asked Her Majesty's Government:How many NHS Trust appointments, of (a) chairmen; and (b) non-executive directors, are due to be made either to re-appoint or to replace those whose terms of office ended on or before 31 October or 30 November; and how many appointments in each category are not yet made; andFurther to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 11 December

One hundred and sixty five National Health Service trust chairman and 829 non-executive director appointments were to be made by 1 December. Of these 34 chairman and 192 non-executive director appointments still had to be formally confirmed on 18 December.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the risk factors relating to:

Risk factors can be interpreted in more than one way. First, there are the factors which predispose an individual to a risk which can include genetic makeup, gender, behaviour, environment—including social and economic factors, age and pre-existing illness. Some commentators tend to quote figures in order to compare risks. Many have become wary of making such comparisons for a number of reasons; because it is often impossible to compare like with like and because there are different perceptions of the risk, but also because different risks affect different sections of the population and because some risks are voluntarily accepted. In some cases the extent of the risks is simply not known.In its advice to Ministers the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) said that using pessimistic assumptions concerning the various factors involved in the transmission of BSE to humans it is estimated that the risk from the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in food is now very small. On the basis of the risk assessment available to the committee it estimated that there is a 95 per cent. chance of no cases and a five per cent. chance of one case of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease arising as a result of this exposure inLine listings of general foodborne outbreaks in England and Wales are published on a quarterly basis in the Public Health Laboratory Services Communicable Disease Report

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the annual cost to the NHS of alcohol abuse and misuse among the following age groups: (a) under 17 years old; (b) 17 to 25 years old; and (c) over 25 years old.

Estimates of the cost to the National Health Service of alcohol-related morbidity and mortality vary widely; the most recent academic estimate of which we are aware is reproduced in the table. It is not broken down by age group.

	£,million
	Cost to NHS
Inpatient costs—direct alcohol diagnosis	40.80
Inpatient costs—other alcohol related diagnosis	120.17
General practice costs	3.06
Total	164.03

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Minister for Public Health was involved in, or consulted about, the proposed restrictions on the retail sale of vitamin B6 supplements; whether in the course of any such involvement she declared any family connection with pharmaceutical companies; and, if so, what was the nature of the connection.

The decision to propose restrictions on the retail sale of vitamin B6 supplements was taken jointly by the Minister of State for Public Health and the Minister for Food Safety following advice from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment and the Food Advisory Committee. Paragraphs 109–129 of the Ministerial code require Ministers to ensure that there is no conflict of interest between their public duties and their private interests. The Secretary of State for Health is satisfied that there is no conflict of interest in this case.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the cost to the NHS of antenatal, childbirth and post-natal treatment; what proportion this is of total NHS costs; and what is the average salary of:

Hospital and community health services expenditure on maternity services is shown in the table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In the light of the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 11 December (

We expect to consult in the spring next year. The Home Department, the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Department for Education and Employment, and the Scottish Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices are likely to be the main departments involved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their strategy on helplines

The Government believe in the importance of providing information. The use of helplines is one of a number of communications methods which can be used. A recent example is the proposal in the White Paper The New NHS: Modern and Dependable to introduce new 24-hour advice lines to provide easier and faster advice and information through the National Health Service. We will pilot this through three care and advice helplines to begin in March 1998. We are aiming for the whole country to be covered by the year 2000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Who was asked to tender for the CALM helpline; how the original contract was awarded to Network Scotland; and why the most used helpline in Britain—SANELINE—was not asked to tender.

The contract was awarded to Network Scotland on the basis of value-for-money and fitness for purpose. This organisation has a proven track record in operating helplines on sensitive issues—most notably the Sexwise line, offering counselling on sex and emotional matters for young people; the National AIDS Helpline and the National Drugs Helpline. Four other organisations were invited to tender for the CALM helpline.The scale of the project required a European-wide invitation to tender for which there was insufficient time to meet the deadline of a 15 December launch.It was therefore, decided that this project should be managed by the Central Office of Information, which was able to organise a tender from suppliers assembled under a European Union framework agreement which had previously been established as a result of an advertisement for direct marketing services to government in the Official Journal of European Tenders. SANELINE do not appear on the framework list and were therefore ineligible for consideration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to amalgamate the health and social services budgets for the provision of the mentally ill in light of the seven reports over 30 years that have all concluded this would provide for a more efficient service for the mentally ill.

We are keen to develop closer working between health and social services. The National Health Service White Paper, A New NHS, introduces a number of steps to promote closer working, including plans to strengthen the duty of partnership between all parts of the NHS and social services, new provision for local authority chief executives to participate in health authority meetings, and a requirement that joint investment plans be produced from 1999–2000 for continuing community care, including mental health.We will consult during 1998 on further ways of achieving closer local working relationships, including joint operation and planning of budgets.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total NHS expenditure on private in-patient care for NHS psychiatric patients requiring in-patient psychiatric care but for whom there are no beds available.

As the grounds for referral of a patient to a private in-patient facility are not simply based on the availability or otherwise of a National Health Service bed. it is not possible to say what the expenditure might be in the circumstances outlined.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much money is being released from community care funds following the death of former long-stay patients placed in the community; and whether the money has been directed towards the care of new long-term patients.

:The net reduction in the 1997–98 Old Long Stay (OLS) special allocation, which funds the care in England of patients with mental illness admitted to hospital before 1 January 1971 and patients with learning disabilities admitted before 1 January 1970, was £20 million. Patient deaths is one of the factors in this net reduction but this element is not separately identified in the information held centrally.1997–98 general allocations to health authorities were enhanced by this £20 million to ensure that spending on mental health and people with learning difficulties could be maintained. For 1998–99 no reductions were made in the OLS special allocation to health authorities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they permit judgments of United Kingdom courts to be reported on legal databases in a manner that indicates whether such judgments have been over-ruled or distinguished in subsequent judgments; and, if not, why not.

There are no government restrictions imposed upon the reporting of judgments of United Kingdom courts on legal databases. It is for database owners to decide whether it is commercially viable to include information that indicates whether a judge has been over-ruled or distinguished and government do not influence this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What restrictions they impose upon the reporting of judgments of United Kingdom courts on legal databases.

There are no government restrictions imposed upon the reporting of judgments of United Kingdom courts on legal databases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the annual profits made by the Public Record Office for each of the past five years and the proportion of those profits attributable to income received from photocopying charges.

The Public Record Office has made no annual profit in the past five years. Charges for photocopies and all other charges are set to recover full cost with no profit element.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What charges are imposed by the Public Record Office, per page, for photocopying public records; and how such charges are calculated and regulated to ensure that they are no more than is appropriate and necessary.

The current charges for electrostatic copies from original documents are set out in the Public Record Office (Fees) Regulations 1997 (Statutory Instruments 1997/400) a copy of which is available in the Library.The charges for photocopying of public records are calculated on the basis of full cost recovery in accordance with H.M. Treasury rules. Full cost is the total cost of the service including copying costs, costs of sales and overheads.The charges are made under the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958 section 2(5). They are reviewed annually to take account of likely changes in cost and demand. Proposed changes are considered by the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on Public Records, agreed by the Lord Chancellor and H.M. Treasury and implemented by statutory instrument. Every effort is made to keep the cost of copying to a minimum. However the public records are unique and their nature and format often makes them unsuitable for conventional copying methods: considerable care has to be taken to ensure that they are safely handled in order to preserve them for posterity. In some cases specialised equipment and labour intensive handling techniques are required and these inevitably have an impact on costs. The office is gradually increasing the amount of material made available to readers in surrogate format (for example, microfilm, electronic image) so that more copies can be made by cheaper self-service methods.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the total costs of giving training to members of courts and tribunals about the implications of the forthcoming Human Rights Act; and how it is intended that funds should be allocated for this purpose across the United Kingdom.

The cost of judicial training in preparation for implementation of the Human Rights Bill is estimated to be £5.0 million: £4.5 million for England and Wales; £450,000 for Scotland and £50,000 for Northern Ireland. Continuation training will be provided after implementation as necessary.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which consolidation Bills they plan to introduce during the current parliamentary session.

The Petroleum Bill has already been introduced. Three other consolidation Bills, on the Audit Commission, the Armed Forces and European parliamentary elections, may also be introduced, dependent on the progress of other legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the citizen has a legitimate expectation that the Government and public authorities will generally provide reasons for administrative decisions directly affecting the citizen's rights and interests.

The Government recognise that giving reasons for administrative decisions contributes to good administration. The current Code of Practice on Access to Government Information commits government departments and certain public bodies to give reasons to those affected by administrative decisions.The recent White Paper,

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have approved an export licence for the supply to the Netherlands of shotgun ammunition intended for use in Bosnia.

We recently approved the export to the Netherlands of 2,500 rounds of CS gas and target-practice shotgun ammunition for use in riot-control by Dutch UN armed forces in Bosnia. Given that the ammunition is needed to support peace-keeping activities in Bosnia and that it is important that UN forces in Bosnia, which include British troops, are able to protect themselves, we were glad to be able to approve this export as an exception to our interpretation of the EU arms embargo on the former Yugoslavia. This decision does not affect our continued support of the EU common position on arms exports to the former Yugoslavia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the work described in a recent United States Department of Energy document on upgrading and replacing the B-61 gravity bomb, the W-87 warhead for air-launched missiles and the W-76 and W-88 warhead for submarine-launched Trident missiles may amount to a breach of the provisions of the comprehensive test ban treaty and of Article VI of the non-proliferation treaty, for both of which the United Kingdom is a depository power.

:The depository of the comprehensive test ban treaty is the United Nations Secretary-General. We have no reason to believe that any developments proposed by the United States are in any way in breach of their obligations under the non-proliferation treaty or the comprehensive test ban treaty.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider the siting of weapons in space should be a subject of preventive diplomacy by the United Nations or by any other party; andWhy successive British Governments have voted against or abstained from resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly on "preventing an arms race in outer space" (PAROS); and whether in future they will support such resolutions.

We have made clear that we have no objection to re-establishing an Ad-Hoc Committee at the Conference on Disarmament on this issue. Together with other European Union member states, we abstained on the United Nations General Assembly resolution on this issue because we did not wish to prejudge the outcome of further debate within the Conference on Disarmament.I cannot comment on the position taken by previous governments on this issue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have given any undertakings to the United States not to object to its current research and development programmes for the siting of weapons in space as announced in the Quadrennial Defense Review and other official documents of the United States Administration.

No such undertakings have been given.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information Turkey has given to its fellow members of NATO about the scope and purpose of its military collaborations with Israel.

The Turkish Government has given no specific briefings to NATO partners on its military collaboration with Israel. However, in bilateral contacts, Turkey has outlined the areas in which it sought to develop its contacts with the Israeli defence forces. These include defence industry co-operation, and search and rescue exercises.The Turkish authorities have also made clear that their co-operation with Israel is not directed against any third country.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the United States proposals for the "transformation" of NATO (President Clinton,

We are not aware of any statement by President Clinton on the lines referred to in the noble Lord's Question. However we agree with Mrs. Albright's remarks, quoted in the International Herald Tribune of 17 December that "the United States and Europe will certainly face challenges beyond Europe's shores"; "our nations share global interests that require us to work together with the same degree of solidarity as we have long maintained in the continent".

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether NATO, as experienced and supported by successive British Governments over recent decades, or the "transformed" NATO currently being advanced by the United States as an element in its own "global strategy", which would extend NATO's responsibilities into the Caspian Oil Province and into the Middle East, is "the bedrock of European security and a key component in our foreign and defence policies", as stated by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 9 December

As I informed the noble Lord in my Written Answer of 9 December, we have consistently made clear our wholehearted commitment to NATO.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 9 December

NATO has no defined area of operations and the United States has not proposed creating one.In her speech to the North Atlantic Council on 16 December, Secretary Albright expressed concern at the threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We share that concern and are strongly committed to preventing such proliferation. We shall pursue this vigorously in close co-operation with our allies and partners, with the aim of maintaining and strengthening the relevant treaties and supplier regimes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the United States Administration that further military action against Iraq does not need further United Nations Security Council authority, or with the French Government, which says that it does.

If Saddam Hussein reverted to a policy of obstructing UNSCOM operations, as witnessed in November, this would be a clear breach of Iraq's obligations under Security Council resolutions. We would continue to pursue a diplomatic solution but could not rule out military action as a last resort.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their policy on dealing with regimes which came into power unconstitutionally remains as stated by Lord Carrington on 28 April 1980 (HL Deb, cols. 1121–1122).

It does. We recognise states, not governments. We decide the nature of our dealings with regimes which come to power unconstitutionally in the light of our assessment of whether they are able of themselves to exercise effective control of the territory of the state concerned, and seem likely to continue to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What criteria they apply in deciding whether to support governments in exile, either politically or financially; and why they have given ―130,000 to former President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone and nothing to former President Pascal Lissouba of Congo Brazzaville.

where democratic governments have been overthrown by violence we have often worked with them in exile as part of our global support for democracy. Tejan Kabbah is not the "former" President of Sierra Leone; he remains the legitimate leader of that country, whereas the outbreak of civil war in June 1997 in Congo (Brazzaville) resulted in the cancellation of the presidential election and the subsequent expiry of President Lissouba's mandate in August 1997. Moreover, although the UK was a principal donor to Sierra Leone before the coup—and hopes to be again after the restoration of constitutional order there—we have not had a bilateral aid relationship with the Republic of the Congo for many years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will propose that the European Union issue a demarche on the 25 year prison sentences passed against three Ahmadis under Section 295(C) of the penal code in Pakistan and on the use of this provision in the law in general.

Our High Commission in Islamabad are investigating why Section 295(C) of the penal code was invoked in this instance, and the prospects for appeal. The EU raised its concerns about the situation faced by religious minorities and the blasphemy laws with the Pakistan Government on 15 December.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What contribution they will make to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture in 1998.

We intend to contribute at least £100,000 to the fund in 1998, a major increase over previous years contributions. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's overall spending plans for the next financial year are of course, subject to parliamentary approval early in 1998.

Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 9 December (

The EU/Israel dialogue has proven to be a useful mechanism for engaging Israel on the problems facing the Palestinian economy. Despite substantive discussions, the dialogue has yet to produce the intended results on the ground. During our presidency we will work closely with Special Envoy Moratinos to ensure it produces results that enhance Palestinian economic well-being.

Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:What responses Israel has made to the request from the European Union and the United Kingdom to relax all restrictions on free movements of goods and people from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

Israel has removed most of the closure restrictions on the movement of goods and people it imposed following the Jerusalem bombings of 4 September. But significant barriers remain. We will continue to press Israel to remove unnecessary impediments to Palestinian travel and commerce. both bilaterally and through the EU dialogue with Israel.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether and when representations have been made to the Government of Israel concerning Mr. Mordechai Vanunu, his conditions of imprisonment, mental health and 18 year sentence; if so, with what result; and whether there has been any inter-governmental action on this matter.

We have no formal standing to intervene in this case as there is no evidence of any illegality prior to his departure from the United Kingdom. Mr. Vanunu appears to have been treated in accordance with the normal judicial process in Israel. Nevertheless, on humanitarian grounds, we regularly raise with the Israelis the length of Mr. Vanunu's solitary confinement and did this most recently with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 December.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that the estimates of substantial oil reserves in the Caspian Sea are accurate and, if those estimates were to prove exaggerated, what difference that might make to the Government's policy in the Transcaucasus.

It is generally accepted that the oil reserves in the Caspian Sea are substantial, but estimates vary considerably. Our principal policy objectives in the Transcaucasus are underpinning the countries' independence and territorial integrity, supporting efforts to resolve conflicts, encouraging political and economic reform. and increasing bilateral trade. These objectives are unaffected by the level of Caspian oil reserves.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many vehicles have broken down on the M.20 in the last three years as a result, or partly as a result, of overloading; and whether the incidence of overloading is markedly higher on this road than is usual.

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency, Mr. Ron Oliver, to write to my noble friend.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Health and Safety Laboratory intends to publish its Annual Report and Accounts for 1996–97.

The Health and Safety Laboratory has today published the 1996–97 Annual Report and Accounts, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are now in a position to make public the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch into the sinking of the "Pescado" off the Cornish coast in 1991.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) cannot formally complete a report while the matter is the subject of either a prosecution or an appeal. In the case of the "Pescado", the criminal prosecution of the owner and operator and the subsequent appeal process ended in March 1997.The MAIB is now completing its report. In accordance with the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 1994, the final draft of the report will be sent to those whose reputation may be adversely affected. If passages in the report remain an issue, alternative text can be submitted to the MAIB within 28 days and these texts, if any, will be published as an appendix to the report. The report will then be submitted to the Secretary of State for approval to publish.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will agree to the setting up of a free market in pollution permits, as proposed by some parties at the Kyoto meeting on global warming; and, if so, what is their estimate of the effect this might have on the economic development of poor countries whose governments have sold off their permit entitlements.

The Kyoto Protocol allows for the possibility of emissions trading, subject to rules and guidelines to be developed. The Government will be working with their EU partners and other countries to develop the rules for emissions trading to ensure that it becomes a useful way to maximise reductions, and not a loophole.The Kyoto Protocol only allows for emissions trading between countries with targets for the limitation or reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which do not include developing countries at present.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the sale agreement of Railfreight Distribution to English, Welsh and Scottish Railways Ltd.

No. The terms of the sale agreement between the British Railways Board and English, Welsh and Scottish Railways in respect of Railfreight Distribution are commercially confidential.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much government money has been committed to English, Welsh and Scottish Railways Ltd. as part of the sale agreement to them of Railfreight Distribution.

The net present value of cost of the sale to the British Railways Board is estimated at about £242 million. The biggest element comprises payments to Eurotunnel, to which BRB is in any case contractually committed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the sale of Railfreight Distribution to English, Welsh and Scottish Railways Ltd. complies with the European Community requirements for open access for rail freight through the Channel Tunnel.

The terms of the sale were approved by the European Commission prior to the sale's completion. The Commission found that the sale terms did not unduly distort competition. Since then, we have secured from the French Government and Eurotunnel commitments designed to increase international railfreight not only by Railfreight Distribution but also by potential new entrants to the market.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Under what circumstances, including any relevant statute, an area of land can become designated as "Memorial Land"; andFollowing the designation of an area of land as "Memorial Land", what conditions and restrictions as to its future use will result.

As far as is known, there is no statutory definition of "Memorial Land" and thus no specific conditions or restrictions as to the use of such land. In general, a material change of use of land would require planning permission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many incidents of pyrethroid pollution of watercourses in England, Scotland and Wales have been reported to the relevant department in the past 12 months.

In 1997 there were 11 confirmed cases of pollution by synthetic pyrethroid sheepdips reported to the Environment Agency in England and Wales.1997 data are not yet available for Scotland. However, in 1996 there were 13 incidents confirmed as due solely to synthetic pyrethroid sheepdips reported to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, further to the statement of Baroness Hayman on 17 November (H.L. Deb., col. 366) and the subsequent letter of the Wildlife Trusts of 10 December, they still consider that "parts of Thorn and Hatfield Moors have been included as candidates for Special Areas of Conservation", and that "it is only by continuing extraction to groundwater level that bogs will be re-established allowing the regeneration of the conservation interest."

I can confirm that part of Thorne Moors is a candidate Special Area of Conservation.In my statement, I referred to the need to bring the level of peat close to the groundwater level to achieve the regeneration of conservation interest within peatbogs affected by commercial peat extraction. I was specifically referring to the water level within the peat mass (often termed the "groundwater mound" by hydrologists), and not the regional groundwater table. As the letter from the Wildlife Trusts correctly points out, the former is derived almost entirely from precipitation and is generally very low in nutrients. For this reason, the peat industry are required to leave a suitable depth of well humified peat (generally half a metre) above the mineral substrate to prevent nutrient enrichment from the underlying strata.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Of the projected 4.4 million additional households expected to be established between 1995 and 2016, what proportion will be generated by (a) young people leaving home as single people; and (b) family break-up; what will be the total cost of building new or converting old accommodation for those households; and how will this cost be shared between public and private providers.

The projected 4.4 million additional households cover the 25-year period 1991 to 2016 and were published in 1995 in my department's document Projections of Households in England to 2016, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.The household projections do not identify household formation by the categories specifically requested. However, the number of one-person households formed by never married people is projected to rise by 1.85 million between 1991 and 2016. Of this projected rise, only 182,000 (just under 10 per cent.) are people aged under 30. The group of one-person households who are divorced or separated is projected to grow by 1.2 million between 1991 and 2016, with divorced and separated men representing two-thirds of this growth.It is the responsibility of regional conferences, made up of representatives from local authorities and other interested parties, to formulate proposals for the housing requirements in the Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) for each region, and the household projections are only one of the factors that they have to take into consideration in this process. Local planning authorities are required to ensure a reasonable mix and balance of house types and tenures to cater for a range of housing needs. It would not be feasible for my department to make the cost estimates requested.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What factual or estimated information they have of the total unfunded liabilities of each member state of the European Union; and in respect of any member state for which they have no such information when they propose to obtain it.

Several estimates of the value of unfunded pension liabilities are available. For example, the OECD has published recent estimates of the net present value of public pension schemes for most of the member states in Ageing populations pension systems and government budgets: simulations for 20 OECD Countries. Economics Department Working Paper No. 168, 1996. Estimates and projections of pension expenditure by member states are available in Public pension expenditure prospects in the European Union: A survey of national projections, published by the European Commission in European Economy No. 3 1996. Copies are available in the Library of the House of Lords. Information on other unfunded liabilities for each member state of the EU is difficult to obtain and subject to considerable uncertainty. However the excessive deficit procedure and the Stability Pact are designed to ensure that member states cannot follow irresponsible budgetary policies. If a member state needs to address a build-up of liabilities of any kind, it will not be able to fund them through excessive borrowing.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the number of deaths over a three-year period, up to the most recent date for which they are available, in each of the following categories:

The information requested falls with 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:Further to the Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 3 December (H.L. Deb, col. 1367), whether the total cost of £758 million attributable to the completion of the millennium dome includes the cost of internal completion and the setting up and installation of artefacts designed to provide the "experience".

:Yes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the companies that have been or will he contracted to supply the internal exhibits and fittings for the millennium dome will receive any share of the admission charges levied on the public; and if so, what share.

No.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What terms they propose to extend to the commercial sector in order to encourage their participation in the creation of internal exhibits for, and fitting out of, the millennium dome; and whether tenders have been sought to this effect.

The New Millennium Experience Company announced on 2 December that they had concluded contracts with the first 10 designers for the large scale exhibition structures within the millennium experience. They are Bentheim, Eva Jiricna Architects, HP:ICM, Jasper Jacob Associates, Land Design Studio Ltd., Media Projects International, MUF Architects, Park Avenue, Spectrum, and Work. In association with the NMEC, sponsors and specialist advisers, these designers are now developing further the design concepts for the experience attractions. I have placed a copy of the NMEC's detailed press release in the Libraries of the House. Since that announcement the company have also concluded a contract with Zaha M. Hadid. These contracts have been awarded as part of the competitive tendering process advertised in the 6 June edition of the Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any members of the Government have declared shareholdings or other financial links, either personally or through close family members, with pharmaceutical companies; and, if so, which Ministers have made such declarations and with which companies.

There is no central list of the financial interests of Ministers and their close family members but paragraphs 109–129 of the Ministerial Code require Ministers to ensure that there is no conflict of interests between their public duties and their private interests. This includes not only Ministers' personal interests but those of spouse, partner and children who are minors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend that members of the public will have to pay the cost of photocopying documents when exercising their right of access to information under the proposed Freedom of Information Act; and if so, how such charges are to be calculated and regulated to ensure that they are no more than is appropriate and necessary.

The White Paper Your Right to Know (Cm 3818) sets out in paragraphs 2.28 to 2.34 the Government's proposals for fees and charges under the proposed Freedom of Information Act. These include the requirement that any charges should reflect only reasonable costs; and that applicants for information would have a right of appeal to the proposed information commissioner about the level of charges made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they would support a review of the management of parliamentary copyright in the light of their current review of the management of Crown copyright.

The responsibility for the management of parliamentary copyright rests with Parliament. A review of parliamentary copyright is, therefore, entirely a matter for senior parliamentary officials.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the admission charge for (a) the Natural History Museum (b) the Imperial War Museum at Lambeth Road (c) the National Maritime Museum (d) the Royal Air Force Museum (e) the Science Museum in London (1) the Victoria and Albert Museum (g) the National Museum and Galleries, Cardiff and (h) the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum when voluntary and compulsory charges were introduced; what it is now; and what is the percentage change of the charges since the introduction of admission charges.

The information is given in the following table.

	Full adult admission charge at introduction	Year of introduction	Full adult admission charge now	Percentage rise
Natural History Museum1	£1 and £2	1987	£6
Imperial WarMuseum2	£2.50	1989	£4.70	88
National Maritime Museum	£1.50	1984	£5	233
Royal Air ForceMuseum3	£3	1988	£5.85	95
Science Museum4	£2	1988	£5.95	198
Victoria and Albert Museum5	£5	1996	£5	0
National Museum & Galleries, Cardiff	£1	1988	£3.25	225
Ulster Folk andTransport Museum6	£0.15	1964	£4	2,567
1 The Natural History museum initially operated differential charging regimes on two sites in 1987. A percentage comparison is therefore omitted.
2 The figures are for the Lambeth Road site.
3 The figures are for the Hendon site.
4 The figures are for the South Kensington site.
5 The Victoria and Albert Museum initially operated a suggested voluntary donation of £2 in 1995, which rose to £4.50 in 1996. A compulsory charge was introduced in 1996.
6The figure quoted is for 1971. Although the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum began charging in 1964, figures for that year are not available.
The prices quoted do not take inflation into account and represent the full single adult price. All museums operate generous concessionary pricing regimes and the majority of visitors do not pay the full price. Many gain free admission. Concessionary regimes differ from institution to institution and detailed comparisons would need to take this into account.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is any correlation between the reduction in Treasury grants to national museums and the increase in admission charges at those museums that charge them.

Admission charges are a matter for the trustees of each institution.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the research carried out by the Museums and Galleries Commission into admission charges, whether they will carry out research into the effects on access, including effects at a national level and on local people and artists of (a) the levying of charges by public museums and galleries in the United Kingdom for admission to the permanent collections; and (b) the lifting of charges in those museums where this has occurred.

The effects of both introducing and lifting admission charges have to some extent already been examined by the research carried out for the Museums and Galleries Commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the statistical or other evidence used as the basis for Lord McIntosh of Haringey's remark in the House on 20 November that "there is evidence in Merseyside that customers have not been deterred by the [national museum] charges that were introduced in July [1997]" (HL Deb, col. 653).

Initial figures from the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside for the months of July and August 1997 showed a 2 per cent. increase in visitor numbers over the same months in the previous year. There are also indications that repeat visits to the same museum, and visits to more than one museum, have risen since the introduction of a charge for an annual ticket. However, the latest figures, for the four months July–October 1997, show a 6 per cent. drop in visitors compared with the same months in 1996. Data over a longer period are required before reliable inferences can be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the British Library's budget for the purchase of manuscript collections for the financial year 1998–99.

Allocation of the British Library's resources is a matter for the British Library Board in the light of its various priorities. The board is currently reviewing its budgets for 1998–99, including its acquisitions budget, in light of the Government's announcement of grant-in-aid for the year and will submit its 1998–99 Business Plan to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the end of February 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the central government grant per admission in the year 1996–97 for each of (a) British Museum (b) National Gallery (c) Tate Gallery (d) National Portrait Gallery (e) Wallace Collection (f) National Army Museum (g) Royal Armouries (h) National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside (t) Imperial War Museum (j) National History Museum (k) Science Museum in London (1) Victoria and Albert Museum (m) National Maritime Museum (n) Royal Air Force Museum.

The information is given in the following table.

Grant per admission in 1996–97
Museum	£
British Museum	4.87
National Gallery	3.75
Tate Gallery	7.57
National Portrait Gallery	5.73
Wallace Collection	10.34
National Army Museum	19.45
Royal Armouries	1.21
National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside	10.85
Imperial War Museum	8.23
Natural History Museum	15.25
Science Museum	8.13
Victoria and Albert Museum	19.29
National Maritime Museum	22.54
Royal Air Force Museum	23.21

Visitor numbers for non-charging museums are often based on counting methods which are prone to error. They may over-estimate the true number of visitors by a significant amount. Comparisons between charging and non-charging museums therefore need to be treated with caution.In some cases the figures include visits to outstations museums as well as to main sites. No distinction is made at the Tower of London between visitors to the Royal Armouries exhibition and visitors to the rest of the Tower.The Royal Air Force Museum and National Army Museum are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, not by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the research commissioned by the Museums and Galleries Commission into admission charges, whether they will commission research into the nature of the experience of a person's visit to public museums and galleries in the United Kingdom, including the subjective responses of individual visitors and data on visiting habits.

The Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC) has carried out a public opinion survey concerning those aspects of museums which most interest visitors and in recent months has carried out qualitative research into the experiences of children on their visits and also those of ethnic minorities. The first two studies have been published and the third will be available shortly.These studies are part of an ongoing programme of research into museum visits. The quality of a person's experience when visiting a museum or gallery is of fundamental importance and will continue to be looked at very closely.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In respect of each ministry or department involved how many civil servants in the administrative grade are, whether on secondment or otherwise, performing duties in the European Commission and in which directorates.

Most UK civil servants performing duties in the European Commission are seconded as detached national experts (DNEs), of which there are currently 105. In addition, there are currently 15 UK civil servants on short term placement within the European Commission. There is also a small number of UK civil servants who are fulfilling roles within the Commission as temporary agents. Most obtain special leave (unpaid) from their departments in order to undertake these temporary contracts. No figures are available for people who fall into this category. UK civil servants seconded as detached national experts or on short term placement are listed below by department (or ministry) and directorate within the European Commission:

Cabinet Office
DGII	1
Department for Education and Employment
DGV	5
DGXXII	2
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
DGI	1
DGIII	2
DGVII	3
DGX	2
DGXI	1
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL	1
Department of Health
DGIII	3
DGV	1
DGVII	1
Department for International Development
DGIa	1
DGIb	3
DGII	1
DGVIII	6
DGXII	1
DGXVI	1
EUROSTAT	1
Department of Social Security
DGV	1
DGIX	1
LEGAL SERVICE	1
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL	1
Department of Trade and Industry
DGI	3
DGIa	3
DGIII	1
DGIV	3
DGXII	1
DGXIII	1
DGXIV	1
DGXV	2
DGXVII	1
DGXXI	1
LEGAL SERVICE	1
WASHINGTON DELEGATION	1
Employment Agency
DGXI	2
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE	2
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
DGIa	2
DGII	1
DGXVII	1
CABINET	1
HM Customs and Excise
DGXIX	1
DGXXI	8
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL	1
HM Treasury
DGII	2
DGIV	1
DGXX	1
EUROSTAT	6
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL	1
Health and Safety Executive
DGIII	1
DGV	1
DGXI	3
DGXII	1
Home Office
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL	1

Inland Revenue
DGXIV	1
DGXV	2
LEGAL SERVICE	1
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
DGI	1
DGVI	4
DGVIII	1
DGXIV	1
Minister of Defence
DGVII	1
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE	1
National Audit Office
DGIX	1
DGXX	1
Northern Ireland Civil Service
DGVI	1
DGVII	1
DGXVI	1
Office of Fair Trading
DGIV	2
Scottish Office
DGXI	1
DGXVII	1
DGXXIII	1

asked Her Majesty's Government:In respect of each member state of the European Union what is the number of their respective nationals working at A grade in each directorate of the European Commission.

It is for the European Commission to provide information about the staff it employs and the way in which it assigns them. The European Commission does not normally supply information about staffing levels. However, some recent figures have been made available relating to administrative (A grade) officials. These set out the position as at 5 May 1996 (below). The most senior category is Al, the most junior A8.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their proposed Earned Income Tax Credit will be available to full-time students who take part-time employment.

Her Majesty's Government are considering introducing a "Working Family Tax Credit" which would build on the successful elements of Family Credit and be paid through the wage packet. The Government are considering all the options for their potential design and delivery.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many detections of smuggling of alcohol and tobacco have been recorded in each of the last three years.

In the past three financial years, Customs made the following numbers of detections of smuggled alcohol and tobacco goods:

	Alcohol	Tobacco	Total
1994–95	1,219	1,773	2,992
1995–96	2,432	2,071	4,503
1996–97	2,633	3,949	6,582

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether potential inward investors to the United Kingdom are made aware of an approximate date for entry into the Economic and Monetary Union; and an approximate date for harmonisation of British Standard Time (BST) with Central European Time (CET).

As the Chancellor said in his statement of 27 October 1997, it is sensible for business and the country to plan on the basis that, in this Parliament, we will not enter a single currency.But, if the single currency is successful and the economic case for joining is clear and unambiguous, then the Government believe that Britain should be part of it. We need to prepare intensively during this Parliament, so that Britain will be in a position to make a decision to join EMU, should the Government, Parliament and the people so decide, early in the next Parliament.I understand from my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Home Affairs that there are no present plans for the United Kingdom to move to Central European Time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are prepared to make available funds to non-party and cross-party organisations seeking to engage in public debate on economic and monetary union and to put alternative views to those of the Government and European Commission.

The Government have no plans to make funds available to any non-party or cross-party organisations seeking to engage in public debate on economic and monetary union.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many additional interviewers for the benefit integrity project they have appointed and how many more will be appointed;What restrictions have been given to interviewers on the benefit integrity project and whether target figures for savings have been given or suggested;How many disabled people have been interviewed since the benefit integrity project began and what proportion have had their benefits cut or removed;How much money disabled people have lost and the Government gained since the benefit integrity project began; andWhat steps have been taken under the benefit integrity project to assess the amount of under claiming and under payment and with what results.

One of our key aims is to rebuild integrity in, and public support for, the social security system and the way in which public money is spent. We need to focus on those who are properly entitled to benefit. This is why we have set up the benefit integrity project. The administration of the benefit integrity project is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the noble Lord.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many ex-service personnel and reservists known to be suffering from latent adverse effects of immunisation treatment against chemical warfare agents who have not been awarded disability pensions or grants have been awarded Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance.

The information is not available. No statistics are maintained on recipients of Disability Living Allowance or Disability Working Allowance which could provide the answer to this Question.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many ex-service personnel and reservists known to be suffering from the latent adverse effects of immunisation treatment against chemical warfare agents have been awarded disability pensions or grants.

No awards have been made under the War Pensions Scheme in respect of latent adverse reactions to either immunisation against biological warfare agents or prophylactic protection against chemical warfare agents. However, where any ex-serviceman or woman has any disablement, and where a claim for war pension is made in respect of that disablement within seven years of termination of service in the armed forces, the onus is on the Secretary of State to show, beyond reasonable doubt. that the disablement is not due to, or has not been aggravated by, service. Where she cannot do that, an award will normally be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would have been the annual savings to the Department of Social Security if the regulations limiting the back-dating of claims for benefits to one month had been in operation from 1 April 1992.

The information requested is not available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many individuals in the United Kingdom are in receipt of the lone parent element of child benefit; and how many there are in each parliamentary constituency.

There are an estimated 1,100,000 families in the United Kingdom currently receiving the lone parent element of child benefit. This information is not currently available at parliamentary constituency level.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the annual cost to the Department of Social Security if all lone parents with children under five years of age were allowed to retain the lone parent element of child benefit.

Existing recipients will continue to retain entitlement to the lone parent element of child benefit. The estimated additional annual cost of allowing all new lone parents with children under five to receive the lone parent rate of Child Benefit is set out in the table.

Year	Savings
1998–99	£2m
1999–00	£8m
2000–01	£12m

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much family credit a lone parent with two school-age children and in receipt of lone parent element of child benefit would receive if he or she moved into full time employment at an hourly rate of (a) £3; (b) £2.75; (c) £2.50; (d) £2.25; and (e) £2.00.

The information requested is in the table. These calculations are based on a number of alternative lengths of working weeks, with one child aged under 11 and one aged 11–15. No allowance has been made for childcare costs.

	Weekly Family Credit Entitlement (Hours worked)
Hourly rate	16 hrs	24 hrs	30 hrs	40 hrs
£3.00	£79.65	£79.65	£84.03	£67.35
£2.75	£79.65	£79.65	£88.76	£72.25
£2.50	£79.65	£79.65	£90.20	£77.73
£2.25	£79.65	£79.65	£9020	£84.03
£2.00	£79.65	£79.65	£90.20	£90.20

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the annual cost to the Treasury if 100,000 individuals in receipt of the lone parent element of child benefit were to move into full time employment and each one received the free services of a child minder for 20 hours per week at £2.75 per hour.

The information requested is not available.Direct comparisons between out of work income and in work income for those lone parents currently receiving income support are difficult. It is not straightforward to predict the earnings of those lone parents who move into work, since this would depend on the type of job they might get, and for how many hours.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Which types of publications from the

The Companion to the Standing Orders states that Lords are entitled to draw free of charge from the Printed Paper Office (a) current parliamentary papers and (b) other publications that "they clearly require in order to discharge their parliamentary duties" (page 58).Parliamentary papers are those presented by Command, laid pursuant to Act, statutory instrument or measure, or printed to an order of either House, and other working papers of the House, including the Minutes of Proceedings and Lords and Commons Hansard.Lords may also obtain free of charge non-parliamentary government papers or other publications (whether they are published by The Stationery Office or not), provided that they can show that they require them for the discharge of their parliamentary duties. Peers must pay the normal price for publications which they are not entitled to receive free of charge, which can, if published by The Stationery Office, be purchased from the Parliamentary Bookshop.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many vacancies registered at Jobcentres in the United Kingdom there are for (a) women over 25; and (b) women aged 25 and under, and how many there are in both categories by parliamentary constituency.

Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. Leigh Lewis. The agency has been asked to respond to your question, and its reply is attached.

asked the Leader of the House:When the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments considered the Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/1790); and what was the result of that consideration.

The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments is a technical scrutiny committee which does not consider the merits or policy of statutory instruments. The Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 were considered by the committee in its 10^th Report of this Session (H.L. Paper 29). The committee did not draw the special attention of either House to the regulations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be their best estimate of the additional cost on the annual average household fuel bill, for each of the next three years, of maintaining the proportion of electricity created by gas-fired generation at 1997 levels and requiring planned increases in gas generation to be replaced by coal.

No such estimates have or can be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the annual budget for the defence of the Falkland Islands;What value or benefit it attaches to the Ministry of Defence's use of the Falkland Islands as an operational and joint services training facility; andWhat proportion of the budget spent on Falkland Islands defence it perceives to represent "added value" in terms of, for example, training opportunities not otherwise available in other theatres of Ministry of Defence operation.

The budget for the Falkland Islands garrison is £74 million in the financial year 1997–98.The purpose of the British military presence in the Falkland Islands is to uphold the right of the Falkland Islanders to determine their own future. While there, British forces take the opportunity to conduct joint land, sea and air exercises in a challenging environment, and the RAF makes full use of the extensive facilities for low flying. This training is however designed to maintain the forces' high level of military preparedness, and is not regarded or costed as separable from their main purpose in being there.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who served in Operation Granby have "Rabbit Fever" (rabbit peroxinase) entered on their vaccination records; what was the purpose of the vaccine; and what regime is in place to monitor its effects; andWhether Gulf veterans who have "Rabbit Fever" (rabbit peroxinase) entered onto their vaccine records (B27) have been advised by a Ministry of Defence official that these records will be considered to be forgeries and the holders prosecuted; and what is their response.

In the course of work in the Gulf veterans' illnesses, the Ministry of Defence received a copy of an anonymous vaccination record which appeared to show a vaccination for rabbit fever, also known as tularemia, as one of a set of five vaccinations given on a date in Janaury 1991. The record was passed to MoD officials via a Gulf veterans' group in response to a request by MoD for information about the implementation of the anti-biological warfare immunisation programme. It had an identifiable signature and unit stamp, which has enabled the medical officer who had apparently administered the five injections to be traced and shown the document. He has confirmed that two entries, for anthrax and pertussis vaccines, are in his handwriting and that he gave these injections; however he has stated that he did not administer any vaccinations against rabbit fever, and that the remaining three entries on the document, which include the one for rabbit fever, are not in his handwriting. It is his belief that these entries have been added subsequently.An unlicensed US vaccine is known to be available against tularemia. So far as the MoD can ascertain, this vaccine was not administered to UK troops during Operation Granby. However, the MoD will continue to investigate this matter as part of its fact finding work to examine the range of routine vaccines which may have been received by certain groups of Service personnel deployed to the Gulf.The individuals who had originally brought this document to MoD's attention were told that only two of the five vaccination entries were now regarded as genuine during a recent meeting with MoD officials. The MoD believes the document was passed to it in good faith and the matter has not been referred to the police.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What research is being conducted into the effect of exposure to depleted uranium and contaminated debris on members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces who served in Operation Granby; and whether any research is being conducted on Iraqi civilians who may have handled the debris after the cessation of hostilities.

In the time available, it has not proved possible to obtain sufficient information properly to answer this Question.I will write to the noble Countess as soon as our investigations are complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What tests and medical examinations have been conducted by medical assessment programme doctors on Gulf veterans since the inception of the programme and on what dates any changes were made; and whether they intend to incorporate any new tests into the programme, and if so which.

In the time available, it has not proved possible to obtain sufficient information properly to answer this Question.I will write to the noble Countess as soon as our investigations are complete and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What safety instructions have been and are currently issued to members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces and any civilian staff who may be responsible for transport, handling or use of depleted uranium ammunition.