asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 10 April (

The Prime Minister consented to the inclusion of a statement in the Presidency Conclusions to the Lisbon European Council calling for a rapid resolution to the issue which has delayed formal adoption by the member states of the Takeovers Directive. The text of the directive was agreed by the member states in June last year. Formal adoption of the text has been delayed pending resolution of a Spanish objection to the designation of competent authorities in Gibraltar for the purposes of the directive.On 19 April 2000,

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the Telecommunications Council held in Brussels on 2 May [HL2362]

There was an orientation debate on the review of the regulatory framework for electronic communications. During the debate, all member states supported the general approach of the Commission on regulation of access to infrastructures in order to promote competition. A number, including the UK, welcomed the Commission's proposal that regulation should be on a co-regulatory basis with business where possible. Regarding the new institutional structure, member states welcomed the Commission's intention to build on the existing structure, but to define the roles of any new bodies. On the scope of universal service, most member states, including the UK, supported the Commission's proposal to retain the existing scope of universal service, but to keep this under review.The Commission presented its Communication on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2000 and the Council adopted Conclusions giving broad support to the Communication.The Commission also presented a number of recent or forthcoming Communications concerning the results of its consultation on creation of the EU internet top level domain; organisation and management of the internet; unbundled access to the local loop; and gave an update on the forthcoming postal services liberalisation directive. The Council also noted Presidency reports on the outcome of the Conference on Digital Terrestial Television, and the Ministerial Conference on Knowledge and the information Society held in Lisbon on 17–18 February and 10–11 April 2000 respectively.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Answer by the Lord Whitty on 19 April (H.L. Deb., col. 701) concerning the proposed waste incineration directive, whether the lack of European Union support for a derogation for farmers is because the rest of the European Union is not constrained by the United Kingdom's BSE regulations; and whether United Kingdom farmers are at a commercial disadvantage in the European Union. [HL2213]

The Government arrange and pay for the disposal, by incineration, of animals in the UK suspected of being affected by BSE or excluded from the food chain under the Over Thirty Month Slaughter Scheme. The cost of disposal of other animal waste material falls on the industry. The EU-wide ban on feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants has been extended in the UK to an additional ban on the feeding of mammalian meat and bone meal (MBM) to any farmed livestock, and this may have resulted in more small-scale incineration being used. The UK livestock industry therefore inevitably has higher waste disposal costs. Against the background of a very much higher incidence of BSE in the UK, the additional ban is considered to be necessary in order to eradicate the disease. We understand that the practice of small-scale animal carcass incineration is less widespread in other member states.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any progress has been made in reaching an international agreement to prohibit releases of genetically modified fish as proposed by the Select Committee on the European Communities (Second Report, Session 1998–99. HL Paper 11). [HL2111]

The release of GM fish is prohibited within the European Union unless authorised. Any proposed release would be governed by Directive 90/220/EEC on the Deliberate Release into the Environment of Genetically Modified Organisms. Guidance on this regime makes clear that it would include releases of GM fish for experimental purposes in all water bodies, including beyond the estuarine environment. At the global level, the Biosafety Protocol to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, agreed on 29 January 2000, includes provision that Parties shall co-operate with a view to identifying living (genetically) modified organisms (LMOs) or specific traits of LMOs that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. It also provides that Parties shall take appropriate measures regarding the treatment of such LMOs, which could include fish. The Government would regard the release of GM fish as covered fully in international fora controlling releases of all genetically modified organisms. The UK has participated fully in these fora.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their intention to impose a statutory obligation regarding Best Value on the British Transport Police, as is the case with other police authorities. [HL2259]

The British Transport Police Committee, who are responsible for overseeing the administration of the force, have decided voluntarily to adopt the principles of Best Value and are preparing a Best Value Plan which will commence in 2001.The Government have announced in another place on 31 July 1998,

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether members of the judiciary, both inside and outside the House of Lords, are holders of public office in terms of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [HL2238]

Members of the judiciary are holders of public office and are, therefore, within the ambit of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The committee, however, has not sought to consider the position of the judiciary as such. In considering any recommendations the committee might make, the Government would have due regard to the constitutional position of the judiciary and in particular to the key constitutional principle of judicial independence. Lords of Appeal fall within the committee's terms of reference both as holders of public office and as members of the Upper House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will reconsider their decision not to set up a retirement scheme for farmers, especially tenant farmers who might be willing to take early retirement should such a package be available. [HL2211]

There are no new grounds that would justify a review of the decision on which of the measures within the Rural Development Regulation EC No. 1257/99 should be included in the England Rural Development Plan.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made with the pig industry since the Prime Minister's meeting on 30 March, when some £26 million was allocated; and whether some pig producers may be declared ineligible for the restructuring scheme. [HL2210]

As announced in the Action Plan for Farming on 30 March, the Government have lodged a pig industry restructuring scheme notification with the European Commission. The scheme includes both an outgoers and ongoers element. Under state aid rules, the Commission must clear the scheme before it can he introduced. In the meantime, discussions are continuing with the industry and with other interested parties on the detailed requirements of the scheme. There are no plans to exclude a specific group of pig farmers from the scheme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the sterilisation of artificially reared salmon before they are released into the environment can be guaranteed to be 100 per cent effective. [HL2112]

We are not aware of any current commercial techniques for the sterilisation of salmon that can be guaranteed to be 100 per cent effective.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the Veterinary Laboratories Agency's and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Epidemiology of Infectious Disease's forecasts for United Kingdom BSE cases in 2000 and 2001 (a) in 1997; (b) in 1998;

The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) provide estimates of future BSE cases in Great Britain for the current year and the following two years. These forecasts do not include Northern Ireland.At any point in time there are insufficient data on current cases, such as results of all brain examinations, to extrapolate accurate estimates beyond that point. They did not therefore produce forecasts for 2000 or 2001 during 1997. Forecasts for 2000 and 2001 which have been produced by the VLA model are shown in the following table.

Predictions of the Number of Confirmed BSE Cases Expected in 2000 and 2001 (VLA)
	Year 2000			Year 2001
Date of Prediction	Lower	Central	Upper	Lower	Central	Upper
September 1998	451	618	784
January 1999	548	729	911
April 1999	743	951	1159
June 1999	763	973	1183	260	393	526
October 1999	883	1,107	1,331	323	468	613
January 2000	889	1,114	1,339	325	470	615
April 2000	887	1,112	1,337	325	470	615

The Wellcome Trust Centre for Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (WTCEID) published forecasts of future BSE cases in 1997. If 10 per cent maternal transmission for the last six months of the incubation period is assumed, the number of BSE cases in 2000 and 2001 were estimated to be between 198–280 and 76–105 respectively. In 1999, the group presented revised estimates to the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC). In 2000, it was estimated that there will be 1,527–2,202 BSE cases and in 2001, between 733–1,283 cases. With the acquisition of additional data since 1996 and 1997, the confidence intervals surrounding the central estimates for cases in 2000 and 2001 have narrowed considerably.Predictions of future BSE cases are based upon existing case data, knowledge of mechanisms of transmission and assumptions about the rate of decline of exposure. The models used by VLA and WTCEID outlined above are different. Each model will generate variations in the predictions depending on the set of criteria used and the process is continually refined to take account of the progress of the epidemic and improved understanding of the disease. The epidemic still continues to decline in line with the current, and therefore most accurate, predictions.