asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have issued any guidance to procurators fiscal on prosecutions under Part II of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; and, if so, when such guidance was issued; and whether they will publish it. [HL186]

Guidance has been issued to procurators fiscal on prosecutions under Part II of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. That guidance was issued in April 1985.Guidance issued to procurators fiscal is generally confidential. I have no plans to publish the guidance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What measures they are taking to support the continuing initiatives of the British Medical Association, the General Medical Council and the Royal Medical Colleges to improve the self-regulation of the medical profession. [HL145]

The Government have made it clear in their consultation document A First Class Service—Quality in the new NHS that they wish to work in partnership with the medical profession, the National Health Service and patient interests in rebuilding public confidence in the quality of care provided in the NHS. The document, copies of which are available in the Library, welcomed the work already done by the profession and regulatory bodies.We have already started discussions on how the process of making the law responsive to the changing needs of the professions can be made and we will be discussing the proposals for revalidation, which are being considered by the General Medical Council, in the new year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to publish their conclusions on the matters raised in the consultation paper published by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

The consultation paper which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport issued in July contained a number of proposals for change in sectors for which his department is responsible. At the same time my right honourable friend was able to announce an extra £290 million for those sectors over the next three years. Today my right honourable friend is publishing the conclusions he has reached in the light of the consultation, together with the detailed allocation of funding to sponsored bodies.Some of the main conclusions from the document are: a new watchdog to monitor and improve standards of efficiency and financial management and promote quality across all our sectors; streamlining of national bodies in the arts and crafts, the built heritage, film and museums and libraries to improve the delivery of services across these sectors; a more effective, slimmer national strategic body for tourism in England; a new national body to champion architecture; a stronger voice for culture in the English regions, and a DCMS presence in all government offices; new three-year funding agreements with DCMS's sponsored bodies, placing clear responsibilities on those bodies to deliver our objectives against demanding targets.Copies of the document

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the role of English Partnerships in the proposed development in the inner Thames marshes site of special scientific interest at Havering Riverside (Rainham Marsh). [HL193]

The Havering riverside site is entirely in the ownership of the London Borough of Havering. The site is considered to be of strategic importance to employment generation within the Thames gateway area and is included within the unitary development plan prepared in 1993. English Partnerships is one of the partner organisations examining options for its possible development. The agency has provided funding to carry out site investigations, including an environmental assessment of the site. It has also funded an investment demand study for the site.Following the London Borough of Havering's initial outline planning application for development in January 1997, English Partnerships submitted a further identical application in November 1997 in an attempt to deal with the issue of securing benefits for the development through a Section 106 agreement. The agency has no legal interest in the land.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What actions English Partnerships have taken to contribute towards the United Kingdom sustainable development strategy and the biodiversity action plan as referred to in the document

The UK Strategy for Sustainable Development, as published in 1994, identifies the key role of English Partnerships in the reclamation and re-use of vacant and derelict land which can help to reduce the pressure to build on greenfield sites and the agency's statutory guidance states that, in carrying out its activities, it should pay full regard to the Government's overall sustainable development strategy.The agency has developed policies and published good practice guides promoting good quality design, using innovative and sustainable methods and has been a vocal proponent of mixed use development, through its

asked Her Majesty's Government:What powers English Partnerships have to pay for the cleaning up of contaminated land in order that it can be used for nature conservation. [HL195]

The powers of English Partnerships in the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 are all directed at its main statutory objective of securing the regeneration of land in England which is contaminated, derelict, and vacant, unused or likely to become so. In pursuit of this objective the agency can acquire, hold, manage, reclaim, improve and dispose of land, plant machinery, equipment and other property; give financial assistance to other persons (including for use on environmental improvements); and generally do anything necessary or expedient for the purposes of its objects or for purposes incidental to those purposes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they intend to take to ensure that current rail passenger service franchisees will be compelled to fulfil their investment obligations right up to the end of the franchise. [HL210]

The franchise agreements generally require investments and enhancements to be delivered according to stipulated timescales. These are enforced by the Franchising Director. The Government have also said that the performance of the incumbent franchisees will be taken into account before any new contracts are entered into. Operators will therefore have an incentive to continue to develop their businesses throughout the term of their franchises.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ask the rail regulator to lower the threshold at which compensation is paid to annual and periodic season ticket holders, so that, for any passenger service that arrives at its destination more than 30 minutes after the published timetable time, season ticket holders will be reimbursed in full for that specific journey. [HL209]

Passenger's Charter arrangements are safeguarded in franchise agreements, and this is therefore a matter for the Franchising Director. At the time of franchising, operators were required to offer, as a minimum, the same compensation arrangements as British Rail. Those provided for compensation for season ticket holders in the form of a discount on renewal if average performance over a year fell below a stated level. The Franchising Director has the opportunity to renegotiate franchise commitments from time to time and will be looking for improvements in Passenger's Charter terms as he does so. One operator, Chiltern Railway, already offers compensation on terms similar to those proposed by the noble Lord.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the removal of rail staff from trains and railway stations presents an increased danger to public safety. [HL211]

The removal of staff, and whether this presents an increased risk to the public, has to be considered on the basis of individual circumstances: in some cases it might represent an increased risk, in others not. Inspections by the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Railway Inspectorate ensure that safety related to train or station operation is maintained. Under the Railway Safety Case Regulations 1994, arrangements for operations must be set out in a train operator's railway safety case. These cases, and any subsequent revisions, have to be accepted by the Infrastructure Controller or by HSE before operations can start or revised operations can recommence. Reductions in staffing levels would require an amendment to a safety case where this might have an effect on safety associated with train or station operation. HSE monitors compliance with the regulations and will take whatever action it considers appropriate (including enforcement action, if necessary) to ensure that safety is not compromised.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration has been given to extending the London Underground system to London City airport; and [HL154]Why the Jubilee Line extension did not go to London City airport

The 1989 East London Rail Study, commissioned by the then Department of Transport and which led to the decision to develop the extension of the Jubilee Line, examined two main alignment options in east London. The first was a route to Woolwich Arsenal via the Royal Docks and the second a route to Stratford via Canning Town. The Stratford route was forecast to attract substantially more passengers than one through the Royal Docks, was cheaper to construct and would link to a future Channel Tunnel Rail Link station.For the Jubilee Line extension to serve London City airport

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the report and recommendations of the Licensed Dealers Tribunal in the matter of TWH Management Ltd. was not disclosed until November 1993 to the inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs of Guinness plc. [HL52]

The report and recommendations of the Licensed Dealers Tribunal in the matter of TWH Management Ltd was received by the department after the inspectors had completed their interim report into the affairs of Guinness plc. It appears that no consideration was given at that time to disclosing the tribunal's report to the inspectors, whose investigation was then in abeyance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will now institute an inquiry into the conduct of Department of Trade and Industry officials in connection with their failure to disclose the report and recommendations of the Licensed Dealers Tribunal in the matter of TWH Management Ltd to the inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs of Guinness plc, in order to establish whether this failure to disclose was lawful under the Companies Act 1985. [HL53]

No.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why no mention is made of the report and recommendations in the matter of TWH Management Ltd in the final report of the inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs of Guinness plc, and whether pressure was placed on the inspectors to ignore this judgment in their report. [HL54]

The content of such a report is a matter for the inspectors. They were independent of the department and masters of their own procedure.The inspectors were made aware of concerns about the confidentiality of the Licensed Dealers Tribunal report, which was in their possession, in relation to the affairs of TWH Management and its clients. On that basis, it was for them to determine whether to refer to it in their own report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether corporal punishment of children;

Schools: in Jersey and Guernsey, corporal punishment is forbidden in schools under the jurisdiction of the states and is not used in independent schools. In the Isle of Man, corporal punishment is forbidden in state schools. It is still lawful, with parental consent, in private schools.Residential institutions for children: corporal punishment is forbidden in residential institutions for children in all three islands.The penal system: in Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man, although corporal punishment for some male young persons is still on the statute book for certain offences, it is not imposed as a sentence by the courts. Corporal punishment is not permitted in penal institutions in any of the three islands.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to implement Part V of the Police Act 1997 which provides for criminal record checks for employment vetting and other purposes. [HL313]

In order to implement Part V of the Police Act 1997, we will set up the Criminal Records Bureau. The bureau will be established in Merseyside, under the management of the United Kingdom Passport Agency, which has a proven track record of discreet delivery of a large application driven service. Appropriate use will be made of public private partnerships to contain set up and running costs, but the core work of examining records and issuing certificates will be handled by civil servants within the bureau. Once established it will be self-financing through charging for each certificate to be issued, as provided for under the 1997 Act. All applicants for certificates will be required to pay a fee which, depending on the level of certificate sought, we estimate will cost between £5 and £10.The Government's main objective in introducing these arrangements is to strengthen the safeguards for the protection of children. In line with this, and to ensure a smooth transition from the current arrangements for employment vetting checks of police records, the bureau will phase in the issue of the three types of certificate provided for under the Act. Top priority will be given to the issue of certificates for those seeking positions which involve regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of persons aged under 18. The Government are no less concerned about the need for similar safeguards to protect vulnerable adults; extending these arrangements to this area will require careful consideration and consultation.We estimate that it will take some two years to establish the bureau. In this time we intend to consult widely on all aspects of the bureau's operation to ensure that it meets the needs of the community.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in Brussels on 3 and 4 December. [HL314]

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary and my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Kate Hoey) represented the United Kingdom at the Council. The main matters dealt with were as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many children have been sentenced to secure training orders so far this year; and what were the offences for which they were sentenced. [HL184]

As of 8 December, a total of 100 children have been sentenced to a secure training order since the power to make an order commenced on 1 March 1998. The offences for which they were sentenced are those given in my previous answer, as well as the following:

• Arson
• Attempted theft of a motor vehicle
• Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal
• Dangerous driving
• Indecent assault
• Obtaining property by deception
• Possession of a knife.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many children are currently in the Medway Secure Training Centre; and what were the offences for which they were sentenced. [HL183]

As of 8 December, there are 30 trainees currently detained in Medway Secure Training Centre. Most trainees were sentenced for more than one offence when the secure training order was imposed. The most common offences of which trainees were convicted were:

• Aggravated vehicle taking
• Burglary
• Criminal damage
• Taking a vehicle without the owner's consent
• Theft.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have for the Defence Medical Services. [HL308]

The Strategic Defence Review, SDR, acknowledged the importance of medical support for defence and identified a number of shortfalls, both in peacetime care and in operational medical support. As a result of the SDR, we announced plans for significant investment in additional medical personnel and equipment of about £140 million over the next four years.Although the SDR provided funding for substantial improvements to our medical capabilities, this did not by itself solve all the immediate problems. The Defence Medical Services, DMS, organisation continues to suffer from a number of interrelated difficulties which are hindering it in fulfilling its objectives and which are also affecting morale. In particular, serious staffing shortages, combined with a high level of operational deployment, have led to increased turbulence for DMS staff and their families. There is also serious concern about the continued viability of the Royal Hospital, Haslar.We therefore set work in hand in July with the aim of producing a strategy for the resolution of these problems and to give DMS personnel a clear and positive vision of the future. We are today publishing a summary of our findings in a booklet

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have for a new post-doctoral research fellowship scheme. [HL309]

I am pleased to announce the launch of the MoD's new post-doctoral research fellowships. The aims of this scheme are to encourage new talent in the defence field; to maintain interest in defence studies in the academic community; and to encourage informed debate on defence issues. Each fellowship is awarded for a three-year period and is funded jointly by the MoD and the academic institution at which the fellow is based. The cost to the MoD is £15,000 per annum for each fellow.From a strong field we have been able to select three outstanding fellows. A dedicated Defence Diplomacy Fellowship has been awarded to Dr. Irene Isakova, a Russian national. Dr. Isakova will undertake her research with the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College London, where she will focus on the impact and effectiveness of our defence diplomacy initiative in and with Russia. Fellowships have also been awarded to Dr. Asifa Hussain from the Scottish Centre for War Studies at Glasgow University and Dr Tanya Ogilvie-White from the Mountbatten Centre at Southampton University. Dr. Hussain's research will focus on the recruitment of ethnic minorities, race relations and equal opportunities in the Armed Forces, and Dr. Olgilvie-White will undertake research into nuclear proliferation issues. Each of these candidates is ideally placed to provide the MoD with a broader, alternative perspective on these key issues.It is our intention that additional fellowships will be awarded on an annual basis.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

There are no current plans to prepare a database of statutory instruments (SIs).Since 1 January 1997 all new SIs have been published on the HMSO Internet Web site. HMSO is currently reviewing the presentation of SIs and has undertaken a consultation exercise via a questionnaire on the Web site. Creation of a database, which will provide the ability to search for SIs which have come into force, is an option under consideration. There are, however, no current plans to apply the effects of legislation and the SIs will be reproduced as originally published on behalf of the Queen's Printer.The Statute Law Database which is currently under development by the Statutory Publications Office within the Lord Chancellor's Department will contain the full text of all SIs from 1991 onwards which have been printed and published by or on behalf of the Queen's Printer. Although the SIs will be fully searchable there are currently no plans to apply the effects of legislation to these. Decisions have yet to be taken as to how the database is to be made available to the general public.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many men and how many women are at present employed in the United Kingdom by the non-industrial Civil Service. [HL107]

At 1 April 1998 the Home Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service employed 220,000 male and 231,000 female permanent non-industrial staff. These figures are on a headcount basis, i.e. part-time staff count as one person.Figures for the Northern Ireland Civil Service, legally a distinct and separate Civil Service for which personnel statistics are compiled by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Belfast, are 14,000 male and 13,000 female.Figures for the Forestry Commission, which is also legally a distinct Civil Service, are 1,000 male and 1,000 female.These figures do not include some 17,000 casual non-industrial staff for whom no gender breakdown is available. They do, however, include some 6,000 staff employed overseas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of "violence against the person" in Northern Ireland in the current and previous four years and whether they can say how many of those charges were dealt with as "scheduled offences". [HL45]

The attached table shows the number of persons proceeded against for offences of violence against the person and the number found guilty for the period 1994 to 31 March 1998 (the most recent date available):

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the inquiry ordered by the Independent Commission for Police Complaints into the case of Mr. David Adams in Northern Ireland; if there is no such outcome so far, when they expect to receive a report; and whether this will be published. [HL150]

The Chief Constable has opened an investigation into the allegations of assault on Mr. Adams and referred the case to the Independent Commission for Police Complaints to supervise the investigation. The investigation is being conducted by a team of officers from the Strathclyde Police Force. At the end of the investigation, which is at an advanced stage, the ICPC will issue a statement as to whether the investigation was or was not conducted to its satisfaction. It will then be for the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland to consider whether there is any evidence to warrant criminal proceedings. Once any criminal aspects have been dealt with the matter of whether there are any grounds for disciplinary proceedings will have to be dealt with. This is not an inquiry but a police investigation, and the investigators' report will not be published.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are giving advice to either current or former high profile United Kingdom citizens who may be contemplating overseas travel concerning the possibility of extradition proceedings being taken against them while they are overseas. [HL167]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not in a position to assess the hypothetical risk of individual British nationals becoming the subject of extradition proceedings, which could be served in the United Kingdom as well as overseas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any figures on the carrying out of hudud punishments in the Sudan in the 10 years prior to 1989 compared with the past nine years. [HL174]

We do not keep records of such punishments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 18 November (

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is concerned only with the care and maintenance of refugees. It does not provide wider technical assistance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have offered or provided bilateral technical assistance to the Government of the Sudan for improving the teaching and observance of human rights and in the development of the Government of Sudan's human rights education committees. [HL176]

We have offered funding to raise human rights awareness in Sudan to an NGO working with the Sudanese Ministry of Justice. The NGO has not yet taken up our offer.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have offered or provided bilateral funding to assist the Government of Sudan in their investigation of allegations of slavery and human rights violations. [HL177]

We have maintained a dialogue with the Government of Sudan on various aspects of human rights. We have not been asked for funding assistance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have received about the alleged massacre of thirty-four traders near the town of Renk in the Upper Nile state in Sudan in early November 1998; and whether they will ask the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Sudan to report on this in his next report. [HL178]

We have received sketchy reports of this incident. We understand that it was an internal tribal dispute which has since ended. We are in contact with the Sudanese Embassy to seek further information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have asked to be provided with the findings of the United Nations internal investigations into the killing, in the summer of this year, of the members of the Operations Lifeline Sudan assessment mission in the Nuba Mountains; and whether they will make their findings public. [HL206]

We have discussed with the United Nations the killings of WFP and Sudanese Red Crescent personnel last June. The victims were part of a convoy delivering relief food in South Kordofan, close to the Nuba Mountains, and were not members of an Operation Lifeline Sudan assessment mission. Such a mission to the Nuba Mountains has yet to take place owing to the continued refusal by the Sudanese authorities to agree to it. The UN has not made public, nor have we asked for a copy of, the findings of what was an internal investigation into the killings.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether corporal punishment of children:

The available information on corporal punishment of children in the Overseas Territories is as follows:Corporal punishment of children permitted:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any recent successes by British business in Vietnam. [HL307]

UK business has indeed achieved a series of important successes in Vietnam. UK investment in the country has risen by 50 per cent. in 1998. Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd has recently won an important contract, worth some 15 million US dollars, as front-end engineering design consultants for the planned 1.5 billion US dollar Dung Quat oil refinery in Vietnam. The award of this contract against stiff competition is a major success. We expect Foster Wheeler's involvement to lead to substantial further business—worth perhaps several hundred million pounds—in the refinery for UK suppliers. The firm has also secured a 2 million US dollar contract to run and maintain PetroVietnam Gas Corporation's operations in Vung Tau.Cable & Wireless received a 207 million US dollar investment licence in August to install 250,000 telephone lines in Hanoi during the visit of Brian Wilson, Minister for Trade. Negotiations took four years. Earlier this year, Mitsui Babcock won the largest-ever UK export order to Vietnam to supply power station boilers worth 123 million US dollars; and Tate & Lyle has invested 85 million US dollars in a sugar refining plant.These successes follow several years of persistent efforts in support of would-be British investors in Vietnam not only by the companies themselves but also by our diplomatic posts in Vietnam, by visiting UK Ministers and by DTI and FCO officials. Those efforts continue in support of other major potential business which could result in significant spin-off benefits for many British equipment and service providers and further enhance the commercial relationship between the UK and Vietnam.