asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the first report of the Independent Monitoring Board on the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport; and whether reports have yet been published by the independent boards for the detention and removal centres. [HL3109]

We welcome the first report of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) on the short-term holding facilities at Heathrow Airport and will provide a response to the chair in relation to its concerns by 12 May 2008.

The only other report to have been published so far has been that by the IMB at Dover Immigration Removal Centre.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many apprenticeships were awarded under apprenticeship schemes in Wales, Scotland and England in 2004–06; 2005–06; and 2006–07. [HL3228]

The number of people starting an apprenticeship in England in each of the three academic years for which information is available is provided in the following table. Apprenticeships policy is a devolved matter and arrangements in Wales and Scotland are matters for their devolved Administrations.

Notes:

^(a) Figures shown are for Academic Years

^(b) Figures for 2006-07 are provisional as providers are still making late returns, Therefore starts and completions figures may be revised upwards

^(c) Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000

Source: LSC Individualised Learner Record

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many apprenticeships were awarded to females in 2004–05 and 2005–06. [HL3229]

The number of females starting an apprenticeship in England in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 academic years is provided in the following table. Apprenticeships policy is a devolved matter and arrangements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for their devolved Administrations.

Notes:

^(a) Figures shown are for academic years

^(b) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100

Source: LSC Individualised Learner Record

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many apprenticeships were awarded in 2004–05 in each of the United Kingdom's principal industries. [HL3230]

The number of people starting an apprenticeship in England in the 2004-05 academic year by skills sector is provided in the following table. Apprenticeships policy is a devolved matter and arrangements in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for their devolved Administrations.

Notes:

(a) Figures are for the Academic Year

Source: LSC Individualised Learner Record

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether claimants of employment and support allowance who have sufficient national insurance contributions to receive the benefit, or who have been disabled since childhood, will receive the enhanced disability premium automatically, or whether they will need to apply separately for it; and [HL3135]

Whether claimants of employment and support allowance who receive the benefit on income grounds will receive the enhanced disability premium automatically, or whether they will need to apply separately for it. [HL3136]

People who are entitled to contributory employment and support allowance who are placed in the support group will have the enhanced disability premium added to the applicable amount of income-related employment and support allowance automatically. Claimants entitled to income-related employment support allowance who are placed in the support group will automatically become entitled to the enhanced disability premium. Neither will have to make a separate claim.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be the basic weekly rate of employment and support allowance paid to (a) claimants of income-based employment and support allowance and (b) claimants of contribution-based employment and support allowance with no other income and limited savings; and what other benefits and exemptions from charging will be automatically awarded to claimants in each of these two groups. [HL3138]

The basic rate of employment and support allowance will be £84.50 a week for those entitled to the work-related activity component and £89.50 for those entitled to the support component. The rates are the same for people on income-related and contribution-based benefits.

Claimants entitled to income-related employment and support allowance will be automatically passported to the usual range of benefits, as is the case with those currently in receipt of income support, such as NHS prescription charges. People on contribution-based employment and support allowance with no other income and limited savings will have to apply separately as is the case currently for those not on income-related benefits. However, provided that they have no other income or capital, a person in this situation would be entitled to full housing benefit and council tax benefit.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 25 March (WA 97) concerning the use of words which are related to Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, when is a public consultation judged to be “appropriate”; by whom; and how the judgment is made. [HL2943]

Decisions on public consultations are made in line with Cabinet Office guidance. A copy of the Code of Practice on Consultation has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people in the United Kingdom are affected by fuel poverty; and what initiatives are proposed to enable vulnerable households to meet the cost of gas and electricity bills. [HL3163]

The latest official figures are for 2005 and show that across the UK approximately 2.5 million households were in fuel poverty, of which 2 million were vulnerable households.

In Budget 2008, the Government said they would like to see the amount energy suppliers spend on social programmes increase to at least £150 million a year over the period ahead. A new voluntary agreement has recently been signed individually with the six major energy suppliers to treble their individual investment on social programmes in the next three years, reaching £150 million by 2010-11. This will take spend to £100 million in 2008-09, £125 million in 2009-10 and £150 million in 2010-11.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many United Kingdom scientific or other personnel will be directly involved in assisting the launch of the European Space Agency's satellite for the Earth Explorer Gravity field and Ocean Circulation mission. [HL3153]

While there is both UK scientific and industrial involvement in the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite, the Government are not aware of any UK-based personnel from UK-based organisations directly involved in assisting the forthcoming launch, now postponed until later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information they have received from the authorities in Spain about the extradition of Mr Farid Hilali in February; in particular, whether he has been or will be charged with an offence; and whether any proceedings in Spain will conform with the ruling of the House of Lords in his case. [HL3106]

Mr Hilali, a Moroccan national, was extradited to Spain on 8 February, under the European arrest warrant (EAW) procedure. He was extradited in relation to charges of conspiracy to commit murder of persons in the US and of destroying, damaging or endangering the safety of aircraft—contrary to Section 2 of the Aviation Security Act 1982.

Once a person has been surrendered to another member state, their case is deemed to have been concluded as far as the UK is concerned. There is no obligation on the requesting member state to keep the UK informed of progress of proceedings against the surrendered person, just as there is no obligation on the UK to inform other member states of developments in proceedings against people surrendered to this country.

I understand the Spanish authorities are fully aware of the House of Lords' judgment and have confirmed that they are proceeding against Mr Hilali in strict conformity with it.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they made to members of the European Parliament during the passage of Directive 2005/36/EC, as implemented by the Farriers' Qualification (European Recognition) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/646); and how they voted in the Council of Ministers on this directive. [HL3244]

In July 2002, at the start of the negotiation process, a formal written brief about the draft directive was circulated to UK members of the European Parliament. During the negotiation period individual meetings were held with some members to discuss the draft directive's provisions; no concerns were raised about farriery. At the start of the European Parliament's second reading a further formal written brief was circulated in January 2005. In councils, the UK was supportive of the need to improve the recognition system and a more liberalised regime; and the UK supported the agreement in the Council of Ministers.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

Further to his Written Answer of 22 April (WA 284), whether the Refreshment Department has a policy of sourcing ingredients from within the United Kingdom; and what priority when purchasing food is given to (a) supporting British agriculture; (b) animal welfare; and (c) food miles. [HL3214]

The Refreshment Department has a policy of sourcing food ingredients where possible from within the United Kingdom. During the tender process for food supplies, suppliers are asked where possible that products are sourced from the United Kingdom. In the case of purchase of meat, game and poultry, animal welfare and food miles are taken into consideration during the pre-tender process.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

Further to his Written Answer of 22 April (WA 284), what price is paid by the House of Lords Refreshment Department for English back bacon; what price is paid for its Dutch equivalent; and what is the price of a bacon sandwich, or other comparable bacon product, in each of the department's outlets. [HL3213]

The price of Dutch rindless green back bacon is £4.35 per kilo and English rindless back bacon is £7.33 per kilo. The price of a bacon sandwich served in the River Restaurant is £1.50. The other outlets do not serve an equivalent product.

asked the Chairman of Committees:

Further to his Written Answers of 3 and 22 April (WA 188 and WA 284), whether a similar price differential to that applying in the case of bacon applies to other British and Dutch pork products; and, if so, why only bacon is sourced from outside the United Kingdom. [HL3215]

British pork is more readily available than British bacon which leads to the prices being considerably more competitive, particularly when considering free range products. The supply of Dutch pork is rare in the United Kingdom as the majority of the hogs are specially bred for the production of bacon.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What procedure was followed in (a) delineating, and (b) publishing the boundary line between Iraqi and Iranian territorial waters in the North Arabian Gulf. [HL3155]

The present boundary between Iran and Iraq was originally agreed in the Constantinople Protocol of 17 November 1913. A further treaty was agreed in 1937 which reaffirmed the boundary in the Shatt al-Arab as established by the Constantinople Protocol. On 6 March 1975 a joint communiqué was issued in Algiers by Iran and Iraq relative to the resolution of the problems of their common boundary as follows: to undertake the final demarcation of their land boundaries on the basis of the Constantinople Protocol of 1913; and to delimit their river boundary according to the thalweg (deep water channel) line. Following World War II, problems continued along the boundary and Iran was keen to establish the actual position of the thalweg in the Shatt al-Arab. This process became a Treaty Relating to the State Boundary and Good-Neighbourliness between Iran and Iraq with three protocols and their annexes and was signed in Baghdad on 13 June 1975. The protocol relating to the river boundary included an annex of four admiralty charts of the Shatt al-Arab containing co-ordinates of the thalweg boundary. The boundary as agreed in these treaties was effectively ignored by Iraq during the Iran/Iraq war, but was reinstated in 1990. The boundary as defined in the 1975 treaty is therefore the present ratified boundary between Iran and Iraq and is depicted on our charts and maps.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they plan to increase financial support for the Natural Environment Research Council to develop the new National Centre for Earth Observation. [HL3149]

The Government recently announced an allocation to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) of £1.2 billion over the Comprehensive Spending Review period of 2008-09 to 2010-11. This represents an average increase of 5.4 per cent each year. It is for NERC to decide how to allocate this funding and, in February this year, NERC Council took a decision to invest in the development of a new National Centre for Earth Observation, from 1 April 2008. This builds on previous NERC investments in a suite of seven separate Earth Observation Centres of Excellence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 31 March (WA 140) concerning remission for prisoners in Northern Ireland, what were the circumstances in which 6 per cent of prisoners were not released after 50 per cent remission in the years 2003 to 2007. [HL2995]

The 6 per cent figure comprises releases of life sentence prisoners, who are not eligible for 50 per cent remission, and other releases from prisons in Northern Ireland where 50 per cent remission was not applicable. The latter include prisoners released on appeal, fine defaulters who paid their fines in prison and a small number of miscellaneous cases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people are employed by the Ministry of Defence to answer Parliamentary Questions; and what is the annual cost. [HL3118]

Advice to Ministers on responding to Parliamentary Questions is prepared by the relevant subject matter experts across the Ministry of Defence, both service personnel and civilians. Therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 18 March (WA 37), what is their current policy towards the celebration of terrorists who committed suicide for their cause. [HL2942]

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on 18 March (WA 37).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 22 April, when the new cross border enforcement of traffic offences will come into effect for lorries. [HL3197]

The Department for Transport is working hard to ensure the provisions that will enable on-the-spot financial penalties to be issued to non-UK offenders will be introduced as soon as practicable. This is likely to mean spring 2009 because significant operational detail has yet to be settled, and a number of detailed statutory instruments have yet to be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 22 April, what penalties will be imposed on lorries in respect of: (a) on-the-spot fines, and (b) impounding of vehicles; and whether these penalties reflect the competitive advantage gained by the breaches of the law by lorry drivers. [HL3198]

There will be a further consultation on these details later this year.

In broad terms, non-UK-resident offenders will be required to pay a financial deposit on-the-spot which is equivalent to the level of fixed penalty for the offence, subject to a maximum of £300 where an offence is to be prosecuted in court. These penalty levels are consistent with the existing fixed penalty law and compatible with the average levels of relevant court fines.

Non-compliant vehicles will be liable to be immobilised, as they will be in any case where a driver fails to pay a requested deposit.