asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy towards asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [HL2015]

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary announced in another place on 16 May 1997 that he has made a declaration under the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 that the former Zaire had undergone such an upheaval that we would not seek to enforce the return of refused asylum seekers to that country for the time being.The new government of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been in power for a year. The situation in the country has been carefully monitored and there have been consultations with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with other European partners. Information has also been obtained from a range of sources, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Although there is conflict in the east of the country, security conditions in Kinshasa and in western areas of the DRC have been relatively stable for some months.The information received about conditions in the DRC enables us to make an informed assessment of the merits of asylum applications made prior to the upheaval and subsequently, in accordance with our international obligations. The Home Office will review all outstanding claims, including those which have previously been refused and are awaiting appeal hearings. Individuals whose claims have already been refused and determined by the independent Immigration Appellate Authority and who are either liable to removal or are awaiting further consideration will be able to submit fresh applications for consideration, which, if refused, will attract a fresh right of appeal. If an applicant is able to demonstrate that his fear of persecution is well founded, then asylum will be granted. Also, consideration will be given where there are exceptional and compelling humanitarian reasons for not enforcing return. If asylum or exceptional treatment is not merited, the normal course will be to expect applicants to return to the DRC. We will continue to monitor developments in the region.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any research operations at Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) are in breach of regulations governing cruelty to animals; and whether a Certificate of Designation is in force in respect of HLS. [HL1858]

As far as I am aware, all work being carried out at Huntingdon Life Sciences and which falls under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 has appropriate licence authorities. We are not aware of any breaches of the 1986 Act or of the Protection of Animals Act 1911.A Certificate of Designation is in force which covers the company's sites at both Huntingdon and Eye.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What attempts they have made to find copies of the papers from the Speaker's Conferences on Electoral Law of 1916–17 and 1929–30. [HL1848]

My officials have not been able to trace any papers for the Speaker's Conference of 1916–17, but are continuing to search. Some Home Office files containing a limited number of papers from the Speaker's Conference of 1929–30 are in the Public Record Office.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which organisation was responsible for the threat to the safety of those present at the parade of the Cavalry Association in Hyde Park on 11 May which required the imposition of stringent security measures, including restriction of public access to certain areas of the park. [HL1855]

Acting on advice from the Metropolitan Police Special Branch, the Royal Parks Police decided to close a small part of the Serpentine road to pedestrians during the events of Cavalry Sunday on 10 May. This was in response to the perceived potential threat to the mainland from those who remain wedded to violence and opposed to the Peace Process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What attempt the Home Office Operational Police Policy Unit made to involve or consult (a) any Scottish firearms clubs or association and (b) the Deer Commission for Scotland, on their proposed changes to the Firearm Rules and Firearms Forms; and why, after confirming with Lord Burton's office on 5 May the name and address of a Scottish consultee, they had not communicated with him by 12 May; and [HL1887]Why, further to the letter dated 5 May from the Scottish Office, Home Department, Police Division, to Mr. T. McCarthy, the Secretary to the Scottish Pistol Association, regarding consultation on matters affecting the administration of the Firearms Acts, he has neither been supplied with any documents nor been consulted by the Home Office Operational Police Policy Unit in London in connection with their review of the proposed changes to the firearms rules and forms. [HL1884]

The Home Office commenced consultation on the revision of the firearms forms on 5 December 1997. In accordance with established practice, the Home Office consulted bodies representing shooting sports in Great Britain as a whole. Consultation between branches and affiliates of those bodies in England, Wales and Scotland is principally a matter for the bodies themselves.Consultation on the forms formally concluded on Thursday 5 May. The Scottish Home Department informed the Home Office on that day that the Scottish Pistol Association wished to be included in future consultation exercises. This has been noted for future reference, but until then we had not received any suggestion that any specific Scottish group wished to be consulted independently of the Great Britain organisations.The Scottish Pistol Association wrote to the Home Office on Saturday 9 May to request a copy of the draft forms, and a copy was posted to them early on Monday 11 May.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assurances an applicant for a firearm or shotgun certificate will have to maintain "patient confidentiality" between himself and his doctor, if the proposals made by the Home Office Operational Police Policy Unit are adopted, to require or authorise enquiries to be made by police officers or police civilians directly with the applicant's general medical practitioner; what safeguards the Government propose to build into these proposals; and whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of advice they have received from the British Medical Association and other professional medical bodies; and [HL 1882]What assurances an applicant for a firearm or shotgun certificate will have that enquiring police officers or police civilians have a satisfactory understanding of the medical facts presented to them, if the proposals made by the Home Office Operational Police Policy Unit are adopted to require future applications to disclose to the police "any medical condition" or "disability" the applicants have or may have had; what safeguards the Government propose to build into these proposals; and whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of the advice they have received from the British Medical Association and other professional medical bodies. [HL1883]

The firearms rules, which prescribe various forms used in the firearms licensing system, are in the process of being revised to take account of the recent changes in firearms law. The new application form for a firearm certificate will contain a number of questions about the applicant's health. An applicant's medical condition or history may be a relevant factor in determining fitness to possess firearms. It is only right that the chief officer of police should have this information in order to reach an informed judgment on an application. Accordingly, it is proposed that the application form should seek the applicant's authority for the police to obtain factual information about these conditions from his doctor. It will be for individual chief officers to ensure that such information can be interpreted properly, through either appropriate training or access to professional medical advice. Correspondence from individuals and bodies with whom we may consult as a matter of routine is not normally published and we have no plans to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action is being taken to prevent the illegal importation into Northern Ireland of diesel fuel. [HL1874]

The Government recognise that the illegal importation of duty paid diesel fuel across the border into Northern Ireland for resale is a serious problem which disadvantages legitimate traders. HM Customs are taking the lead, acting in conjunction with other authorities including the Royal Ulster Constabulary, in deploying resources and actively mounting investigations against those involved to counter the threat posed to the revenue and to the Northern Ireland business community. Wherever possible, cases are progressed with a view to criminal prosecution of the individuals concerned.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will set out their plans for a review of transfer and commital procedures in serious fraud trials. [HL1963]

I have directed my department to carry out a review of pre-trial procedures in serious fraud trials. The purpose of this review will be to conduct a detailed examination of trial procedures in these cases, from the decision to commit or transfer a case to the Crown Court right up to the commencement of the jury trial. The review will assess the extent of current compliance with existing rules and procedures, evaluating their effectiveness and considering whether changes to procedure and case management could aid the delivery of justice in serious fraud cases. The review will involve wide consultation with all bodies involved in serious fraud cases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What changes have been made to the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). [HL1989]

Due to her ministerial appointment, Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale has resigned as a member of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE.The Prime Minister has appointed Baroness Hilton of Eggardon as a replacement representative from the government benches.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the corporate plan and key tasks and targets for 1998–99 for the NHS Estates Agency. [HL2016]

We have agreed the agency's corporate plan, and key tasks and targets for 1998–99 and have placed copies in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What contingency plans are in place to provide a shuttle coach service to Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway railway stations from Newport and Cardiff stations, in readiness for the closure of the Severn Tunnel as a result of structural defects and serious drainage collapse. [HL1820]

The Severn Tunnel is likely to be closed for three weeks in July 1999 to allow the necessary engineering work to be carried out, although these arrangements have not yet been finalised. We understand that the contingency plans that the train operating companies have in place are that Wales & West's trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff will operate via Gloucester, adding an hour to the journey, with some replacement buses operating between Bristol Temple Meads and Newport and/or Cardiff. Great Western Trains will operate an hourly bus service between Bristol Parkway and Newport.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they propose to make, in the light of the Report

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has considered this report to see whether it provides scientific evidence which can be used to identify sites which meet the requirements set out in Article 4(1) of the directive relating to aquatic species which range over wide areas. It has concluded that it does not. Therefore, it is not proposed to identify any SACs for their harbour porpoise interest in the light of this report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What key targets have been set for the Defence Bills Agency for 1998–99. [HL2014]

Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Bills Agency for the financial year 1998–99 in accordance with the agency's aim of meeting the requirements of its service level agreement with the Ministry of Defence in a manner which offers best value for money.The roles of the Defence Bills Agency as defined in its framework document are: the authorisation and payment of bills from MoD's suppliers and contractors; the invoicing and collection of MoD receipts; the maintenance of accounting records for the MoD central ledger; and the provision of financial management information to budget holders.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce details of the 60 applications to set up Education Action Zones. [HL1988]

A total of 60 applications have been received. The areas covered are:

Region	Area	Total
West Midlands	Aston, Birmingham
	Hodge Hill, Birmingham
	Hereford, Herefordshire
	Sandwell
	Solihull
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Walsall
	Wolverhampton	8
South West	Lands End, Cornwall
	Camborne, Cornwall
	Weston Super Mare, Somerset
	Plymouth
	Bridgwater, Somerset
	S E Wiltshire	6
East Midlands	N E Derbyshire
	Leicester city
	Gainsborough, Lines
	Corby, Northants
	Nottingham	5
South East	Brighton & Hove
	Aylesbury, Bucks
	St Leonards, E Sussex
	N Guildford	4

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide a breakdown of the allocation of the £1.2 billion for education announced in the July 1997 Budget. [HL1888]

The Chancellor announced an extra £1.3 billion for repairs and maintenance of school buildings across the UK in the July 1997 budget. In England, the New Deal for Schools (NDS) has enabled capital projects worth £115 million in 1997–98 and over £500 million in 1998–99 alone. The table below shows how the NDS grant breaks down among the four territorial departments.

£ million
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02
England	83.5	250.4	250.4	250.4	250.4
Scotland	8.9	26.7	26.7	26.7	26.7
Wales	5.0	15.1	15.1	15.1	15.1
Northern Ireland	2.6	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.8
Total	100	300	300	300	300

By the end of this Parliament, the Government expects the NDS to generate more than £2 billion-worth of capital projects.In addition, an extra £1 billion was made available for local authority recurrent funding across the UK in 1998–99.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are prepared to help fund further research in the use of analgesics for the relief of pain in sheep currently being undertaken at the Moredun Research Establishment, Edinburgh. [HL1869]

The Moredun Foundation is collaborating with the University of Edinburgh on two government-funded projects aimed at the development of more humane methods for the castration and tail docking of lambs. Decisions as to future government funding of work in this area will depend on a number of factors including evaluation of the results of these and other relevant scientific studies, the availability of resources and the scientific quality of any proposals submitted.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Donoughue on 5 May

No discussions were held on this subject before the UK launched a discussion under its presidency, initially in the working group for EU Chief Veterinary Officers in April 1998. In Her Majesty's Government's view, the overriding aim must be to achieve a wider multilateral consensus on farm animal welfare: the EU's strategy should be to work for this through whatever international fora it identifies as the most suitable, as well as in bilateral negotiations with third country suppliers. We intend to drive this subject forward, though in view of the complex range of interests involved it is bound to take a while to develop an EU position.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Donoghue on 5 May

So far as we are aware, the member states which have bodies analogous to the Farm Animal Welfare Council are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It would be presumptuous to expect that the commendation we give to the FAWC model would in itself lead other governments to set up similar bodies, but we hope that over time it will contribute to this end. The honourable member for Scunthorpe in another place, the Minister for Fisheries and the Countryside, commended the FAWC model to the chief veterinary officers of all the member states when he addressed them recently; all the FAWC's reports are sent to the other member states, enabling us to highlight the value of the council; and the chairman and members of the FAWC have our support in seeking opportunities to demonstrate their worth to other governments, in the EU and beyond.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the informal Agriculture Council held on 10–12 May. [HL1878]

As Chairman of the EU Agriculture Council, my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hosted an informal meeting of Agriculture Ministers in Newcastle upon Tyne from 10 to 12 May 1998. I represented the United Kingdom at that meeting.In the course of the informal visit, my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was able to show our EU colleagues the efforts which the UK Government are making, in partnership with the farming industry, to help put our beef industry onto a sound footing for the future. In particular, our EU ministerial colleagues were given a comprehensive presentation of the cattle traceability system now being put in place in Great Britain with the aim of assuring consumers, retailers and farmers alike of the safety and reliability of our meat.Linked to the theme of quality and sustainability of beef production, the informal EU Council went on to discuss, on the basis of a UK Presidency paper, the challenges facing EU livestock producers in environmentally fragile areas of the Union, and the measures open to EU governments to assist them. A wide-ranging debate on this important subject gave rise to a number of important policy considerations which will be taken forward in the negotiations on the Commission's Agenda 2000 proposals for agricultural reform.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What tuition fees will be charged for students of (a) veterinary medicine, (b) medicine and (c) dentistry at Scottish universities when tuition fees are introduced. [HL1841]

Students liable to pay tuition fees will pay a maximum of £1,000 per year on these courses. Students of veterinary medicine will be liable to pay tuition fees for each year of their course; students of medicine and dentistry will be liable to pay tuition fees for the first four years of their courses only. The arrangements in Scotland are the same as in other UK countries.Around 40 per cent. of Scottish students on all courses will not pay tuition fees; a further quarter or so will pay less than £1,000 per year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sewel on 12 May

The year-on-year cash increase is 5.7 per cent. and the year-on-year real-terms increase is 2.7 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sewel on 12 May

Over the period 1979–80 to 1996–97 the average expenditure at 1998–99 prices was £3,717 million; the average year-on-year cash increase was £188 million; the year-on-year percentage cash increase was 8.6 per cent.; and the year-on-year percentage real-terms increase was 2.6 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many external investigations (a) have been commissioned, (b) have been carried out and (c) are ongoing into each of the eight Scottish police forces during each of the last two years; and for each investigation:

The information requested is contained in the table below. In each case the investigation was carried out by a police force with no other organisation or body involved. Investigations are invariably conducted on a "mutual aid" basis, with no charge being made by the investigating force. Information on costs is not therefore readily available.