asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many of the 811,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2006 were repeat admissions of the same individual. [HL5426]

The information is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will take steps to ensure that all student doctors, nurses and midwives receive mandatory training on alcohol-related issues. [HL5427]

The department is not responsible for setting curricula for health professional training. However, we do share a commitment with statutory and professional bodies that all health professionals are trained, so that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to all groups of the population with whom they deal, whatever their condition.

Therefore, the department is working with the International Centre for Drug Policy and the deans of the 24 English medical schools to develop undergraduate medical curricula and to embed substance misuse within the curricula. This includes a specific module on identification of those who are drinking at harmful levels and offering brief advice on reducing the risks from alcohol.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which departments will draw up the final impact assessment for the proposals in the Department of Health's consultation Safe, Sensible, Social—Consultation on Further Action, in particular the assessment of the proposals' impact on small businesses and on the alcohol industry; and [HL5428]

Whether the proposals in the Department of Health's Safe, Sensible, Social—Consultation on Further Action are designed to reduce alcohol consumption by problem drinkers or alcohol consumption across the whole population. [HL5429]

The consultation Safe. Sensible. Social: The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy seeks views from the public, consumer groups, the leisure and hospitality industry, alcohol producers, retailers, and professionals who have to deal with the effects of alcohol misuse on how best to minimise health harms, violence and anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol consumption, while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly. It seeks views on the right balance between individual responsibility, consumer choice and restricting harmful retailing practices. A copy has been placed in the Library.

The department and the Home Office will draw up final impact assessments following this consultation, taking account of evidence submitted during the consultation period.

The Government's alcohol strategy focuses particularly on reducing harms experienced by young people under 18 who drink alcohol, 18-to-24 year-old binge drinkers, and harmful drinkers, who regularly drink more than double the recommend daily limits for alcohol—three to four units of alcohol for men and two to three for women. The department estimates that those drinking regularly at these levels comprise 6 per cent of the population, who drink about 33 per cent of alcohol consumed in the United Kingdom. The strategy also seeks to increase the number of people drinking within the Government's sensible drinking guidelines. Twenty-six per cent of the population regularly exceeded these guidelines in 2006.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the impact on capability of reducing aircrew availability on the Sentry AWACS aircraft; and what annual cost saving this will achieve. [HL5408]

There is no reduction planned in aircrew availability for Sentry AWACS aircraft. Financial provision for aircrew has been reprofiled to reflect our current estimate of when we will be able to increase aircrew availability beyond current levels. Meanwhile the financial provision for this capability has been reduced by the amounts shown in the table below. There has been no impact on defence capability as a result of this change.

Figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest £0.1 million:

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the economic forecast on which the forecast reduction in unit fuel costs for 2009–10 for HM Armed Forces is based. [HL5313]

The Ministry of Defence's senior economic adviser forecasts future movements in fuel prices and foreign exchange rates based on a range of sources. These are reflected in the department's corporate planning assumptions (CPAs), used in internal planning rounds to estimate the likely cost of fuel to the department in a given financial year.

MoD's current CPAs suggest a reduction in propulsion fuel costs for 2009-10 compared with 2008-09 for each of the main fuel types: aviation, marine, road and “other”. We continually monitor fuel prices and exchange rates and adapt our CPAs accordingly.

The net additional cost of fuel used on operations is recovered from the HM Treasury reserve.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many trained military personnel are currently serving with Her Majesty's Armed Forces; how many civilian personnel are currently employed by Her Majesty's Armed Forces; and how many civil servants are employed by the Ministry of Defence. [HL5499]

The total trained military personnel currently serving with Her Majesty's Armed Forces as at 1 September 2008 is 173,130. This total includes UK full-time Regulars, full-time Reserve Service and Gurkhas.

The department does not directly distinguish between civilian personnel employed by Her Majesty's Armed Forces and civilian personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence. All civilian personnel are considered as employees of the Ministry of Defence.

The table below shows the number of civilian personnel employed in each budgetary employing area.

¹. Royal Navy consists of personnel employed in Fleet TLB as well as personnel employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Army consists of personnel employed by Land Forces. Royal Air Force consists of personnel employed by Air Command. Centre consists of personnel employed by Central, Chief of Joint Operations, Science Innovation and Technology, Defence Estates TLBs, and staff in Trading Funds (Defence Science Technology Laboratories, Meteorological Office, Hydrographic Office and Defence Support Group). Other consists of personnel unallocated to TLBs.

Some civilian personnel employed in defence equipment and support, centre, and locally engaged civilians will provide support direct to the Armed Forces.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much university air squadrons received from public funds last year; how many people who had air experience with them joined the Royal Air Force last year; and what proportion of current fully qualified Royal Air Force pilots have had such experience. [HL5454]

In financial year 2007-08 the university air squadrons received £10.870 million from the Royal Air Force.

In the last academic year, 2 September 2007 to 27 July 2008, 133 individuals who had received air experience with the university air squadron joined the RAF.

The proportion of current fully qualified RAF pilots who have received university air squadron experience is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much they expect to spend on urgent operational requirements for equipment this year; and how much will be spent on each of the 10 largest urgent operational requirement projects. [HL5353]

We have agreed with HM Treasury an estimate for reserve expenditure on UORs in 2008-09 of £900 million. We have not yet agreed estimates for potential UOR costs beyond this. UORs are designed to fulfil unforeseeable urgent capability gaps identified by commanders in the field driven by the situation on the ground, and as such can only be forecast with limited accuracy.

The 10 largest UOR projects to date, with costs expected to fall this financial year, are shown by their financial approval in the table below:

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 September (WA 411), how confident they are that the extra funding made available to local authorities is sufficient if they are not party to negotiations between bus operators and local authorities; and what research was carried out into this matter. [HL5487]

Our assessment of the likely cost impact of the new concession is based on generous assumptions about bus pass take-up, fares and increased patronage. On this basis we are confident that we have allocated sufficient funding to cover the cost of the England-wide concession—an additional £212 million to travel concession authorities from 1 April. This is being distributed by a special grant, using a formula to direct funding to areas likely to experience increased costs, such as urban and tourist centres and coastal towns and is in addition to the funding that local authorities receive through the revenue support grant.

The formula is based on factors such as local population, tourist numbers and current bus use, and was adjusted following consultation with local authorities and others last year to give a distribution that reflects where the burden of costs will occur.

Although the Department for Transport is not party to negotiations between bus operators and local authorities, it has issued guidance, offered training and provided a spreadsheet tool to help them to determine appropriate reimbursement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many appeals are outstanding from local authorities and bus operators regarding the operation of the concessionary fares scheme; and whether they have issued guidance to the independent arbitrator on how these should be resolved. [HL5488]

One hundred applications to the Secretary of State for Transport were made by bus operators regarding the operation of travel concession schemes run by local authorities in 2008-09. Of these 48 have been withdrawn, five were rejected and 47 remain to be determined.

The Secretary of State has appointed two independent decision-makers to determine applications on his behalf. Appeals to the Secretary of State about concessionary fares schemes are considered on a case-by-case basis taking account of local circumstances and the information provided. The department has provided advice to the decision-makers regarding the relevant legislation and existing departmental guidance on concessionary fares, and during the process professional legal and economic advice will be available to them when considering how individual cases should be resolved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many individuals' profiles have been shielded from disclosure under the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/2182); and [HL5508]

How they define “increased risk of significant harm” as used in the guidance relating to the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/2182) for the purpose of determining whether the data of a child should be shielded on ContactPoint; and [HL5509]

Whether a child's data will be shielded on ContactPoint if access to those data significantly increase the risk of harm; and [HL5510]

What advice they have received about data protection in relation to ContactPoint; and what risk assessment they have carried out on this matter and [HL5511]

What is the legal basis for allowing information concerning adults to be stored on ContactPoint; and how the storage on ContactPoint of data concerning adults relates to the Data Protection Act 1998. [HL5512]

In response to Question HL5508, the process of applying shields to ContactPoint child records has not yet begun. Data loading into a secure environment, for live operational purposes, is scheduled to be completed during December of this year. As soon as this data load is complete, specifically identified local authority implementation managers will all take action to shield those child records that require it, before any practitioners are given access to the system.

In response to Question HL5509, by increased risk of significant harm, we mean that one or more individuals could cause significant harm to the child/young person and/or their parent/carer should their location be visible and therefore, the child/young person and/or their parent/carer are being, or will be, protected at a location that is not known to the individual(s) posing the threat. Shielding is an additional safeguard and wholly in line with the Data Protection Act 1998

The Children Act 1989 introduced the concept of significant harm as the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best interests of children. Local authorities will make case-by-case judgments about whether a record should be shielded based on the ContactPoint guidance, which in turn makes reference to the well established principles and guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children. There are, however, no absolute criteria on which to rely when judging what constitutes significant harm.

In response to Question HL5510, the answer is yes. Local authorities may shield child records when there are strong reasons to believe that not doing so would be likely to place an individual at increased risk of significant harm. The appropriateness of shielding a record on ContactPoint must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

In response to Question HL5511, we have always sought a balance between children's and families' rights to the services to which they are entitled, and their individual rights to privacy. The purpose of ContactPoint is clearly set out in Section 12 of the Children Act 2004—to support the Section 10 and 11 duties to co-operate to improve children's well-being and to safeguard and promote their welfare. The inclusion of all children and young people in England is a requirement of ContactPoint and we believe its purpose could never be achieved through a consent-based or opt-out system. We take our responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) very seriously. As with all legislation we have sought the necessary legal advice on the relationship between ContactPoint and the DPA and are confident that ContactPoint remains compliant with the Act.

ContactPoint has been, and continues to be, subject to regular risk reviews, both internal and external, conforming to Government best practice guidelines. A summary of the results of the Deloitte independent security review, commissioned by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, was published in February 2008. The report identified that security is ingrained within the project. A further independent technical security check is scheduled before ContactPoint moves into live operation.

In response to Question HL5512, Section 12(4)(c) of the Children Act 2004 (which came into force on 1 January 2006), makes provision for ContactPoint to hold the name and contact details of any person with parental responsibility for the child or young person, or who has care of him at any time. Schedule 1(6) of the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 (which came into force on 1 August 2007), sets this requirement out in more detail.

Regulation 4(1) of the Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 sets out that ContactPoint will contain information on all children in England up to their 18th birthday. In specific circumstances, young people (such as care leavers and those with learning disabilities), aged 18 or over may continue to have their records held on ContactPoint up to age 25, with their informed, explicit consent. This provision exists in Regulation 4(2), and helps to facilitate the transition to adult services for those young people who may have multiple, additional needs. These young people are known as “participating young persons”.

Section 12 of the Children Act 2004 provides the permissive gateway to hold such data without breaching the Data Protection Act's requirement of lawfulness—this has been confirmed by Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their overall financial contribution to the Crossrail project. [HL5492]

The Crossrail heads of terms, which were signed with Transport for London last November, sets out that the Government's planned grant contribution to the Crossrail project is £5.1 billion. This forms part of the £15.9 billion funding package which was secured as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2007. A copy of the Crossrail heads of terms was placed in the House Library on 26 November 2007.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

For each department in the last two years, what information has been lost or illegally accessed as a result of e-crime. [HL5206]

It is not in the interest of UK national security, or that of the public, to disclose detailed information pertaining to e-crime attacks on government. Disclosing such information would enable criminals and those who would attempt to cause disruptive threats to the UK to deduce how to conduct attacks and therefore potentially enhance their capability to carry out such attacks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to reduce the number of heroin-related deaths; and whether they are on course to meet their target of reducing heroin-related deaths by 20 per cent. [HL5422]

In November 2001, the Government set a target to reduce drug-related deaths in England and Wales by 20 per cent between 1999 and 2004, as part of their action plan to reduce drug-related deaths.

The publication by the Office for National Statistics of data on drug-related deaths in England and Wales during the period 2000-04 in February 2005, showed that there had been an overall reduction of 9.2 per cent against the target.

The action plan was implemented by improving surveillance and monitoring of drugs use, improvised access to and consistency of prescribing treatment and guidance to commissioner and providers of treatment to users on limiting the risk of overdose.

In February 2008, the Government launched Drugs: Protecting Families and Communities, the strategy which sets out new measures to enforce, educate and intervene on drugs, and support those who need it, into treatment. The new strategy emphasises the importance of treatment as a key plank of government policy.

We are committed to providing a comprehensive range of treatment services, that enable drug users to access the service assessed as being most appropriate for their needs.

The number of people receiving treatment has increased by 130 per cent in the past 10 years: 195,000 people received treatment in 2006-07, and almost 50 per cent of all problematical drug users, those who use opiates and/or crack cocaine, are in treatment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, if the Naxolone (N-ALIVE) trial, recently approved for funding by the Medical Research Council which aims at reducing heroin-related deaths by providing users with Naxolone, achieves its projected 30 per cent reduction in deaths, they will consider making it available to all heroin users. [HL5423]

The Medical Research Council is funding the N-ALIVE (NALoxone InVEstigation) pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). This study will provide evidence on the feasibility of a potential future main RCT—prison-based Naloxone-on-release RCT to reduce drugs-related deaths. Any decision to fund a full trial would be dependent on the results of the feasibility work, which includes the participation of the relevant government departments across the United Kingdom.

Both the pilot and the potential full trial are specifically targeting prisoners with a history of heroin injection, who are at high risk of overdose in the first week of release. Any outcomes from that target group would need to be assessed by the relevant bodies for applicability more widely after the research was reported.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 September (WA 353–54), what date has been set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for its public consultation on the culture of embryos for more than 14 days, given that the authority indicated to Lord Alton of Liverpool on 22 September that it was seeking evidence to determine whether outgrowing embryos have the potential to implant and develop if transferred to a woman. [HL5468]

I understand from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that it has no plans for a public consultation. The authority has indicated that it is always willing to take into account evidence available to stakeholders which may shed light on policy and licensing issues.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord Triesman on 29 October 2007 (WA 144), 12 November 2007 (WA 1–2) and 12 December 2007 (WA 58) regarding funding for the development of patient-specific stem cell therapies, why financial inducements are used to obtain the highest grade eggs for use in nuclear transfer at Newcastle, if each of three licences recently issued to Sydney IVF Ltd (309712, 309713 and 309714) require that human eggs to be used are those excluded from clinical use because they are unsuitable for fertilisation or have not fertilised normally; and [HL5469]

How many eggs have been used for nuclear transfer under Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority research licence R0152; how many embryonic stem cell lines have been so derived; and how this compares to the stipulation in licences issued to Sydney IVF Ltd (309712, 309713 and 309714) that no more eggs may be used if no embryonic stem cell lines have been established after using 1,600 eggs. [HL5470]

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) does not set limits on the kinds of eggs which can be donated to research. Women donating eggs to research can either be non-patients or women who are patients receiving in vitro fertilisation treatment. They donate eggs which are suitable for fertilisation.

The HFEA reviewed its policies in this area in 2007 and came to the view that donation to research through an egg-sharing arrangement was appropriate, subject to certain safeguards to protect the donor. The report of this policy review can be found at: www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1417.htm.

The latest inspection report for research licence R0152 is available on the HFEA's website at: www.hfea.gov.uk/en/1368.html#17. The inspection report sets out the numbers of fresh and failed-to-fertilise eggs that were used in the project during 2007 and the expected numbers for 2008. During 2007, 56 failed-to-fertilise eggs were used and 19 fresh eggs. It is expected that during 2008, the project will use 200 failed-to-fertilise eggs and 400 fresh eggs.

No embryonic stem cell lines have so far been derived. The HFEA does not set a limit on the number of eggs which can be used in embryonic stem cell research, although its licence committees monitor the efficiency of the process used and the number of eggs used in them.

We cannot comment on the stipulations put on licences granted to the Sydney IVF Ltd.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

With reference to the Food Standards Agency report, Delivery of Official Controls on Meat, how much of the cut in operational costs from £91 million to £74 million over the next five years comes from cutting bureaucracy and unnecessary work by officials; and how much by transferring the costs to abattoirs and their customers. [HL5538]

The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) is implementing radical changes to create a more efficient and effective service. Public health and animal health and welfare will not be put at risk. The components of the planned cost reductions are:

MHS staffing levels in all approved abattoirs have been reviewed, resulting in a reduction of 134 frontline posts, a saving of £4 million per annum;

a new management structure has been agreed, which will result in a reduction of 75 positions by 2009-10, a saving estimated at £4 million per annum;

all five regional offices have been closed, resulting in a saving of £1.7 million per annum;

the new time-based charging system proposed for introduction in 2009-10 will incentivise food business operators to work more closely with the MHS to reduce MHS input costs by an estimated £3 million per annum;

resource management on a new geographical cluster basis will enable more efficient staff deployment over a wider area. This will reduce costs by an estimated £2 million per annum; and

the scaling down of government programmes will reduce work undertaken for government customers, saving a further £2.3 million per annum.

All of the above activities will reduce bureaucracy, improve efficiency and will not result in any transfer of cost to abattoirs and their customers.

Alongside these cost reductions, the Food Standards Agency's long-term regulatory vision for meat production is for an increasing proportion of the cost of official controls to be met by the meat industry, not the taxpayer. Proposals for a new charging system based on time costs together with a progressive increase in charges will be subject to full public consultation, including a regulatory impact assessment, during 2008-09.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What tonnage of shipping has visited the port of Liverpool in (a) 2006, (b) 2007, and (c) 2008 to date. [HL5482]

The information requested for 2006 and 2007 is shown in the following table. The data are compiled by the Department for Transport annually, therefore no information for 2008 is currently available centrally.

¹ Sea-going vessels over 100gt arriving at the port, whether or not for the loading or unloading of cargo. Excludes warships and those carrying goods for government departments, tugs and other vessels employed within the port or estuary; dredgers, supply and support ships, research vessels, fishing vessels, pleasure yachts, vessels entering to land sick or injured crew members (where known). Compiled by DfT from movement data supplied by Lloyds Maritime Intelligence Unit and MDS-Transmodal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 September (WA 420), when and from where First Great Western is due to receive the 52 additional vehicles to be deployed in the Bristol area; and whether that increase takes into account the number of vehicles currently on loan from Arriva Trains Wales and Northern Rail. [HL5490]

The Written Answer of 29 September stated that 52 additional vehicles were to be deployed in the Bristol area and also on the London Thames Valley route. It also stated that this change would take place in stage 2 of the high-level output specification delivery plan. The purpose of the additional vehicles is to provide additional capacity as specified in the White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Railway, and the allocation of vehicles to achieve this will take account of the present composition of First Great Western's fleet, and any changes which might occur. The extent to which the vehicles will be new, or transferred from other routes, remains to be decided.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jonathan Shaw, on 7 July (Official Report, Commons, 1202–04W), why the approval rate achieved by the East Midlands Development Agency is lower than for the other agencies. [HL5465]

Defra has devolved responsibility for delivery of elements of the Rural Development Programme for England to the regional development agencies. Each agency has its own procedures for handling applications and therefore, direct comparison between regions is not possible. The East Midlands Development Agency receives individual and collaborative business led applications.

Of the applications listed as received by the East Midlands Development Agency and not approved, some of those were in the process of being appraised and some had been rejected. The projects rejected thus far have not been of a suitable standard or merit to justify public funding through the rural development programme for England.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals they have to ban smoking in all enclosed places where children are present; and [HL5525]

What proposals they have to ban smoking in public open air spaces. [HL5528]

There are no plans to make smoke-free regulations specific to enclosed places where children are present.

The Health Act 2006 includes powers to make regulations for specific non-enclosed (open air) places to be smoke free if there is significant risk that persons present there would be exposed to significant quantities of smoke. At present, the Government do not intend to make any non-enclosed place smoke free. We are committed to review the smoke-free parts of the Act by July 2010.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of people in the United Kingdom are smokers; and what the figure was five years ago. [HL5529]

The information requested is not available in the exact format requested.

We are unable to provide figures for the United Kingdom.

The latest information available on the prevalence of smoking in Great Britain and England among adults aged 16 and over can be found in the General Household Survey 2006: Smoking and Drinking Among Adults, 2006. The prevalence of smoking in 2006 and 2001 in Great Britain and England can be found in table 1.10 on page 24. This publication has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the impact of the ban in England on smoking in enclosed public places on (a) the prevalence of smoking amongst, and (b) the health of (1) pregnant women, and (2) the population as a whole; and what assessment they have made of the experience of other countries that have introduced similar bans. [HL5551]

Official data on prevalence and impact on the health of pregnant women and the whole population since the implementation of the smoke-free law in England is still to be published. There is every reason to believe that the impact on public health and positive experience of other countries which have introduced smoke-free laws will be replicated in this country.

The report Smokefree England: One Year On was published on 1 July 2008, summarising compliance with the legislation and public attitudes to the ban. A copy has already been placed in the Library.

In addition, in a report published in July, Professor Robert West (Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco studies based at University College London), presented findings from the “Smokers' Toolkit Study” which show that the smoke-free law in England has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will help prevent an estimated 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much they have spent in England on smoking cessation programmes in each year since 1997; and how much of that was targeted specifically at pregnant women. [HL5552]

The information requested is not available in the format requested.

We are unable to provide expenditure targeted specifically at pregnant women.

The latest data available on expenditure of National Health Service stop smoking services from 2001-02 to 2007-08 can be found in the annual report: Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services: England, April 2007 to March 2008, published 21 August 2008. The data can be found in table 4.6 on page 43. This publication has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What targets exist for cutting smoking in England; and what progress has been made towards achieving them.[HL5553]

In October 2007, the Government published a new public service agreement (PSA), PSA Delivery Agreement 18, “Promote better health and well-being for all”. One of the indicators aims is to reduce smoking prevalence among adults. The national target is to reduce smoking rates among adults (aged 16 and over) to 21 per cent or less by 2010, with a reduction in prevalence among routine and manual groups to 26 per cent or less.

Progress against these targets is measured against results from the general household survey (GHS). The latest figures available are from GHS 2006. For 2006 smoking prevalence amongst all adults in England is 22 per cent and prevalence among routine and manual groups 29 per cent.

A time trend of smoking prevalence amongst these groups may be found in table 1.7 on page 21 in General Household Survey: Smoking and Drinking Among Adults 2006, which was published in January 2008. This publication has been placed in the Library.

The White Paper, Smoking Kills, was published in December 1998. To measure the success of policies outlined within the White Paper a smoking prevalence target was set for children to reduce smoking among 11 to 15 year-olds from 13 per cent (1996) to 11 per cent by 2005 and 9 per cent or less by 2010.

Progress against these targets is measured against results from the survey Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England. The latest figures available are from 2007 where 6 per cent of children aged 11 to 15 smoked regularly.

A time trend of smoking prevalence amongst this group may be found in table 3.3 on page 118 in Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking Among Young People in England in 2007, which was published in July 2008. This publication has been placed in the Library.

To measure the success of policies outlined within the White Paper a smoking prevalence target was set to reduce smoking among pregnant women from 23 per cent (1995) to 18 per cent by 2005 and 15 per cent by 2010.

Information on the percentage of mothers in England who smoked during pregnancy are available from the infant feeding survey. This survey occurs every five years and the latest year for which data are available is 2005. In 2005, the percentage of women in England who smoked during pregnancy was 17 per cent.

A time trend of smoking prevalence amongst this group maybe found in table 10.7 on page 355 in Infant Feeding Survey 2005, which was published in May 2007. This publication has already been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many calls have been received by the helpline offering specialist advice and support to pregnant women to stop smoking (0800 1699169) in each month since it was set up; and how the helpline is promoted. [HL5554]

The National Health Service pregnancy smoking helpline in its current form was set up in 2000-01. Prior to this, the helpline had been managed directly by the Health Education Authority, therefore we have provided the number of calls received by the NHS pregnancy smoking helpline since the Department of Health's records began in 2002. The information has been placed in the Library.

The NHS pregnancy smoking helpline is promoted through advertising annually in Emma's Diary, Bounty and the Sure Start magazine (pregnancy specific publications); leaflets and posters distributed through NHS Choices, general practitioner surgeries, antenatal clinics and midwives; and public relations and partnership initiatives.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How regularly they monitor the prevalence of smoking amongst pregnant women. [HL5555]

Data on smoking prevalence among pregnant women are collected for the infant feeding survey which is published every five years. The infant feeding survey 2005, the latest data available, was published by the NHS Information Centre in 2007. A copy has already been placed in the Library.

In addition, the department has been collecting smoking-at-delivery data since 2003-04. This information is collected quarterly from all the primary care trusts in England and is published on the department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Health improvement/Tobacco/Tobaccogeneralinformation/DH_4139682.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many registrations have been blocked from disclosure under the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2742). [HL5507]

All vehicles held on Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle register are subject to the provisions of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002. No vehicles are blocked from disclosure under the provisions of these regulations.