asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they propose to take to prevent the Ridgeway National Trail becoming more rutted and muddy through use by vehicles other than farm vehicles. [HL615]

The legal status of the Ridgeway National Trail allows vehicles to use most of its western half. The Countryside Agency has responsibility (along with the local highway authorities) for implementing and protecting the trail and, in addition to the maintenance work that they carry out, they have developed a Code of Respect for the Trail. Among other things the code asks users of vehicles to:

• respect the rights of others;
• limit use when the surface is vulnerable during and after wet weather;
• avoid using the trail if another route can be found and developed;
• keep to well-used parts of the track to prevent damage to the whole width;
• reinstate the surface where possible;
• drive quietly and carefully in groups of no more than four vehicles (eight for motorcyclists);
• use the trail when it is less busy; and
• watch for and respect temporary voluntary restraint signs.

The agency has also reached an agreement with the Motoring Organisations' Land, Access and Recreation Association—LARA—that if the agency, or a member of the public, gives them the number plate of a vehicle breaking the code, LARA will do all it can to sanction those drivers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What measures are being taken to draw up inspection guidelines for checking the structural condition of multi-storey car parks following evidence that some car parks may have hidden structural faults. [HL542]

My department is currently considering a proposal for funding to support the review and collation of information on deterioration, appraisal and repair performance and its comparison with current practice in car parks. The proposal has been made under the Construction Directorate's Partners in Innovation funding scheme. If accepted, the review will assist the work of the Institution of Structural Engineers Task Group on Car Parks which is in the process of revising the report "Design recommendations for multi-storey and underground car parks"; and the work of the Institution of Civil Engineers, which has also appointed a working group on car parks. My department is also funding a project that will provide input to these two working groups on design, construction and on-site testing of car park barriers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action the Health and Safety Executive is taking to ensure the safety of the public following the incident in November 1999 at Croydon's Dingwell Road multi-storey car park when a vehicle fell to the street below having been driven through the safety barriers on the fourth floor. [HL543]

I am advised that the Metropolitan Police are pursuing an inquiry into this incident. It was not reportable under the RIDDOR Regulations 1995 and the local HSE inspectors have not investigated it. At present, HSE proposes no further action in relation to this specific incident. HSE is currently carrying out a joint review with the Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions of existing regulatory and enforcement regimes to determine whether adequate legislative cover is in place to ensure the continued structural stability of buildings for health and safety reasons. This will include car parks such as the Dingwell Road multi-storey car park.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Structural Safety that multi-storey car park owners should undertake regular inspections of their structures will be implemented. [HL544]

These and other recommendations from the Standing Committee in Structural Safety (SCOSS) report are being considered as part of a current joint review of structural safety being undertaken by my department and the Health and Safety Executive.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why it has not yet been possible to announce the results of their inspector's inquiry on the River Wye Navigation Order, the report on which was received in February 1998. [HL575]

The Environment Agency's application for this order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 raises complicated legal issues which have required very careful consideration. In addition, since the close of the inquiry, the Secretary of State has received a series of detailed representations from parties to the inquiry, including the agency. In the interests of proper administration, the department has decided to make these post-inquiry representations available to all others who appeared at the inquiry so that they may have a chance to comment on them. The Secretary of State will consider any such comments before he determines the application, which he will do as soon as is reasonably possible. It should be noted that, as part of the devolution settlement, should the Secretary of State conclude that an order should be made, the agreement of the National Assembly for Wales would be required to that decision, since the order would affect Wales as well as England.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the "global unit rate" applied by Eurocontrol in respect of flights operated by aircraft registered in the United Kingdom is, by a significant margin, higher than that of any other country participating in the centralised route charging arrangements operated by Eurocontrol. [HL537]

The UK Eurocontrol unit rate for 2000 is higher than the other states' rates for a number of reasons:The pound has strengthened considerably against the euro, previously the ecu, in recent years. Restated at the 1997 published exchange rate, the UK Eurocontrol unit rate for 2000 would be euro 64.77—i.e. more than 20 per cent lower.Under the Eurocontrol charging scheme, states recover the costs incurred in providing air navigation services. This is achieved through the operation of an adjustment mechanism whereby over- or under-recoveries arising in any year are taken into account two years later. Consequently, states' unit rates are affected by the over- or under-recoveries of earlier years. For 2000, the UK unit rate has been increased by 1.4 per cent as a result of returning an under-recovery from 1998, while most states' rates have been reduced by previous years' over-recoveries. In particular, the German rate is 8.7 per cent lower due to previous years' over-recoveries.The UK interest charge is higher than that of other states, particularly those using the euro, due to higher capital employed and a higher cost of capital. Were the UK interest charge in line with states such as France and Germany, the 2000 rate would be a further 7 per cent or so lower.The UK also continues to incur high levels of expenditure related to development of the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick. While some other states have recently developed smaller centres, the Swanwick centre will be one of the largest in Europe. The development of the Swanwick centre places the UK at a different point in the investment cycle when compared with other states, leading to an unfavourable comparison between cost bases. However, development of the Swanwick centre is essential if future traffic growth is to be accommodated. During the 1999 summer period, nearly all the other major European operators experienced worsening ATC delays, while delays due to UK ATC were reduced.In addition to the above, differences between states' unit rates arise from the following:

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many anti-personnel mines or devices which could be used as such are stocked by other governments or their armed forces, or on behalf of other governments and their armed forces, in the United Kingdom. [HL261]

There are no anti-personnel mines as defined under the Ottawa Convention stocked by other governments or their armed forces, or on behalf of other governments and their armed forces, in the UK.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in implementing the aspects of the Strategic Defence Review relating to the nuclear deterrent. [HL564]

The SDR conducted a rigorous re-examination of our deterrence requirements. The Government have made it clear that we shall maintain the minimum credible nuclear deterrent whilst working towards the global elimination of nuclear weapons. The longer term goals of arms control, non-proliferation and multilateral disarmament were advanced considerably by a range of SDR measures. In addition to announcing Trident as the UK's only nuclear weapon system, these included: a reduction in the number of warheads deployed in each submarine; a significant reduction in the size of the UK 's total nuclear weapon stockpile; the de-targeting of Trident missiles; having only one submarine on deterrent patrol, and the placing of the submarine on deterrent patrol at several days' notice to fire. These measures have all been introduced.Following a trial period of moving towards single crewing of SSBNs, we have, however, decided to retain double crews. This decision reflects our determination, as part of our policy for people, to minimise the pressure on our service personnel and give them greater stability and time with their families.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is a relationship between organophosphate pesticides and the illnesses suffered by some veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict in view of the recent reports from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM). [HL663]

The COT report, published in November, concluded that neuropsychologic al abnormalities can occur as a long-term complication following acute organophosphate (OP) poisoning, particularly if the poisoning is severe. Persistent peripheral neuropathy (disorders of the peripheral nerves,' may occur, but not generally at a level which would give rise to symptoms. The body of evidence gives little support to the hypothesis that low-level exposure to OPs can cause chronic disease of the nervous system. However, the report notes that there remains a question over whether a small proportion of subjects may be at increased risk of clinically significant disease following low level exposure, and recommends further research in this area.The Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) report on the relationship between OP sheep dips and illness in exposed sheep farmers and dippers found the critical exposure factor to be contact with concentrate dip: much higher rates of symptoms, predominantly of a sensory nature, were reported among those who had been principal concentrate handlers. There is very limited evidence that long-term low-level exposure to organophosphates leads to long-term neurotoxic effects.The conclusions from these reports are in line with the findings of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council's (DSAC) Working Party report, the publication of which we announced on 20 October 1999 and which reviewed existing literature on the long term neurotoxicity of anticholinesterases. It concluded that high doses of organophosphates may have long-term effects on the peripheral nervous system, but that there is limited evidence about long-term toxic effects following low doses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have regarding the implementation of the immunisation programme against biological warfare agents for UK forces during the Gulf conflict 1990–91. [HL664]

The Government's "New Beginning" policy statement set out the way forward for addressing the health concerns of Gulf veterans and included a commitment to establish a fact finding team to look into the implementation of the anti-biological warfare immunisation programme during the Gulf conflict. Their work has now been completed and we are today publishing a paper entitled Implementation of the immunisation programme against biological warfare agents for UK forces during the Gulf conflict 1990–91. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.The publication of this paper reaffirms the Government's commitment to ensuring that Gulf veterans should have access to whatever information the Ministry of Defence possesses which might be relevant to their illnesses.The deficiencies in the implementation of the 1990–91 anti-biological warfare immunisation programme have been, and continue to be, addressed in improvements to our current arrangements. When we again deployed to the Gulf in 1998, our immunisation programme was unclassified, all troops were fully briefed using standard material, the nature of the threat and the vaccine were described in detail and all records were updated, showing that the lessons of 1990–91 have been learned.The report found that the voluntary nature of the immunisation programme operated as intended in the majority of units and locations. It confirms that no unusual or previously undisclosed immunisations were given during the Gulf conflict and also explains the codewords which were sometimes used for the vaccines.Uptake of the anti-biological warfare immunisations in the early stages of the programme was high. Over 75 per cent of all personnel deployed to the Gulf region are likely to have had anthrax and pertussis, and in many units this approached 100 per cent. Uptake of the second anthrax and pertussis immunisations and the first plague was less and varied between and within formations. Uptake of the third anthrax and the second plague immunisation was rare.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have regarding the suggested exposure of UK troops to chemical warfare agents in Al Jubayl on 19 January 1991. [HL665]

The 1997 "A New Beginning" policy statement set out a number of commitments to help address the health concerns of Gulf veterans. One of these commitments was to review specific incidents of suggested biological or chemical warfare exposures. As part of this commitment, my honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces has today published a paper entitled A Review of the Suggested Exposure of UK Forces to Chemical Warfare Agents in Al Jubayl on 19 January 1991. A copy will be placed in the Library.As a result of our review of the available information, we assess that UK troops were not subject to attack or exposed to chemical warfare agents at Al Jubayl on 19 January 1991. Although it is not possible to give a single comprehensive explanation for all the events that took place on the morning of 19 January we conclude from the available information that the indications of the presence of chemical warfare agents were false alarms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the recommendations in the report of the external audit of the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme have been implemented. [HL666]

The Ministry of Defence response to the recommendations in the report of the audit of the Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (GVMAP) has now been completed. A very small number of issues remain outstanding but the response explains why this is so and what action is being taken.The staff of the GVMAP have welcomed this opportunity to review their working practices and take action where necessary. The implementation of the audit recommendations will provide an improved service for Gulf veterans.We are placing a copy of the response to the audit report in the Library of the House and it is also being published on the Ministry of Defence Gulf Veterans' Illnesses website.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect European Community approval for Objective 2 maps of the United Kingdom. [HL551]

The Government submitted their proposals for Objective 2 areas to the Commission in October. In December, the European Commission agreed in principle the UK's proposed areas for Objective 2 coverage. We expect the Commission to approve the map formally early in February, after the Committees on the Development and Conversion of the Regions; Structures for Fisheries and Aquaculture; and Agricultural Structures and Rural Development have been consulted.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What facilities exist for accident and emergency treatment within the City of London. [HL616]

There are no accident and emergency facilities located in the City of London. However, there is a minor injuries unit at St Bartholomew's Hospital in West Smithfield. This unit has close links with the accident and emergency department at the Royal London Hospital at Whitechapel.Patients within the City of London requiring accident and emergency treatment can attend the Royal London Hospital, University College Hospital or St Thomas' Hospital, where full accident and emergency facilities are available within easy travelling distance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will impose penalties on NHS Trusts which fail to meet their waiting list reduction targets by April of this year because of pressures arising from the current influenza outbreak.[HL556]

There is no system of national penalties imposed on National Health Service trusts with regard to waiting list performance. Performance management by regional offices covers waiting lists and other aspects of trust performance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the officially accepted definition of an epidemic. [HL559]

The epidemiological definition of an epidemic is an increase in the frequency of occurrence of a disease in a population above its baseline level for a specified period of time. The term epidemic can be used when describing the pattern of either infectious or chronic diseases in the population.Administrative definitions can be set for different diseases in which an arbitrary threshold is selected above which the term "epidemic" is applied. In the case of influenza, the Department of Health introduced in 1996 an administrative definition of an "epidemic" for a rate of consultation (with a sample of general practices) of 400 per 100,000 population in a week.Such influenza activity in England is thus monitored through the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) sentinel surveillance scheme. This records the number of first visits to a general practitioner with influenza-illness. Other respiratory illnesses prevalent at this time of year are recorded separately.This system does not and cannot measure the real incidence of influenza, since it is restricted to those people who visit their general practitioner. In the present winter, the GP consultations avoided by patients consulting their pharmacists, using NHS Direct or self-medicating (as a result of special campaigns) are thought to have led to a substantial hidden element to the epidemic not revealed by the official figures. The serious nature of the illness amongst elderly people (reflected in the rates of acute bronchitis) and usage of hospitals reinforces the reality of the assessment of the severity of this winter's epidemic.The severity of the disease itself can also vary from year to year. This year the elderly have been particularly affected by the complications of influenza. The level of cases of acute bronchitis, a serious complication of influenza, is the highest the RCGP surveillance system has seen for 15 years. In describing epidemics, some other countries formally include measures of severity in the definition of an epidemic. For example, the United States declares an epidemic when the proportion of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza passes a certain threshold.The department has not introduced administrative definitions of an epidemic for diseases other than influenza.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any private hospitals in London had intensive care beds available for use by NHS Trusts at any time during the seven days from 5 to 12 January; and, if so, how many beds were available on which days. [HL560]

This information is not available centrally. In preparing plans for this winter, Local Winter Planning Groups were advised to liaise with local private sector partners about the contribution the private sector might make at times of pressure. The availability and use of private sector intensive care beds would be agreed locally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have undertaken a study of whether the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill is likely to have a disproportionate adverse impact upon members of ethnic minorities; if so, what are the results of the study; and, if not, why no such study has been undertaken before the decision to introduce the Bill; and [HL546]Whether they have consulted the Commission for Racial Equality, the Society of Black Lawyers and ethnic minority organisations about the effects of the proposals contained in the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill upon confidence among members of ethnic minorities in the fair administration of criminal justice; if so, what are the results of the consultation; and, if not, why no such consultation has been undertaken before the decision to introduce the Bill. [HL547]

A copy of the consultation document Determining Mode of Trial in Either-Way Cases, which sought views on these reforms, was sent to the Commission for Racial Equality. No response was received from the Commission. The Government have given careful consideration to the concerns that the changes could adversely affect black defendants. They are satisfied that this is not the case. Home Office data published on 9 December 1999 show a higher conviction rate for white defendants than black defendants in the magistrates' courts (67 per cent for white defendants and 57 per cent for black defendants). A separate study (not yet published) of race and the Crown Prosecution Service by Dr Mhlanga also shows that white defendants are more likely to be convicted than black defendants in both magistrates' courts and the Crown Court. In both courts white defendants are about six percentage points more likely to be convicted than black defendants.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, before the Committee stage of the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill, they will disclose their reasons in support of their Section 19 statement of compatibility of the Bill with the right of access to a fair trial without direct or indirect racial discrimination, guaranteed by Article 6 read with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL548]

The Government are satisfied that the Bill is compatible with Convention rights. The right to a fair trial under Article 6 does not extend to providing a right to a certain sort of trial. The Bill merely provides judicial discretion to decide mode of trial. It also provides an unfettered right of appeal against the magistrates' decision on mode of trial. A briefing note on the Bill, including the racial aspects, has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have conducted research into the extent to which members of the ethnic minority community suffer discrimination within the criminal justice system, as recommended by the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (Cm 2263, July 1993, paragraph 25); if so, whether they will publish such research; and, if not, why not. [HL549]

The Home Office has undertaken or commissioned a number of pieces of research which have included consideration of issues of ethnicity in the criminal justice system and the operation of the criminal justice system in relation to ethnic minorities.All commissioned research is published as a matter of course. Ministers receive regular advice from officials in the form of submissions and briefing papers about the research and statistical data available in the department.The Home Office has published the following research of relevance:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have introduced, in accordance with the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (Cm 2263, July 1993, paragraph 26), a system of ethnic monitoring to establish how ethnic minorities are treated and to identify the measures needed to ensure that the rules, procedures and practices of the criminal justice system are applied, and seen to be applied, in the same way. [HL550]

Her Majesty's Government's aim is to introduce ethnic monitoring throughout the criminal justice system. Since the Royal Commission's report, monitoring has been extended to the police service and employment within criminal justice agencies. In addition, pilot trials are taking place on persons dealt with by the courts. Results from current monitoring and future plans are described in the recent Home Office report under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 1999.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of lone parents claiming Income Support are now receiving maintenance through the Child Support Agency. [HL530]

There were 940,000 lone parents claiming Income Support at the end of August 1999. The percentage of those lone parents where maintenance was arranged or in payment through the Child Support Agency was 13.1 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of lone parents are now claiming Income Support; and what has been the change in this figure since 1989. [HL531]

The table below gives a broad indication of the percentage of lone parents in receipt of Income Support from 1989 to 1999. Precise figures cannot be provided because the figures have been taken from small samples and will therefore be subject to a degrez., of sampling error.

Income Support Lone Parents as a Percentage of the Lone Parent Population—Great Britain 1989 to 1999:
Year	Lone Parent Caseload	Percentage of lone parents on Income Support
1989	756,000	65%
1990	793,000	64%
1991	871,000	67%
1992	957,000	70%
1993	1,013,000	70%
1994	1,039,000	69%
1995	1,056,000	68%
1996	1,059,000	66%
1997*	1,014,000	63%
1998*	961,000	60%
1999*	936,000	58%

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the cost to the social security budget of failure to uprate the minimum wage in line with inflation. [HL539]

It is estimated that the cost to the social security budget of failing to uprate the main, over-21, rate of the minimum wage in line with inflation is £10 million at 2000–01 prices.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many reduced benefit directions have been given under Section 46 of the Child Support Act 1991 and under subsequent regulations; and what have been the outcomes of these directions. [HL541]

We think it is right that lone parents should co-operate wherever possible in seeking maintenance from the non-resident parent for their children. Under Section 46 of the 1991 Act, if the parent with care fails without good cause to apply for child support when required to do so in accordance with the provisions of Section 6, a reduced benefit direction can be imposed.The total number of reduced benefit directions made by the Child Support Agency during the period May 1993 to August 1999 was around 230,000