asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they are making in the European Union towards greater coherence in policies of direct or indirect significance for economic and social development in the less developed countries of the world. [HL551]

The Government's development White Paper commits us to work to ensure the full range of domestic and international policies affecting developing countries take account of the UK's sustainable development objectives. The European Union's commitment to policy consistency is set out in Articles 130 u and v of the Treaty of Maastricht. The Government are therefore working with European partners for consistency between policies in the areas of development, environment, trade, agriculture and investment amongst others.An example of recent progress is implementation of the World Trade Organisation's Least Developed Countries (LDC) Initiative. Under the UK Presidency, agreement has now been reached on how to implement the EU's commitment to extend Lomé equivalent preferential trade terms to the nine non-ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) LDCs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they endorse the calculations in the 1997 UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) Annual Report that global wealth-poverty polarisation has become greater since 1971 with 80 per cent. of the world's population taking a markedly decreasing share of world income; and what are the implications of such a trend for their international security and international development policies. [HL552]

Her Majesty's Government share the widespread international concern about the increased income inequality revealed in the UNCTAD report and agree that we should work to ensure that people everywhere can reap the benefits from the rapid changes that are taking place in the world economy.Our main development concern is to increase the income and well-being of the people at the lowest end of the income distribution. Her Majesty's Government are committed to working to try to meet the international targets for poverty elimination. We will work to achieve this both through our aid programme, and through the full range of our policies affecting developing countries.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking as holders of the Presidency of the European Union to encourage other member states to adopt the same priorities as those established in the recent White Paper

During the UK Presidency, we will work with our European Union partners to try to secure their commitment to the Organisation for Economic Co-op Development's (OECD) 21st Century Strategy and international development targets. We are planning to discuss how to put the strategy into practice in our programmes at a high level seminar which we will hold in March for the development Ministers from member states, appropriate European Commissioners, and representatives from the European Parliament's Development Committee. We will also seek to make sure that poverty eradication is at the heart of the EU's Lome negotiating mandate.We will also continue to work closely with all our EU partners across the international financial institutions and the UN's development agencies in order, where possible, to reach common positions on the governance and policies of those institutions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, parallel with any scheme they have for micro-chipping cattle and sheep for identification purposes, they will consider a similar scheme for cats and dogs as a necessary precondition for a change in the quarantine laws. [HL488]

On 2 October last year my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced a scientific assessment and review of quarantine, and alternatives to it, by the Advisory Group on Quarantine. Identification of imported cats and dogs by microchip forms part of some of the options being assessed by the group.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the proposals for ensuring that all registered British fishing vessels maintain a real economic link with the United Kingdom were sent to the European Commission, and when they expect a response; and [HL464]

The proposals for ensuring that all British registered fishing vessels maintain a real economic link with the United Kingdom were sent to the European Commission for consideration at the beginning of January. Discussions with the Commission are continuing. Copies of the proposals have been circulated to the industry, and placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the interests of public accountability, they will ask the National Lottery to publish details on their web site of the awards made. [HL545]

Details of National Lottery awards are available on the department's website, www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

Year ended	31 March 1967	31 March 1977	31 March 1987	31 March 1997	Staff years planned 1998–99
Staff in Post	17,576	29,389	26,090	23,071	23,245
Staff focused on ports of entry	Data not available	Data not available	8,0921	5,649	5,461
Percentage			31 per cent.	24.5 per cent.	23.5 per cent.
1 For "Staff focused on ports of entry" we have used the most appropriate definitions of activity from information published at the relevant time. Organisational changes mean that they are not precisely the same between 1987 and the present date.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have plans to introduce any measures to expedite progress towards equal pay. [HL497]

The Government's new earnings survey for April 1997 shows that women's average hourly earnings, excluding overtime, were 80.2 per cent. of men's, and, although this difference is still disappointingly large, it has shrunk a little more every year for 10 years. Government policies will enable more women to train for and enter higher status jobs, and will encourage employers to pay full and fair rates. In addition, the introduction of a national minimum wage will help to reduce the gap between men's and women's pay, since women form a large proportion of those workers who will benefit from this measure. The Equal Opportunities Commission is currently undertaking a review of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Equal Pay Act 1970, and

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Ministers receive any official consideration denied to sexual partners. [HL503]

Each case is decided on its own circumstances and in the light of the public interest.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many sexual partners of Ministers, other than spouses, are currently housed in accommodation financed by the taxpayer. [HL506]

I am not accountable for the private lives of Ministers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total staff of the UK Customs and Excise at the end of 1997, as compared with 1987, 1977, and 1967 and what will be the number on current plans in 1999 identifying in each case the proportion of staff whose work is focused on ports of entry. [HL444]

The number of staff in post for the years requested are:its draft has highlighted the need for greater understanding of equal pay issues. The Government will consider the review when it is formally presented later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why, in view of their commitment to membership of the European Union, they have deleted European studies from the list of available GCSE subjects. [HL570]

It is for the GCSE Awarding Bodies, not the Government, to determine what GCSEs to offer in subjects that are not part of the statutory National Curriculum. Awarding Bodies' decisions take account of factors such as levels of demand for the qualification, the costs of offering the syllabus and the availability of the expertise necessary to provide for external assessment of candidates' performance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current cost to the NHS of prescription of drug treatments for cancer, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and depression [HL521]

The available information is shown in the table. The information does not include drugs prescribed and dispensed in hospitals, so does not represent the total cost of prescribing these drugs. It is not possible to identify the indication for which medicines are prescribed, so some medicines included in the cost data may have been used to treat other conditions. The information is for the year 1996.

The net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed for the treatment of cancer, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and depression, 1996
England
	£ thousands
Cancer1	76,473.10
Schizophrenia2	28,462.60
Alzheimer's disease3	—
Depression4	191,242.80

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to encourage women to give up smoking and whether any medicines designed to assist those wishing to give up smoking are available on prescription. [HL526]

In 1997–98, the Government are funding a Health Education Authority-run adult smoking education campaign costing £5.5 million. The campaign identifies five key target groups, and two of these groups are adults in the 16–24 age group, particularly women and pregnant women.The Government are also currently considering other ways in which to help people give up smoking, including the role of nicotine replacement therapies, as part of their strategy to reduce tobacco consumption.Our conclusions will form part of the Tobacco Control White Paper, which will he published later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assistance was provided by the then Government to the proponents of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill, 1966–67; and whether Parliamentary Counsel provided assistance. [HL470]

On Wednesday 18 January 1967, the then Minister of State at the Home Office, made the following statement to Standing Committee F on the Government's position on the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill:

"The Government's collective view on the Bill is one of neutrality, as it was on Second Reading. We believe as a Government that it is for the Committee to determine what shall be the form of the Bill when it emerges from Committee. We have in mind that the Second Reading was passed by an overwhelming vote in the House and, because of that, the Government have given. and will continue to give, all possible drafting assistance to the promoter of the Bill.

"The Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health and myself are here to help the Committee in every possible way and to advise about the practicability and feasibility of the Amendments proposed. But we are here as individual members of the Committee, and we have our individual rights as members of the Committee, so that when it comes to voting on Amendments we shall exercise that individual right and vote according to our individual views".

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they provide funds to any organisations which campaign against abortion. [HL502]

The Government do not fund any organisation to campaign for or against abortion. We provide funding to a number of organisations involved in the provision of services, advice and information on family planning, reproductive health and services for pregnant women. In the United Kingdom, these include:

• Family Planning Association
• Brook Advisory Centres
• Catholic Marriage Care
• Scottish Family Planning Association
• Natural Family Planning Association
• Society for Information and Counselling on Miscarriage
• Welsh Family Planning Association
• LIFE (Northern Ireland)
• Family Planning Association (Northern Ireland)
• SATFA (Support Around Termination for Fetal Abnormality)
• CHILD (National Infertility Support Network)
• ISSUE (The National Fertility Association)

In addition, the Department for International Development (DFID) invested £70 million in reproductive and sexual health in 1996. DFID makes grants to a wide range of organisations involved in improving reproductive health throughout the world.The views of organisations on abortion related issues are not sought as part of the funding process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proposals they have made for the reform of the European structural funds and the criteria for their allocation. [HL463]

Following the publication of the Commission's communication Agenda 2000 in July, the Government are discussing the reform of the European Structural and Cohesion Funds with the Commission and other member states, with the aim of securing a package which is fair to all member states—especially to the United Kingdom and its regions—affordable and durable, and simpler and more efficient. In these discussions, we have suggested that GDP per capita should be a factor taken into account in the allocation of the funds.

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

I refer the noble Lady to the Answer I gave her on 11 February 1998, Official Report, columns 205–206.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in order to facilitate postal deliveries, they will encourage British Telecom to include postal codes in their telephone directory. [HL416]

The regulation of directory enquiries is a matter for Oftel. I am advised by Oftel that there is no legal requirement on BT under its licence to provide printed telephone directories. The only licence obligation that BT has is that where it publishes and makes available directories to its customers generally, it is obliged to make these directories available on written request to any person in the United Kingdom. It is therefore not possible for Oftel to instruct BT to provide post codes in its telephone directories. It is a commercial matter for BT to decide whether or not it includes post codes in its printed directories. I understand that the Post Office has its own telephone helpline for customers who have queries about postal codes. The Government have no plans to encourage BT to include postal codes in its telephone directories.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman on 21 May

We have concluded our consideration of the responses to the consultation. I expect that a statement will be made shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any plans to introduce further restrictions on insulin-dependent diabetics who drive cars and motorcycles. [HL563]

No.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to review alternative methods of traditional jury trial in serious fraud cases. [HL633]

The Government are determined that there should be effective measures in place for tackling financial fraud.The Government recognise that there are concerns that the present system for handling some major complex fraud trials is not working satisfactorily. Therefore, we have today issued a consultation document which has been placed in the Library. This invites views on the principle of whether the system is likely to operate better and with a greater degree of public confidence if, in a small number of complex fraud trials, a traditional jury were to be replaced by another method of determining the facts. Views are also sought on four possible alternative methods of trial. The Government have not reached a conclusion on whether the ending of jury trial in serious fraud cases is desirable in principle nor formed an opinion on any particular option for change and will not do so until the consultation process is complete. The purpose of the consultation is to provide a full opportunity for the principle of change to be considered in the context of the problems presented by these cases and possible alternative trial methods.Comments on the document are invited by 30 April 1998 and we shall consider them all carefully before reaching any conclusions as to whether any changes should be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have for passport fees. [HL632]

The Privy Council has approved an Order in Council, the Consular Fees Order 1998, which gives authority for an increase in passport fees on 26 March. The fee for a standard 32-page passport will increase from £18 to £21 and for a 48-page passport from £27 to £31. The fee for amending an existing passport will increase from £5 to £11, to reflect the economic cost. The cost of a separate passport for children will be £11 for a passport valid for five years. An additional charge of £10 will be introduced for those making applications in person in the United Kingdom and for applications made abroad to reflect the greater cost of providing these services. The fee for a collective passport, for organised trips for schools and youth groups, will remain unchanged at £40.This is the first general increase in passport fees since November 1992 and for the over 80 per cent. of applicants who apply by post is in line with the level of inflation for the period. In relation to the cost of travel abroad, a fee of £21 for a standard 10-year passport still represents very good value for money.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the resources available to the Prison Service. [HL631]

Following the Audit of Prison Service Resources last summer, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary made available to the Prison Service additional funding of £43 million over two years to increase capacity and regime activity. In the event, the service has done well in containing costs and has not had to call on the extra provision for 1997–98.My right honourable friend is now making available £112 million in 1998–99 on top of the existing budget of £1,704 million.This will be used to fund continued use of Her Majesty's Prison Weare, to build six more houseblocks, to fund conversion of accommodation to cell usage to hold extra prisoners in new prisons and to carry out repairs on the prison estate. It provides additional staffing and funding for regime activities, to keep prisoners constructively occupied.With this money, this Government have provided for 1,540 new places in prisons and have supported the placing of an additional 2,280 prisoners in existing accommodation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to improve the family court welfare work of the Probation Service and other related services.

As part of the comprehensive spending review, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary, my right honourable and noble friend the Lord Chancellor, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales are considering the range of services currently provided to the courts on child welfare matters within family law by the Probation Service, Guardian ad Litem and Reporting Officer Service and the Official Solicitor's Department. We believe that a new integrated service subsuming the work of each of the above could provide an improved service to the courts, better safeguard the interests of children, reduce wasteful overlaps and so increase efficiency.The Home Secretary has therefore agreed with his right honourable friends that further detailed work involving practitioners and other users of the services should be undertaken to form the basis for public consultation.The detailed terms of reference for the work are as follows:To identify the range of welfare services currently provided by the Probation Service, Guardian ad Litem and Reporting Officer Service and the children's work of the Official Solicitor's Department and other agencies in family proceedings, and to consider the scope for improvements to the effectiveness of their work through the creation of a new unified service.To make proposals on the structure of a new service; to provide preliminary analysis of the estimated costs and benefits as a basis for public consultation; and to consider the implications for any new structure of the Government's plans to establish a Welsh Assembly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many unaccompanied minors are currently detained in Campsfield House and other centres of detention for asylum seekers, of what ages, and from which countries. [HL514]

It is our policy not to detain unaccompanied minors save only in very exceptional circumstances.There are no persons currently detained under Immigration Act powers whom the Immigration Service accept are unaccompanied minors. However, as I stated in my Written Answer of 27 November 1997

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish for Wales for comprehensive schools, grammar schools, modern schools, independent schools, FEFC schools and colleges and for all institutions in each of the years 1994 to 1997 giving the number of pupils in each of the subjects—mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, English literature, history, geography, French and economics: entering for A-level, passing A-level and obtaining Grade A at A-level, together with, for each kind of institution, the average A-level points obtained per pupil. [HL454]

The information requested on A-level entries and passes is given in the following tables. Readily available information on the average point score is given for those entering two or more A-levels and those entering fewer than 2 A-levels (or AS level equivalent) separately, as is usually published. There is disproportionate cost involved in producing an A-level point score for A-levels alone. There are no "modern" or "grammar" schools in Wales.

A-level entries and passes for selected subjects, 1994
	Number of pupils:
	entered for A level	passing A level	obtaining grade A
Comprehensive schools (a)
Mathematics (b)	2,044	1,723	496
Physics	1,189	911	199
Chemistry	1,443	1,097	202
Biology (c)	1,577	1,156	190
English literature	2,395	2,128	263
History	1,694	1,487	230
Geography	1,814	1,619	225
French	1,136	1,025	169
Economics	1,060	839	126
Independent schools
Mathematics (b)	269	255	125
Physics	157	146	68
Chemistry	227	208	90
Biology (c)	205	193	66
English literature	170	163	43
History	141	130	21
Geography	150	139	28
French	136	128	40
Economics	89	68	10