asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list those organisations regularly funded by Arts Council England that were informed in December 2007 that, subject to an appeal process, their funding would either be completely removed or reduced by over 30 per cent from April. [HL1226]

The Arts Council operates at arm’s length from the Government and decisions about which arts organisations to fund are entirely for it. It has said the following in response to requests to see the names of the organisations listed in its proposals:

“Our proposals for non-renewal of funding cannot be made available until our National and Regional Councils make final decisions.. This information is considered confidential and commercially sensitive during the response period. This is especially so in the case of a recommendation that might be overturned by the National Council or a Regional Council. Regularly funded organisations who have a right to respond to our recommendation, should be able to do so freely without fear that our intention to reduce or stop their funding is potentially unnecessarily, and without their consent, released into the public domain. A full announcement will be made at the beginning of February.”

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What safeguards are in place to ensure that claimants whose only income is from a contribution-based employment and support allowance (ESA) are not disadvantaged compared to those on income-based ESA as they will not be entitled to local authority concessionary schemes and the Social Fund, and will need to make separate claims for help with prescription charges and legal aid; and [HL1344]

What steps they have taken to ensure that people whose only income is contribution-based employment and support allowance are not excluded from local authority concessionary schemes. [HL1460]

The Welfare Reform Act 2007 provides that people on income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) will have access to all of the income-related passported benefits that those who currently qualify for income support do. Customers whose only income is contributory ESA will also be able to apply separately for passported benefits. This includes local authority concession schemes, although the eligibility criteria for these schemes remains a matter for the local authorities concerned.

Currently people in receipt of incapacity benefit have to make a separate claim for help with prescription charges from the low income scheme. We are working with colleagues in the Department of Health to make access to its low income scheme easier for those who are not eligible for automatic passporting. This includes the potential for simplifying the claim form and making the process less complex.

We are also considering options for those elements of the Social Fund which are unavailable to those customers not in receipt of qualifying benefits.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made through the United Kingdom-China and European Union-China human rights dialogues; how many further dialogues there will be before the Beijing Olympic Games; and whether they will press for Chinese journalists to enjoy the same freedoms as foreign journalists covering the Games. [HL1345]

We believe that the UK and EU-China human rights dialogues contribute to incremental progress in human rights in China. They continue to provide a direct channel of communication with the Chinese Government, allowing us to discuss difficult and complex issues in detail. The next round of the UK's dialogue will take place on 28 to 31 January. The EU will hold its next round in May. We and our EU partners regularly urge China to extend media freedom to its domestic journalists, both up to and beyond the Olympics, and will do so again at the forthcoming dialogues.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the issues of re-education through labour and other forms of detention without trial have been raised in their human rights dialogue with China; and if so, with what results. [HL1346]

We take every appropriate opportunity to raise our concerns about re-education through labour (RTL), along with other forms of administrative detention with the Chinese Government. We did this at the last round of the UK-China human rights dialogue in February 2007. More recently, the Director of Public Prosecutions discussed RTL with his Chinese counterparts during his visit to China in September 2007. The Chinese Government have informed us of planned reforms to RTL, but progress remains slow. We continue to urge China to implement these reforms as soon as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress, if any, there has been concerning (a) internet control; (b) freedom of action for lawyers and defence counsel; (c) reform of the death penalty; and (d) religious toleration and freedom of worship, through their human rights dialogue with China. [HL1347]

We regularly discuss in detail each of the issues raised by the noble Lord at the UK-China human rights dialogue. These exchanges form part of our wider engagement with the Chinese Government on human rights. We take a multi-layered approach to working with China to achieve improvements on these issues, including high-level messaging to encourage progress at the top and project work to deliver more immediate results on the ground.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will announce the results of the consultation on coastal access. [HL1339]

A summary of responses to the consultation on Proposals to Improve Access to the English Coast has been published and is available on the Defra website. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the Government have announced their intention to introduce new legislation so that the public will have the right to walk around the English coast for the first time. We are now developing the detail of the legislation and will be seeking to identify an appropriate opportunity to bring forward coastal access legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many 16 to 18 year-olds are not in education, training or employment in each of the 10 districts of Greater Manchester. [HL1283]

The table below sets out the number and proportion of 16 to 18 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in each of the 10 districts of Greater Manchester at the end of 2006. This information was provided by the Connexions Service.

Connexions data are different from the estimates of the number of 16 to 18 year-olds NEET in England published annually by the department. These estimates cannot be disaggregated to regional or local level so Connexions data are used instead to measure NEET by local authority.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have reviewed the working and efficiency of the Electoral Commission; when they intend to carry out a further such review; and whether the impact on smaller parties of the exercise of the commission's powers will be considered in that review. [HL1202]

The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) conducted an extensive review of the Electoral Commission in 2006 and took evidence from key stakeholders. The CSPL’s report, published in January 2007, made several recommendations for improvements to the commission's mandate, governance and accountability. Both the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee report on party funding, published in December 2006, and Sir Hayden Phillips’s March 2007 report on the funding of political parties shared much of the CSPL’s analysis.

The Government have not reviewed the working and efficiency of the Electoral Commission and have no plans to do so. However, the Government’s response to the CSPL report was published on 20 November and supports the majority of the CSPL's recommendations. The Government’s response can be accessed at: www.justice.gov.uk/publications/gov-resp-review-elec-comm.htm

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 14 May 2007 (WA 3–4) regarding prohibitions against culturing embryos for more than 14 days in vitro, why the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is currently considering whether the culture of whole embryos to form outgrowths complies with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. [HL1151]

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised the department that the issue of culturing whole embryos to form outgrowths was first raised at a meeting of a licence committee in 2006, following consideration of a licensed research centre inspection report.

This issue was considered by the HFEA's scientific and clinical advances group. The members agreed that the outgrowth could not be considered to be a live human embryo, as it would not be able to develop if placed in a woman. As such, it would not be subject to the prohibitions in Section 3 of the Act.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have considered the lawfulness of Newcastle's Fertility Centre offer of in vitro fertilisation treatment at a reduced cost in return for donating some eggs for research; and what role Government played in the North East England Stem Cell Institute receiving final approval and funding for the scheme known as egg sharing. [HL1207]

Egg sharing arrangements are permitted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which carried out a public consultation about egg donation for research in 2006. The authority’s decision was that donation to research, including egg sharing arrangements, was appropriate provided that safeguards are in place to ensure the safety of women wishing to donate. The research project on the derivation of human embryonic stem cell lines using nuclear transfer and parthenogenically activated oocytes is licensed by the HFEA and the recompense for egg sharing is funded by the Medical Research Council. The Government played no role in the award of the research licence or funding for the North East England Stem Cell Institute.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information is held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority regarding the extent to which the centre described in a recent paper (Human Fertility, Volume 10, Issue 3: pages 183–7) had fully complied with either (a) Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Green-top Guideline No 5 regarding the reporting of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), or (b) RCOG Guidelines on the Management of Infertility in Tertiary Care (classification of OHSS) since 1999; and [HL1319]

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 7 January (WA 151) regarding how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is discharging its duties, how the HFEA has accounted for alleged discrepancies in the numbers of eggs used for research, given that a letter from the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on 13 December 2007 states that the trust cannot comment on such information forwarded by the HFEA, and in light of a newspaper report on 8 January stating that the person responsible “was unwilling to reveal the number of eggs that have been taken to date”. [HL1320]

All centres licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to carry out research have to submit six monthly and annual reports to the authority. These contain information on the number of embryos created and/or used in research during that time period. This information is subsequently checked during the annual inspection. In the case of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the HFEA has informed me that it has found no differences in the numbers reported and the information obtained during inspection.

The HFEA has also informed me that it holds no information on compliance with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidelines by the centre described, but not named, in Human Fertility (Volume 10, Issue 3: pages 183-7).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What administration costs were incurred by the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to the European structural and cohesion funds for the last financial year for which figures are available. [HL1382]

In 2006-07, administration costs of £2.2 million were incurred by the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to the European structural and cohesion funds.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 18 December (WA 119–121) concerning the public engagements of the Secretary of State for Scotland, why they provided information on the public engagements of the Secretary of State for Defence and those of the Minister of State for Scotland. [HL1180]

As the defence and Scotland diaries and public engagements of my right honourable friend are closely co-ordinated, it was considered appropriate to cover both portfolios in the response.

Turning to the public engagements of my honourable friend the Minister of State for Scotland, the noble Lord may recall that he requested this information in his original Question HL642.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord McKenzie of Luton on 7 January (HL950), why the reply given did not state in what proportions the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Wales, Mr Peter Hain, MP, has divided his time between those two offices. [HL1181]

My right honourable friend often deals with business from both departments regardless of where he is physically located at the time. It is therefore not possible accurately to determine the proportion of time he has devoted to his duties as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and as Secretary of State for Wales by analysis of his diaries. Therefore the information requested is not available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their plan to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy; and who are the key stakeholders in the plan's development and implementation. [HL1233]

There is no overarching plan for reducing the risk of cerebral palsy. While improvements in the management of pregnancy and childbirth have reduced the incidence of cerebral palsy in babies born after 37 weeks’ gestation, this is offset to some extent by increases in the survival rates of babies of very low gestational ages, for whom the risk of developing cerebral palsy is greater.

In addition, the Medical Research Council is funding the national perinatal epidemiology unit (NPEU) to conduct an 18-month trial, known as the TOBY trial, to look at the possibility of preventing cerebral palsy by cooling the bodies of some babies in a high-risk group. The trial will be finished in mid-2008 and NPEU is expecting to publish a report at the end of 2008.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 18 December 2007 (WA 123–5), why it took until that date to reply to a Question due for answer on 20 November; on what date the Department of Health's head of blood policy first saw the letter sent by the department which was drafted “using information supplied by [its] blood policy team” to Mrs Harriet Bullock of Southwold, Suffolk, the widow of a haemophilia patient infected with contaminated NHS blood products; on what date or dates the 11 other correspondents who had written to the department received the same impression as Mrs Bullock; and who, with what consequences, has been held responsible, in the words of the department's letter of apology to Mrs Bullock, for “the unfortunate wording of the previous letter” to her. [HL1323]

My earlier reply could not be made sooner than 18 December. I cannot add much to my earlier replies of 23 October and 18 December on this subject. However, I can confirm that Mrs Bullock's letter of 22 August, when received on 24 August, was treated as a Freedom of Information request and allocated to the Freedom of Information team for reply. Mrs Bullock's letter was copied to the head of the blood policy team on 29 August. The replies to 11 other correspondents using similar wording were sent on 16 August, 20 August, 21 August, 23 August (5 replies), 24 August and 30 August (2 replies). All have received a further reply clarifying our position.

I can assure the noble Lord that no criticism of Lord Archer was ever intended in any departmental correspondence. This has been made clear to Lord Archer and to all those who received similar letters on this subject.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the effectiveness of using hydroxyl radical generators which reproduce the disinfecting qualities of open air in railway carriages, buses, and other crowded places in reducing the spread of diseases in the event of a flu pandemic. [HL1039]

The Rapid Review Panel (RRP), convened by the Health Protection Agency at the request of the department, has evaluated some systems that generate hydroxyl radicals for air and surface decontamination purposes. Two of these products have demonstrated significant promise for outbreak situations to decontaminate wards which have been emptied of all staff/patients. Since the initial recommendation the department has held discussions with the two companies involved regarding improvements which have been made to their product since the initial RRP review. As a result, one of the products has been used within the National Health Service, and the department is pursuing discussions regarding the products uptake in the NHS.

This conclusion of usefulness for decontaminating wards could potentially be transferable to the decontamination of other enclosed spaces such as railway carriages and so on, which can be emptied of people and sealed during the decontamination process. Safety concerns surrounding the hydroxyl radicals mean that the systems are not deemed appropriate for use while members of the public are actually located in the spaces to be decontaminated. However, despite the in vitro data on flu viruses, data demonstrating a reduction in influenza transmission are lacking.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will update the 2003 HM Treasury publication Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action with an analysis of the progress made to date. [HL1357]

The department published the first ever national cross-government strategy on health inequalities in England, Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action in 2003. This strategy laid the foundation for meeting the 2010 national health inequalities target on infant mortality and life expectancy and achieving a long-term sustainable reduction in health inequalities.

The Secretary of State set out his intention to launch a new comprehensive strategy for reducing health inequalities in Our NHS, Our Future: NHS Next Stage Review Interim Report in October 2007. This strategy will succeed the programme for action. A review to develop this strategy is in hand and will report this year.

Regular status reports are published against the programme for action covering the national health inequalities target and a range of cross-government headline indicators. The most recent published report is Tackling Health Inequalities: Status Report on the Programme for Action—2006 Update of Headline Indicators. A copy has been placed in the Library. The next report for 2007 will also include a breakdown of progress against the 82 departmental commitments included in the programme for action. It is due out later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to eliminate mixed-sex wards, other than in intensive care units, in NHS hospitals, bearing in mind the Prime Minister's aspiration that the National Health Service meets the demands and needs of the individual. [HL1403]

Guidance issued to the National Health Service requires the provision of single sex accommodation, not wards, which can take a number of forms. NHS trusts may provide single rooms, single sex bays within a mixed ward, single-sex wards or combinations of these types. We do not collect information on the number of trusts which have mixed-sex wards per se.

There will always be occasions when the need to treat and admit takes priority over complete segregation. Hospitals will not turn patients away just because the right sex bed is not immediately available.

Single-sex accommodation should be the norm for elective care, and remains the ideal for all admissions. We have made this clear in this year's operating framework, which charges primary care trusts with setting and publishing stretching local plans for improvement in this area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the proposed policy of Northumberland Care Trust of funding cuts of up to 25 per cent for rural general practitioners is in line with any national guidance or criteria for care at home; and [HL1172]

What effect the proposed policy of Northumberland Care Trust of disbanding and relocating rural primary healthcare teams will have on healthcare provision in rural areas; and whether the care trust's policy is in line with national guidance or criteria; and [HL1173]

What powers of review can be exercised by the Department of Health concerning proposed budgetary cuts by the Northumberland Care Trust. [HL1174]

It is appropriate that the Northumberland Care Trust reviews its personal medical services (PMS) contracts to ensure value for money. All primary care organisations in the north-east are looking to ensure that contracts deliver value.

The proposals that have been brought forward by the Northumberland Care Trust are not about closing individual practices. The aim of these proposals is to ensure the continuity of the existing general practitioner (GP) services and subject to agreement being reached this will set a good foundation for the further development of primary care services for the benefit of patients across Northumberland.

PMS contracts, including the terms of these contracts, are negotiated locally between primary care trusts and GP practices. It would not be appropriate for the department to become involved in these local negotiations. However, if a practice is unhappy with any of the proposed terms of the contract that is being offered to it, it can raise this through the contractual dispute resolution processes that are set out in legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will publish the new obesity delivery strategy; and [HL1396]

Whether they will publish further consultations on their obesity strategies; and what funds they have earmarked at a national level to tackle obesity; and [HL1398]

What action they plan to take to reduce the number of obese and overweight adults in the United Kingdom, and to reduce the number of obese and overweight children to 2000 levels by 2020. [HL1399]

Action to tackle obesity in both adults and children, and to meet the long-term ambition to reduce the proportion of obese and overweight children to 2000 levels by 2020, will be taken forward though the new cross-government obesity strategy, building on the evidence in the Foresight report, Tackling Obesity: Future Choices. The strategy will be published on 23 January 2008 and outlines resources commitments to implement the proposed actions. Many of the areas of action in the strategy cannot be tackled successfully by the Government alone. Therefore, the Government will support ongoing debate on action that everyone in society must take if we are to achieve the new ambition.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they have taken to encourage the development of more evidence-based interventions to treat obesity. [HL1397]

Guidelines for local areas on effective treatment interventions for obese and overweight adults and children have previously been set out by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The Government are publishing an obesity strategy on 23 January 2008 which includes specific steps further to encourage the development and provision of more evidence-based interventions and to build this evidence base further.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the percentage of children with sickle cell disease receiving regular transcranial doppler scans to assess the risk of stroke; and [HL944]

What progress they have made towards implementing the Standards and Guidelines for Clinical Care in respect of Sickle Cell Disease in Childhood, published in October 2006. [HL947]

Since the publication of Sickle Cell Disease in Childhood: Standards and Guidelines for Clinical Care, the department has been working with a range of key stakeholders to develop a model of 10 proposed managed clinical networks to ensure that the potential benefits of the antenatal and neonatal screening programme are achieved. The clinical network will build on existing expertise to allow access to comprehensive care to be available across the country.

A working group has been established to oversee the rollout of the managed clinical network, and a number of centres have been identified which will be part of the managed clinical network.

In addition, there are a number of recent initiatives underway to increase services for sickle cell and thalassaemia. These include:

funding of training posts for registrars, nurse consultants and clinical scientists to increase the number of staff with specific haemoglobinopathy expertise;

recognition by the royal colleges of the need to increase training in haemoglobinophies including changes to examinations and syllabus; and

funding for a database has been provided to track patients and the care they require.

Information on the percentage of children receiving regular transcranial doppler scans is not collected centrally.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

What progress has been made on plans to use biofuels as part of the energy mix to heat the House of Lords' portion of the parliamentary estate. [HL1412]

There are currently no plans in place to use biofuels as part of the energy mix to heat the House of Lords’ portion of the parliamentary estate. The boilers that generate heating to the buildings consume natural gas and there are presently no alternative piped supplies. It is theoretically possible to generate methane gas onsite by passing organic waste through an anaerobic digester but this has been determined as impracticable for the parliamentary estate, mainly because of the small quantity of organic waste arising from the kitchens and the lack of space to locate a digester. For future boiler replacement, biomass systems will be considered as part of a range of sustainable options.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

Whether the option of employing heat pump technology, using the River Thames, has been investigated for a potential contribution to the heating system of the House of Lords' portion of the parliamentary estate. [HL1413]

Recent studies considering all sustainability options for the building services of the palace discounted the option of using heat pump technology from the River Thames for the primary heating to the palace. This was principally because the means of distributing the heat around the palace is by steam, which would be very difficult and disproportionately uneconomic to generate using heat pump technology.

When there is a need for a major overhaul of the heating and cooling infrastructure of specific buildings on the parliamentary estate, it is intended to investigate the potential viability of utilising any of the available forms of sustainable energy technologies, and the option of employing heat pump technology is one that would be included in the study.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they last made representations to the Government of Libya concerning internal human rights issues and what was the response; and whether in particular they have, or will, raise the cases of Mr Fathi Elgahoni, detained since 2004, and those of three opposition members who have disappeared in the past 18 months. [HL1280]

We continue to have concerns about the human rights situation in Libya, including the cases to which the noble Lord refers. We monitor the situation closely. With our EU partners we raise these concerns with the Libyan authorities when we judge it would be effective to do so. The UK last formally raised human rights issues with Libya on a bilateral basis in August 2007.

We will continue to work with the Libyan authorities to encourage them to move towards internationally accepted standards.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why they have ceased publication of the London Diplomatic List. [HL1332]

The 2008 edition of the London Diplomatic List was published earlier this month and can be purchased from The Stationery Office. An on-line version of the document is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk where it is updated regularly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What inquiries they have made into the reported expenses and abuse of public funds by members of the NHS Improvement Foundation; and [HL1269]

What assessment they have made of the value of the NHS Improvement Foundation in relation to its costs and benefits; and [HL1270]

Whether the accounts of the NHS Improvement Foundation are subject to examination by the National Audit Office; and, if so, whether they have been examined and approved. [HL1271]

Department officials have contacted the Improvement Foundation and received detailed written assurances from its chief executive that National Health Service money had not been used to fund the reported activities.

The Improvement Foundation is a not-for-profit limited company whose accounts are not subject to examination by the National Audit Office. Its accounts are audited internally by the West Yorkshire Internal Audit consortium and externally by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Based on results from its quality improvement programmes, the Improvement Foundation estimates a return on investment to the NHS of £3 savings for every £1 invested.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much was spent in the past five financial years on encouraging the general public to donate an organ after death. [HL1049]

The responsibility for publicising and promoting the organ donor register (ODR) lies with NHS Blood and Transplant. The budget allocation set aside for this purpose over the past five years, along with the number of individuals registered on the ODR, is set out in the following table:

The budget for the current financial year is £1.873 million. This includes a one-off funding allocation of £1 million. The current number of people on the ODR stands at 14.9 million.

In addition, the department has provided Section 64 funding of £110,000 in 2004-05, £127,910 in 2005-06, £118,500 in 2006-07 and £169,800 in 2007-08 to a number of voluntary organisations that aim to increase awareness of organ donation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Plant Health (Forestry) (Phytophthora ramorum) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Order 2007 (SI 2007/3450) has been brought into force.[HL1468]

I can confirm that the Plant Health (Forestry) (Phytophthora ramorum) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Order 2007 came into force on 31 December 2007.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What legislation is in place for the financing of political parties; and how this money is divided between the political parties. [HL1193]

The majority of funding received by political parties comes from private rather than public sources.

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 established the Policy Development Grants Scheme, whereby up to £2 million is divided among political parties with two or more sitting MPs. The Electoral Commission drew up a scheme to allocate the money, which was approved by Parliament (Elections (Policy Development Grants Scheme) Order 2002, later superseded by the Elections (Policy Development Grants Scheme) Order 2006). The scheme allocates an equal share of £1 million of the money to the eligible parties. The other £1 million is allocated depending on share of the vote at devolved elections, European Parliament elections and UK Parliament elections, weighted by turnout, and with equal amounts being allocated to all parties contesting the same elections. The amounts allocated to the political parties in 2007-08 are shown in Table A.

In addition, funds are provided on a non-statutory basis. Cranborne money provides financial assistance to opposition groups and the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers in the House of Lords. Short money is provided to opposition parties with two or more MPs or one MP and more than 150,000 votes at the previous general election.

There has been a significant increase in the level of both Cranborne and Short money over the past decade. Cranborne money has increased from a total of £138,048 in 1998-99 to £726,988 in 2007-08.

Short money has increased from a total of £1,696,131.12 in 1998-99 to £6,618,981.53 in 2007-08. Figures for Cranborne and Short money in 2007-08 are shown in Tables B and C.

The Representation of the People Act 1983 entitles parties to free party political broadcasts, and candidates to free delivery of one election address and free use of public meeting rooms at certain elections.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any proposals for a visit by Her Majesty the Queen to the Republic of Ireland during 2008. [HL1372]

For security reasons, royal visits overseas are not announced until weeks before a visit takes place.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to encourage a peace agreement in Somalia. [HL1354]

The Government are working closely with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to encourage and support them in reaching out to all groups that reject violence and to pursue increased inclusiveness in government and a process of national reconciliation. We are pleased to see that the new Somali Prime Minister and Cabinet are currently initiating these processes.

The Government are also working closely with European Union partners and the United Nations, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the Secretariat to support international efforts to bring lasting peace to Somalia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 20 January 2004 (WA 135), whether they will update the table in that Answer with further columns to show new cases of sudden oak death virus since then. [HL1337]

The number of outbreaks of Phytophthora ramorum in England and Wales as of May 2007 and in Scotland to December 2007 are detailed below. More up to date information for England and Wales is being collated and will be provided when available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to contain and eradicate sudden oak death virus (Phytopthora ramorum) following the report from the Central Science Laboratory on the epidemiology of natural outbreaks of Phytopthora ramorum; and what advice they are issuing to land owners and occupiers on this matter. [HL1338]

Defra, the Forestry Commission, the Scottish Government and the National Assembly for Wales are engaged in a joint programme to track down outbreaks of the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, with containment and eradication action taken against all findings to prevent further spread.

The recently published report of a study by the Central Science Laboratory of the occurrence, distribution and control of the disease found that the current strategy of early removal of infected plants and surface leaf litter was proving successful in reducing infection and minimising further disease spread.

Ongoing monitoring of infected sites will continue to assess the outbreak situations and provide further epidemiological information for the development of strategies for the eradication and containment of P. ramorum.

We are continuing to involve and keep stakeholders informed of the action we are taking against P. ramorum. Guidance material on how to minimise the risk of introducing the disease and action to be taken in the event of an outbreak is available on the Defra and Forestry Commission websites.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are making any representations to the Government of Turkey over calls to reopen the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary on the island of Heybeli near Istanbul. [HL1253]

The issue of the Greek Orthodox Halki seminary is routinely raised by the European Union as part of the political dialogue with Turkey, and highlighted in the European Commission’s annual progress report on Turkey’s accession (http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2007/nov/turkey_progress_reports_en.pdf). Furthermore, we raise this issue during bilateral discussions on freedom of religion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make representations to the Government of Turkey concerning the welfare and safety of Orhan Ant, a Protestant missionary in Samsun on the Black Sea, who has reportedly received death threats because of his work. [HL1251]

We remain concerned about the safety of Christian priests and missionaries following a number of attacks during 2007. But the Turkish Government are providing and devoting a significant amount of additional police resources to provide protection to officially recognised Christian minorities and to other Christian groups.

There are currently no plans to make representations to the Turkish Government on the individual case of Orhan Ant. We are not aware of any direct request for UK assistance on this case and we have had no contact that would enable us to comment on his specific circumstances.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they support the Ankara-based Human Rights Association of Turkey. [HL1252]

Officials from our embassy in Ankara regularly meet members of the Human Rights Association at its headquarters in Ankara and at provincial level. The Government support the development of strong civil society organisations in Turkey, particularly in the field of human rights.