management procedures. Others would have been kept for longer periods and their loss now is an inconvenience to the business: it will be necessary to reconstruct some information (such as formal correspondence trails for a number of patent files) from other sources. A smaller number of records were of archival value and would have been transferred to the National Archives.

The impact on the MRC prion unit of the loss of scientific research records is currently uncertain. Access has been lost to the MRC NSHD original questionnaires, although the primary data collected had been digitised. Consequently, new data cannot now be created from original sources and qualitative data cannot now be used.

No specific project has currently been delayed or abandoned. However, for the MRC NSHD, two existing projects may be restricted by the loss of original material.

MRC head office administrative costs have amounted to approximately £5,000, and the cost of reconstructing correspondence trails and other paperwork is estimated at a further several thousand pounds.

Neither the MRC prion unit or the NSHD have incurred direct financial costs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What files were lost by the Millennium Commission in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the commission; whether any work or projects will be affected, delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.[HL7950]

The Millennium Commission lost 509 of some 2,000 boxes of files at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent. The losses included documents that had been prepared for the National Archive and these have had to be reproduced, with associated additional staff costs. However, copies of all these documents exist in the commission's offices and this work is at hand.

The commission holds files in archives for three main purposes: to address statutory requirements for record retention; to address a potential business need related to the monitoring of lottery-funded assets and to reduce office costs by optimising storage. It is not possible to assess the impact of the loss of these records until a particular scenario arises which requires access to records that have been destroyed. Some of the records lost in the fire were scheduled for destruction at the end of the commission's life, currently expected before the end of 2006.

None of the commission's other work or construction projects has been affected or delayed by these losses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What files were lost by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the department; whether any work or projects will be affected, delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred.[HL7955]

The fire at Iron Mountain's “Cody 5” facility in east London had virtually no impact upon Defra's record. Only 12 files were destroyed, which were of a purely administrative nature, with little ongoing business value. No projects were cancelled or otherwise interrupted. The department has incurred no additional costs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 24 October (WA 231), whether they will now answer the original Question asked by the Lord Stoddart of Swindon (HL7569) concerning attendance of Ministers at the Bilderberg Conference in Ottawa between 8 and 11 June.[HL7949]

Details of any Cabinet Ministers attending the conference in an official capacity will be published in the annual list of Cabinet Ministers’ overseas travel for 2006-07, which will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. The overall cost of all ministerial travel during 2006-07 will be published at the same time. Information on other Ministers' travel is not collected centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many studies on the effects of organophosphates they are currently funding; and whether these studies have identified any aspects which require further investigation.[HL7979]

The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) currently has one research project looking into whether there is a link between exposure to pesticides residues including organophosphate residues in the diet and gastrointestinal effects in children (project PS2612).

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) currently has five projects concerning the effects of organophosphates:

1. A case-controlled study of neuropsychological and psychiatric functioning in sheep farmers exposed to organophosphates (projects VM2126 and VM02302).

2. A study of the effects of sheep dip pesticides on differentiating nerve cells (project VM02300).

3. An investigation of susceptibility to long-term genotoxic effects of organophosphate exposure. (Project VM02301).

4. A study of disabling neuro psychiatric disease in farmers exposed to organophosphates (project VM02115).

5. A review of organophosphate-related health complaints (project VM0299).

Full details of these projects are available for PSD Project PS2612 at www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/More.asp?I=PS2612&M=KWS&V=ps2612&SCOPE=0 and for VMD projects at www2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/Default.asp

The need for any further investigations will be reviewed in the light of the results from these various studies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to reduce the use of plastic bags by customers.[HL7768]

Defra provided funding for the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to carry out a pilot reusable bag campaign with retailers last autumn, aimed at reducing the consumption of plastic carrier bags by promoting the message of reuse to the public.

Following on from this, on 12 October, my honourable friend, the Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare, and Mr Ross Finnie, Minister for Environment and Rural Development at the Scottish Executive, met UK retailers and representatives from the devolved Administrations, to discuss a draft voluntary code of practice aimed at reducing the number of paper and plastic carrier bags distributed to consumers.

The Government and retailers have committed to work together to encourage the reuse and recycling of bags and agree targets for their reduction. It is hoped that as many retailers as possible will sign up to the code, and this will result in a significant change in consumer behaviour.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organisation's report Pneumonia: The Forgotten Killer of Children.[HL7684]

The UK welcomes this report which aims to raise awareness about childhood deaths caused by pneumonia and the actions required to prevent it.

Pneumonia causes almost 20 per cent of under-five mortality worldwide, which is more than 2 million child deaths each year. This is more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

Effective actions, such as awareness in recognising the signs of the disease and subsequent treatment with antibiotics to reduce these deaths are available but reach fewer than 20 per cent of children in need. Scaling-up treatment coverage is possible and at a relatively low cost.

Child health is a priority for the UK but maternal, newborn and child health are linked and must be addressed together. There is global consensus that improving women's health and status is essential to reducing child mortality. This link is key to the UK's strategy in health.

However, there is no one single “quick win” to making progress to achieving millennium development goal 4—reducing child mortality. Global efforts to prevent child deaths increasingly recognise the need for a fully functioning health service. A central requirement to this is a long-term and significantly increased financial commitment to countries to enable governments to address systemic challenges, including the human resource crisis, as well as providing drugs and vaccines.

In 2005 at Gleneagles, the G8 and other donors pledged historic increases in their aid budgets to provide an extra $50 billion a year by 2010 with half of this going to Africa. In May this year, African heads of state set out their own plans to tackle AIDS, TB and Malaria and to improve basic health services. They called for the support of the international community, including long-term funding commitments, to help them plan for the long term. The UK is working with other donors to make sure they get this support.

DfID's own recent White Paper recognises this and we are committed to providing 50 per cent of our direct support to developing countries’ plans to improve basic services: education, health—including HIV and AIDS—water and sanitation and social protection.

DfID is a major supporter of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) which seeks to ensure that all children are vaccinated. We are also promoting an advance market commitment (AMC) to develop a pneumococcal vaccine suitable for developing countries.

DfID also contributes to the core work of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) (£19 million) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) (£12.5 million).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they and HM Prison Service are taking to prevent the recall to prison of persons on licence, for technical breaches of conditions, failures of tagging equipment or administrative errors.[HL7842]

The period offenders spend on licence and subject to probation supervision is an integral part of their sentence. Conditions are placed on the offenders’ licence in order to assist the probation service in managing the risk they may present to the community. The expectation is that offenders will comply with all conditions. If they fail to do so, they will be liable to recall. There are no plans to remove this liability, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the sentence and for public confidence.

In the few cases where it comes to light that an offender has been recalled as a result of defective electronic monitoring equipment or for other erroneous reasons, immediate steps are taken to re-release the offender.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they and HM Prison Service are taking to prevent the imprisonment of women convicted of non-violent offences, especially those also suffering from addictions or mental illness.[HL7843]

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts. The Government have, however, developed the women's offending reduction programme, which was launched in 2004 and which focuses on improving community based services and interventions to ensure they are appropriate for women and to support greater use of community sentences for those who do not need to be held in custody. The drugs intervention programme and the Department of Health's women's mental health strategy support this work by ensuring that drug and mental health services in the community are appropriate and effective for women offenders.

We are also investing £9.15 million in two projects to demonstrate how an integrated multi-agency approach in the community can be more effective at tackling the multiple needs of women offenders and avoid the use of custody. Baroness Jean Corston’s review of women with particular vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system is due to report to Ministers in December and may suggest further action that could be taken to prevent women with vulnerabilities ending up in prison.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In each year since 1980, how many prisoners committed suicide while in prison in Northern Ireland.[HL7676]

The information is shown in the following table. Eight coroners' inquests have still to be held.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 25 October (WA 250) on support given to specialist advisers, whether there is any means of obtaining the information required which avoids having to ask a similar Question of each government department.[HL7978]

As I set out in my Answer of Monday 10 July (Official Report, col. WA 89) this is a matter for individual departments. The information is not held centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 20 April (WA 252), what progress has been made towards preparation of guidance on the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006.[HL7769]

The Home Office will produce guidance when the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 comes into force. This is expected to be in the new year. The guidance is being drafted and consultation will take place with a number of stakeholders before it is issued by Home Office circular.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their timetable for transposing and introducing the measures required by the battery recycling directive.[HL7857]

The Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2006/66/EC) was published in the official EU journal on 26 September 2006. Member states must bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the directive by 26 September 2008. Implementation in the UK will be led by the Department of Trade and Industry and Defra, which are working together on the necessary detailed plans.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which statutory agencies have postponed or reduced grant aid to rural areas during the current financial year as a result of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' cuts and the creation of Natural England; and how those farmers and others affected will be compensated.[HL7494]

Funding to rural areas is provided through a wide range of government funded schemes and services. The main schemes are the single farm payment scheme, administered by the Rural Payments Agency, and the England Rural Development Programme. Neither of these allocations was changed as part of the recent budget reallocation exercise.

Like all large organisations, Defra faces new financial pressures each year that require us to constantly review and adjust our spending plans. We conducted a rigorous review of financial allocations during the summer of 2006 which included detailed discussions with our agencies and other external bodies to agree where spending might best be reduced. This review was comprehensive in nature and has ensured that Defra's funding for the current year is placed where it can have the greatest impact. That review was conducted so as to avoid undue impact on the schemes and programmes Defra operates.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether guidance has been issued to teachers and other staff in state schools on the permissibility of covering their face when dealing with pupils or other persons in the school environment; and, if so, what are the circumstances in which it may be allowed.[HL7630]

The Department for Education and Skills has not issued any guidance on this matter. It is for the employer, as part of the terms and conditions of employment agreed with employees, to establish an appropriate dress code relevant to the individual setting taking into account the requirements of the post and equality and diversity matters.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Adonis on 19 October (WA 202), whether the specialist schools programme is open to (a) an existing maintained secondary school wishing to convert to become a grammar school or academic college; and (b) sponsors wishing to set up a new grammar school or academic college.[HL7920]

Legislation prevents schools introducing selection by academic ability. Therefore, there can be no new grammar schools. All new state-funded secondary schools should have or be aspiring to have specialist status.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many operating security companies remain outside the approved contractors scheme; and when the Security Industry Authority expects to clear the backlog of security officer licence applications.[HL7781]

As of 15 October 2006, there were 267 approved companies. As the approved contractor scheme is voluntary, there is no legal requirement for security companies to attain ACS status. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) estimates that 2,100 security companies may be eligible to apply for approved contractor status.

There is currently no backlog in placing applications onto the SIA licensing system. Correctly completed applications which are not subject to issues or inquiries about qualifications or criminality are normally processed in approximately six weeks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Security Industry Authority is operating within planned budgets; how much overspending occurred in 2005-06; and how much is the estimated overspend for 2006-07.[HL7782]

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is intended to be self-supporting through its fee income. The SIA's budget for 2005-06 was a planned surplus of £2.2 million. In the event there was a deficit of £3.1 million.

It is expected that SIA will have a deficit in 2006-07. The original budget estimate was for a net deficit of £4.54 million. The latest estimate is a deficit of £3.7 million. A summary of the results are shown in the table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Who were the parties to the St Andrews agreement of 13 October; and whether the oath for Executive Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly which pledges support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland is part of the agreement.[HL7742]

The St Andrews agreement is currently an agreement between the British and Irish Governments. We have asked the Northern Ireland parties to consult internally and to respond by 10 November as to whether they will endorse the terms of the agreement.

Paragraph 8 of Annexe A to the agreement deals with potential amendments to the pledge of office and makes it clear that,

“before the Government legislates on the pledge of office it will consider the outcome of further Preparation for Government Committee discussions on policing and the rule of law”.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their current estimate of the total number of fatalities and the number of displaced people in Darfur; and what is their assessment of any progress towards ending the conflict.[HL7539]

No reliable figures exist for the total number of persons killed across Darfur since the conflict began and estimates vary widely.

But every death, casualty or rape in Sudan is a tragedy. That is why we are pressing the Government of Sudan and the rebel groups to stop the fighting; to agree to the deployment of a UN force in Darfur; to co-operate in bolstering the AU in the interim; to commit to and implement the Darfur peace agreement; and to ensure full humanitarian access for the UN and NGOs in Darfur.

The security situation in Darfur remains critical. The Prime Minister is working to take forward a broad international initiative to press all sides to stop the fighting, secure transition from the current African Union (AU) force to a United Nations one, bolster the AU in the interim, reinvigorate the political process and ensure full humanitarian access for the UN and non-government organisations in the region. Ending the conflict is dependent on progress being made on these actions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the level of fixed penalty notices issued under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for infringements of weight restriction orders was last reviewed; and [HL7865]

Whether the present level of fixed penalty notices for breaching weight restriction orders is proportionate to the financial advantage gained by those infringing them; and [HL7866]

Whether they have any plans to increase the amount of the penalty for infringing weight restriction orders.[HL7867]

We have no current plans to increase the fixed penalty level for contravening a weight restriction imposed by a local traffic regulation order under the relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. However, the penalty levels associated with all fixed penalty offences are kept under continual review by the fixed penalty procedures working group, with representatives from relevant government departments and criminal justice agencies. Where a driver is detected committing a fixed penalty offence the police will be guided by the principles of proportionality in applying the law. There is no automatic penalty for contravening a weight restriction imposed by a local traffic regulation order. Where an offending driver is detected the police will decide what action to take in the particular case. At present, offending drivers detected by the police can be dealt with by way of fixed penalty if the police offer that option. This gives offenders the chance to discharge their liability to be convicted by the payment of £30. The police have the discretion not to offer a fixed penalty, for example, if they regard the offence committed as too serious. In that event they report the case for prosecution in the courts. The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of up to £1,000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will introduce de minimis levels of compliance with the waste disposal directive to prevent the criminalisation of domestic burning of plastic waste such as window envelopes.[HL7785]

The Government have no plans to set de minimis levels of compliance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they have delayed consideration of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 by a Grand Committee; and when it will be debated.[HL7774]

The timetable for the passage of the Water and Sewerage Services (NI) Order 2006 has been adjusted to allow the judicial review brought by the Consumer Council to be concluded before the parliamentary debates. These debates are now expected to take place after 15 November 2006.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the certified normal accommodation and operational capacity of A wing at HM Young Offender Institution Stoke Heath; and [HL7859]

How many people were being held on A wing at HM Young Offender Institution Stoke Heath at the time of the incident there on 2 October; and how many of these were juveniles; and [HL7860]

Whether HM Prison Service deployed tornado teams to HM Young Offender Institution Stoke Heath in the course of the incident on 2 October; if so, how many teams were deployed; and from what other institutions; and [HL7861]

Whether the incident on 2 October at HM Young Offender Institution Stoke Heath came to an end as a result of negotiation or by intervention; and whether any force was used by staff in bringing the incident to an end; and [HL7862]

Whether any young offenders or staff were injured at HM Young Offender Institution Stoke Heath during the incident on 2 October or in the course of its conclusion; and, if so, what was the extent of their injuries.[HL7895]

The certified normal accommodation and operational capacity on Stoke Heath young offender institution’s alpha wing was 72 up until 1 October when an incident temporarily put it out of use. Seventy-two people were being held on the wing, all of whom were juveniles.

Six tornado teams were deployed from other establishments: two from Birmingham and one each from Stoke Heath, Shrewsbury, Brinsford and Featherstone. Negotiators successfully brought the incident to an end with only six young trainees needing to be restrained.