asked Her Majesty's Government:What external finance limit has been set for the current financial year for the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

The external finance limit for CDC for 1996–97 is being increased by £31,400,000 from minus £15,000,000 to plus £16,400,000. The change allows for the take up of an entitlement under end year flexibility arrangements and a temporary increase in borrowing by CDC. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will discuss with the Russian Federation the proposal for an amnesty for people of pensionable age, women with children and minors, currently imprisoned in that country.

We have no plans to discuss this matter with the Russian authorities. We have, however, raised prison conditions in general with the Russians and are looking at what we can do to help the Russian authorities undertake further penal reform.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place on the agendas of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe the issues raised in the recent report of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Commission.

The points raised in the report will as a matter of course be addressed by the Council of Europe in such contexts as their Russia programmes, as part of their monitoring procedures, and during forthcoming visits to Russia. We have no plans to raise the report separately with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, given the Council of Europe's specific expertise in this area.

asked her Majesty's Government:What conclusions they draw from the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, given on 18 December 1996, in the case of

The UK was not party to the proceedings. It is not for us to interpret the judgement of the Court.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have about the numbers of dwellings built for Israelis and Palestinians respectively in the area administered by the Jerusalem municipality since 1967.

According to latest figures (1995), about 40,000 public and private housing units have been built in east Jerusalem for Israelis since 1967. There was none before. No public housing units have been built for Palestinians, but Palestinians have themselves built about 10,000. These are in addition to the pre-existing Palestinian housing stock in east Jerusalem of about 13,000 dwellings. About 25,000 housing units have been built for Israelis in west Jerusalem since 1967. These are in addition to the pre-existing Israeli housing stock of 58,000 units. None has been built for Palestinians in west Jerusalem. The total housing stock for Israelis in Jerusalem as a whole is thus about 123,000, and for Palestinians about 23,000. These figures are extracted from statistics published by Jerusalem municipality.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are their priorities for relationships between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and what inter-departmental arrangements they have put in place to prepare and pursue policy towards the next review of the Lom00E9; Convention.

We remain strongly committed to close relations between the EU and ACP countries. We are in the process of developing our approach to the future of the Lomé Convention; one of our priorities will be more effective use of EC development assistance. Regular consultation takes place between Government Departments and with EU and ACP partners.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are pursuing in the international financial institutions and other multilateral organisations including the European Union, and what bilateral action they are taking, to help meet the economic and social crises facing the people of Albania and the people of Bulgaria.

We have been following events in Albania and Bulgaria with deep concern. In Bulgaria, we are encouraging the Government to maintain its dialogue with the international financial institutions and to undertake fundamental economic reforms. We have a technical assistance programme, through the know-how fund, aimed at helping the process of reform. In response to the current humanitarian needs, the ODA has provided £131,000 in emergency aid, primarily for food, clothing and medicines for children's institutions. With our EU partners we are providing a 20 MECU (£16.8m) package of social assistance for vulnerable groups and are considering the further allocation of EU emergency funds.In Albania, both the EU and OSCE are sending high level delegations to Tirana. An IMF/IBRD team will arrive on 9 March. We have a small technical assistance programme, through the know-how fund, and have reiterated our offer to provide advice on the regulation of the financial sector. We consider that international assistance to Albania should be conditional on the Government's respect for the rule of law and for fundamental democratic principles.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they estimate has been made towards fulfilling the commitments made by governments at the 1994 Population and Development conference in Cairo.

Most developing country governments have now instituted national action plans to pursue the 1994 International Population and Development Conference (ICPD) commitments. The United Nations Commission on Population and Development will review global progress in 1999. The United Kingdom was one of few governments to make spending commitments at ICPD. The ODA's target of committing over £100 million over two years on at least 50 population and reproductive health projects was easily exceeded. Actual commitment over that period was £184 million on 112 new projects. All of Britain's health and population assistance, some 12 per cent. of the bilateral programme, contributes to efforts to meet the goals set out in the ICPD programme of action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What part of the proposed costs of the proposed expansion of NATO is being allocated to the United Kingdom.

The present NATO cost-share keys are long established. We expect the accession of new members to result in a proportionate reduction in the UK share of the NATO budget. It is impossible to predict the details until it is known which countries will be invited at the Madrid Summit to begin accession negotiations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, if it appears that the expansion of NATO eastwards will not "enhance security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area" (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, H.L. Deb, 10 February,

This question is hypothetical. We and our NATO Allies believe that enlargement of the Alliance will enhance security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the meaning of the statement by the Minister of State (Sir Nicholas Bonsor, HC Deb., 26 February, col. 275) that the matter of the costs of any enlargement of NATO "is now in the hands of NATO".

This was a reference to the tasking placed on the NATO authorities by paragraph 28 of the communique issued by NATO Defence Ministers at their meeting on 17 and 18 December 1996, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What credence they give to the various figures for the costs of the proposed expansion of NATO aired in the United States which vary at the least between US 35 billion dollars and US 125 billion dollars.

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to his Question on 19 November 1996 (vol. 575, col. WA 130).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the US Secretary of State Albright has been negotiating with the Russian Government on the "mandate agreed by the Alliance as a whole" or whether she is introducing proposals that have not been discussed and agreed (such as perhaps the Joint Brigade and the New Council).

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to his Question on 5 March (vol. 578, col.WA 132).

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the "mandate agreed by the Alliance as a whole" (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, H.L. Deb., 10 February,

It is the authority invested in the NATO Secretary-General by the governments of the NATO allies to explore with Russia, within agreed parameters, the possibility of an agreement to deepen and widen the scope of the relationship between NATO and Russia and provide a framework for its future development.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish in the

The text of the letter is given below."When we met today I promised to write to you setting out the explanation for the mistakes made in answering two of the Parliamentary Questions you asked last June and July."Your questions essentially related to the cause of death of large numbers of camels, sheep and goats which you said had been found during and after the Gulf War, and whether they had died as a result of chemical weapons exposure. These questions were passed to the Defence Nuclear Biological and Chemical (NBC) Defence Centre at Winterbourne Gunner for advice. The staff could not track down anyone with any knowledge of the events you described and eventually sought advice from a British Army veterinary officer who had served in the Gulf."This officer had been employed principally on non-veterinary duties but had been asked by the Kuwaitis to attend to sick animals when he reached Kuwait at the end of the war. In a telephone conversation with the Defence NBC Centre, he gave an account of the condition of animals he treated in Kuwait, including some dairy cattle suffering from the effects of starvation which appeared to have developed mouth ulcerations as a result of licking car batteries abandoned within their enclosure. He contacted the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine in Edinburgh to check whether he might be overlooking a tropical disease, and he also sent them nasal swabs from the cattle."He was given advice and information by the Edinburgh Centre but he never received any acknowledgement of receipt, or the results of any analysis in respect of the samples. In his experience it was normal practice in such circumstances for results to be returned only if a disease had been identified. Meanwhile, he gave conventional treatment to the cattle, to which they responded well."Unfortunately, an officer at the Defence NBC Centre misunderstood the above information and wrongly concluded that samples of the animals referred to in your questions were sent to Edinburgh for analysis. Based on this, an incorrect answer was drafted. An accurate answer would have said that we were unable in the time available to find any information on the events which you describe."I very much regret that this error occurred and am grateful to you for accepting that what happened was the result of a misunderstanding."The Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing its instructions on how Parliamentary Questions should be answered in the light of the wrong answers given on the use of organophosphate pesticides in the Gulf War. I have also asked the department to make a further search to see if we have any information relevant to your original questions. I shall write to you again when this work is complete."I am placing a copy of this letter in the Libraries of both Houses and intend that this letter be published in the

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to enforce court orders which may be imposed against servicemen or ex-servicemen who are not entitled to legal aid and who are unsuccessful in litigation entered into as a result of illnesses alleged to have been contracted as a result of service in the Gulf.

My department's general policy is to seek to recover its costs where a case is successfully defended except where claimants are legally aided. However, if illness or injury can be shown, to the satisfaction of a court if necessary, to have resulted from MoD negligence in individual cases which are legally aided, and the same particular circumstances can be shown to apply to non-legally aided claimants, those individuals will not be forced by the MoD to enter into litigation to establish their own right to compensation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they disagree with the conclusions of the task force appointed by the US Defense Department's Defense Science Board that "information warfare" will be an inexpensive means of causing chaos in both military and civilian systems given that information on how to break into systems is freely available on the Internet, and what resources, financial and of personnel, the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry are devoting to the study of these forms of warfare.

The Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry agree that the potential nature of "information warfare" is such that considerable disruption could be inexpensively caused to any computer systems that were not designed and operated to resist such attack.Within the Ministry of Defence (as in the US Department of Defense) systems are designed with features to reduce the possibility of successful attack. It would not be appropriate to comment on the details of these security features, nor on the resources expended in developing such designs. However, the potential threat is kept under constant review and efforts to counter it are adjusted accordingly.So far as the Department of Trade and Industry is concerned, this is one of the information security issues being addressed by that Department's Information Security Policy Group dedicated to helping UK business manage information security effectively and to represent the information security interests of business both within the UK and internationally.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether the Senior Information Officer is (a) authorised or (b) encouraged to issue factual public statements in rebuttal of factually incorrect public criticisms.

The Senior Information Officer has a responsibility to monitor media coverage of the proceedings of the House. The postholder does not at present have authority to rebut factually incorrect public criticisms but draws them to the attention of the Clerk of the Parliaments and gives advice as to whether any response should be made. Any action taken would depend on the circumstances of each case. The appointment of a Senior Information Officer has been made on an experimental basis for a period of two years. The responsibilities of the post will be reviewed in due course in the light of experience gained.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether, considering that the hairdresser is responsible for the provision of hairdressing service for Members, officers and staff of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and for others employed on the parliamentary estate, he will ask the Administration Committee of the House of Commons to consult the Administration and Works Sub-Committee of the House of Lords about the proposed change in the hairdressing arrangements, including the redundancy of Mr. Stephen Silverne.

The provision of hairdressing services is a matter for the House of Commons only. Mr. Silverne is an employee of the House of Commons and the extension of the service to members and staff of the House of Lords is a courtesy granted by kind permission of the House of Commons. The new arrangements are being introduced to allow a unisex service and there is no requirement that the Administration Committee of the House of Commons should consult the Administration and Works Sub-Committee in the House of Lords on this matter.

asked the Chairman of Committees:What has been the total cost to date, split between software, hardware and other expenditure, of the Parliamentary Data and Video Network and whether he will indicate the total number of persons who now have access to it showing separately the number of Members of each House.

The Parliamentary Video and Data Network has been created within the life of the present Parliament. It is funded according to a rolling programme of expansion and stabilisation which will last into the next century. The amount spent is primarily a matter for the House of Commons which has provided most of the funding to date. The current number of user accounts on the PDVN is 1,742, of which 75 have been requested by Members of the House of Lords.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether he will list the number of occasions this year that remote access to the Parliamentary Data and Video Network has not been possible due to faults with the system, indicating in respect of each such occasion the period for which there was no access; what is the target that has been set for the proportion of time for which access should be possible; by when the target should be met and what steps are being taken to meet it.

Instances of system failure causing remote access to be unavailable have been approximately three per month since the start of this calendar year. Three such incidents are believed to have happened at weekends and caused periods of non-availability of 1–2 days; the rest resulted in non-availability typically of 1–2 hours. All incidents were due to interruptions to electrical power supply. Targets have not been formally agreed for availability of remote access. Steps being taken to improve the availability of remote access include:

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether he is satisfied that the Parliamentary Data and Video Network project has provided good value for public money.

The Parliamentary Data and Video Network is becoming an essential part of the infrastructure of both Houses of Parliament. The network is still incomplete and a programme of investment to stabilise and improve it is in progress. The question of value for money is primarily for the House of Commons, which has provided most of the funding to date.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether he will make arrangements for a duty engineer to be available at weekends to deal with faults which deny access by users to the Parliamentary Data and Video Network.

The Library and Computers Sub-Committee has agreed that users of the Parliamentary Data and Video Network should have help desk cover, including engineering help, at weekends. The exact hours of cover are under discussion with the authorities in the House of Commons.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether he will arrange for the appropriate committee to report to the House on the performance of the Parliamentary Data and Video Network.

The Parliamentary Data and Video Network is a joint responsibility of the two Houses. The Library and Computers Sub-Committee is responsible for monitoring the performance of the network, in so far as the interests of Lords are concerned and reports to the Offices Committee which in turn reports to the House, when appropriate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements have been made with the purchasers of ADAS to ensure its continuing objectivity, independence and freedom from commercial interference; andWhether in the sale of ADAS any restrictions have been placed on a future sale of all or parts of ADAS by the initial purchasers.

It is for the new owners of the business to form their own commercial judgment of the importance their customers attach to objectivity, independence and freedom from commercial interference. MAFF attaches a high value to these matters. The purchasers have indicated that independence and impartiality will remain central features of their strategy for the ADAS business. There are restrictions in the sale contract on the purchaser's ability to sell on all or a substantial part of the business in the first two years. In particular, the sale contract contains restrictions relating to potential transfer of shares in the new company, and the MAFF/Welsh Office revenue guarantee may be terminated if there is a change of control of all or a substantial part of the business. Certain other restrictions are commercially confidential.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What changes have been made in the European Union tobacco regime and what reduction in subsidies has been made to European growers; and how much British taxpayers contribute to subsidising the growing of tobacco in the European Union.

The tobacco regime was last reformed in 1992. In particular, export refunds and intervention were both abolished with the aim of reducing the scope for fraud and saving expenditure. The volume of tobacco eligible for subsidy was cut by 19 per cent. and the budget expenditure fell by 20 per cent. between 1992 and 1995.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements have been made to consider the need for disciplinary action against officials as a result of events connected with the handling of BSE, what disciplinary action has been taken so far, and whether they will list those officials who have been dismissed or have taken early retirement as a result of such events.

The need for disciplinary action against any official as a result of the handling of BSE is considered in the normal way. To date action has been taken in respect of officials of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) which has responsibility for enforcing Specified Bovine Material (SBM) controls in slaughterhouses. The agency's staff are fully aware that they may face disciplinary action as a result of any failure to enforce these controls. To date, 45 MHS employees have been subject to disciplinary investigation as a result of failure to ensure full compliance with SBM controls. Four employees have been dismissed (one of whom was reinstated at appeal), 18 have received formal disciplinary warnings and 23 have received formal written cautions. One officer is still under disciplinary investigation. Before any of these staff are allowed to begin their work again they are required to undergo re-training.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements are being made for the provision of emergency towing vessels next winter.

Emergency towing vessels have been stationed, on a trial basis, in the Minches and Dover Strait for the last three winter periods and in the south west approaches this winter, following recommendations by Lord Donaldson and the emergency towing study team. A report of the first two years' trials has been published. Further analysis of the trials is to be undertaken so that the benefits of the provision of such government funded vessels can be fully assessed. Meanwhile the three vessels will be re-engaged to provide emergency cover for next winter in the same areas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many licences for the abstraction of water from bore holes and rivers respectively have been granted since the Environment Agency came into existence and how many are outstanding.

Since taking up its duties on 1 April 1996, the Environment Agency has granted some 740 abstraction licence applications in respect of groundwaters and some 750 in respect of rivers. The approximate numbers of applications in each respect which are at present outstanding are, respectively, 360 and 560.

asked Her Majesty's Government:With reference to the Earl Ferrers' reply of 20 February (H.L. Deb., col.

I refer to the reply which I gave on 20 February 1997 (H.L. Deb., col. WA 62). It will not be possible to assess the status of the basking shark in United Kingdom waters, or the level of protection which the species may merit, until the full range of scientific evidence has emerged from the public consultation exercise into the third quinquennial review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which is at present under way.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is correct that the Environment Agency has no policy on endocrine disrupters and does no general monitoring for them and whether the Government are satisfied with this state of affairs, in the light, for example, of reports that recent research has shown that fish in the estuary of the Tyne are suffering oestrogenic effects.

There is at present a great deal of uncertainty surrounding endocrine disrupters and the role which they may play in adversely affecting human health and wildlife. Given the potential importance of any adverse effects, Government departments, agencies (including the Environment Agency) and research councils, led by the Department of the Environment, are funding co-ordinated research in order to improve understanding of this area. This research includes evaluation of effects in humans and wildlife and identification and prioritisation of substances, which are suspected of being endocrine disrupters. The information generated will be used to assist in defining monitoring needs in different environmental media and to identify the need for regulatory or enforcement action.The Environment Agency (and formerly as the National Rivers Authority) has been undertaking monitoring and research on endocrine disrupters since 1993. Important studies, which have been funded by the agency, have reported the identity of oestrogenic compounds in sewage effluents and supported reduction in discharges of endocrine disrupters (alkylphenols) to the River Aire. Further research and monitoring is planned including studies on impacts in the marine environment.The Environment Agency's present policy concentrates on monitoring for specific endocrine disrupting substances, targeted pollution prevention exercises and strategic research. The agency is currently preparing a strategy document on endocrine disrupters which will support its policy and define its future work programme in this area, including further plans for monitoring of endocrine disrupters. This document will be published by July 1997.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans, if any, they have for the encouragement of employment in the Armagh City and county areas.

The Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU) works in partnership with Armagh Business Centre and Armagh Economic Development Group to promote employment in the Armagh area through a number of initiatives. These include the establishment of Armagh Environmental Accessories Company (a community based business enterprise targeting the long term unemployed), teleworking projects, and a pilot long term unemployed programme. LEDU also actively promotes its business start up schemes in the Armagh District Council area; in 1995/96 43 projects were supported promoting a total of 105 new jobs.In addition Industrial Development Board and LEDU-supported companies, Cross Refrigeration, Redrock Engineering and Wilson Country Vegetables have recently announced encouraging expansions of their businesses leading to the promotion of new job opportunities. IDB also arranged visits to Armagh for two potential investors, both first time visits by US companies in 1996/97.The Training and Employment Agency's local office in Armagh has placed over 600 people into employment in the period 1 April 1996 to date. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board is in negotiation with a potential developer of a 52 bedroom three star hotel in the city of Armagh which could create in excess of 70 jobs. The Queen's University Outreach Centre at Armagh opened in September 1995 and will play its part in strengthening the social and economic life of the area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chalker of Wallasey of 24 February 1997 (H.L. Deb.,

The Government consider that incorporation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights into the domestic law of the United Kingdom is not necessary in order to secure the rights and freedoms protected under these treaties, and that incorporation would have undesirable implications for the United Kingdom's constitutional arrangements, including the principle of parliamentary sovereignty and the traditional apolitical position of the courts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the "increase of around 11,000 in the prison population" which is estimated to result from proposals in Parts I and II of the Crime (Sentences) Bill (as stated in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum) will result from Part I; and what proportion from Part II; andWhat proportion of the "additional recurring costs of between £375 million and £425 million per annum" which are estimated to result from proposals in Parts I and II of the Crime (Sentences) Bill (as stated in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum) will result from Part I; and what proportion from Part II.

As stated in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum of the Crime (Sentences) Bill, it is estimated that there will be an eventual increase of around 11,000 in the prison population some 12 years after implementation of Parts I and II of the Bill. On this basis, it is estimated that about 82 per cent. of the increase (9,000 places) is attributable to Part I: the remaining 18 per cent. (2,000 places) to Part II. The additional recurring costs of between £375 million and £435 million per annum of providing prison places to accommodate this increase are attributable to Parts I and II of the Bill in the same proportions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether records will be maintained of all expenditure authorised by Parliament under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 and in particular whether it will be possible to identify expenditure, both for businesses and private individuals, under the headings of:

Records will be maintained of all payments made under the compensation and ex gratia payment schemes provided by this Act. It is intended that the records will differentiate between payments made to dealers and those made to individuals and will include the following categories: (a) large calibre pistols, (b) large calibre pistol ancillary equipment (which includes ammunition), and (c) small calibre pistols.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether records will be maintained of bankruptcies and business receiverships caused by the implementation of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.

Records of all insolvencies, including bankruptcies and receiverships, are maintained at Companies House, by the courts, or by the Department of Trade and Industry, in accordance with the requirements of the relevant insolvency legislation; but the causes of the failures are not recorded. This is because a business can fail for a single reason or a variety of reasons.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the United Kingdom intends to sign the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine in Spain on 4 April 1997, and what interested organisations did they consult before reaching their decision.

The Government are still considering the implications of the provisions of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the draft Community Care (Residential Charges) Bill and the policy statement to follow up the consultation document

We are publishing both documents today. Copies are available in the Printed Paper Office and the Library.