asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the level of Department for International Development/Overseas Development Administration spending on the Joint Financing Programme with Non-Governmental Organisations allocated to— (a) family planning and reproductive health; (b) preventive health care and (c) the provision of primary health centres, specifying in each case the distribution of spending between: (i) sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) the Middle East; (iii) South America; (iv) Central America; (v) South Asia; (vi) South-East Asia; (vii) the Caribbean; and (viii) the Pacific in each case for the financial years 1993–94; 1994–95; 1995–96; and 1996–97.

The following table provides details of the Department for International Development's spending through the Joint Funding Scheme on UK NGOs' health and population/family planning projects by continent. The figures provided do not include spending on integrated development projects which may have health/population/family planning components.As information is not held centrally in the subject/geographical format requested, a full answer to

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the level of DFID/ODA funding on the Joint Funding Programme with Non-Government Organisations on—(a) forestry projects; (b) water projects; and (c) refuse management and disposal programmes, specifying in each case the distribution of funding between: (i) sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) the Middle East; (iii) South America; (iv) central America; (v) south Asia;(vi) south-east Asia; the question could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the level of DFID/ODA spending on education for the areas of (a) sub-Saharan Africa; (b) the Middle East; (c) South America; (d) Central America; (e) South Asia; (f) South-East Asia (g) the Caribbean; and (h) the Pacific, in each case for the financial years 1993–94; 1994–95; 1995–96; and 1996–97.

The information the noble Lord requests is given in the table below. I regret that we do not differentiate between South and South-East Asia. The total expenditure shown includes expenditure on scholarships and other activities which are not recorded against individual countries or regions.(vii) the Caribbean; and (viii) the Pacific, in each case for the financial years 1993–94; 1994–95; 1995–96; and 1996–97.

The attached table provides details of the Department for International Development's spending through the Joint Funding Scheme on UK NGOs' water and forestry projects by continent. The figures provided do not include integrated development projects which may have water or forestry components.As information is not held centrally in the subject/geographical format requested, a full answer to the question could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What response they will make to the request of the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights for contributions to the Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.

We contributed £30,750 to the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture earlier this year and intend to make a further contribution in 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have received about the investigation by the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) of the deaths in custody at Malange of 10 members of UNITA on the night of 12 November following their arrest on that date; and whether they will ask the United Nations Secretary General to publish this and all other reports by MONUA of their investigations of alleged human rights violations in Angola.

MONUA have confirmed that up to fifty UNITA sympathisers were locked overnight in a small cell in Malange prison on 12 November. Interviews with the survivors suggest that the prisoners were kept in appalling conditions and that 10 deaths resulted from fighting between them. Information on MONUA's human rights monitoring activities is available through daily press releases and the Secretary-General's regular reports. We do not intend to request publication of all MONUA's reports.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have obtained a copy of the list prepared by the Zimbabwean Government of farmers whose farms and land are to be confiscated; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

A full list of the farms identified for compulsory acquisition appeared in the Zimbabwe Government Gazette on 28 November. We shall arrange for a copy to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have discussed the full impact of land seizures in Zimbabwe with President Mugabe. including the possible effects of the loss of overseas aid and foreign investment.

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 10 December. We have not discussed this issue in any detail with President Mugabe. But we have on many occasions in recent weeks discussed it with Zimbabwean Ministers and officials.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the General Affairs Council held on 8 December in Brussels.

At the General Affairs Council in Brussels on 8 December. the seven A points in document 13048/97 were approved, and the European Parliament Resolutions of 17–21 November in document 11493/97 were noted. The text of both documents will be placed in the Libraries of the House as soon as they become available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they failed to undertake any consultations with international experts in nutrition prior to making the decision to restrict the retail sale of Vitamin B6; and whether they will now make it their policy to ask the Committee on Toxicity to consult such experts.

The Government's decision to restrict the level of Vitamin B6 in dietary supplements sold under food law was based in part on advice from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Product and the Environment (COT). Members of the COT include internationally recognised experts in a range of disciplines, including nutrition.In considering the safety of Vitamin B6, the COT took account of the nutritional requirements for this vitamin that had been established by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) as part of its review of food energy and nutrient requirements of groups of people in the United Kingdom. Those carrying out this review included a number of nutritionists of international standing. International experts representing the EU Scientific Committee for Food and other experts from the European Community acted as observers.The Government have no plans to seek further advice on the safety of Vitamin B6.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Donoughue on 4 December (

Dried plasma and other blood products are excluded from the scope of the prohibition on the inclusion of mammalian protein in ruminant feed under both EC and domestic legislation.We are not aware of any evidence to show that BSE may be transmitted by feeding mammalian blood products to animals of the same species. If the noble Lord maintains that evidence exists for such transmission, I would be grateful for further details.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they have taken to avert a collapse of North Sea cod stocks since the 4th Report of the Select Committee on Science and Technology on Sustainable Management of North Sea Fisheries (Session 1996–97, H.L. Paper 63).

In November 1997 the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advised that fishing mortality for North Sea cod has declined from record levels over the past two years and, if the current level of fishing mortality is maintained, the spawning stock biomass is expected to increase to within safe biological limits. Because of a large year class joining the fishery, maintaining the current level of fishing mortality would have resulted in a total allowable catch (TAC) of 153,000 tonnes in 1998. However, in order to continue the rebuilding of the North Sea cod stock, the Government pressed for the TAC to be set at the lower level of 140,000 tonnes and this figure has since been agreed in the annual consultations between the Community and Norway over the management of this and other North Sea stocks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they propose to take to assist farmers suffering from falling incomes as a result of the strong pound and the BSE crisis.

We are considering what further action might be necessary to alleviate the position of farmers affected by currency movements and other developments affecting income.Offering new funds to fanners—even with reimbursement from the EU budget—carries significant implications for UK public expenditure.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the United States contends that under the provisions enforceable by the World Trade Organisation the European Union may not ban the import into Europe from the United States of "specified risk material" (that is, material at possible risk of BSE infection).

Yes. But their position on the Specified Risk Material legislation is based on the assumption that the United States can safely be regarded as a "BSE free" country. Their case for such treatment has not been accepted by the EU Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they believe a post mortem examination of a sample of all deceased people would help to establish the extent of human infection with CJD in the United Kingdom.

As part of the comprehensive research strategy into the human health aspects of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies we have commissioned a retrospective analysis of previous deaths from dementia-like diseases and a systematic survey of all autopsies performed in the Oxford area over a three-year period beginning in July 1997. The aim of the survey is to validate the current national surveillance protocols by ensuring that no cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) are being missed.In the meantime the government-funded National CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh will continue to investigate cases of suspected CJD. Since the unit was established in 1990 72 per cent. of all cases referred who subsequently died have been subjected to post-mortem examination. Eighty-two per cent. of new variant CJD (nvCJD) cases have been subjected to post-mortem examination.There is at present no test which can be carried out before or after death which enables CJD infectivity to be detected before the appearance of clinical symptoms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the 300 daily deaths alleged by Dr. Jacky Chambers (Deputy Chief Executive of the Health Education Authority) in 1993 to be caused by smoking occur among each of the following age groups.

The Health Education Authority estimated that, in the United Kingdom in 1988, 110,000 people died as a result of their smoking—on average 300 people per day. These were estimates for the whole population, and were not broken down by age.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will clarify the position on reductions in the Department of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Defence budgets announced earlier this year.

The Ministry of Defence budget for 1997-1998 was reduced by £168 million as a result of the department overspending in the previous financial year. This overspend was largely a result of goods and services being delivered and paid for earlier than expected. The Department of Trade and Industry budget for this financial year was reduced by £102 million because the nuclear industry no longer requires the funds; it was not a fine for overspending.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the power-generating companies are required to comply with European Directive 93/38/EEC on Procurement Procedures when the existing contracts for movement of coal by rail, inherited from British Rail, come up for renewal.

Under the UK regulations which implement this directive (The Utilities Contracts Regulations 1996, SI 1996 No. 2911), it is for utility operators themselves to determine whether they must comply in respect of particular contracts. Having made enquiries of the power generating companies, 1 am advised that contracts for the movement of coal by rail are subject to these regulations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many responses to the consultation document

Twenty-one responses were received. A summary of the main points has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the report by the Police Complaints Authority on their investigation of the complaints against the Metropolitan Police concerning the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary is today laying before Parliament the report submitted to him by the Police Complaints Authority. This has been made under Section 97 (2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which allows the authority to make a report to the Secretary of State on any matters coming to its notice to which it considers that his attention should be drawn by reason of their gravity or other exceptional circumstances.The report sets out the main findings resulting from an investigation carried out by officers from Kent Constabulary, under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority, into the way in which the Metropolitan Police Service handled the murder of Stephen Lawrence.The report concludes that the Metropolitan Police Service has committed substantial resources over several years to the investigation of this appalling crime, and that there is no doubt that a considerable amount of hard work has been undertaken. The report also concludes that the police operation undertaken immediately after the assault was well organised and effective and that there was no evidence of racist conduct by police officers. The report concludes, however, that there were significant weaknesses, omissions and lost opportunities during the murder investigation. Those errors were not identified by the internal review carried out by the Metropolitan Police. As a result, subsequent attempts to solve the crime have been hampered.The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has told my right honourable friend that he broadly accepts the findings of this initial report and now awaits the full report from the Kent investigation. He has told my right honourable friend that the Metropolitan Police has moved forward significantly in the investigation of major crime since 1993 but will address all of the shortcomings identified in the supervision and management of this investigation. They will also consider carefully the lessons to be learned.This report and its conclusion will now be considered by the inquiry which we have established under the chairmanship of Sir William Macpherson of Cluny to inquire into the matters arising from the death of Stephen Lawrence in order particularly to identify the lessons to be learned for the investigation and prosecution of racially motivated crimes. The inquiry intends to begin public hearings in February.The Police Complaints Authority report also identifies several issues which are relevant to the handling of serious crime by the police generally. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Crime Committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers are examining national standards in the investigation of major crime with a view to producing a model for the handling of major inquiries. During 1998, the inspectorate will also be conducting a thematic inspection of major crime investigation across the police service.The Police Complaints Authority report also draws attention to the shortcomings in first aid skills possessed by the officers who were first to arrive at the scene of the murder. All chief constables have already been recommended to deal with this issue within their forces, by a report of a thematic inspection on officer safety by Her Majesty's Inspectorate which was published in October.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many responses to

One hundred and eighteen responses were received. A list of respondents and a summary of the main points raised can be found in the Library, in a document entitled: Responses to the Home Office Consultation Document on Racial Violence and Harassment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many responses they have received to each of the three consultation papers on reform of the youth justice system and whether they will set out, in a summary, those responses.

By 8 December 1997, a total of 297 responses had been received to the consultation paper Tackling Youth Crime (published 25 September); 250 responses to the consultation paperNew National and Local Focus on Youth Crime(published 9 October); and 177 responses to the consultation paper Tackling Delays in the Youth Justice System (published 15 October). Summaries of the responses to each of the three papers have been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's GovernmentWhat key objectives and performance indicators they propose to set for the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad for 1998-99.

We intend that the provisions of the Police Act 1997 relating to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad should be fully implemented on 1 April 1998. We have determined, following the consultation process required under the Police Act 1997, that the key objectives and performance indicators for the National Criminal Intelligence Service and National Crime Squad for 1998–99 will be:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Who it is intended will comprise the Home Office Review Body on Firearms Legislation in 1998; and when it is intended to hold the first meeting.

The Government's first priority is to secure the complete ban on handguns which will be achieved when all .22 handguns are surrendered for compensation. We shall then consider whether any further steps are required to secure public safety. No timescale has been set but we propose to consult widely with all interested parties if we consider further steps to be necessary.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are commencing, or when they will commence, a multi-force scrutiny into the administration of firearms in the United Kingdom.

It is for the Association of Chief Police Officers, in consultation with individual chief constables, to determine whether to conduct a multi-force scrutiny as proposed into the administration of firearms in the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary's Thematic Inspection Report into the administration of firearms licensing in England and Wales.

A copy is already in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have commenced, or will commence, an up-to-date report or thematic inspection in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary into the administration of firearms licensing.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary look at all aspects of police administration, including firearms licensing, as part of their inspection process. They have no plans at present for a thematic inspection on firearms licensing.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will undertake negotiations with the Government of France to reach a new agreement on admission of asylum seekers, so that those who are not accepted for asylum can be returned to their country of origin.

Asylum seekers whose claims have been considered and rejected in the United Kingdom are normally returned to their country of origin directly and not through the territory of other states. Asylum seekers whose claims have been refused without substantive consideration in the United Kingdom may only be returned to other member states where it can be shown that the member state concerned is responsible according to the provisions of the Dublin Convention. We are in frequent discussion with our European partners with a view to developing and improving the procedures for the return of asylum seekers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made any response to the Communication from the European Commission to the Council of Minsters and the European Parliament on immigration and asylum policies, dated 23 February 1994.

The Government made no direct response. However, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 20 June 1994, the Council of Ministers approved a number of Conclusions relating to the Commission's Communication. Subsequent work programmes in the immigration and asylum field have reflected the subjects covered by the Communication.The conclusions are:"The Council:expresses its gratitude for the Commission Communication, which has the great merit of encompassing the various aspects of immigration and asylum policies;notes that the various Chapters of the Commission Communication have been discussed by the General Affairs Council, the Social Affairs Council, the Development Council and, in accordance with the procedural decisions taken at its meeting on 23 March 1994, the preparatory bodies of the Justice and Home Affairs Council;recalls the exchange of views at the informal meeting of the Ministers for Internal Affairs in Thessaloniki on 6 and 7 May 1994;reiterates the importance it attaches to the action plan and the priority work programme for 1994 which were adopted at the end of 1993;calls upon the competent bodies to examine, at the time of preparation of a new work programme, the desirability of including in its topics in that Communication which come under Title 1 of the European Union but which are not included in the priority work programme for 1994".

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the tariff of a minimum 20 years' detention, which qualified the sentence of life imprisonment imposed upon a man recently convicted of imprisoning, torturing, blinding and eventually murdering a 17-year old girl, adequately satisfied the requirements of retribution and deterrence.

The Secretary of State has not yet set a tariff—the period which must be served by a mandatory life-sentence prisoner to satisfy the requirements of retribution and deterrence—in this case. The period referred to in the question is the minimum recommendation of 20 years made by the trial judge in passing a sentence of life imprisonment. When the Secretary of State sets the tariff, he will consider carefully the trial judge's description of the circumstances of the murder, his and the Lord Chief Justice's recommendations on tariff and any representations submitted by the prisoner. The Secretary of State attaches considerable weight to the judicial recommendations on tariff in mandatory life-sentence cases but is not bound by them and may set tariffs lower or higher than those recommended.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Williams of Mostyn on 19 November (

The concession applies to those who have a relationship akin to marriage with a person who is present and settled in the United Kingdom (or is here in a category leading to settlement or who has been granted asylum), who are legally unable to marry (other than by reasons of consanguineous relationships or age), who have been living together in a stable relationship for four years and intend to continue to do so permanently and who can maintain and accommodate themselves adequately without recourse to public funds. Any previous marriage (or similar relationship) by either partner must have permanently broken down.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many mentally disordered prisoners were transferred from prison to hospital under each of the relevant sections of the Mental Health Act 1983, in each year from 1982 to 1996.

Information on the number of restricted patients transferred from prison to hospital under Sections 47/49 and Sections 48/49 of the Mental Health Act 1983 is collected by my department: