asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have received the final report of the Community Fire Safety Task Force.

We have received the report of the Community Fire Safety Task Force and have made arrangements for it to be published today. Copies of the report will be available in the Library.The Task Force was asked last November to propose a five-year strategy to reduce the number of fires and fire casualties in dwellings. It has highly commended the enthusiasm with which fire safety and prevention work is already undertaken by some brigades. It wants to build on their success by putting community fire safety at the centre of both policy and action. It recommends a more integrated and businesslike approach to community fire safety, with the establishment of a national centre to co-ordinate activity and an increased role for Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate to support brigades in the delivery of imaginative, well targeted messages. It also recommends that community fire safety should be made a statutory duty of the fire service.We are grateful to Task Force members, who came from both the public and private sectors, for delivering an imaginative report in less than a year. We share their high regard for the enthusiasm and expertise of the fire service. It is a high performing service with an excellent record to which we pay tribute.We must however all be concerned at the rising trend in domestic fires, deaths and casualties, and the Task Force therefore makes a strong case for an increased and co-ordinated emphasis on community fire safety. Community safety is not solely about reducing crime. It is about our wider responsibilities to make our communities safe and confident. This report is an important contribution to that overall aim and we note that it strongly endorses the multi-agency approach.Before we take any decisions on the details of the strategy, we want to hear the views of chief officers, fire authorities and unions, who have a crucial role to play in translating the strategy into action. We will therefore be consulting interested parties over the next few months before deciding how to respond to the report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to make exclusion orders against the leaders of all the organisations designated as terrorist by the United States State Department not already covered by such orders; and, if they intend to make orders against only some of these leaders, what are the reasons for the distinction.

No. Each application to enter the United Kingdom is considered on its merits, in the light of all the information available at the time. The Secretary of State will, however, exercise his power personally to direct the exclusion of individuals from the United Kingdom where he considers this would be conducive to the public good. That power is exercised on the basis of an individual's personal undesirability. Evidence of close involvement with a known terrorist organisation would certainly provide a basis for the exercise of the Secretary of State's exclusion power.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will make decisions on outstanding applications from prisoners convicted of terrorist offences for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland.

We have recently approved three applications for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland submitted by prisoners convicted of terrorist offences. These were approved on the basis that the Republic will continue to enforce the sentences imposed by the courts here in accordance with the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Remaining repatriation applications are at various stages of consideration either here or in the Republic and will be determined as soon as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the Key Objectives and Key Performance Indicators will be for the police service in 1998–99.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is arranging for copies of the Key Objectives and Key Performance Indicators for the police service in 1998–99 to be placed in the Library at 1 lam tomorrow.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they decided to confine their aid to Liberia to humanitarian assistance and not to provide any funds for development; whether they intend to respond to the United Nations Secretary-General's appeal to the international community to support post-election Liberia; and whether, in particular, they will offer to fund the services of a British expert in planning the resuscitation of the rubber industry, to provide employment for thousands of ex-combatants.

Part of our £5.925 million of humanitarian assistance to Liberia since 1 April 1995 supports post-election NGO programmes on primary health care, reintegration of war-affected children and water and environmental sanitation for displaced persons and must take priority over industrial reconstruction. A DFID mission is planned for early next year which will examine the situation in-country and deliver a future strategy on Liberia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Department for International Development is the lead Department for the British Government in the negotiations in the OECD of the multilateral Agreement on Investment, and if not which department is, and what is the participation of the Department for International Development.

The Department of Trade and Industry leads on the negotiations in the OECD on the multilateral Agreement on Investment. The Department for International Development is working closely with the DTI and other departments to ensure that the MAI takes account of the Government's commitment to sustainable development, core labour standards and the proper regulation of business.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of renewed fighting between the Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, and the differing goals of Iran, Iraq and Turkey in this conflict, they will ask for a meeting of the Security Council to call on the armed forces of all three states not to intervene.

We have no plans to involve the Security Council in this matter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the violence in Algeria and the disappearance of an estimated quarter of a million people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, they will call for a special meeting of the Human Rights Commission, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Economic and Social Council Resolution 1990/48 of 25 May 1990; and whether, given that human rights and humanitarian emergencies arise regularly throughout the world, they will propose that the Commission meet twice a year.

We have no plans to call for a special session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, nor do we intend to propose that the Commission routinely meet twice a year. The Commission retains the option of meeting exceptionally between its regular sessions. Human rights issues are also addressed at the UN General Assembly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any further steps have been taken or are intended to be taken by the United Nations Secretary-General to end what he described as "brutal massacres in Algeria … in which numerous innocent civilians … were killed" on 30 September 1997.

The UN Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights follow the events in Algeria closely. There are no current UN initiatives to resolve the conflict there. The Algerian Government have rejected any outside role in their internal problems.The Government strongly condemn the terrorism in Algeria and have frequently made clear our desire for an improvement in the security of lives of the ordinary Algerians. The UK will continue to consider with our EU partners the best way to achieve progress in Algeria.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest information they have received, from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or other sources, about the number of Rwandans and Burundians respectively who are missing in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what steps they will take, with other European states, to persuade President Kabila to allow the United Nations Secretary-General's investigators to visit the region and investigate allegations of massacres.

The latest figures available from the UNHCR suggest that 155,000 people remain unaccounted for throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Twenty-five thousand refugees are known to be residing in the country, but it is not known what proportion of those are Rwandans and Burundians. We and our EU partners continue to press President Kabila to allow the UN Secretary-General's human rights enquiry team to proceed without preconditions. We have made clear to President Kabila that our future relationship with his Government will depend on progress on this issue, and towards democratisation, respect for human rights and the rule of law. At the World Bank preliminary meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo on 5 September, we and other donors stressed that progress in the field of human rights, and especially on the UN enquiry team, is a central factor in enabling us to engage in more concrete discussions about aid.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the British Embassy in Ankara undertook the visit to the south-east region of Turkey in September as planned; and if so, whether they will state the towns and villages visited.

Officials from the British Embassy in Ankara visited the capitals of the provinces of Van, Bitlis, Batman and Diyarbakir, and the towns and villages of Guzelsu, Tatvan, Gaydal, Hizan and Hasankeyf in south-eastern Turkey between 31 August and 6 September 1997. The next Embassy visit to the region is planned for December.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list those countries which have failed to comply with requests by the United Nations Human Rights Thematic Rapporteurs and Working Groups to be invited to visit their territory, giving in each case the dates on which the outstanding requests were first made.

The information requested has been freely available from 1992 on the Internet System located in the House of Lords Library. Librarians can assist in accessing the documents. Gathering the information requested before 1992 would involve disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions have taken place with developing countries concerning the multilateral Agreement on Investment, which is now being negotiated in the OECD.

Multilateral conferences on the MAI have been held with developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, as well as at the OECD in Paris. Her Majesty's Government have also had informal discussions with representatives of many developing countries. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong and the Slovak Republic are observers at the MAI Negotiating Group.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider redesignating the horse as an agricultural animal.

We have no current plans to redesignate all horses as agricultural animals. Horses used primarily in agriculture are already so designated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Tribunal Case 13528 taken at Stratford SE1 in May 1997, where a small health shop owner was ordered to pay £2,000 damages for turning down a job applicant who was six months pregnant and unwilling to lift heavy loads, sets a precedent under the Sex Discrimination Act whereby a pregnant woman can sue a potential employer for refusing to engage her by reason of her incapacity from her pregnancy to do work; andWhether Tribunal Case 13528 taken at Stratford SE1 in May 1997 leaves any employer the right to deny a pregnant woman a job, even if her pregnancy precludes her from doing the work he is offering.

The noble Lord will be aware that industrial tribunal findings do not set legal precedents. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 made it unlawful to discriminate against a woman by refusing to employ her. Following clear case law from the European Court of Justice, this means that it is unlawful discrimination to refuse a woman employment on the ground of her pregnancy. However, Section 51 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 may provide a defence to a charge of unlawful discrimination if an act was necessary in order for that person to comply with a relevant statutory provision in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (which requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees). Each case will need to be decided on its particular facts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In the event that Tribunal Case 13528, taken at Stratford SE1 in May 1997, complies with European law, whether they will reconsider exempting potential employers who employ less than five people from such provisions, and take the appropriate steps to seek such a change.

It is not appropriate for me to comment on the decision of an industrial tribunal in any particular case. Section 6 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 used to contain an exemption for employers with less than five employees, but this exemption was repealed following a decision by the European Court of Justice in 1983 that held it to be in breach of the European Equal Treatment Directive. The Government have no plans for further changes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will confirm the statement made by Lord Williams of Mostyn, subject to correction, on 30 July in the debate on the Devolution White Papers, that it would be possible for the proposed Scottish Parliament to reintroduce capital punishment in Scotland separately from the rest of the United Kingdom [H.L. Deb., col. 277].

Yes. It is envisaged that the Scottish Parliament would have power to re-introduce capital punishment in respect of devolved offences. This power remains subject to any international obligations which the UK may undertake in the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, if capital punishment were to be introduced in Scotland, the First Minister in the proposed Scottish Parliament would have the option of interceding for the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in individual cases, which was formerly open to Secretaries of State for Scotland.

It is envisaged that the role of the Secretary of State for Scotland in advising Her Majesty in respect of the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in any individual case will pass to the First Minister on the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is estimated to be the total cost to public finances, including subsidies to Scottish Homes, of the conversion and adaptation of the derelict farm buildings at Cantray Steading, Highland District, to provide accommodation for young disabled people; and how many young disabled people will be housed there on completion.

The total cost to public finances of the conversion at Cantray Steading is currently estimated to be £560,000. This includes grants to be paid by both Scottish Homes and Historic Scotland. The eventual cost will depend, however, on the precise amount of grant paid by Historic Scotland, which has not yet been finally determined.The conversion will provide flatted accommodation for 15 young disabled people and a flat for support workers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:To what extent the fact both that local heath authorities are in deficit and local provider trusts are under strong financial pressure is responsible for proposals to withdraw services from Queen Mary's University Hospital, Roehampton; and whether additional financial provision, over and above that recently announced for the country as a whole, will be made for health services in London, and in south-west London in particular.

The financial pressures being felt locally are caused by a number of different factors, of which only some are related to service changes. To offset this, a hid has been made against the special assistance fund. A decision around special assistance funding has not yet been taken. Special assistance would be in addition to any general growth allocation received next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of the recent closure of the Accident and Emergency Department and other services at Queen Mary's University Hospital, Roehampton; following the refusal of the Royal Colleges to renew accreditation of those departments for doctor training, steps will be taken to ensure that the Royal Colleges are publicly accountable for decisions which have a serious impact on the provision of medical services to the community.

Queen Mary's University Hospital, Roehampton is a subject of the London Review. It will report to Ministers shortly.The system of granting educational approval for training posts and programmes is designed to ensure quality in the training of doctors for the purposes of providing high quality patient care in the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the proceeds of a sale of land at present occupied by the Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton NHS Trust as a consequence of approval of the current public consultation document will be used for the provision of alternative community healthcare services on the site of Queen Mary's University Hospital, Roehampton.

Queen Mary's University Hospital, Roehampton, is a subject of the London Review. It will report to Ministers shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What advice has been conveyed to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by the Life Sentence Review Board with regard to Guardsmen Wright and Fisher, and when it is proposed to release them.

The review board's advice to the Secretary of State in these particular cases is strictly confidential and will not be disclosed. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has decided that the cases of Guardsmen Wright and Fisher should be referred back to the review board in one year's time, i.e. in October 1998, when they will have served six years in custody. No date for release has therefore yet been fixed.