asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will subdivide the ML1 category used in the Export of Goods (Control) Order, so as to distinguish between firearms and other items. [HL2576]

The export of firearms is controlled under three entries in the Export of Goods (Control) Order: armament or weapons with a calibre greater than 12.7mm (0.5 inches) are controlled under entry ML2; arms and automatic weapons with a calibre of 12.7mm or less are controlled under entry ML1; and other smooth bore weapons are controlled under PL5018. Entry ML1 is already subdivided into three heads and certain accessories are controlled under the fourth head; specially designed components for the listed arms and weapons are also controlled under this entry.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Since Mr. John Edmonds of the GMB Union has acknowledged that he had a copy of the Executive Summary of the Report of the Low Pay Commission prior to its official publication, what steps are being taken to investigate how he came by it. [HL2592]

The Government do not believe that any useful purpose would be served at this time by investigating whether, and if so how, Mr. John Edmonds obtained a copy of the Executive Summary of the Low Pay Commission's Report prior to its publication. There would be no effective means of establishing which particular copy of the report might have been leaked or by whom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are considering increasing the Chevening Budget to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. [HL2474]

The Chevening Budget for the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is subject to regular review. We have no plans at the present time to increase it.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 23 June (

The latest forecast cost of the arrangements made by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is £6.7 million. This breaks down as:

	£ million
Summit venue costs	2.1
Hotel accommodation	0.1
Security staff and equipment	0.2
Transport	0.4
Media facilities	3.5
Administrative and other costs	0.9
	7.2
Less sponsorship	0.5
	6.7

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many incidents of loss, damage or destruction have occurred in Sites of Special Scientific Interest during the 1990s. [HL2631]

Details of the number of incidents of loss, damage, or destruction are published in the annual reports produced by the respective country agencies, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales and, prior to 1991, by the Nature Conservancy Council, all of which are held in the Library of the House.Such figures are not available for ASSIs in Northern Ireland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the implications for local authority rents of the figures announced today for expenditure on housing revenue account subsidy included in the total of annually managed expenditure. [HL2797]

The provision for housing revenue account subsidy allows for a real increase in local authority rents of 1 per cent. next year and 2 per cent. in each of the following two years. The consequent increase in rental income net of increased rent rebates will be available for increased revenue expenditure on maintaining the stock. The detailed proposals for the determination of HRA subsidy for 1999–2000 and subsequent years will be subject to consultation in the usual way. Rent policy for the longer term remains under consideration within the welfare reform process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the research on the impact of urban development corporations will be published. [HL2799]

The results of two evaluations of Urban Development Corporations (UDCs) were published today, one examining the Performance and Good Practice Lessons of UDCs and the other the Impact of UDCs in Leeds, Bristol and Central Manchester. Copies of each report and summary of findings have been placed in the Library of the House. Our evaluation of the LDDC, Regenerating London Docklands was published in June. These reports, taken together, represent a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of UDCs and set out good practice lessons for future regeneration agencies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the eighth Annual Report of the Drinking Water Inspectorate will be published. [HL2798]

Table: Summary of Government funded R&D on OPs1 relating to human exposure, toxicology and metabolism
Funding body	Research body	Title	Start date	Projected end date	Cost band2
HSE	Health & Safety Laboratories, Sheffield	1. An in-vitro investigation of the relative inhibitory effects of Ops and carbamates towards pseudocholinesterase in human blood	August 1997	February 1998	E
		2. Biological monitoring for OP exposure on fish farms (dichlorvos)	January 1996	March 1997	D
		3. Biological monitoring for propetamphos	January 1996	March 1998	D
		4. Changes over time in the level of inhibition of red blood cell acetylcholinesterase activity after OP exposure	October 1996	July 1997	E
		5. Chlorpyrilos volunteer study	July 1995	December 1996	D
		6. Human volunteer studies of dermal absorption of diazinon and propetamphos	January 1998	December 2000	C
		7. Immunochemical method for monitoring the specific activity of plasma cholinesterase	June 1997	December 1997	E
		8. Measurement of the dermal exposure of small scale users of pesticides by fluroscence monitoring	October 1994	May 1997	D
		9. Neuropsychological study of orchard workers exposed to OP pesticides	September 1996	September 1998	C
		10. Non-cholinergic effects of OP exposure	October 1995	August 1997	C
		11. Monitoring for OP exposure in orchard spraying with chlorpyriphos	January 1994	September 1997	C

The Drinking Water Inspectorate has published its eighth annual report today.The inspectorate will also publish leaflets for consumers. One will summarise the main points of the report and the others will give brief details of the quality of drinking water supplied by each water company.Copies of the report and leaflets will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In which institutions purely clinical researches are being carried out into the side effects of organophosphates upon human beings; and by whom they are being conducted. [HL2507]

The Government fund a substantial amount of work which addresses human exposure, toxicology and metabolism of organophosphate (OP) compounds. Details of current and recently completed projects in this area are set out below. The dividing line between purely clinical and other research is not always clearly defined but projects nine and 14 seek to correlate their findings with symptoms/effects and fall clearly into the clinical category.

Table: Summary of Government funded R&D on OPs1 relating to human exposure, toxicology and metabolism
Funding body	Research body	Title	Start date	Projected end date	Cost band2
MOD/DERA	University of Birmingham	12. The effects of acetylcholinesterases on the cellular mechanisms controlling the levels of acetylcholinesterase	May 1997	May 1999	C
		13. Neuropathy of anticholinesterases	October 1997	September 1998	E
MAFF/DH/HSE	Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh	14. Epidemiological study to detect well defined chronic effects in humans of dipping sheep with OP products	November 1995	April 1999	A
1 Official Group on OPs: Report to Ministers, MAFF Publications, Admail 6000, London, SW1A 2XX.
2 Price banding A: £500,000 or more; B: £300,000–£499,999; C: £100,000–£299,999; D: £50,000–£99,999; E: up to £50,000.

The Government will consider most carefully the need for further research arising from recommendations from their independent advisory committees and the Joint Working Party of the Royal College of Physicians and Psychiatrists. The Joint Working Party is expected to offer advice on the design of studies involving examination of individuals who attribute their ill-health to long term, low level exposure to organophosphates.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made, following the purchase by the Government in the mid 1980s of native pigs from China, in experimentally transferring the genes controlling the high litter rate of those pigs into European pigs. [HL2554]

Use of the Chinese pigs has made an invaluable contribution to understanding the genetic control of reproduction of pigs, and has also played a role in helping scientists to understand the pig genome, an area of research where the UK leads the world. The industry has taken a cautious approach to the incorporation of Chinese pig genes into commercial herds because of the poor carcass quality associated with the Chinese pigs. Research to overcome this problem is ongoing in a number of commercial pig breeding organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:With reference to the Official Group on OPs—Report to Ministers, paragraph 8.15, whether they will detail specifically the Community law which requires that the competent authority responsible for authorising the placing on the market of veterinary medicines should perform all the functions relating to authorisation and, in particular, that which relates to post marketing surveillance. [HL2556]

Council Directive 81/851/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to veterinary medicinal products, as amended by Directives 90/676 and 93/40, places responsibility for applying the relevant provisions of the directive, as implemented in the law of the member state, on the competent authority of the member state.In particular, Chapter VI of the directive requires the competent authority to undertake the necessary post-marketing supervision.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the research on piscivorous birds, currently funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, is due for completion; and whether this research will assess the impact of these birds on juvenile and smolt stage salmon and sea trout. [HL2596]

The MAFF/DETR/Environment Agency joint programme of research on piscivorous birds consists of five projects. The last project to be completed consists of case studies to assess the impact of piscivorous birds, particularly cormorants, on inland fisheries in England and Wales and includes studies on salmon and trout parr but not smolts. The project is currently expected to be completed in November 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the departmental objectives promised as an outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review when it was announced on 11 June last year. [HL2761]

A booklet setting out the revised aims and objectives of government departments has been published today. Copies are available in the Printed Paper Office and the Library of the House. They provide a clear statement of what the Government are seeking to achieve through their public expenditure policies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

(a) of which Cabinet committees the Lord Chancellor is currently chairman;

(b) of which Cabinet committees the Lord Chancellor is currently a member; and

(c) of which committees, recognised in the answers to (a) and (b) above, or other Cabinet committees, his predecessor was either the chairman or a member in the 12 months immediately preceding the general election of 1997.

[HL2481]

The Lord Chancellor is chairman of the following Cabinet committees:

• Ministerial Committee on The Queen's Speech and Future Legislation (QFL);
• Ministerial Committee on Devolution to Scotland and Wales and the English Regions (DSWR);
• Ministerial Sub-Committee on Incorporation of the European Convention of Human Rights (CRP(EC));
• Ministerial Sub-Committee on Freedom of Information (CRP(FOI));
• Ministerial Sub-Committee on House of Lords Reform (CRP(HL));

The Lord Chancellor is a member of the following Cabinet committees:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the hot dog vendors outside Buckingham Palace, in the Mall and in St James's Park have licences to trade; if not, why they are allowed to trade illegally; and what action is being taken to stop this trade. [HL2531]

Two kiosks are authorised to sell convenience food in St James's Park, along with the mobile ice cream sellers; these are clearly marked as licensed Royal Parks traders. The others are not licensed.The problem of illegal trading in the Royal Parks has worsened since the surrounding local authorities obtained the power to seize the outlets and vehicles used by these traders. The Royal Parks Constabulary, who are responsible for the locations referred to, do not have these powers.To address this problem, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is seeking an opportunity to bring forward amendments to the Parks Regulations (Amendment) Act to give the Royal Parks Constabulary the necessary powers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the loss of revenue to the Treasury if employees' contributions to SERPs were to be given the same tax relief as that enjoyed by contributors to occupational pension schemes and personal pensions. [HL2618]

SERPS is an unfunded scheme, with current national insurance contributions paying for today's benefits and pensions. However, by analogy with appropriate personal pension schemes which are funded, the cost of grossing up the employee part of the national insurance rebate, as if all those currently in SERPS had contracted out of SERPS and into personal pensions, is tentatively estimated at around £300 million a year at 1998–99 levels of earnings.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In view of the low rates of breastfeeding of infants in the United Kingdom, how they will follow up the European Community initiative launched in May; and how they will support the UNICEF's "Baby Friendly Initiative". [HL2438]

At the invitation of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), my honourable friend the Minister of State for Public Health launched the United Kingdom Baby Friendly Initiative's (UKBFI) new community initiative to mark the start of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which ran from 17–23 May this year. This initiative centres around a seven-point plan which aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in community health care settings and will complement the UKBFI hospital initiative. The Department of Health continues to maintain close links with UNICEF and enjoys observer status on the UKBFI Steering Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of Ambulance Service staff have retired for medical reasons under the age of 65 during the past year; and how many people that involved. [HL2509]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the National Health Service Pensions Agency under the Chief Executive, Mr. A. F. Cowan. I have asked him to write to the noble Viscount.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Public Health Laboratory Service's Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens routinely carries out molecular discrimination in respect of sporadic cases of

The Public Health Laboratory Service's Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens (LEP) does not routinely carry out tests for the molecular discrimination of isolates of Escherichia coli 0157 from sporadic cases of infection. Molecular typing is used for: all fatal cases; clusters of cases notified to the LEP even in the absence of evidence of an outbreak; apparent clusters of cases identified from the LEP typing data—for example, clusters of unusual phage types; cases with known or suspected contact with animals or where there appears to be a link with a particular food; and other cases as required—for example, possible laboratory acquired infections.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will issue an instruction to all clinical laboratories to use immunomagnetic separation (Dynabead) tests rather than direct plating to detect

Decisions on the testing of clinical specimens are a matter for local laboratory managers. Routine testing of clinical specimens using immunomagnetic separation is unnecessary as this procedure provides only a marginal improvement in detection of Escherichia coli 0157.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the epidemiology report, excluding matters relating to patient confidentiality where appropriate, relating to the case of Duckett's cheese. [HL2626]

The report is being drafted by the local Outbreak Control Team with assistance from the Public Health Laboratory Service and will be available shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide a copy of the documentary evidence to support the contention that a separate isolate from a later batch sample of Duckett's cheese was detected. [HL2627]

In the absence of documentary evidence, Ducketts advised Sedgemoor District Council verbally that one Escherichia coli 0157 positive sample related to cheese produced in the last week of April. For the cheese in question, Mendip District Council had established a delivery date to the retailer of 30 April. This is also the purchase date shown on the microbiological examination report prepared by the Public Health Laboratory Service, Exeter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their medical advisers take the view that those taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should do so while standing up and that a patient should not lie flat for half-an-hour afterwards; and, if so, whether they will ensure that NHS doctors give appropriate advice and that manufacturers of NSAIDs include such advice in leaflets issued with such drugs. [HL2584]

No such advice is currently in the product information for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or in the relevant section of the British National Formulary. Some patient information leaflets advise that the medicine should be taken with food or milk. We are not aware of data to suggest that it would be beneficial for NSAIDS to be taken in the manner described.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have had concerning the resolution on Gulf War illnesses approved by this year's annual conference of the Royal British Legion; what reply they are sending; and what action they propose to take on its call for a public inquiry. [HL2350]

The Prime Minister has recently received a letter from the Secretary General of the Royal British Legion concerning Gulf veterans' illnesses, which includes a call for a public inquiry. In addition, the Prime Minister has received a petition, delivered to No. 10 Downing Street by representatives of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association on Tuesday 7 July, which also calls for a public inquiry. The Government are considering the matter carefully and will respond formally to both organisations shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the delays in providing Written Answers to Questions, and replies to letters from Members of Parliament and the public, by the Ministry of Defence would be reduced by the appointment of additional staff to the Gulf War illness unit; and, if so, whether they would make the necessary appointments. [HL2334]

The Government have made it clear that they are committed to addressing Gulf veterans' concerns, and they have devoted significant resources to ensuring that questions from the veterans, or those asked on their behalf, are properly researched and considered.In preparing their answers on this issue, the Government seek to be as informative as possible and have waived the normal practice of declining to answer questions where the relevant information is not held centrally, or where to do so would require disproportionate costs to be incurred. The MoD Gulf Veterans' Illness Unit has been allocated the necessary resources, including 35 staff, to deal with questions and letters from MPs and the public, and to deal with its other roles. Whenever the preparation of a response to a question or letter requires more time, we let the enquirer know that further work is needed.The Government are determined that responses should be as thorough as possible, and aim to reply to questions and letters as expeditiously as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration they gave to involvement in organisations such as Emily's List before appointing members of the Independent Commission on Electoral Reform; and how support for discriminatory political funding can be compatible with the objectives of the commission. [HL2681]

The members of the Independent Commission on the Voting System were selected on the basis of their experience and expertise and to represent a broad spectrum of political views.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total number of (a) constables and (b) police officers in each police force in England and Wales. [HL2796]

Provisional figures show that at 31 March 1998 there were 126,944 police officers (down 214 from March 1997) in England and Wales, including 98,387 constables (up 255 from March 1997).The number of constables and the number of officers in each force is shown in the tables. In addition, there are 2,058 officers on secondments to the National Crime Squad and Central Services.

Change in strength between March 1997 and March 1998
	March 1997	March 1998	Increase/decrease
Avon & Somerset	2,988.8	2,975.9	-12.9
Bedfordshire	1,093.6	1,078.5	-15.1
Cambridgeshire	1,302.0	1,291.4	-10.6
Cheshire	2,045.5	2,035.9	-9.6
City of London	858.9	824.9	-34.0
Cleveland	1,459.3	1,483.4	24.1
Cumbria	1,143.5	1,163.5	20.0
Derbyshire	1,790.6	1,772.2	-18.4
Devon & Cornwall	2,864.5	2,961.5	97.0
Dorset	1,284.0	1,310.0	26.0
Durham	1,460.5	1,514.8	54.3
Dyfed-Powys	1,004.5	1,002.3	-2.2
Essex	2,960.7	2,928.5	-32.2
Gloucestershire	1,132.6	1,103.9	-28.7
Greater Manchester	6,921.6	6,948.7	27.1
Gwent	1,243.0	1,232.8	-10.2
Hampshire	3,451.7	3,489.5	37.8
Hertfordshire	1,759.1	1,739.9	-19.2
Humberside	2,045.0	2.021.2	-23.8
Kent	3,260.1	3,251.8	-8.3
Lancashire	3,247.5	3,257.1	9.6
Leicestershire	1,948.8	1,983.1	34.3
Lincolnshire	1,196.4	1,191.1	-5.3
Merseyside	4,230.4	4,217.4	-13.0
Metropolitan Police	26,677.3	26,192.7	-484.6
Norfolk	1,431.6	1,429.6	-2.0
Northamptonshire	1,176.7	1,168.7	-8.0
Northumbria	3,676.8	3,766.7	89.9
North Wales	1,369.0	1,396.0	27.0
North Yorkshire	1,337.6	1,367.2	29.6
Nottinghamshire	2,323.4	2,322.6	-0.8
South Wales	2,975.9	2,986.2	10.3
South Yorkshire	3,158.7	3,182.0	23.3