asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they propose to take to protect consumers from the activities of the pyramid selling scheme known as Titan 3.

It is my department's policy not to comment on the affairs of individual companies.However, the department has taken action against a number of money circulation schemes. The Court of Appeal, in a case which attracted considerable press coverage, stated that such schemes "involve those who set up, promote, purvey and administer the scheme in criminal offences". My department has powers to regulate trading schemes operating within the UK, including money circulation schemes, under the Trading Schemes Act 1996.If the noble Lord has any information concerning the company referred to in his Question no doubt he will arrange for it to be forwarded to the department.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of medical evidence that tobacco is at once addictive, seriously damaging to health and absorbs scarce medical resources, they will now seek to ensure that international trade in tobacco and tobacco products is considered part of the drug trade, and that restrictions on those trades cannot be cited at the World Trade Organisation as unlawful restraint.

Tobacco is not subject to the UN Conventions on narcotic and psychotropic substances and the Government have no plans to control it under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.Nevertheless, smoking results in serious health problems. The Government are committed to banning tobacco advertising, and the Minister of State for Public Health is holding an international summit on smoking on 14 July. The summit will consider next steps in order to reduce smoking and its conclusions will inform the development of a White Paper, to be published later in the year. The White Paper will include proposals for legislation to ban tobacco advertising and other measures.The World Trade Organisation does not prevent restrictions being put in place if they are necessary to protect human life or health. Any such restrictions must be based on sound scientific evidence and must not be applied in a discriminatory manner. Any restrictions on imports would therefore need to be matched by restrictions on similar domestic products.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they support the countryside rally on 10 July; whether they consider that the Wild Mammals (Hunting with Dogs) Bill would create "work to welfare" in the countryside; and whether they will hold a referendum amongst country people on the effects of the Bill.

The Government manifesto commitment is to allow a free vote on whether there should be a ban on hunting with hounds. The Private Member's Wild Mammals (Hunting with Dogs) Bill is now before Parliament.The effect of any hunting ban on employment in the countryside will need to be addressed. There are no plans to hold a referendum on the effects of the Bill.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish full details of the information technology programmes currently being planned and implemented to update the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Immigration Service; what the programmes are expected to achieve; what stages of implementation are planned; and when they are expected to be fully implemented; andWhat companies are responsible for project management and the supply of computer hardware and software in relation to the information technology programmes currently being planned and implemented to update the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Immigration Service; and what penalties are included in their contracts for failure to deliver to cost, on time and to quality; andWhether they will place in the Library of the House copies of all documentation relating to the computerisation of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, the document reception centre, the public enquiry office and the casework programme.

The Casework Programme, to which the noble Earl's questions refer, is a service-provision contract awarded to Siemens Business Services (SBS) under the Private Finance Initiative. Under the terms of that contract SBS are to design, build, finance and operate a new computerised caseworking system for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Payments will be made to SBS on the basis of the efficiency improvements achieved by IND in consequence of the services provided under the contract. The detailed arrangements are commercially confidential.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action, if any, they propose to take to improve the Vaccine Damage Compensation Scheme, with particular reference to the 80 per cent. disability and six year rules.

The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is currently being considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:With reference to the statement in the Labour Party manifesto that "we believe that all pensioners should share fairly in the increasing prosperity of the nation", whether they intend to uprate the state pension in line with GDP; or, if not, what else they mean by "share fairly".

There are many ways in which pensioners can share in rising national prosperity—through contributory pension entitlements, through other benefits, or through the income derived from savings.We will retain the basic state pension as the foundation of pension provision and increase its value at least in line with prices.My right honourable friend the Secretary of State will shortly be announcing details of a review of the central areas of insecurity for elderly people. All aspects of the basic pension and its value will be included in our review. We believe that it should provide the foundation of security in retirement. Our priority is to get help to Britain's poorest pensioners and we are commissioning research into why around a million pensioners fail to claim the income support to which they are entitled.

asked Her Majesty's Government:With reference to the statement in the Labour Party manifesto that "one million single mothers are trapped on benefit", how they distinguish between those who are trapped on benefit and those who are not trapped; and how many single mothers on benefit are (a) trapped and (b) not trapped according to the latest available figures.

This Government's approach is to help lone mothers improve their family income by helping them into work. This is a high priority for the Government and we will give lone mothers opportunities to move into work as part of our welfare to work programme.In May 1996, there were 1.1 million lone mothers in receipt of income support, and 300,000 in receipt of family credit. Roughly three-quarters of all lone parents on income support at the beginning of a year are still there 12 months later—a proportion which has stayed roughly constant for several years. Research also suggests that a high proportion—over 70 per cent. —of lone mothers on income support feel trapped (DSS Research Report

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they accept the findings of the National Association of Citizen's Advice Bureaux publication,

The best thing a government can do for young unemployed people is to help them back into work. This is precisely the reason we are introducing the New Deal, which will give work, education and other opportunities to young unemployed people aged 18 to 24 who have been unemployed for over six months. They will be offered a choice of:

• a job, with employers offered a £60-a-week rebate for six months;
• work in the voluntary sector;
• work for the new Environmental Task Force;
• for young people without qualifications an opportunity to study on a full-time approved course.

This will give the young employed real choices to improve their employability and their chances of getting back into the labour market.We are committed to a review of the social security system as a whole, including housing benefit. We want a modernised system which will tackle poverty and welfare dependency and promote work incentives. The housing benefit restrictions we inherited from the previous government are included in this review. We have already announced our intention to revoke the extension of the single room rent to people aged 25 to 59, and we are gathering evidence on the impact of the single room rent for the under 25s. Information is being collected from a sample of local authorities on an ongoing basis and officials are meeting local authorities, advice agencies and rent officers to obtain early, direct information on the impact of the changes. A survey has also been commissioned to obtain information on housing benefit and the private rented sector: the results are expected next summer. Reports such as the one produced by the National Association of Citizen's Advice Bureaux will also form part of this information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider how far the improvements they are seeking in the performance of the Child Support Agency are compatible with the change programme initiated by the previous government.

We will be assessing the department's current programme of changes to ensure further improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the Child Support Agency, including a better service to all its clients and better value for money. The receipt of regular maintenance is a key part of the Government's strategy for helping lone mothers into work. With this in mind, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced on 2 July that an extra £15 million a year will be made available to the agency from April 1998 specifically aimed at getting more absent parents to pay the maintenance which is due.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to establish Special Areas of Conservation as required by the EU Habitats Directive for harbour porpoises; if so, when; and if not, why not.

There are no SAC proposals for this species because the available scientific evidence is insufficient to identify sites which meet the requirements set out in Article 4(1) of the directive relating to aquatic species which range over wide areas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which national museums are considering the introduction of admission charges.

The Trustees of the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside have decided to proceed with the extension of their existing admission charges arrangements with effect from 8 July. However, they have agreed to review this policy later this year. The British Museum Trustees decided in December 1996 to maintain free admission. However, they have stated that the introduction of admission charges could not be ruled out for the future, although they would regret such a move. No other national museums and galleries which offer free entry have notified this department that they are considering the introduction of admission charges.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the total monetary cost of the abolition of admission charges at national museums, indicating the figures for each museum that currently imposes admission charges.

The five national museums in England which charge for admission (excluding the Royal Armouries) recently estimated that the cost to them of abolishing general admission charges would amount to some £19.86 million. This includes both £11.45 million for admissions income and £8.41 million reclaimable VAT. The estimated cost is broken down as follows: the Imperial War Museum—£5.55 million; the National Maritime Museum—£1.49 million; the Natural History Museum—£5.13 million; the National Museum of Science & Industry—£5.38 million; and the Victoria & Albert Museum—£2.31 million. The cost, however, to the Exchequer would only amount to some £11.45 million. The Government are aware that the National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside will extend admissions charges to all of their sites from 8 July. The cost of the abolition of admissions charges to the institution is estimated to amount to some £1.50 million in a full year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there has been a year-by-year reduction in real terms since 1979 of their grant-in-aid to national museums; and, if so, whether they will list the amount of grant-in-aid for each year.

The grant-in-aid for the eleven national museums and galleries in England (excluding the Royal Armouries) in the financial year 1997–98 is £188.8 million, which represents a real terms increase of 78.6 per cent. since 1979–80. However, direct comparisons between years prior to 1988–89 and subsequent years are misleading because in 1988–89 the national museums' and galleries' funding was substantially increased to reflect their new responsibilities for the maintenance of their estates, which had previously rested with the Property Services Agency. The amounts of annual government grant-in-aid to national museums and galleries for each year, both in cash terms and real terms based on 1997–98 prices, are listed in the table set out below.

	Grant-in-aid Actual	Grant-in-aid in Real Terms
Financial Year	£ million	£ million
1979–80	39.4	105.7
1980–81	50.9	115.4
1981–82	54.6	112.9
1982–83	58.3	112.5
1983–84	62.2	114.7