asked Her Majesty's Government:What humanitarian relief they and the European Union are providing for the people of Sierra Leone, in accordance with the Conakry Agreement and Security Council Resolution 1132; and what action they have taken to encourage cross-border relief operations from Guinea, and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief by sea to Freetown. [HL489]

The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £1 million of humanitarian aid to support the life-saving activities of the International Red Cross (ICRC) within Sierra Leone, and approximately £250,000 to selected refugee care programmes in neighbouring countries.The European Community Humanitarian Office is currently funding six humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone totalling 1.9 million ecu.The UN Sanctions Committee, under Resolution 1132, of which we are a member, is aware of the problems with processing humanitarian aid on the border. Operational responsibility for the clearance of humanitarian aid across the Guinea/Sierra Leone border was passed from the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to the Guinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More recently, there has been agreement for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) representatives to be stationed at the border of Guinea and Sierra Leone to authorise humanitarian imports.Humanitarian relief by sea to Freetown is not a preferred route because of the added risk that items will be diverted by armed factions and therefore strengthen the organisers of the coup and not reach intended beneficiaries.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action the Department for International Development has taken, in accordance with the policy of providing assistance to the most vulnerable civilian populations, to relieve the health and nutritional problems of the people of Freetown, Sierra Leone, identified by the United Nations Secretary-General in his S/1997/958 of 5 December 1997. [HL490]

The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £1 million of humanitarian assistance to support the life-saving activities of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Freetown and other parts of Sierra Leone. The ICRC are providing basic health care and distributing food to vulnerable civilians.Her Majesty's Government also contribute to the European Community Humanitarian Office, which is currently funding humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone totalling 1.9 million ecu.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have about the mission of Claude Bruderlein of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs to Guinea and Sierra Leone; and whether they now consider that the total blockade imposed by the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) has caused malnutrition and death by starvation to many Sierra Leoneans. [HL491]

The mission led by Mr. Bruderlein is currently in the region assessing the impact of sanctions on the provision of humanitarian assistance.The principal reason for the suffering of the people of Sierra Leone is the ongoing violence. This is due to the coup which overthrew the legitimately elected Government of President Kabbah.The continuing fighting and the co-opting of humanitarian items by armed factions makes it enormously difficult to prevent the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to targeted vulnerable groups.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, at his meeting with Crown Prince and Foreign Minister of Bahrain on 28 January, the Foreign Secretary referred to:

The discussions of my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary with the Bahraini Crown Prince and Minister of Foreign Affairs on 28 January covered many areas of mutual concern but focused mainly on the current situation in Iraq. Their discussion addressed the issue of constitutional development and, as I told the noble Lord in my Answer of 4 February, my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised the issue of a dialogue between the Bahraini authorities and the Committee for Popular Petition.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make representations to the Government of Iran concerning the case of Morteza Firoozi, editor of the English language Tehran newspaper

We have been in close touch with our Embassy in Tehran about Mr. Firoozi. We understand that he has been sentenced to death on spying charges. We are considering with our European partners what action we might take on his behalf.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations have been made to the Government of Uganda concerning national multiparty elections in the country. [HL401]

Democratic principles are a central element to our political dialogue with the Government of Uganda. It is for the Ugandan people to decide what form democracy should take in their country. They will have an opportunity to do so in the referendum schedule for 2000. We look to President Museveni to ensure that constitutional provisions relating to the referendum are fully implemented, including those that will enable advocates of a multi- party system to put their case to the electorate without restrictions.My honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Tony Lloyd, made these points to President Museveni during his visit to Uganda in June 1997, and again at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October 1997. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development made similar points during her visit to Uganda in early October 1997. Legislation on political parties is scheduled for debate during the current session of the Ugandan Parliament.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Jay of Paddington on 26 November 1997

The Secure Accommodation Development Programme was funded by central government via capital grants made by the Secretary of State for Health under S.82 of the Children Act 1989.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the commitments regarding teenage pregnancy on pages 23 and 42 of the consultation document,

The national framework is a consultation document seeking views on performance assessment in the National Health Service. The indicators in the consultation document have been chosen, within the constraints of available data, to throw light on particularly important health service objectives and activities, one of which is the number of conceptions below age 16. The Government have announced a national programme to tackle the problem of unwanted teenage conceptions. The principal aim of this programme is to reduce the number of unwanted teenage conceptions by supporting young people in deferring sexual activity and improving access to advice and counselling services, including contraception for those who are sexually active. Any advice on abortion is given in the context of the 1967 Abortion Act.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What public assistance is currently available to smokers who wish to quit. [HL527]

In 1997–98, the Government are funding a Health Education Authority-run adult smoking education campaign costing £5.5 million. As part of the campaign, £700,000 is being given to Quit to operate the Quitline—a telephone helpline—which offers smoking cessation advice, counselling and support.In addition, a wide range of health professionals, notably general practitioners, routinely offer cessation advice and support. These costs cannot be separately identified.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in pursuance of their policy, stated in the recent white paper

The Standing Medical Advisory Committee is currently considering the benefits of the drug Aricept and is preparing guidance for clinicians in the National Health Service. They endorsed an interim statement from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Health authorities and clinicians already have access to a number of sources of information on Aricept, on which they can make decisions about the use of this drug.Information on the number of patients currently receiving Aricept is not available since data cover only the number of prescriptions dispensed in community pharmacies. The latest data show a cost of £240,000 to the NHS in England for thoseprescriptions dispensed since the drug was licensed, from April to September 1997. Information on all those health authorities which currently allow prescription of the drug is not available. The NHS Executive has received a number of representations regarding the availability of donepezil, including some from the Alzheimer's Disease Society.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that there is no discrimination between treatments for conditions which affect predominantly those under 65, and those which affect predominantly those over 65, within health authority guidelines on the prescription of medicines; and, if examples of discrimination are brought to their attention, what action they can take. [HL520]

Under the National Health Service, patients should receive the medication they need, regardless of their age. If a patient thinks he or she is being denied treatment because of a health authority policy, they should, in the first instance, raise this with the health authority concerned.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce the latest available figures from the survey the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is conducting into the incidence of drugs in fatal road accident victims. [HL539]

The survey, over a three-year period, started in October 1996. A copy of the department's report on the interim results, to 7 January 1998, has today been placed in the Library.It is too early to draw firm conclusions from the findings, although general trends so far remain very consistent. Fuller results will be needed before the Government can consider and propose any measures that may appear to be necessary. Further findings will be published when we can reach a firm view.Screening devices which may be suitable for detecting the presence of drugs in motorists are to be trialled by four police forces for a short period from mid-March. The trials are intended to establish whether the screening devices are sufficiently robust and practical for the conditions likely to be encountered at the roadside—not to test for the presence of drugs.Traffic police from the Cleveland, Lancashire, Strathclyde and Sussex forces will ask motorists to volunteer to be tested—the police have no power to require anyone to undertake such a screening test. Volunteers' names or their car registrations will not be recorded. Police will not test those who are obviously impaired through alcohol or drugs—they will be dealt with using existing powers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In what way the public interest was advanced by the presence of the partner of his press secretary on the Prime Minister's visit to Washington. [HL504]

The special adviser who provides support and assistance to the Prime Minister's wife in respect of her official duties accompanied Mrs. Blair on the trip to Washington. This is in line with arrangements under the last administration, where a non-career civil servant undertook such a role on overseas visits.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many times the Ministerial Sub-Committee on Women's Issues has met; and what was the date of its last meeting. [HL418]

In accordance with long-standing practice, information about the proceedings of the Cabinet and Cabinet committees is not made public.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have received on the special importance of the Greenwich Theatre to disabled people (because of its ease of access); and what action is being taken to safeguard its future. [HL414]

The Government have received over 500 expressions of support for the Greenwich Theatre, including a small number specifically commenting on the special importance of the theatre for the physically disabled, because of its ease of access.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport channels its funding of the arts through the Arts Council and the 10 Regional Arts Boards, in this case the London Arts Board. The future of the theatre is a matter for the theatre's board, in conjunction with its funding partners.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce support for any more trade fairs abroad in the year ending 31 March 1999. [HL575]

My right honourable friend the President of the Board of Trade announced in September the first parts of our programmes for supporting trade fairs, seminars and missions abroad. I am pleased to announce support in principle for another 146 trade fairs and 151 outward missions in the period up to 31 March 1999.I will place lists of the additional events in the Library of the House and inform organisations that bid for support, Business Links and recipients of my department's overseas trade magazine.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimate they have made of the cost of eliminating the millennium computer bug in Britain; and how much of the total cost will fall on the public sector. [HL311]

The cost for the private sector will depend on many factors, including the extent of the problem, the pressure placed upon businesses by their suppliers and customers, the extent to which they then decide to minimise their risk, the increasing cost of support and the speed with which they respond. The cost for tackling central government systems has been estimated at £370 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps are being taken to consult exporters about the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) arrangements for providing support for capital goods and projects exports. [HL538]

I am writing today to leading members of the exporting and financial community for their views on the current arrangements and on options for change in the future. Copies of the consultation paper are being placed in the Library of the House and are publicly available from ECGD on request. The document will also be available on the ECGD internet site.The consultation paper reviews market development over the past five years and without seeking to prejudge the outcome asks whether changes to the UK system might now serve the interests of the exporter and the taxpayer more effectively.I am asking for responses by 10 April so that the Government can decide on what should succeed ECGD's current Fixed Rate Export Finance (FREF) scheme, which is scheduled to expire at the end of June, and enter into the necessary negotiations.I hope the consultation document will stimulate serious debate about the best approach for delivering this Government's objective of ensuring that UK capital goods and project exporters have access to competitive finance at acceptable public expenditure cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the BSE infected brain homogenate fed to the experimental calves at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge, had been cooked at a temperature above 100°C, or whether it was administered in a raw state. [HL362]

BSE infected brain homogenate was fed in a raw state to calves at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge, in the course of research into BSE.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the origin of the calves used in the BSE research conducted at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge; what was their breeding; and whether they or their dams were ever treated with warble fly dressings approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. [HL363]

The calves used in the Pathogenesis Study of BSE at the Central Veterinary Laboratory were sourced from 12 farms with no history of confirmed cases of BSE. Apart from the requirement that the calves were Friesian/Holstein and male, no other specific selection criteria were applied because it was not possible (or desirable) to source all the calves for one experiment from a single farm and not possible therefore to control all variables. Consequently, calves are allocated to challenge and control groups in the experiment in a random manner to eliminate bias as a result of influences determined by the source farm.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many cattle were the subject of research into BSE at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge; how many were slaughtered at what ages; how many of the slaughtered cattle demonstrated positive results of infectivity; and how many demonstrated negative results for BSE infectivity at each age. [HL364]

Forty calves were used in the study of the Pathogenesis of BSE at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge. All available interim results of their ages at slaughter and the demonstration of infectivity in their tissues are published (Wells et al 1998 Veterinary Record 142, 103–106) and further details of infectivity in tissues of these cattle will be published when available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total number of cattle which have been diagnosed as suffering from BSE from 1986 to date, listed by breed; and whether they will indicate which of them were purebred, or crossbred with the breed of the dam. [HL366]

The following table lists the total number of cattle in Great Britain which have been diagnosed as suffering from BSE from 1986 to4 February 1998. The cattle are shown by breed, including crossbreed. There are no records kept centrally of BSE cases indicating the breed of the dam.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the incidence of BSE for each county in the United Kingdom from 1986 to date. [HL367]

The following table shows the total incidence of BSE for each county in the United Kingdom from 1986 to 1997 inclusive.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the remarks of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) quoted by Lord Donoughue on 27 January (H.L. Deb., col. 150), whether the CMO would have modified his advice on the necessity of de-boning beef if the level of infectivity detected in the dorsal root ganglia had been (a) 10 times or (b) 100 times lower (all other things being equal); and, if so, what the modified advice would have been; and [HL368]Further to the remarks of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) quoted by Lord Donoughue on 27 January (H.L. Deb., Col. 150), whether the CMO would have modified his advice on the necessity of de-boning beef if the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee's (SEAC) estimate of the most likely number of infected animals entering the food chain in 1998 had been (a) two; (b) one; or (c) none (all other things being equal); and, if so, what such modified advice would have been. [HL369]

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) bases his advice to Ministers on the available evidence, rather than theoretical speculation.On this occasion, BSE infectivity had been found in the dorsal root ganglia and bone marrow, tissue not covered by regulations preventing it from entering the human food chain. The CMO has consistently taken the view that it would be wrong to knowingly allow material which might contain BSE infectivity to enter or remain in the human food chain.Minsters accepted that the risk of contracting new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from exposure to this material, although very small, was real. Because the protection of public health is a priority for this Government, we decided that action was necessary to ensure that material that could convey infectivity was removed from the human food chain.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the remarks of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) quoted by Lord Donoughue on 27 January (H.L. Deb., col. 150), whether the CMO considers that, as a matter of general principle, where a significant level of infectivity for a potentially fatal pathogen can be demonstrated in a product which is likely to be eaten by consumers without destroying that infectivity, that product should not be allowed to remain in the human food chain; and, if not, what particular aspects of BSE require its exclusion from the human food chain. [HL370]

I understand that the Chief Medical Officer does feel that, as a matter of principle, he would give advice along the lines described. BSE is a unique case as, unlike other aspects of food-borne diseases, it is not destroyed by normal cooking processes and normal good hygiene practices do not control transmission of infectivity. Moreover, only a small amount (less than one gram) of infected material may be sufficient to cause disease.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) to rule on the advisability of allowing calves to be fed on bovine blood products. [HL371]

The Committee considered this and other aspects of the safety of blood at its January 1998 meeting. They have not called for urgent action by the Government and have decided to look into this further at future meetings.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many people the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors employs; of these how many are employed in purely supportive administrative and clerical work; how many, including out-workers and part-timers, if any, are engaged in the business of supervising solicitors; and, of those engaged in the business of supervising solicitors, how many have a current legal qualification—that is, a solicitor's practising certificate or equivalent; and how many have had formal legal training—that is, a university law degree or equivalent. [HL380]

The Office for the Supervision of Solicitors is the responsibility of the Law Society, not Her Majesty's Government. We therefore do not hold the information requested. I suggest that the noble Lord contact the office itself for this information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish data for Northern Ireland showing for comprehensive schools, modern schools, grammar schools, all state schools, independent schools and all schools separately, the percentage of all 16 year-old pupils in each of the years 1994 to 1997 passing GCSE examinations with Grades A* to C in the following subjects: mathematics, English, English literature, sciences (showing separately percentages for single award science, double award science, physics, chemistry and biology), French,

The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. I have arranged for the Minister with responsibility for education in Northern Ireland to send you copies of the School Performance Tables for the relevant years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish data for Northern Ireland showing for comprehensive schools, modern schools, grammar schools, all state schools, independent schools and all schools separately, the percentage of all 16 year-old pupils in each of the years 1994 to 1997 obtaining five or more GCSE passes at Grades A* to C, showing data separately for boys, girls and all pupils and including for each category of school, the number of schools and the number of 16 year-old pupils. [HL410]

The information requested is as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to reform the law on non-fatal offences against the person. [HL592]

Last July my right honourable friend the Home Secretary announced the Government's decision to accept the principle of the Law Commission's proposals for reform of those offences mainly contained in the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861.We have today issued a consultation document containing the Government's proposals on how the law might be reformed, together with a draft Bill. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library. This is an important document demonstrating the Government's commitment to modernising and improving the law, and to genuine consultation on specific, considered proposals.Our proposals are largely based on those contained in the Law Commission's Report No. 218

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total number of police liaison officers now posted to Britain, and from which foreign countries. [HL446]

There are currently 25 police liaison officers posted to Britain. They are posted to the American, French, Spanish and Japanese Embassies and the Canadian and South African High Commissions. There are also officers from Australia, France, Germany, Italy and Norway (representing the Nordic countries) posted to the National Criminal Intelligence Service and from France and Germany at the European Liaison Section of the Metropolitan Police Service. In addition, there are 12 Customs liaison officers posted to the American and French Embassies, the Indian and South African High Commissions, and the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total number of police liaison officers now posted abroad, and to which national capitals or international organisations they are attached. [HL445]

There are currently 16 police liaison officers posted abroad: 14 are postings by the National Criminal Intelligence Service, and the other two are secondments arranged via the North West Regional Crime Squad and the Dependant Territories Regional Intelligence System.It is not the practice to state exactly where liaison officers are posted because of the possible danger to their safety, but I can confirm that the majority of these police officers are posted to British Embassies in member states of the European Union. In addition, there are 55 liaison officers from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise posted overseas, mostly outside the European Union, with one based at the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon. One of the police officers and one of the Customs officers are the United Kingdom's liaison officers at the Europol Drugs Unit in The Hague.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total staff of the UK Immigration Service at the end of 1997, as compared with 1987, 1977 and 1967, and what will be the number on current plans in 1999. [HL443]

The total staff of the Immigration Service was 3,117 at the end of 1997. At the end of the financial year to 31 March 1988, the figure was 1,856. The two figures are not, however, directly comparable because a reorganisation in 1991 resulted in the service assuming responsibility for some work previously undertaken elsewhere in the Immigration and Nationality Department, together with the associated staff. Figures for 1967, 1977 and the end of the 1987 calendar year are not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.On current plans, the average number of Immigration Service staff affordable in the financial year to 31 March 1999 will be 2,957. No projection of affordable staff beyond 31 March 1999 can be given because a budget for the financial year to 31 March 2000 has not yet been set.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the statements made by the Lord Chancellor on 29 January (H.L. Deb., col. 421-422) whether they consider that the Human Rights Bill is designed to incorporate the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law, except to the extent that existing or future Acts of Parliament are incompatible with those rights; and, if not, whether they will indicate any other respect in which the Bill is not designed to incorporate Convention rights into domestic law. [HL427]

I refer the noble Lord to the remarks of the Lord Chancellor on this point during the Third Reading debate on the Human Rights Bill in the House of Lords on Thursday, 5 February (H.L. Deb., col. 840).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish data for Wales showing for comprehensive schools, modern schools, grammar

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish data for Wales showing for comprehensive schools, modern schools, grammar schools, all state schools, independent schools and all schools separately, the percentage of all 16 year-old pupils in each of the years 1994 to 1997 passing GCSE examinations with Grades A* to C for the following subjects: mathematics, English, English

Information on GCSE results is usually given for those pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year (i.e. those who become 16 during the school year). Information for these pupils, for schools in Wales, is given in the following table. There are no "modern" or "grammar" schools in Wales. literature, sciences (showing separately percentages for single award science, double award science, physics, chemistry and biology), French, history and geography, showing data separately for boys, girls and all pupils and including, for each category of school, the number of schools and the number of 16 year-old pupils. [HL405]

Information on GCSE results is usually given for those pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year (i.e. those who become