asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the reviews currently being undertaken by the Department for International Development will be published during the parliamentary Summer Recess. [HL2777]

We have no plans to publish any reviews during the parliamentary Summer Recess.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What measures they and the European Union are taking to ensure that the new airport and hospital in and near Gaza, built with European Union aid, are enabled to start functioning. [HL2816]

Construction of the Gaza airport was completed over a year ago, but it cannot be opened until security issues have been resolved by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. During our Presidency of the EU we worked hard to close gaps on a number of economic issues, including the airport. The EU continues to encourage both sides to reach agreement, so that the airport can be opened to give the Palestinians direct access to the outside world.We understand from the European Commission (EC) that the Gaza hospital should be functional within a year. The EC is in the process of hiring an international management team that will implement the final stages of construction, installation of equipment, training of staff and other matters to make the hospital operational.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following their decision to rejoin UNESCO, what is now their policy towards re-establishing a United Kingdom national commission bringing together experts on education, science, culture and the arts, environment, social sciences, communications, human rights, anti-racism, international development and related matters in order to provide specialist advice to UNESCO and to foster the networking of expertise throughout the world. [HL2752]

It is important to have an effective mechanism to engage UK civil society with the work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The Department for International Development is actively pursuing, with other interested government departments, how a UK commission for UNESCO might best be designed to meet this objective efficiently without enormous cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they can report in lifting the ban on beef exports from the United Kingdom. [HL2600]

A Commission proposal to enable beef to be exported from the UK under the Date Based Export Scheme (DBES) is currently under consideration by the Standing Veterinary Committee. The UK is making every effort to secure an early agreement on the best possible terms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of the publicity material issued by the British Cattle Movement Service. [HL2827]

We have placed in the Library a leaflet introducing the computerised cattle tracing system together with a further leaflet advertising the British Cattle Movement Service helpline, and a letter sent to farmers following problems with the distribution of the helpline leaflet. We will add further material which is issued by the British Cattle Movement Service before the cattle tracing system is launched on 28 September, as this material becomes available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to reach a decision on the asylum applications of Sheikh Ali Salman, Hamza Ali Jasim Kadhem and Sayed Haider Hasan Ali, citizens of Bahrain, who applied at the port of entry on 15 January 1995. [HL2748]

A decision has been taken to grant refugee status to the three individuals in question and their dependants. This decision has been communicated to their legal representatives.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons who applied for asylum in January 1995 are still awaiting a first decision; and whether they will explain why Bahraini cases usually take much longer to resolve than the average. [HL2749]

As at 31 May 1998, it is estimated that, of 52,110 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision, approximately 20 per cent. were lodged in 1995. I regret that it is not possible to produce an estimate for January 1995 alone with the available data.The large backlog of cases in the Asylum Directorate means that it is inevitable that some cases take longer than others to resolve. Delays are often compounded by the individual complexity of cases, which are thoroughly investigated and considered.The Government will be committing more resources to the processing of asylum claims and will be announcing more details of their plans in this area shortly.Nineteen Bahrain applications remain outstanding. The oldest case dates back to 1994.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many hearings of asylum and immigration appeals have been adjourned during the past year because of the absence of Home Office Presenting Officers. [HL2639]

In June 1998, 3.46 per cent. of all cases listed by the Immigration Appellate Authority were adjourned at the request of the Home Office: no figures are available for adjournments because of the non-availability of a Presenting Officer. Decisions on adjournment are a matter for the adjudicator, but it is not Home Office practice to apply for an adjournment because no Presenting Officer is available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the United Kingdom Passport Agency performed against its targets in 1997–98, and what performance targets they have set for the agency in 1998–99. [HL2964]

The United Kingdom Passport Agency performed very well in 1997–98. With demand 28 per cent. above forecast, it did not meet its target for processing properly completed and straightforward applications within a maximum of ten working days. But customers' travel needs were met on most occasions, and customer satisfaction remained very high.The Passport Agency's financial target was to secure efficiency savings of 11.1 per cent. in the three year period 1995–96 to 1997–98 equivalent to £11.32 per passport service provided. The latest indications are that the agency has achieved a unit cost of £9.90, which represents an efficiency saving of 10.3 per cent. for the year, and nearly 25 per cent. for the three-year period. 1998–99 will be a transitional and difficult year for the agency, as it manages the introduction of new passport issuing arrangements and a more secure British passport from October 1998. Nevertheless, we expect the agency to maintain a high standard of service throughout the year.We have set the agency the following targets, which take account of the special circumstances that apply in 1998–99, and the cost of the new arrangements:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the annual cost to the United Kingdom taxpayers of campaigns in this country to reduce smoking. [HL2728]

In 1998–99, the Government are funding smoking education campaigns in the United Kingdom totalling £7.5 million.In addition, a wide range of health professionals run localised anti-smoking campaigns and offer smoking cessation advice and support. These costs can not be separately identified.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ensure that the forthcoming green paper on public health safety will contain a commitment to raising health standards of those over the age of 65; and whether specific health targets will be set for older people. [HL2732]

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health launched the Green Paper Our Healthier Nation on 5 February. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland published the Green Paper Working Together For a Healthier Scotland on the same day. Both Green Papers set out proposals for new strategies for health covering all age groups, and consultation on both documents ran until 30 April.In England, we have received over 5,500 responses, in Scotland some 800, many of which commented on the Green Papers' implications of the proposals for the health of older people. We shall take all these comments into consideration as we develop the final version of the separate strategies which we plan to publish as White Papers later this year.In both countries, working groups have been established to consider the setting of appropriate targets. That work would include the relevance of possible targets to older people.My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales published a consultation paper on a health strategy for Wales

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the cost to the NHS of treating—

The Government allocate funds to the National Health Service for the treatment and care of people with HIV and AIDS and in 1998–99 this budget totalled £228.1 million. These funds are not ring-fenced, but are separately identified. HIV/AIDS prevalence is unevenly distributed and funds are allocated to health authorities broadly on the basis of where treatment takes place.Treatment costs for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are not identified separately. Most people with STDs, including many of those with HIV and AIDS, are likely to be treated in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics which provide free, open access, confidential services. The amount spent on the GUM specialty in 1996–97 in England was £118 million, which amounts to 0.5 per cent. of the total operating expenditure of NHS trusts.* Some of this sum will be provided from the HIV/AIDS treatment and care allocation. Accordingly the total NHS spend on treating HIV/AIDS and STDs will be less than the sum of the two figures provided.*Data from the annual financial returns and annual summarisation schedules of NHS trusts respectively.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What study the Department of Health has made of research findings in the United States that African Americans are at higher risk of developing breast cancer and cervical cancer and at much higher risk of developing prostate cancer; and what comparable information is available in the United Kingdom. [HL2767]

No such studies have been done. The 1996 Cancer Research Campaign/Department of Health Symposium on cancer and minority ethnic groups in England and Wales concluded that cancer is a common and important cause of death in minority ethnic groups. Overall it is less common among Indian, Caribbean and African ethnic migrants than in the total population. However, Caribbean and African ethnic minorities have higher death rates from liver cancer and prostate cancer and there is a higher death rate from oral cancer amongst Asians. Death rates for breast and cervical cancer are not increased overall in ethnic minorities compared to the general population. The Cancer Research Campaign's fact sheet number 8 on cancer in ethnic minorities living in England and Wales is based on extracts from the report of the symposium, published in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC, Vol 74, Supplement XXIX (1996). Copies of the documents mentioned are available in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to advertise for membership of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. [HL2968]

There will be a number of vacancies in membership of the authority later this year. We are considering how best to ensure that applications for these vacancies are invited from as wide a field of suitable people as possible. This will include advertising in the national press shortly. We also intend to maintain a list of potential candidates for vacancies that arise in future years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many pensioners receive less than the full state pension because of defective contribution records; what are the main reasons for the defective contribution records; and whether they are considering ways of ameliorating the situation of these pensioners. [HL2533]

Of those receiving basic state retirement pension, 3,251,080 men and 867,440 women receive full pension based on their own contribution records. In addition to this, 59,040¹ men and 2,488,020¹ women receive full pension based on their spouse's contribution records.However, 247,760

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will hold an official inquiry into the leaking of the proposals and the recent statement on the Child Support Agency in advance of their presentation to Parliament. [HL2740]

The information which found its way into the press could have been derived from a number of sources as official announcement drew near. The prospects of demonstrating successfully the source of the information is poor and, though we deplore any leak of government proposals in advance of their announcement to Parliament, we concluded that a full formal enquiry would not be justified.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to announce their proposals for a disability rights commission. [HL2923]

The Government today published a White Paper entitled Promoting Disabled People's Rights: Creating a Disability Rights Commission fit for the 21st Century, setting out their proposals on the role and functions of a disability rights commission. This has been laid before the House and copies have been placed in the Printed Paper Office.In our manifesto we stated our support for "comprehensive and enforceable civil rights for disabled people". Accordingly, in October 1997 we announced that we would:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Strategic Defence Review contains no information on the efforts they have made and will make to achieve their aim of bringing about the worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons; and whether they will now give such information. [HL2717]

I refer my noble friend to chapter four of the White Paper on The Strategic Defence Review on deterrence and disarmament, and to supporting essay five on deterrence, arms control and proliferation. These set out in some detail a series of practical and achievable measures working towards the goal of nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the cost to the British taxpayer of the deployment of aircraft to the Middle East for No-Fly surveillance activity in parts of Iraq; how many sorties British aircraft have flown since the deployment was initiated; whether any aircraft or aircrew have been lost; what currently is the purpose of these deployments; and, if they have provided "value for money", how they define the "value". [HL2645]

Since patrolling of the northern and southern Iraqi No-Fly-Zones began, in 1991 and 1992 respectively, the UK has routinely contributed six combat aircraft and one air-to-air refuelling aircraft to each operation. To date, the extra costs incurred are some £66 million. A total of some 14,000 sorties has been flown during this period. Only one aircraft has been lost, as a result of a technical malfunction, in 1993; the pilot was recovered by a US helicopter without further incident.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What have been the monthly attendance figures at the National Museums of Scotland in:

The figures for 1997 and for January to June 1998 are set out in the table below.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they propose to take to protect the wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout from sea lice predation on the fisheries of the West coast of Scotland. [HL2701]

Sea lice are natural predators on Atlantic salmon and sea trout and affect both wild and farmed species. The farmed industry is particularly conscious of the economic implications of sea lice damage and, with government encouragement, has begun to implement a new treatment strategy. New medications are currently going through the various licensing procedures. My department's Fisheries Research services are providing toxological information as part of that process and they are also carrying out research into the possible development of a vaccine.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the findings of the Pitlochry Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory, the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen and St. Andrews University, on sea lice predation hosted by commercial salmon farming operations on the runs of wild salmon and sea trout. [HL2702]

Accounts of the work of my department's laboratories in this area are given in the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory's Annual Review for 1994–95 and its Biennial Review for 1995–97. I am arranging for copies of these documents to be placed in the Library. The work of St. Andrews University is ongoing and, I understand, is not scheduled to be completed until late 1999.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ensure that Scottish Natural Heritage takes full responsibility for protecting the wild Atlantic salmon. [HL2703]

Under Section 16 of the Salmon Act 1986, District Salmon Fishery Boards have the duty to protect and improve salmon fisheries in their areas. However, the Atlantic salmon is named as a species of community interest in Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation (SACs). Her Majesty's Government have received advice from Scottish Natural Heritage on which rivers should be consulted on as possible SACs for the Atlantic salmon. Consultations will be commencing shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they will take either against the operators of commercial salmon farms, or with their co-operation, to prevent a further decline in stocks of wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout caused by sea lice. [HL2704]

Declines in stocks of wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout have been in evidence for a number of years—not simply off the west coast of Scotland but throughout Great Britain and indeed the whole of the north Atlantic.Nevertheless the Government are fully aware of the concern surrounding the health of sea trout stocks off north west Scotland, which it shares, and of the view that sea lice could be a contributory factor.The Government have welcomed the sea lice strategy being adopted by the farmed salmon industry to concentrate treatment when lice are at their most vulnerable. The development of suitable treatments and their licensing continues to attract high priority.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether and, if so, how they will compensate shellfish farmer(s) for the restriction on the movement of farmed oysters under the notices issued by the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen on 19 June (ref D 11/2G/1). [HL2705]

The movement restrictions referred to have been imposed as a consequence of infectious salmon anaemia being suspected or confirmed in the same water catchment. Oysters and other shellfish are considered to be potential vectors and in the circumstances their movement could contribute to a further spread of the disease. Compensation is not currently payable but the matter is being reviewed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When in 1998 they intend to publish their draft Freedom of Information Bill, in accordance with the statement by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in his foreword to the White Paper

Our intention is to publish the draft Freedom of Information Bill by the end of September.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish a summary of the comments they have received from the public and non-governmental organisations in response to the proposals contained in the White Paper

Copies of all the responses received to the White Paper Your Right to Know (except where respondents asked for their responses to remain confidential) were published and placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 1 April.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, with reference to the proposals contained in the White Paper

Of the consultation responses that commented on the proposed appeals procedure, the great majority welcomed the establishment of an information commissioner with strong enforcement powers. None made the specific point referred to in the question.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any information on whether the freedom of information legislation of Australia, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland restricts the powers of the information commissioner or the courts (as the case may be) to powers of judicial review rather than appeal on merits. [HL2617]

In preparing our freedom of information proposals the Government have studied the relevant law in these countries and in a number of others.Broad generalisations in relation to overseas systems of law based on characterisations under domestic law are not always easy to make. In particular it is difficult to draw precise comparisons between the concept of "judicial review" as known in the law of England and Wales and review or appeal by courts or bodies under foreign systems of law. The appeal structures in those countries vary considerably and, in any event, the laws of Australia, Canada and Ireland make separate and specific arrangements for the review of cases involving national security, defence and international relations.In Australia, s.58 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 gives power to the tribunal to decide any matter in relation to a request for information "that could have been or could be decided by an agency or Minister" but, in relation to documents claimed to affect national security, defence or international relations, and documents claimed to affect relations with states (i.e. of the Commonwealth of Australia), Cabinet and Executive Council documents, the tribunal has power to determine if there are reasonable grounds for the claim.In Canada, the Access to Information Act 1985 empowers the Information Commissioner to consider whether a complaint is well-founded and to make recommendations to the head of the relevant government institution. If access is not given to the information, the complainant may apply to the court which may order disclosure if it considers that the institution was not authorised to refuse disclosure, or—in the case of information relating to federal-provincial affairs, international affairs and defence, law enforcement, security of penal institutions, financial interests of the Government of Canada, or the management of the economy—if it considers that the institution did not have reasonable grounds to refuse disclosure.In New Zealand, under the Official Information Act 1982 the Ombudsman may make recommendations to a Minister where he considers that the "request…should not have been refused." There is a public duty to observe a recommendation, but the Ombudsman may not make a recommendation where the Prime Minister certifies that disclosure of the information would be likely to prejudice security, defence or international relations or where the Attorney General certifies that disclosure would be likely to prejudice the prevention, investigation or detection of offences. Where a recommendation is made to a Minister of the Crown, the Governor General may make an Order in Council directing otherwise. The Order in Council may itself be reviewed by the High Court on the ground that it was beyond the powers of the Governor General or otherwise wrong in law.In Ireland, the Information Commissioner may annul a decision to refuse disclosure and make such decision as he or she considers proper.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Answer by the Prime Minister on 6 May (H.C. Deb., col: 712), whether they will ensure throughout the Government and Civil Service that language is no longer used to imply that mothers looking after their own small children are "not…working", given that their work about the house, bringing up their children, and other unwaged work which is not measured for GDP, has been identified by the Office for National Statistics as of substantial social and economic significance. [2194]

This Government are committed to improving the quality of life for women in this country and particularly to helping them, through a number of measures, to balance paid employment with caring responsibilities. Women are more likely than men to have to shoulder the burdens of caring both for children and elderly relatives. People commonly refer to "work" as meaning paid employment. However, this Government recognise the considerable value of the unwaged/unpaid household and caring work carried out by women and the language we use will continue to reflect that view. Furthermore, the Office for National Statistics has successfully piloted a time use survey, which measures unpaid work. They are currently seeking to establish a funding partnership across a range of organisations to enable a full survey to go ahead in 1999–2000, alongside surveys in other European countries. Time use surveys are a useful alternative to monetary measures to paint a fuller picture of social and economic activity.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they took, during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union, to assist the Government of Guatemala in the promotion of human rights, the work of the truth commission and the elimination on impunity. [HL2525]

During our Presidency of the EU we continued to follow closely human rights developments in Guatemala and carried forward our commitment to assist the promotion of human rights. When Mr. Lloyd, Minister of State at the FCO, visited Guatemala in February, he made clear our support for the full implementation of the peace accords, including those relating to human rights. HM Ambassador and his European colleagues also met government representatives, the UN Verification Mission (MINUGUA) and NGOs on a regular basis during the last six months to raise individual human rights cases and to stress the importance of tackling impunity by bringing those responsible for human rights violations to justice.Following the murder of Bishop Gerardi, a leading human rights defender in April, we issued an EU declaration which, in addition to urging the Guatemalan authorities to ensure a full investigation to bring all those responsible for this crime to justice, appealed to all Guatemalans not to allow this murder to distract them from the full implementation of the peace accords. It also called on the government to support the work of the Truth Commission and take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of its members. Mr. Lloyd also wrote to the Guatemalan Foreign Minister and subsequently raised our concerns with the Guatemalan Ambassador.The Guatemalan Government and the European Commission agreed on a number of development projects during our Presidency designed to have a positive impact on human rights, including a 31.7 million ecu programme for the reform of national public security. The UK made a direct grant of £62,000 (100,000 US dollars) to the Truth Commission's budget from the FCO's Human Rights Project Fund.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that companies are not able to circumvent restrictions on the sale of arms and other material, by licensing the manufacture overseas of items, the export of which might be prohibited under the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Sales. [HL2577]

A UK company does not require a licence to manufacture products itself, or to allow the manufacture of its products, in another country. The company would however need a licence to supply controlled technology or production equipment from the UK, if this were needed to enable production to go ahead. The export of specially designed components of controlled goods is also controlled, and the likely end-use of the components would be taken into account in deciding whether to grant a licence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they plan to publish the third of the reports to Parliament on Hong Kong and the implementation of the Joint Declaration. [HL2924]

The third report in this series, covering the period January-July 1998, was published today and a copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The report includes a foreword written by the Foreign Secretary. I commend the report to the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish figures recording the number of parking fines incurred by diplomatic missions and organisations in London during 1997. [HL2925]

During 1997 the London diplomatic missions and organisations incurred a total of 2,480 unpaid parking fines. In 1996 the figure was 1,674. In April this year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office wrote to all diplomatic missions and organisations to give them an opportunity to pay off all outstanding parking tickets, or appeal to have the ticket cancelled. Since then payments totalling £84,665.00 have been received, compared with £48,640.00 in 1997. The table below shows only missions which have 11 or more fines outstanding.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce their expenditure plans for housing and regeneration policy in the light of the publication of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review. [HL2965]

I am tomorrow placing in the Library of the House and in the Printed Paper Office a statement outlining the changes to housing and regeneration policy resulting from the review.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will enable disputes over the reasonableness of service charges between landlords and long leaseholders where court proceedings began before 1 September 1997 to be transferred to leasehold valuation tribunals. [HL2966]

Following consultation with interested parties, we have made a further commencement order under the Housing Act 1996 which will take effect on 11 August 1998. From that date, a court will have the discretion to allow service charge disputes which started before 1 September 1997 to be transferred to leasehold valuation tribunals where the court considers the interests of justice would best be served.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they intend to implement the amended EIA directive for planning in England and Wales.[HL2967]

The Government have today issued draft regulations to implement the requirements of the amending EIA Directive (97/11/EC) into the town and country planning system in England and Wales. A copy of the draft regulations has been placed in the Library.