asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will propose to the Security Council of the United Nations that the terms of reference of the committee established under paragraph 10 of Resolution 1132 of 8 October concerning the situation in Sierra Leone be extended to the consideration of unauthorised military action by Nigeria resulting in loss of civilian lives and damage to property in Freetown and elsewhere and the payment of compensation to the families of the victims and the property owners.

No. The committee's terms of reference have already been established.The circumstances of military action in Sierra Leone are unclear and are disputed by both sides. Our Permanent Representative to the UN made clear at the first meeting of the Sanctions Committee that we expect Nigeria to operate strictly within the provisions of UNSCR 1132.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Angola has reported its military intervention in Congo Brazzaville to the Security Council under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter; and whether, as Permanent Member of the Security Council, the United Kingdom will raise the assistance given by the armed forces of Angola to Denis Sassou-Nguesso's coup against the democratically elected government of Pascal Lissouba, as a breach of Article 2(4) of the Charter.

Angola has not reported its military intervention in the Republic of Congo to the United Nations Security Council. On 17 October, the Security Council issued a statement condemning all external interference in the Republic of Congo and, in particular, the intervention of foreign forces in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, and calling for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces including mercenaries. The UK fully supports this statement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that Israel's bombing of an Iraqi civil nuclear facility in 1981 was unlawful.

The Security Council voted unanimously on 19 June 1981 for a resolution which strongly condemned the attack as a violation of the United Nations charter on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of another state.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that existing United Nations Security Council resolutions permit military action against Iraq without further authority from the Security Council; if so, which resolution or resolutions permit this; and whether their view is shared by the other members of the Security Council.

Iraq has agreed to allow all UNSCOM weapons inspectors to return to Iraq. We hope that they will resume their vital work immediately. It is not sensible to speculate on the circumstances in which military action would be appropriate. If Iraq reverted to the obstruction witnessed over recent weeks, this would be a clear breach of its obligations under Security Council resolutions. The legal justification for the use of force would have to be considered in the light of circumstances at the time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the nationalities to which the professionals in the UNSCOM inspection team in Iraq have belonged, and in what numbers; whether they have diplomatic status in Iraq; and whether they report exclusively and confidentially to the United Nations, or to other parties as well, and, if so, which.

The nationalities of professionals who make up UNSCOM inspection teams are a matter for the Executive Chairman of UNSCOM. We are not privy to any list of such personnel. UNSCOM personnel are not afforded diplomatic status: they enjoy the facilities, privileges and immunities provided for by the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialised Agencies. UNSCOM personnel are bound by an undertaking not to communicate any information outside the United Nations without the approval of the Executive Chairman.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the Greater Middle East should become an area free of weapons of mass destruction; whether the removal of all such weapons from Iraq should be accompanied by the removal of such weapons from all other Middle Eastern countries; and, if not, why not.

We are strongly committed to the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), not only in the Middle East, but globally. We have consistently supported the idea of a zone free from weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. We have also urged all states in the region to ratify the relevant conventions and treaties on weapons of mass destruction.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the statement made by President Clinton as reported in the

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is indeed a significant security threat. We continue to urge Israel to accede to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in order to allay international suspicions about her nuclear activities. We also continue to encourage Israel to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and accede to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the judgment of this House in the case of

The case referred to concerned the responsibilities of social services authorities in England and Wales under Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. The House of Lords judgment in this particular case applies equally in Scotland as Section 2 of that Act extends to Scotland.I am advised by the responsible Northern Ireland Minister that, although the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 does not extend to Northern Ireland, the terms of its Section 2 are replicated in Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1978. In interpreting the Northern Ireland Act the courts in Northern Ireland would be bound to follow the decision of this House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What advice they have given to Scottish local authorities on open government.

Local authorities are under strict statutory obligations to conduct their business in a way which is open to public scrutiny. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 makes requirements about the openness of council meetings (and meetings of committees and sub-committees) to the public, and about public access to documents associated with these meetings. The Local Government (Access to Information) (Scotland) Order 1996 extended these provisions to the joint boards created on local government reorganisation.The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities issued a Code of Openness in Local Government in January 1997, to set out principles of openness and to give advice and examples of good practice to local authorities. This document was produced by a working group which included officials from the Scottish Office and representatives of the Local Government Ombudsman, the Accounts Commission and the Scottish Consumer Council. I have arranged for a copy of the code to be placed in the Library of the House.The Government have announced their intention to set up an Independent Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament; it is intended that part of this commission's remit will include an examination of the accountability of local authorities to their electorate, and this may include consideration of the openness of local authorities. The Government are also considering the development of a new ethical framework for local government in the light of the Committee on Standards in Public Life's recent report, and intend to publish proposals in the near future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Secretary of State for Scotland will next meet the leaders of Scottish local authorities and what subjects he expects to discuss.

My right honourable friend met the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on 7 November to discuss the financing of Scottish local government and other related matters and his next formal meeting is planned for Friday 23 January 1998. He has also had regular informal contacts with the CoSLA office bearers and the leaders of Scottish local authorities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have for the Government Information Service.

I am today placing in the Library of the House the Report of a Working Group on the Government Information Service. The report is about modernising the Government's communications with the media to make them more effective and authoritative—an integral part of a democratic government's duty to govern with consent. Its main proposals are:to improve co-ordination with and from the centre, so as to get across consistently the Government's key policy themes and messages, through a new strategic communications unit serving the whole Government; a reformed Cab-E-Net system; and clearer rules on attribution;to improve co-ordination within each government department so that Minsters, their special advisers, their press offices and their policy civil servants all play their part in the coherent formulation and communication of policy;to bring the practice and procedures of all government press offices up to the standards of the best, geared to quick response round the clock with help from a new central media monitoring unit;to retain a politically impartial service and to sustain the trusted values of the service embodied in its rules of guidance;on the basis that communication is an integral part of policy formulation, to develop closer and better working relations between policy civil servants and press offices;to offer high quality management and leadership, staffing and training and development tailored to meet the needs of the 24-hour media world.I have accepted the recommendations of the report. The costs of the two new units will be contained within the departments' running costs. Together, these proposals will produce a service, renamed the Government Information Service and Communication Service, which is fit for its purpose and fit for the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What help they will give to relocate the Royal Naval Division's memorial, now situated at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, when the college closes in October 1998; and whether any Minister has met or will be meeting the Royal Naval Division's Memorial Committee to discuss the memorial's future.

It has been the long-standing policy of successive governments that the costs of memorials are met from public subscriptions or private donations, rather than public funds. While the Government have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for the men of the Royal Naval Division who fought and died in the service of their country, I regret that the Ministry of Defence cannot fund removal of the Division's memorial. Should a scheme to move the memorials be developed, funded from other sources, we would be delighted to assist in identifying an alternative site.While there is no record of any meetings between the Memorial Committee and Ministers, Ministers have asked officials to keep them in touch with developments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What new measures they propose to introduce to achieve further reductions in drink drive casualties.

The Government will be publishing a consultation paper in the New Year setting out a range of proposals for discussion, including the reduction of the legal blood alcohol limit and measures to deal with serious or persistent drink-drive offenders.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What measures they are taking to improve the markets for waste-derived compost.

We are today announcing the publication of two guides which are aimed at improving the markets for waste-derived compost. The first contains practical guidance for large-scale producers of waste-derived compost, such as local authorities and the waste industry, setting out how they can design and market their product effectively to a variety of end users, particularly those in the horticulture and landscaping industries. The second guide is aimed at potential users, such as landscape architects and contractors, and explains the benefits of using waste-derived compost in their operations.One of our major environmental objectives is to promote sustainable waste management across the country. Every nine months we produce enough waste in the United Kingdom to fill lake Windermere. And of the estimated 26 million tonnes of municipal solid waste produced in 1995-96, around 85 per cent. was landfilled. It is therefore vital that, in future, we choose waste management options which preserve and enhance our environment and safeguard human health. We are therefore committed to increasing the quality and quantity of organic waste which is composted. This means a greater degree of centralised composting by local authorities and the waste management industry. But to make such schemes viable, we also need to expand the markets for waste-derived compost and thereby increase the demand for the product.We hope that these guides will make a valuable contribution to this by providing practical advice to compost producers and specifiers. They will be widely distributed free of charge to local authorities in England. waste management companies, composting organisations, landscaping architectural practices and selected landscaping contractors.Copies of the guides have been placed in the House Libraries.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have for the use of economic instruments to improve water quality.

My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister made clear on World Environment Day our determination to find the best way to address environmental concerns and to make polluters pay for necessary remedial action. Regulation has achieved a good deal but it may not represent the most cost effective means by which environmental objectives can be achieved, nor does it always make polluters pay for the cost of their activities.We want to find a mix of instruments that will be environmentally effective and economically efficient. Many of these will be regulatory in nature. Others may be voluntary. But we believe that economic instruments have a role to play in improving the environment. So, as my right honourable friend the Chancellor announced in the Budget, we are actively considering their role as part of our environmental policy and as a contribution to reform of the tax system.Today, we are setting out ideas for the use of such instruments to protect and enhance the quality of our rivers and other waters. A copy of the consultation paper has been placed in the Library. This is an important initiative. Water is of enormous environmental and economic importance and water pollution causes great concern to the public. We look forward to a period of active debate on these issues.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much money they receive from employers under the Access to Work Scheme.

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. The agency has been asked to respond to your question and its reply is attached.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House any statements made within the last six months by them, the United Nations Forum for Population Activities and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, condemning coercive population policies.

The copies of statements by Her Majesty's Government are in the Library of the House. Copies of relevant statements by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of a Bill (HR2570) passed by the United States House of Representatives on 6 November to:(a) condemn those officials of the People's Republic of China and other persons who are involved in the enforcement of forced abortions; and(b) prevent such persons from entering or remaining in the United States;and whether they will consider adopting a similar policy in the United Kingdom.

We are aware of this proposed measure, which has not completed its legislative passage. We have no plans to adopt a similar policy.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will establish, as a matter of urgency, alternative mechanisms to co-operate with non-governmental organisations working outside the framework of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross in order to enable emergency aid to be delivered to those now dying from starvation and disease in the areas designated "no-go" locations by the National Islamic Front regime in Sudan.

While the UK supports the UN mandate in Sudan under Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), we recognise there are needs in non-OLS areas. We are prepared to respond to clearly identified humanitarian needs wherever they arise in Sudan through organisations with experience of working in conflict situations who can give firm assurances that aid will reach the people for whom it is intended.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What investigations have been carried out into the appointment and employment of Councillor John Black as Manager of the Hull Resettlement Project.

The Hull Resettlement Project (HRP) is a company registered with Companies House under the Companies Act 1995 and is also a charity registered with the Charities Commission under the Charities Act 1993. The recruitment, appointment and retention of staff is therefore one of the responsibilities of the board of trustees, which has a staffing sub-committee to advise on all personnel matters. With regard to the appointment of Councillor John Black to the post of General Manager of the HRP, the Board of Trustees, through its staffing sub-committee, was advised by Hull City Council's Chief Personnel Officer and legal advisors in the Town Clerk's Office to ensure that the exercise was properly and fairly conducted at all stages and that all employment legislation and requirements and procedures were complied with. The continuing employment of John Black remains a matter for the HRP Board of Trustees.The Department of Social Security continues to monitor all aspects of the performance of the HRP, as well as all other resettlement projects that it funds under Section 30 of the Jobseekers Act 1995.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration they have given to the finding of the research carried out by Robert Davies of the Organophosphate Scientific Forum into health hazards arising from exposure to organophosphate pesticides, that at least 10 per cent. of people exposed over a period of time to these pesticides developed a disorder that led to brain damage; and in particular, the relevance of his finding that the illness is found among Gulf War veterans.

Contrary to recent reports in the media, the Department of Health has not received any details of the research by Dr. Davies to which my noble friend refers, nor, as far as I am aware, has any other government department. However, the Government will take into account all relevant research published in appropriately peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals in considering whether there are risks to human health from organophosphates, and we await the publication of Dr. Davies' research with interest.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion in percentage terms of the adult male population is exclusively heterosexual; andWhat is the estimated life expectancy of (a) the male population as a whole; and (b) the actively homosexual male population; andWhat proportion in percentage terms of the adult male population is actively homosexual.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many unaccompanied minors have been detained in Campsfield House near Oxford, at any one time in 1997, of what ages, from which countries, and under what legislation.

During 1997, 11 people have claimed to be aged under 18 while detained at Campsfield House. Six were Nigerian nationals, two were nationals of Pakistan, and there have been one each from Ghana, Bangladesh and Algeria. Of these 11 cases, four have been released, and only one remains at Campsfield House.Many of those who are liable to detention under powers conferred by the Immigration Act 1971, and who may at some stage have sought asylum in the United Kingdom, are not in possession of documents satisfactorily establishing either their identity or nationality. Some hold identity documents but claim to be younger than the ages shown therein. It is perhaps inevitable in these circumstances that there will be some cases where the precise age of the individual is in dispute.Age assessment remains an inexact science and definitive assessments cannot be made. The Immigration Service, however, is closely involved with the Children's Panel of the Refugee Council and local social services to ensure that cases of doubt are referred to a paediatrician at the first opportunity.Whilst there is no minimum age below which a person may not be detained under powers conferred by the Immigration Act, under current guidelines detention is not considered appropriate for unaccompanied children or for young persons under the age of 18. It is normal practice to grant temporary admission to those who are clearly unaccompanied minors, usually into the care of social services.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will enquire into reports of harassment by immigration officers of Polish citizens visiting the United Kingdom lawfully, in possession of correct documents and possessing proper references and means of support for the duration of their stay; andWhether they will enquire into the case of Miss Patrycia Julia Wlodarczyk, a Polish national, who was detained for several hours before being refused entry to the United Kingdom without any reason being given; and what was the reason for the action of the immigration authorities.

All complaints about the conduct of immigration officers are investigated by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Complaints Unit.Miss Wlodarczyk was refused entry to the United Kingdom because the immigration officer was not satisfied that she qualified for entry in accordance with the published Immigration Rules. A subsequent complaint submitted by her representatives is currently under investigation. This covers both the specific circumstances of Miss Wlodarczyk's case, and Polish citizens more generally. I will ensure that a copy of the report of the investigation into this complaint is sent to the noble Lord.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will introduce legislation to make discrimination on religious grounds unlawful.

The Government are alive to concerns about religious discrimination. This issue raises many difficult, sensitive and complex questions which need to be carefully considered before we reach conclusions. Our current priority is the forthcoming legislation on racial harassment, violence and other racially motivated crime. In the meantime, we are happy to receive views on whether legislation in due course would be desirable.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they have made in considering legislation on fire safety.

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State indicated on 23 June that the Government strongly support the aims of the Fire Safety Bill, which was introduced in the last Parliament in another place. Since then we have received advice from the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council on the main principles incorporated in that Bill and officials have held discussions with a number of key stakeholders.On Friday 28 November, the Government intend to publish a consultation document entitled