asked Her Majesty's Government:What guidance is given to Customs and Excise officers on duty at ports of entry to the United Kingdom as to the quantities of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages brought into the United Kingdom by travellers returning from Belgium and France that can be claimed as being for personal consumption. [HL2675]

The law (European Council Directive 92/12/EEC and the Excise Duties (Personal Reliefs) Order 1992, SI No. 3155) lays down minimum indicative levels for alcohol and tobacco; travellers who import quantities in excess of these from another member state must be able to satisfy a customs officer that this is not for a commercial purpose.Customs and Excise staff are expected to take into account a number of factors when dealing with such claims—for example, who has funded the purchase of the goods, and who it is intended will consume them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the cost in terms of loss of revenue of the tax relief granted on contributions to personal pensions since they were introduced; what is the current annual cost; and what would be the cost of extending such tax relief to contributions to SERPS. [HL2762]

The annual cost of income tax relief at the basic rate for the employee part of the national insurance rebate for those contracted out of SERPS into appropriate personal pensions is shown in the table below. The additional cost of tax relief if all those currently in SERPS contracted out of SERPS and into personal pensions is tentatively estimated at around £300 million each year at 1998–99 levels of earnings.Contributions made by individuals to personal pension schemes also enjoy income tax relief, and if an employer contributes to a personal pension, the contribution is allowable as a business expense and is not regarded as income or taxable benefit of the employee. The total cost of income tax relief for contributions to personal pensions including retirement annuity premiums and FSAVCs is published annually in

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the food poisoning morbidity and mortality figures resulting from infection by

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, who has been asked to reply.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what grounds the Department for Culture, Media and Sport cite the introduction of the "Ei8ht Pass" at the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside as a "success" and a "key achievement" for 1997, as stated in their annual report for 1997. [HL2678]

The National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside's (NMGM) Ei8ht Pass was devised by the museum Trustees as the best way of reconciling the balancing of their books with maximising access. It allows unlimited visits to all eight NMGM venues for one year, for a cost of £3. Children, senior citizens, the unemployed and the disabled pay £1.50. This is a socially sensitive charging regime and the indications are that the public overwhelmingly regard the pass as excellent value for money. The funds raised have allowed NMGM to keep all eight attractions open for seven days a week.The introduction of the pass represented a major challenge for NMGM and the remarks in the departmental annual report reflect the smooth and effective way in which the scheme was launched.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will reconsider their decision not to return the Parthenon marbles to Athens, in the light of the further information in the book

No. In our view, Mr. St. Clair's book does not contain any information which requires reconsideration of the decision that the Parthenon sculptures should remain at the British Museum.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many commercial farms in Zimbabwe are listed for compulsory acquisition. [HL2602]

We cannot be certain at the moment precisely how many of the 1,471 farms gazetted in November last year are still on the list. Six hundred and twenty-three farms were de-listed, but we understand that around 200 have been or will be re-listed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons were employed in the headquarters of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (a) on 1 May 1997 and (b) on the most recent convenient date; and whether they are satisfied that with current staffing levels the department is able to carry out effectively the tasks assigned to it. [HL2604]

On 1 April 1997 the FCO employed 3,240 permanent full-time staff equivalent and 56 casual full-time staff equivalent in London and Hanslope Park.The corresponding figures for 1 April 1998 are 3,168 permanent full-time staff equivalent and 82 casual full-time staff equivalent.Over the past year funding constraints have meant that the number of FCO staff in the UK and serving overseas has been significantly below the level of numbers permitted under its Authorised Establishment and required for the job in hand. This has caused strains in the system, and officers at all levels have worked hard to cover gaps in order to carry out tasks assigned. The outcome of the CSR exercise should ensure that the Office can now recruit up to the overall number required to carry out priority tasks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will support at the United Nations a proposal to move towards their aim of eliminating nuclear weapons by means of a convention similar to those banning chemical and biological weapons. [HL2716]

As I made clear to the noble Lord on 17 June (H.L. Deb., col. 1564) developments over the past few years have shown us that real progress is more likely to result from detailed negotiations for specific agreements than from work on an all-encompassing plan. We believe this will be more productive than a single-step approach in dealing with nuclear weapons, which have played a much more prominent part in the military thinking and planning of their possessors than chemical and biological weapons have done.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the United States Administration has asked them whether it may operate airborne lasers from bases in Britain or in British dependent territories; and, if so, what has been their response. [HL2649]

No such request has been received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer of the Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 6 July, when the minimum wage will come into force; whether cut-off levels for benefits, including council tax and council house rent levels, will be increased correspondingly; and whether they have given consideration to the impact of the minimum wage on welfare to work. [HL2690]

There are no plans to make changes to the cut-off levels for benefits as a direct consequence of the introduction of the national minimum wage.The impact of the national minimum wage on council tax levels is expected to be negligible. The Government maintain a strong influence on the level of council rents through the ring-fencing of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the rent guidelines assumed for the payment of HRA subsidy. Effects on costs are more likely to influence the levels of services offered rather than rents, and the impact of the national minimum wage will be only one of a range of influences on the costs of providing services to tenants.However, following the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review of housing, local authority rents will be increased by 1 per cent. in real terms next year and by 2 per cent. in real terms in each of the following two years. Part of the increases in rents will be available for increased revenue expenditure on maintaining the stock. In addition, tenants will be given more say in how their homes are managed and maintained. This is part of reforms to be introduced requiring councils to plan their maintenance better and hold them accountable for investment decisions.The National Minimum Wage is a key element in a range of policies introduced by the Government to help make work pay. Those on the New Deal will be treated in the same way as other workers of a similar age undergoing training. The Working Families Tax Credit, which is central to this Government's welfare to work strategy, will make work pay for a further 400,000 families, by guaranteeing a minimum income, above and beyond the level of the minimum wage.The structure which we are proposing for the minimum wage is therefore consistent with our aim of getting people from welfare to work.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the examination of the side-effects of the drug Viagra will include the possiblity of increased sexual crime and abuse as a result of taking the drug. [HL2830]

An application for a marketing authorisation for Viagra is under consideration through the centralised procedure of the European Union medicines regulatory system. Once authorised for marketing in the EU, all side effects collected worldwide will continue to be closely monitored.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce the Government's response to the Third Report of the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee. [HL3005]

We are very pleased to tell the House that the Government accept the main recommendation of the Third Report of the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee (MWSAC), that the annual intake of medical students in the United Kingdom should be increased by about 1,000.The Government intend to phase the increase, so that approximately 5,450 students will be admitted by the year 2001 and approximately 6,000 will be admitted by 2005. This will allow the expansion in facilities dedicated to medical education to take place in a planned and orderly manner, and will allow the increase to be reviewed over time in the light of other work on medical productivity, the recruitment and retention of doctors, and more generally, the future role of doctors and other professionals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the reviews currently being undertaken by the Department for Education and Employment will be published during the parliamentary summer Recess. [HL2781]

During the parliamentary summer Recess we are intending to announce the results of the following reviews:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have made to other European Union member governments about barriers to the recruitment of nationals of European Union states, including the United Kingdom, to academic posts. [HL2861]

Her Majesty's Government have made no such representations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether access for British citizens to posts in higher education institutions in other European Union member states is as open as access for citizens of other European Union member states to posts in British higher education institutions. [HL2860]

Article 48 of the Treaty establishing the European Community requires the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality between workers from EU member states as regards employment. Her Majesty's Government have no reason to believe that the commitment of other member state governments to meeting this obligation is any less strong than their own.

asked the Chairman of Committees:How many people were admitted to the Strangers' Gallery in (a) the House of Lords and (b) the House of Commons in the 12 months before and after the last general election; and what is his estimate, in each case, of the average time they were waiting between joining the queue and reaching the Gallery. [HL2750]

In the House of Lords, 58,350 people were admitted to the Strangers' Gallery between May 1996 and April 1997, and 56,937 people were admitted between May 1997 and April 1998. I understand that it is unusual for visitors to wait for more than five minutes before being admitted to the Gallery.In the Commons, the figures I have been given are for calendar years. In 1996, 146,408 people were admitted to their Strangers' Gallery, and in 1997 121,838 were admitted. In this year to 17 July, 133,356 people have been admitted. I have no information on the average waiting times in the House of Commons.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will be seeking views on how forestry can contribute to sustainable development, as promised in the consultation paper

We have today published a supplementary consultation paper called The Sustainable Management of Forests, and a copy is available in the Library. Comments are invited on how forestry can contribute to sustainable development, and these should be sent to the Forestry Commission before 11 September.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list categories of persons entitled to enter private property without a warrant. [HL2634]

The police may enter private property without a warrant in certain circumstances set out in Section 17 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. They include arresting a person for an arrestable offence, recapturing a person unlawfully at large, saving life or limb or preventing serious damage to property.Statutory powers of entry for persons other than police constables are matters for the government department responsible for the relevant legislation. A central record of all powers of entry is not maintained.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What provision there is for secure accommodation for juveniles. [HL2999]

The Crime and Disorder Bill will provide courts with more appropriate custodial remand and sentencing powers to deal with the most serious and persistent young offenders. To complement these changes, the Government have undertaken a review of all forms of secure accommodation for young offenders and young people held on remand. The Government believe that present arrangements for the provision and management of secure accommodation are inefficient and incoherent and are in need of reform. The review of juvenile secure accommodation was completed at the end of March and the Government have decided now on a programme of further work to be undertaken, a summary of which has been placed in the Library.The main focus of this further work involves extending the role of the new Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, expected to be in place by October this year. The Crime and Disorder Bill already provides for the Youth Justice Board to advise on the setting of standards for secure accommodation for remanded and sentenced juveniles and to monitor the delivery of those standards. The Government have decided in principle to extend this role to include the commissioning and purchasing of secure accommodation for juveniles on remand and under sentence. This additional function will enable the Youth Justice Board to provide a much-needed central focus for the delivery of high quality secure facilities for remanded and sentenced young people. Subject to the outcome of further detailed work, the Government envisage that it should be possible for the Youth Justice Board to take on the function of commissioning and purchasing secure accommodation by April 2000. This will involve making an order under Clause 42(6) of the Crime and Disorder Bill.A priority for immediate action is to improve the standard of care and quality of regimes in accommodation currently used for those remanded and sentenced as juveniles. Ninety per cent. of these young people are held in Prison Service accommodation. The Prison Service is already working on the development of new regime standards for juveniles and is planning to pilot improved regimes in two establishments, Werrington and Huntercombe Young Offender Institutions. Proposals to help achieve greater separation of juveniles from adult prisoners are also being taken forward. This work will pave the way for the introduction of the detention and training order contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill, which will involve a programme of improved education and training to tackle offending behaviour, undertaken partly in custody and partly in the community.The Government plan to set out their detailed proposals on the future role of the Youth Justice Board in respect of secure accommodation early next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the outcome of the review of arrangements for the release of prisoners on temporary licence. [HL3004]

Following a review initiated by the Director General of the Prison Service, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has decided to make a number of changes to the arrangements for release of prisoners on temporary licence, to support the Government's policy of developing constructive regimes for prisoners. The current system, put in place in 1995, has significantly reduced the numbers of temporary release failures, and the stringent risk assessment process will remain in place in order to ensure protection of the public. The Prisoners (Return to Custody) Act 1995 made it an offence to fail to return to custody after a period of temporary release. However, the current system places too great a limit on opportunities for governors to develop activities aimed at supporting constructive regimes and preparing prisoners for resettlement in the community.From 1 September, governors will be able to develop challenging activities for young offenders outside the establishment, including schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Young offenders will be allowed limited participation in team sports in the community, where they are able to represent the establishment and build local contacts. Many establishments already undertake reparational and community work, and overnight stays away from the establishment will be permitted for selected young offenders where this is necessary to support such projects.A number of measures will assist prisoners in finding work or training on release and in maintaining family ties, factors central to reducing reoffending. Short term young offenders will be eligible for release on facility licence for interviews to obtain housing or employment on release, and for hostel assessments. Prisoners aged 18–24 will be eligible for release on facility licence, including overnight stays where necessary, for employment related interviews under the Government's New Deal scheme. Further opportunities will be made available, for both adult prisoners and young offenders, to gain experience of employment prior to release. The current restrictions on prisoners obtaining paid work in this community will be amended to allow governors greater freedom to develop "working out" schemes, to allow prisoners experience of regular employment. Release on resettlement licence will also be extended for young offenders once they have reached the latter stages of their sentences to assist in their resettlement in the community.Consideration will be given to extending some of these changes to all adult prisoners if the evaluation suggests that it is safe to do so.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the investigation into Home Office officials' handling of the Mary Bell case. [HL3003]

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has now received the Permanent Secretary's report into the circumstances in which Home Office officials had for some time known of the possibility of a book from which Mary Bell would profit financially but had not informed Ministers. This was, at his request, an investigation to identify lessons for the future, not a disciplinary inquiry.Since her release in 1980, Mary Bell has remained under life licence under the supervision of the probation service. Throughout this period, officials in the Home Office Lifer Review Unit have received regular reports from the probation officers responsible for her supervision. These have frequently included accounts of attempts by literary agents and the media to induce her for substantial sums to tell her story. Indeed, there are records of such approaches to her even before she left prison.The probation service is responsible for supervising those subject to life licence and for reporting, on a regular basis, on each individual to the Lifer Unit on their progress. The service has a particular responsibility to ensure that the public is protected from people who have previously committed very serious offences. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation has received a copy of the report of the investigation carried out by the Chief Probation Officer of the Durham Probation Service into their handling of Mary Bell's case, and offered my right honourable friend his own independent assessment of it. In the light of this, my right honourable friend is satisfied that the probation service kept Home Office officials properly informed of the plans to publish a book. Given the exceptional difficulties of the case, it is also clear that the service has played a major and positive role in helping Mary Bell keep to the conditions of her licence in the 18 years since her release.Between 1984 and 1987, Home Office officials were informed that Mary Bell had become interested in producing her own account and had spent some time preparing a manuscript. The supervising probation officer notified them of discussions with a literary agent in 1985 about a possible autobiography. Officials advised the probation officer that the Home Office did not favour publication but had no power to prevent it and would not attempt to put pressure on Mary Bell. Ministers were not informed of these developments and, in the event, the project foundered. Officials heard no more about the possibility of a book until August 1995, when they were informed of her renewed interest in producing her own account.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary on Number 1 Area (Central) of the Metropolitan Police. [HL3000]

I have today placed in the Library a note of the recommendations from the report, together with the commissioner's responses and the police authority responses, which take into account the advice my right honourable friend the Home Secretary and my honourable friend the Minister of State (Mr. Michael) have received from the Metropolitan Police Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary on Number 2 Area (North West) of the Metropolitan Police. [HL3001]

I have today placed in the Library a note of the recommendations from the report, together with the commissioner's responses and the police authority responses, which take into account the advice my right honourable friend the Home Secretary and my honourable friend the Minister of State (Mr. Michael) have received from the Metropolitan Police Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the instructions to Immigration and Nationality Directorate staff dealing with asylum applications. [HL3002]

I am pleased to announce that a copy of the Asylum Directorate's Instructions (ADIs) is being placed in the Library. The material is subject to periodic review and revision. We shall arrange to provide the Library with any necessary amendments or new instructions as they become available.The ADIs contain internal guidance to staff on the handling of asylum and related casework. They are being made available in accordance with the principles of openness in the White Paper on Freedom of Information and in the existing Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. A small amount of material cannot be disclosed, either on grounds of national security or because disclosure would prejudice the effective operation of immigration controls.As with the Immigration Directorate's Instructions (IDIs), this information will be made available on the Internet as soon as possible. Consideration is also being given to other suitable ways of making this information available and members of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's After Entry User Panel will be consulted about this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether under the Crime and Disorder Bill the proposed statutory obligation on the police service, education service, health service and social services departments to supply members for youth offending teams should be met by seconding staff part time rather than full time in appropriate circumstances. [HL2763]

The Crime and Disorder Bill [HL] places a duty on local authorities with social services and education responsibilities to establish a youth offending team or teams for their area. Local authorities will be required to do this in partnership with the police, probation service and health authorities, which will be under a reciprocal duty to co-operate. Each youth offending team must include at least one of each of the following: a police officer, a local authority social worker, a probation officer, a nominee of the chief education officer and a health authority nominee.It will be a matter for each agency to determine, after local consultation, the basis on which its staff are seconded to a youth offending team. It will be possible for staff to serve on a part-time basis within a youth offending team where this is considered appropriate in local circumstances. It may, for example, enable an individual to combine service within the youth offending team with related work within his or her own agency, or extend the number of staff members, and thereby the range of skills and expertise, available to the team. Whatever approach is adopted, the overall commitment of staff and other resources which each agency makes to the work of youth offending teams and the delivery of youth justice services will, in all cases, need to be such as properly to discharge the duties placed on it under the Bill.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made, since the Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 20 January (H.L. Deb., col. 1374), with the establishment of a central register of persons who have applied for a firearm or shotgun certificate or to whom a firearm or shotgun certificate has been granted or whose certificate has been renewed, as required under Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, which came into force on 1 October 1997. [HL2836]

The work to establish the central database is being taken forward by a working group which has been set up under the auspices of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Administration of Firearms and Explosives Licensing Sub-Committee. The Working Group is in the process of finalising the detailed user requirement for the database. Once finalised the user requirement, which will allow better identification of the likely costs, will be submitted to the ACPO Police National Computer Steering Committee and the Police Information Technology Organisation to assess the operational priority of the database. This is expected to take place before the end of the year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give the number of persons currently holding a firearm or shotgun certificate on 31 December 1997 in respect of each police licensing authority in the United Kingdom, and the total number of such certificates. [HL2837]

Records are kept of the number of firearm and shotgun certificates on issue. Other than in Northern Ireland, where there is no distinction between a firearm certificate and a shotgun certificate, individuals may hold both firearm and shotgun certificates. The statistics for 1997 for England and Wales are not yet available, so the figures given relate to the position as at 30 December 1996. Within these constraints, the figures requested are given in the tables.