asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to review the role and function of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) before implementing the incorporation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights in domestic law. [HL208]

My department will be working with the Lord Chief Justice, the other heads of division and the judicial studies board to make sure that proper arrangements are put in place to enable the courts, including the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), to give effect to the convention rights.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer of the Lord Chancellor of 12 January (

The charges for photocopying and related services at the Public Record Office are set on the principle of full cost recovery. The full cost of the reprographic services includes direct staff costs, reprographic material and other non-pay costs, depreciation of equipment and overheads. All the overheads of the PRO are allocated to the front line services, of which the copying service is one. The allocations are based on numbers of staff, office space occupied, quantity and type of computer equipment, use of specialist computer systems, telephone usage, number of payment transactions, number of income transactions and turnover.The full cost of the copying service is partly offset by recharges to the PRO's internal preservation service for work done directly for that service. There is also a recharge to the preservation service because microfilming work done for the public also produces copies for preservation purposes. These offsets produce a net cost for the reprographic service. The reprographic prices, including photocopying, are set in an annual statutory instrument such that the total projected income from the reprographic service should equal its total projected net cost. Individual prices within the instrument are set to be reasonable and to take into account, as far as possible, the views of readers, user groups, the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council and other interested parties.

Asylum Seekers Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Algerian citizens have applied for asylum and refugee status in the United Kingdom since 1 January 1992; how many have been returned to:

During the period 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1997, a total of 4,560 Algerian nationals, excluding dependants, applied for asylum in the United Kingdom. During the same time period, a total of around 640 Algerian nationals, who had at some stage applied for asylum, were removed or departed voluntarily. The available data on removals exclude any in-country applicants who make a voluntary departure prior to the initiation of enforcement action.I regret that comprehensive data on the final destination of those Algerian asylum seekers removed, or departed voluntarily, from the United Kingdom since 1992 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, a recent exercise indicated that, of the 68 Algerian asylum seekers who were removed/departed voluntarily between 1 July and 31 December 1997, only 13 were removed to Algeria and a further five were recorded as having made a voluntary departure to that country. Most of the remainder were removed, or made voluntary departures, to countries within Europe—a total of 20 to France. No Algerian asylum seekers have so far been removed to France under the provisions of the Dublin Convention which came into force on 1 September 1997.A total of 53 Algerian nationals, who had sought asylum at some stage, were recorded as being detained solely under Immigration Act powers as at 5 January 1998 (port cases). and 6 January 1998 (after entry cases).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ensure that the proposed Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, supplementing the European Convention on Human Rights will be matched by the equivalent provision for the peoples of England, Scotland and Wales. [HL 196]

The Government have no current plans to introduce a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. However, we have made clear that discussion of possible further measures for the protection of rights in Northern Ireland will be a key issue in the political talks process, and the Government will want to facilitate whatever agreement is reached.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, where a live child's head slips out of its mother during a partial-birth abortion, to continue with the abortion would be to commit infanticide; and [HL296]Whether, where a child is born alive during an abortion, then to kill it or to allow it to die would be to commit infanticide or murder. [HL297]

We are not aware of "partial birth abortion" being used in the United Kingdom. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, who define late abortions as those over 21 weeks, issued guidance to all its fellows and members in January 1996 for these cases which said: "with terminations after 21 weeks, the method chosen should ensure that the fetus is born dead". If, during an abortion, the operating doctor were to deliver a living baby, the 1967 Abortion Act would no longer have any application, and the law governing the doctor's future action would be exactly the same as in the case of any other delivered child.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What organisations which they fund take:

The Government fund a number of organisations in the field of reproductive health. The view of these organisations on abortion related issues is not sought as part of the funding process.

asked Her Majesty's GovernmentWhat are the main causes of asthma among:

It is not known what causes asthma, although it appears to involve an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. A range of trigger factors can bring on asthma attacks in individual people, once they have become sensitised to them. Asthma triggers vary from person to person. They include substances in the environment which induce allergic reactions, such as house dust mite dung, pollen and fungal spores, outdoor air pollution, environmental tobacco smoke, respiratory infections and exercise. Stress, excitement or emotional upset may also bring on symptoms in some people.

asked Her Majesty's Government:To what extent they expect the draft EC Directive on tobacco advertising (12302/97) to affect the free distribution of tobacco products, any form of tobacco commercial communication and the freedom of tobacco workers to receive tobacco products. [HL301]

The draft European Commission directive, if implemented in its current form will:

asked Her Majesty's Government:To what extent they expect the draft EC Directive on tobacco advertising (12302/97) to affect the present voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising. [HL302]

The Government have agreed with the tobacco industry that the voluntary agreements on tobacco advertising and the associated monitoring committee will be kept in place until the directive banning tobacco advertising is implemented in the United Kingdom.

Her Majesty's Government:What are the criteria by which they assess the validity of the advice received on nutritional matters from the committee on toxicity if it conflicts with the majority of opinions expressed by qualified nutritionists and other scientific experts. [HL305]

Members of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) are recognised nationally and internationally as experts in their disciples which include the interface between toxicology and nutrition. Cross-membership with the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy(COMA) ensures access to more detailed nutritional expertise as required.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the committee on toxicity has considered only 100 papers relating to vitamin B6 and its safety (of the approximately 10,000 referred to by Professor Arnold Beckett and other scientists in a recent letter to the chairman) prior to making its recommendations; and how many of those 100 papers were read in full, as opposed to in summary or abstract, by the chairman and members of that committee. [HL309]

The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) has considered the safety of vitamin B6 on two separate occasions and we are confident that it has reviewed all the relevant published papers on the safety of vitamin B6 as well as those unpublished papers supplied by interested parties. All the scientific papers on the toxicity of vitamin B6 were available to the chairman and the members of the COT before making their recommendations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the attendance figures at the Victoria & Albert Museum for the year 1997; and what was the percentage change in attendance between 1996 and 1997. [HL125]

There were 1,225,461 visits to the Victoria & Albert Museum at South Kensington in 1996 and 1,040,750 visits in 1997.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any of the national museums include in their annual statement of visitor numbers those who, when these museums are closed to the public, attend social or fund-raising events and those organised by corporate sponsors.[HL186]

The Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Wallace Collection and the national museums and galleries on Merseyside include all "out-of-hours" visits in their annual statement on attendances. In several other cases distinctions are made between different categories of "out-of-hours" visitors. Where available, the relevant numbers appear negligible compared to the total number of visitors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will report progress on their negotiations with the European Commission on the question of the possible adoption by the European Union regions of the basis of the Government's own statistics at British regional level. [HL255]

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:Whether they will list those nurseries within the Westminster area that are run for or may be used by:

Civil Service departments and agencies are encouraged, where there is a business case, to make available childcare facilities to support those who wish to combine a career with domestic responsibilities. Many Civil Service nurseries and playschemes run as inter-departmental or local partnerships, and often involve other non-civil service employers.Information about nurseries and playschemes available to the children of civil servants is not held centrally.Neither House provides nursery places in the Westminster area for their staff. They do, however, have in place alternative measures to help their staff with their childcare responsibilities. For example, childcare vouchers are available to staff in both Houses. Such measures are for House employees only and are not available to Peers, nor their staff.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the review of non-organophosphorous sheep dips carried out by the Veterinary Products Committee. [HL355]

The committee's report to the Licensing Authority (Agriculture and Health Ministers) has been placed in the Library of the House.Following its review last year of the effectiveness of the certificate of competence scheme for the purchase of organophosphorus (OP) sheep dips, the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) has reviewed the use of non-OP sheep dips. The committee has advised that the certificate of competence scheme should be extended to all sheep dips and we are already consulting on the necessary changes to the legislation to bring this into effect as quickly as possible.The committee reaffirmed its earlier advice that the scheme should apply to the use of sheep dips as well as to their purchase and, as for OP dips, this will be achieved by strengthening measures to secure compliance with existing statutory duties. New guidance is being prepared by the Health and Safety Executive about the duties of farmers under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and related legislation. The guidance will also emphasise the importance of the Certificate of Competence Scheme operated by the National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC).The committee was very concerned about reports of the environmental effects of synthetic pyrethroid (SP) sheep dips. We endorse this concern and are pleased to note that the NPTC has already completed a revision of the certificate of competence scheme. In future, the scheme will include practical training in the proper use and disposal of dips. The questions in the test for the certificate will be arranged in specific sections relating to, for example, environmental issues and operator safety. and a certain level of knowledge will be required in each section to achieve a pass mark. In addition, questions will relate to all forms of sheep dip and will include reference to the dangers to aquatic life from use and disposal of SP dips.We endorse the committee's advice that those who have already obtained certificates of competence should be encouraged to take a further test on new areas of the certificate not previously covered.The committee has recommended that product literature warnings about toxicity to aquatic life should be based on risk not hazard; that advice about the protection of the environment should be simple, concise, clearly set out and cross-referenced; that there should be reference to specific problems that may arise such as spillage, contamination from sheep to water, and improper disposal; and that product labels should be amended to refer to the Environment Agency (EA), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (DOENI). We accept these recommendations and will pursue them with marketing authorisation holders, in the light of the committee's further consideration of the labelling of sheep dips.We accept the committee's advice that there should be a mechanism for informing water regulators about dipping and for consulting them about proposed methods of disposal. Proposed new groundwater regulations recently issued for consultation by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Scottish Office and the Welsh Office include provisions which would address these issues.The committee has advised that the sheep dipping leaflet (AS29) should be revised to include comprehensive and up to date advice on the proper use and disposal of sheep dips to prevent contamination of water and this is being done.We accept the committee's advice that there should be new requirements for toxicity data for SP dips. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has been asked to ensure these changes are made and that data on flumethrin are obtained as quickly as possible.Finally, the committee has asked for an up-to-date data base on the use of sheep dips. It has previously been found difficult to obtain accurate information on this but officials of the VMD will pursue the question further with marketing authorisation holders.We should like to thank Professor Aitken and the committee for the thoroughness of their review and for their clear and helpful advice.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the terms of reference of the new ad hoc advisory group on vitamins and minerals; who has been appointed to chair and serve upon that group; what will be their timetable; and whether the deliberations and recommendations of the group will be published regularly. [HL234]

The terms of reference of the ad hoc expert group on vitamins and minerals are to:establish principles on which controls for ensuring the safety of vitamin and mineral supplements sold under food law can be based;review the levels of individual vitamins and minerals associated with adverse effects;recommend maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in supplements if appropriate; andreport to the FAC.The group will also be able to advise on the levels of vitamins and minerals in fortified foods, if it is felt appropriate.No appointments have yet been made. It is envisaged that the group will take two years in which to complete its work and report to the Food Advisory Committee. Information on the group's deliberations and recommendations will be published.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Donoughue to the Baroness Lestor of Eccles on 12 January (

No appointments have yet been made to the new ad hoc expert group. A list of members will be published when appointments have been made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in appointing experts to support Lord Justice Phillips in the inquiry into the emergence of BSE and new variant CJD. [HL277]

The Government have now appointed Mrs. June Bridgeman, CB, a retired senior civil servant and formerly deputy chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission to be the member of the inquiry with experience in public administration and Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, Professor of Pathology at the University of Cambridge, as the scientific member of the inquiry.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will oppose in the Council of Ministers the European Parliament's amendments to the proposed directive relating to cocoa and chocolate products for human consumption. [HL310]

The Government are opposed to those amendments which would discriminate against chocolate containing small amounts of vegetable fat or against high quality UK milk chocolate. We will continue to resist any proposals which do not fully recognise the types of chocolate traditionally made in this country and which have been enjoyed by British consumers for many decades. The European Parliament's amendment deleting the derogation which allows the UK to continue to use the term "milk chocolate" for its milkier product sold in this country is unwarranted discrimination against a product for which our consumers have expressed a preference for over 90 years. The proposal for front-labelling of chocolate containing vegetable fats will not help consumers and would damage the image of all chocolate. It is also unacceptable and will be opposed. During our presidency, every effort will be made to reach agreement on a new directive which would allow different chocolate-making traditions to co-exist in a genuinely harmonised market leaving EU consumers free to choose from a wide range of chocolate products.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Economic and Social Research Council is to fund a five-year programme to study the "structure and dynamics of irregular activities such as tax evasion, fraud, drug peddling and prostitution and other informal economic activities including work carried out in the household …and voluntary work"; and, if so, why it is thought that "work carried out in the household … and voluntary work" can appropriately be studied along with criminal activities.[HL40]

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is funding a four-year programme of research into Informal Economic Activities commencing in October 1998. The principal focus of the programme is the measurement and better understanding of the extent and nature of such activities. It does not seek to equate legal and illegal activities within the informal sector, but to understand the dynamics and relationships involved in all such informal economic activities.There are many forms of production and exchange that are either not recorded or recorded only indirectly. Informal activities such as housework, childcare, barter and exchange of goods and services are difficult to measure because they are not regulated by government. Other activities such as prostitution, drug peddling and cash transactions designed to avoid tax, are deliberately concealed from government. In all these cases the cash transfer will eventually be recorded in national economic activity when it is spent. This will result in discrepancies between income and expenditure measures of economic activity.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have conducted research into the potential of all domestic, commercial, ecclesiastical and industrial roof areas for the collection of solar power and rainwater; and, if so, what are their findings. [HL127]

The Department of Trade and Industry's new and renewable energy programme has been looking at the potential for electricity generation from photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on buildings for several years. The latest published overall assessment of renewable technologies was the 1994 Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU) report R-82, An Assessment of Renewable Energy for the UK. Studies indicate that if PV were installed on all suitable wall and roof surfaces in the UK, this would result in the equivalent generating capacity of between 70 and 110 Gigawatts (GW), depending on the technology used. This might produce between 200 and 360 Terrawatts (TWh) of electricity per year—total current electricity demand in the UK is around 300 TWh. However, any exploitation of this resource would have to take account of the cost, interaction with the utility networks, match of availability to demand, shading, storage, planning laws and building regulations.The most important of these is cost, because although the price of PV modules has been falling, the cost of PV-generated electricity is still 5–10 times more expensive than that from conventional sources. Industry estimates that PV as an energy source will not be able to compete on price in UK building integrated applications for at least another 10 years.The Department of the Environment commissioned research from the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) on water conservation: implications of using recycled greywater and stored rainwater in the UK. The final report was published in March 1997. The research concluded that at current water charges, systems for using rainwater either internally for flushing toilets or externally were not generally economic, with the exception of hotels which appeared to yield the best pay-back period. The research also revealed some potential deleterious effects, for example reduced replenishment of local acquifers and rivers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have conducted research into the renewable energy potential for the United Kingdom of: (a) river based hydropower; (b) inshore tidal power; (c) offshore wave, tidal and wind power; (d) solar power for both commercial and domestic purposes for the United Kingdom; and, if so, what are their findings. [HL126]

Overall assessments summarising work across all technologies were last published in 1994 as Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU) report R-82, An Assessment of Renewable Energy for the UK and Energy Paper 62, entitled New and Renewable Energy Technology: Future Prospects for the UK. Subsequently, numerous individual research projects have been undertaken and have reported. Summary lists of recent publications have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.This Government propose to undertake a new and strong drive to develop renewable energy sources. DTI Ministers are engaged in reviewing policy, including considerations of what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of UK electricity needs from renewables by the year 2010 and how renewables can make an effective contribution to meeting requirements for future greenhouse gas reduction commitments. The outcome of that review will be announced later this year. It is expected that a new overall assessment of the technologies will be published later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What, if anything. will be regarded as a good cause for refusing a particular welfare to work placement. [HL283]

Regulation 73 of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996 (as amended by the Social Security Amendment (New Deal) Regulations 1997) sets out the circumstances which constitute good cause for refusing one of the options of the New Deal for 18–24 year olds. The list is not exhaustive and the adjudication officer will take into account any information a claimant makes available to support his or her position before reaching a decision on whether a sanction should be imposed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Under what

Opportunities for work, education and training under our New Deal for young people and long term unemployed adults will be provided pursuant to arrangements made by the Secretary of State under the Employment and Training Act 1973, as amended by the Employment Act 1988. The Social Security Amendment (New Deal) Regulations 1997 implement our policy that young people who enter the New Deal have the responsibility to participate in the programme if they remain unemployed, and that there is no option of continuing indefinitely on full benefit for those who refuse to participate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:For how long and at what rate those who refuse to accept any of the four options under the welfare to work pilot schemes will lose benefit; and under what

The New Deal for 18–24 year olds will help young people to improve their employability and to find work. In return young people have the responsibility to take advantage of the New Deal opportunities open to them. Young people who, without good cause, fail to attend or give up a place on one of the four New Deal options which has previously been notified to them in writing will lose their Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for two weeks. If, having lost JSA for two weeks, they again, without good cause, fail to attend or give up a place at any time in the following 12 months they will lose JSA for four weeks. There is no upper limit to the number of occasions on which a four-week loss of JSA can recur in any 12 month period. Of course, in order to start receiving money young people have only to accept their place on the New Deal. These arrangements are set out in section 19 of the Jobseeker's Act 1995, and Part V of the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996, as amended by the Social Security Amendment (New Deal) Regulations 1997.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the rate of disentitlement under the pilot schemes for welfare to work is the same as is intended to be applied under the full scheme. [HL280]

The New Deal for 18–24 year olds was introduced in a number of pathfinder areas in January 1998 and will be introduced in all other areas in Britain in April 1998. The benefit sanction arrangements will be the same in all areas of the country.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether those who have accepted one of the options under the welfare to work pilot schemes will receive benefits while they wait for a placement to be found for them; and, if so, at what rate. [HL281]

Yes. Unless serving a benefit sanction, young people on the New Deal for 18–24 year olds will continue to receive Jobseeker's Allowance at the rate appropriate to their circumstances until they accept and take up a place on a New Deal option.Earl Russell asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether those who have accepted one of the four options under the welfare to work scheme will be compelled to accept the first placement they are offered; and whether and to what extent they will be allowed to wait for a suitable option. [HL282]

Our commitment is that each young person on the New Deal for 18–24 years olds will be provided with the chance to pursue one or more places in one or more of the four New Deal options before reaching the stage at which he or she is required to take up a place notified in writing by an employment officer. No one will be compelled to accept the first and only placement they have been offered.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether the Administration and Works Sub-Committee will investigate the possibility of providing, as a short term measure, nursery places in other nurseries in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster for the children of:

No. House of Lords provision for childcare extends only to staff of the House, under the voucher scheme.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether the Administration and Works Sub-Committee will consider extending childcare vouchers to the staff of Peers. [HL249]

No. Peers' staff are not employees of the House.

asked the Chairman of Committees:In view of the fact that the provision of childcare facilities at the House of Commons is under consideration by the Commons Administration Committee and that a survey on childcare needs is also being circulated by that Committee, whether the Administration and Works Sub-Committee will seek the views of:

House of Lords provision for childcare extends only to staff of the House under arrangements set out in previous Written Answers (WA 9 22 May 1997). No representations have been received from staff to alter the basis of this provision, and it is not therefore proposed to carry out a survey of childcare needs in this House. The recommendations of the Commons Administration Committee will be considered by the Establishment Office when they are published.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will report on the outcome of the General Affairs Council held on 26–27 January in Brussels.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for February and list major European Union events for February.

Monthly forecast of business for February 1998The following Councils are scheduled:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they propose to set an external financing limit for the BBC monitoring service in 1997–98. [HL361]

The external financing limit for 1997–98 for the BBC monitoring service will be set at f1,183,000. The creation of the EFL reflects the change in the funding arrangements of the BBC World Service Monitoring Service from grant in aid to subscription based funding, as announced by my honourable Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Derek Fatchett, on 5 November 1997. (Vol: 300, Hansard, Commons, col. 201).

What inter-departmental working groups have been set up which include representatives from the Department of International Development; and what their membership and remits are. [HL3731

A ministerial inter-departmental working group on development, chaired by the Secretary of State for International Development, has been set up to promote the coherent approach to development set out in the Government's White Paper. Department for International Development (DFID), Foreign and Commonwealth Office, H M Treasury, Department of Trade and Industry, Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, the Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment, Cabinet Office and the Export Credit Guarantee Department are members. DFID is also represented at meetings of the EU Presidency task force, chaired by the Foreign Secretary and attended by interested departments as appropriate.In addition, DFID is represented at official level in inter-departmental working groups, on a wide range of issues including trade and development, energy and climate change, world health, countries with economies in transition, science and technology, the Lome Convention and UNESCO. Membership of these groups varies according to the subject matter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have decided to hold a public inquiry into Railtrack's application for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 in respect of the Thameslink 2000 project. [HL430]

In the light of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions statement on Wednesday 28 January (Official Report, Commons Vol. 305, Col. 466–474), about the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), the Secretary of State has decided to defer until 25 March the date by which he must reach a decision on whether to hold a public inquiry into Thameslink 2000. The reason for this is that powers for works which form important components of the Thameslink 2000 project are contained in the CTRL Act 1996 and cannot be used other than as part of the CTRL.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of Britain's housing stock is designated as under-occupied; and what additional demands for housing they expect to be created by family breakdown, expressed both as a percentage of the total housing stock and as a percentage of the 5.5 million homes which they estimate need to be constructed. [HL292]

My department has made no such estimate of the number of homes that need to be constructed. The 1992-based projections, published in March 1995, relate to households and these indicate a 4.4 million increase in the number of households in England in the 25 year period from 1991 to 2016. However, these household projections should not be taken as an estimate of the number of additional houses which have to be built. Rather, they represent just one of the factors to he taken into account by local planning authorities when arriving at figures for housing provision to be included in regional guidance and development plans. Household projections are undertaken for Scotland and Wales on a similar basis.No separate assessment has been made of the additional demands created by family breakdown. This is because it is not easy to categorise it readily and furthermore, not all family breakdown will lead to the formation of additional households or the need for additional dwellings. However, the group of households consisting of people living by themselves who are divorced and separated is projected to grow by a further 1.2 million in England between 1991 and 2016, with divorced and separated men representing two-thirds of this growth.From the general household survey, in 1996–97 an estimated 31 per cent. of households in Great Britain were under-occupying, in the sense of having two or more bedrooms more than the generally accepted occupancy standard.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many retired people they estimate are currently seeking "granny flats" or sheltered accommodation and are currently occupying family housing; and whether, in order to release large family houses back onto the housing market, they will consider giving grants and other incentives to families to adapt accommodation for elderly relatives. [HL294]

Information on the number of retired people seeking "granny flats" or sheltered accommodation who are currently occupying family housing is not collected centrally. However, research for the Department of the Environment (Living Independently: The Housing Needs of Elderly and Disabled People, published in 1994) found that about eight per cent. of elderly people. half of whom were owner-occupiers, were very or fairly likely to move within the next 12 months; and that those elderly people who wanted to move were more likely to want smaller, rented accommodation. However, the vast majority of elderly people, particular owner-occupiers, said that they wanted to stay in their present homes.Most local authorities run cash incentive schemes to release properties for letting to those in housing need, by payment of a grant to assist the tenant in purchasing a property. Under such schemes, local authorities may also offer grants to elderly tenants to fund adaptations to the homes of their adult children, so that they may move in with them. It is for local authorities to decide whether or not to include such grants within their individual schemes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many properties in the United Kingdom they currently estimate as vacant; how many of these are in the public sector and how many are in the private sector; and what consideration they have given to utilising these properties to meet housing needs as an alternative to encroaching on Green Belt land. [HL291]

Information on vacant properties is not available. The estimated number of vacant dwellings in England in April 1996 was around 800,000. Most—around 650,000—were in the private sector, representing about 4.2 per cent. of the private sector stock; about 100,000 were owned by local authorities or housing associations, representing about 2.3 per cent. of the social stock.The Government are keen to ensure that the best use is made of existing housing. However, not all vacant dwellings could be utilised as an alternative to new development. For example, about 45 per cent. of private sector empty dwellings are "frictional" or "transactional" vacancies, with properties lying empty for a short period during the selling and buying process. These vacancies are required for the effective operation of the housing market. Similar vacancies occur in social housing between lettings. Some empty properties are in poor condition and need renovating to make them fit for occupation. Some are in areas where people are not looking for housing. Some may be beyond economic repair, awaiting demolition.The Government encourage local authorities to act as strategic enablers, producing housing strategies covering all aspects of housing in their areas and making effective use of existing housing in all sectors. The effectiveness of authorities in developing and implementing housing strategies is taken into account in the allocation of Government resources.Nearly £800 million of additional resources are being distributed in England in 1997–98 and 1998–99 under the Government's capital receipts initiative. It is for local authorities to decide how best to apply these much needed resources to meet local housing priorities. Early estimates suggest that nearly 80 per cent. of capital allocations under the Initiative in 1998–99 will be invested in existing public and private sector housing. This is likely to include works to bring empty or under-utilised properties into use where they are needed. The Housing Corporation's approved development programme also provides funding to registered social landlords to carry out conversion and renovation work to bring empty properties back into use.The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions have grant-aided the Empty Homes Agency for the last three years to work with local authorities to develop and implement empty property strategies. We have just agreed to provide a further three year grant to the agency to continue this assistance, to work with local authorities to bring more redundant commercial property into residential use, and to make better use of empty properties in rural areas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the consultation document on drink-driving. [HL412]

The consultation paper Combating Drink Driving—Next Steps was published this morning. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements are being made to provide ground-based and simulator training for the Army's attack helicopter air and ground crew. [HL429]

Subject to satisfactory completion of contract negotiations, we intend to place a public/private partnership contract with a Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed by GKN Westland Helicopters Limited and the Boeing Corporation. The JVC will provide a service to meet all our requirements for ground based training and simulators in support of the attack helicopter.This contract will ensure that we can take full advantage of the capabilities of the attack helicopter. The contract will run for 30 years and the JVC will be responsible for supplying all the equipment and instructional staff necessary to provide the required level of service.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the results of the study called for by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch on the probability of a random mid-air collision. [HL428]

The study, by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, concluded that the principle of `see-and-avoid' in the open flight information region below 2,000 ft. resolved confliction in over 99 per cent. of occasions. This implies a worst-case collision rate of 0.118 per 10,000 flying hours for single seat military fast jet aircraft and 0.005 per 10,000 flying hours for general aviation aircraft.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much money has been made available from the European Union Budget, in each of the past three years, for cultural projects in the London area; and whether they will give details of each individual project which has received funds. [HL4]

Much of the EU expenditure which benefits culture is provided through programmes which are not specifically cultural, but which are supportive of wider economic or social policies. These include audiovisual, education, tourism, environment, research and development, and ERDF programmes. This expenditure is often used as matching funding for cultural projects supported through the National Lottery. Precise figures for the cultural elements of this expenditure are not available.The EU competence to provide funding for specifically artistic and cultural initiatives was introduced by the Treaty on European Union 1993. Total direct spending across the EU on cultural activity came to some 19mecu (about £13 million) in 1995, 26mecu (£17.3 million) in 1996 and 25mecu (£17 million) in 1997. Direct comparison between the figures for these years cannot easily be made, as the programmes covered in them differed.It is not possible to quantify London's precise benefit. This is because grants go to a "lead" partner in a project and the benefit will then be shared by cultural organisations based in several countries. In turn, the work of those organisations may be felt over a wide area. For example, the London-based music producer Serious received 50,000ecu (about £33,000) under the Kaleidoscope arts programme towards the cost of a music project in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London and four other UK cities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they plan to allocate police grants in 1998–99. [HL431]

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has today laid before another place the Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 1998–99. The report sets out his determination for 1998–99 of the aggregate amount of grants that he proposes to pay under section 46(2) of the Police Act 1996, and the amount to be paid to each police authority including the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District. Allocations for each police authority are set out in the table. The table shows allocations approved by Parliament for 1997–98.