asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will require the replacement of the reprocessing of nuclear waste by the dry storage method recommended by the Socialist Environment and Resources Association and which is also being adopted in other countries. [HL823]

Decisions on whether to reprocess or seek alternative spent nuclear fuel management options are a matter for the owners of the spent fuel, subject to meeting the necessary environmental and regulatory requirements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have received representations from the police over the lack of automatic power to arrest those offenders who fail to register their name and address, as required by the Sex Offenders Act 1997. [HL859]

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many shooting incidents were reported in each month of the last two years in the Manchester Police Authority area, indicating in which cases drugs were believed to be involved, the calibre and

I am not aware of any formal representations to the Home Office since the Act was implemented last September.The police do have the power to arrest unregistered sex offenders under Section 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), which provides a general power of arrest for all offences which are not, in themselves, arrestable. A police officer can exercise this power if he has reasonable grounds to believe that the person will cause physical injury to himself or others, or if he has reasonable grounds to believe that arrest is necessary to protect a child or other vulnerable person.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Data on the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted under Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 as amended are given in the table. Information on the type of medium (book, magazine, internet etc.) used for such an offence is not collected centrally.Information under Section 3 of the Act—

The following table gives the available information for 1995 and 1996 (information for 1997 is not yet available). The calibre of the weapons and whether or not drugs were believed to be involved are not available centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following the judgment at Derby Crown Court on 15 January, whether they propose to continue to take advice from the Association of Chief Police Officers' administration of firearms and explosives Sub-Committee on the administration of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997. [HL945]

The Sub-Committee on the Administration of Firearms and Explosives Licensing was set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers and meets primarily to consider issues of concern to the police service under this heading. Other bodies, such as the Firearms Consultative Committee and others with pro- or anti-shooting interests, also comment and make observations from time to time on various aspects of the administration and enforcement of the Firearms Acts. The approach of this Government means that we are always pleased to consider a wide range of advice before reaching decisions on any particular issue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following the judgment at Derby Crown Court on 15 January, whether they propose to amend Home Office Circular No. 32/97 concerning the administration of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997; and, if so, how. [HL944]

We have no plans to revise the circular at this stage, but I understand that all chief officers are aware of the judgment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many claims for compensation arising from the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 Compensation Scheme have been received in respect of:

As at 5 March, there had been 8,727 compensation claims under the statutory small calibre pistol surrender scheme received from the police. The categories of claim and their values will not be known until the claims are individually examined. The Home Office Firearms Compensation Section is at present concentrating on claims received under the earlier compensation scheme for large calibre handguns and the voluntary surrender scheme for small calibre pistols. Examination of the statutory small calibre pistol claims will begin when the overall work position permits.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest annual estimate of the total number of items of secondary legislation which involve the Welsh Office and of this total how many were:

During the calendar year 1997, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales made a total of 111 statutory instruments in his name only. Of these:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any plans to set up a public telephone number on which members of the public will be able to offer information to the Security Service. [HL1004]

A new telephone number—the MI5 Phoneline—is today being established by the Security Service. The purpose of the Phoneline is to make it easier for people to pass on information which could help the Service do its work. The Phone will not serve as a general enquiry point about the Security Service. Enquiries should continue to be addressed, in writing, to the Security Service at The Enquiries Desk, PO Box 3255, London SW1P 1AE.For those who wish to provide information to the Security Service, the number is 0171 930 9000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the request from the German Government for Roisin McAliskey's extradition. [HL1005]

The German Government had requested Roisin McAliskey's return to stand trial for offences relating to the bombing of Osnabrüuck barracks in June 1996.My right honourable friend has decided that he will not order Roisin McAliskey's return to Germany because he considers that the medical evidence in her case would make extradition unjust or oppressive.The Home Secretary has a general discretion to refuse extradition in any individual case, and is obliged to do so if it would, having regard to all the circumstances of the individual, be unjust or oppressive to do so. This discretion is preserved in Section 12 of the Extradition Act 1989.My right honourable friend has explained his decision to the German Government. It does not reflect in any way on the fairness of the German legal system or on the quality of the German extradition request. The United Kingdom enjoys excellent working relationships with Germany in the field of extradition and international co-operation against terrorism.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the central government grant, the total number of admissions, the central government grant per admission and the cost of an adult entrance charge, where applied for each of the years 1983–84 to 1997–98 for each of (a) the British Museum; (b) the National Gallery; (c) the Tate Gallery; (d) the National Portrait Gallery; (e) the Wallace Collection; (f) the National Army Museum; (g) The Royal Armouries; (h) the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside; (i) the Imperial War Museum; (j) the Natural History Museum; (k) the Science Museum in London; (l) the Victoria and Albert Museum; (m) the National Maritime Museum; (n) the Royal Airforce Museum; (o) the Sir John Soane's Museum; (p) the National Museum and Gallery of Wales; (q) the Ulster Museum; (r) the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum; (s) the National Gallery of Scotland; (t) the National Museum of Scotland; (u) the Museum of London.[HL668]

I have placed detailed information which answers this Question in the Libraries of the House. There are, however, a number of points which should be noted:

• First, occasional stepped increases in government grant reflect the transfer of responsibilities to institutions such as the maintenance of their estates, superannuation, and also increases in business rates.
• Second, visitor numbers for non-charging museums are sometimes not wholly accurate.
• Third, many institutions that do not charge for entry to their core collections, do charge for special exhibitions; and
• Finally, the grant-in-aid per visitor measure does not take into account the different nature of the institutions' collections or the fact that their core functions vary; for example, some are engaged in internationally acclaimed research.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What part rural village life will play in the exhibits contained within the Millennium Dome; and [HL689]Whether the Millennium Dome will celebrate the countryside and the role of country people. [HL690]

The Millennium Experience (both the Dome at Greenwich and the associated country-wide Challenge programme of events and activities) will reflect in its content, the overarching theme "Time to Make a Difference". The exhibits and activities in the Dome and the Challenge programme will reflect the lives and aspirations of people across the United Kingdom, and will aim to educate, inspire, involve and entertain everyone who visits and takes part, whether they come from rural or urban communities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have conducted a study into the requirements of people with disabilities in relation to access and exhibits in the Millennium domes; including accessibility to the area itself by public transport. [HL913]

The New Millennium Experience Company established an Advisory Group in June 1997 to consider accessibility issues. Members of the group are drawn from a range of voluntary sector organisations covering physical, sensory and learning disabilities, mental health issues and the needs of older people. The group has met four times and provided advice to the company on a wide range of accessibility issues including transportation, parking, ticketing arrangement, and disability awareness training. The company is committed to ensuring access to the dome for all those who wish to visit.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they propose to invite the Scottish Law Commission to report on the areas of possible law reform discussed in the consultation paper entitled

I had a most productive meeting with Lord Gill and members of the Scottish Law Commission on 9 January to discuss the commission's programme for law reform and how it relates to the work of the Land Reform Policy Group. We agreed that the commission and the group should keep in close touch to discuss any particular issues which may arise as this important work develops.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many computer software projects are being developed under the Scottish Police Information Strategy (SPIS)); and for what purpose. [HL886]

The Scottish Police Information Strategy (SPIS) is taking an integrated approach to systems development and is thus a single programme rather than a series of software projects. The strategy has identified more than 60 areas of activity within policing in Scotland that may benefit from the provision of automated systems.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the remit of the Firearms Administration Project (part of the Scottish Police Information Strategy (SPIS)); and what is the role of Northern and Strathclyde Police in that project. [HL887]

The remit of the project is to provide Scottish police forces with a Firearms Administration computer system taking into account the standards laid down under the Scottish Police Information Strategy (SPIS) and to act as a vehicle to test the approach and technologies envisaged by SPIS.Northern Constabulary and Strathclyde Police have both provided development staff who have identified the Firearms Administration procedures carried out within all police forces. The next step is for the two forces, along with staff from the central SPIS team, to develop the system and make it available to the other forces in Scotland. Completion is anticipated by December 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much it would cost each of the Scottish water authorities to implement customer service systems and standards comparable to the industry average in England and Wales. [HL842]

A detailed comparison of the costs of the systems in Scotland and England and Wales could be undertaken only at excessive cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Scottish water authorities will offer their customers the same minimum guaranteed service standards offered by the industry in England and Wales. [HL843]

Scottish Water and Sewerage Customers Council is responsible for agreeing with Scottish water authorities their codes of practice for service to customers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the three Scottish water authorities expect to progress to self billing. [HL844]

The policy on billing of water and sewerage charges is a matter for the water authorities. None of them have set a date for sending bills to domestic customers directly from the authority itself. However some non-domestic customers are billed in this way.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which of the three Scottish water authorities they regard as the most cost effective for its customers in the provision of water services. [HL845]

The three Scottish water authorities operate in very different circumstances, and it is therefore difficult to make valid comparisons of cost-effectiveness which take full account of factors such as geographical situation and quality of outputs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:For each of the three water authorities in Scotland, what are its unit costs per cubic metre for (a) water delivered and (b) sewage collected and treated, distinguishing in each case between (i) the cost of operation; (ii) capital maintenance; and (iii) return on capital. [HL841]

The figures in the following tables show the water authorities' apportionment of their total costs to give gross unit costs for water supply and sewerage services in 1996–97. For each service the costs are split into operating costs, capital maintenance and interest charges. Some of the apportionment of costs is provisional, and there may be inconsistencies in the assumptions behind the apportionment of costs by the three authorities. These figures take no account of the different geographical operating conditions of the three authorities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Gilbert on 18 February (

Our requirement is for frozen lamb, for which the primary sources are overseas. Our contractor's estimate is based on its market analysis of the sources expected to provide the most competitive prices consistent with meeting our quality specification and the need to guarantee supplies throughout the year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the course of studying welfare reform in the United States, they will study the reports of the charity Second Harvest. [HL653]

The Government have not had an opportunity to study the reports of the charity Second Harvest. However, we are keen to learn from experiences abroad as we develop our welfare reform programme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they suppose that key fact 2, in

Many economic and social factors have contributed to the increase in workless households. The Government's concern is to correct any deficiencies in the provision of welfare which contribute to, rather than alleviate, this problem, such as disincentives to working.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they suppose that key fact 2 in

The Government believe the welfare state should prevent poverty, not just meet the costs of failure. Worklessness is a major cause of low incomes and we are determined to reform the welfare system so that it does everything possible to help and encourage people of working age to work where they are able to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish a further consultation paper on the review of the water abstraction licensing system in England and Wales. [HL910]

The Government are currently conducting a review of the water abstraction licensing system in England and Wales. A consultation paper is expected to be published within the next few weeks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have regarding the future administration of the EC Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). [HL1006]

We have decided that from 1 May this year the Institute of Environmental Assessment will take over this function from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), which has administered EMAS in the United Kingdom since it came into operation in April 1995. The institute will be the official Competent Body responsible for registering sites under the scheme on a fee charging basis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A separate announcement will be made later about Scotland.When the DETR was designated as the Competent Body in 1994, the declared intention was to keep the arrangements simple by limiting the number of key players involved, particularly in the initial stages of setting up EMAS. EMAS has now moved beyond this developmental stage, with nearly 50 registered sites in the United Kingdom. Its effectiveness in helping industry to manage its impacts on the environment and publicise its results is becoming increasingly recognised, alongside ISO 14001, the international environmental management systems standard, which has been achieved by over 430 companies in the United Kingdom—more than anywhere else in Europe—and which can be used by any organisation, either as the environmental management system for EMAS or on its own.The decision therefore reflects the importance which the Government attach to motivating businesses to adopt externally verified environmental management systems. The Environment Agency is firmly committed to encouraging the use of such systems because of their value in improving the environment, and we welcome its work in this respect. We will be looking to all leading companies to respond by committing themselves to EMAS and ISO 14001.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide an estimate of the total tonnage of domestic waste collected by or on behalf of local authorities during 1997 and of the tonnage collected 21 years earlier. [HL827]

A new annual survey by DETR found that in 1995–96 almost 24 million tonnes of household waste was collected by, or on behalf of local authorities in England and Wales. Figures were published in January 1998 in a new statistical bulletin, Municipal Waste Management 1995–96. A copy was placed in the Library of the House of Lords. Figures for 1996–97 will be published in early summer, 1998.The only data on waste handled by local authorities for earlier years derive from surveys carried out in the 1970s and 1980s by CIPFA. These surveys used different definitions and suffered from a declining response rate, so it is not easy to make comparisons over time. However, recent research suggests that between 1983 and 1993 household waste arisings may have grown by as much as 2 per cent. per annum.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish data for England for comprehensive schools, grammar schools, modern schools, independent schools, Further Education Funding Council schools and colleges and for all institutions in each of the years 1994 to 1997 giving for each kind of institution the average A-level points obtained per pupil in each of the subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, English literature, history, geography, French and economics. [HL904]

The information requested in respect of GCE A-level achievements is shown in the attached tables.