asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there will be a national holiday to celebrate the 100th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and if not, why not. [HL2502]

There will not be a national holiday to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. It was decided that it would not be appropriate to proclaim a further bank holiday following so soon after the Millennium bank holiday and with proposals being considered for a bank holiday to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish the review of civil justice in Northern Ireland. [HL2450]

The final report of the Civil Justice Reform Group will be published on 16th June with a consultation period until the end of September. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When it is intended to set up a parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights in accordance with paragraphs 3.7–3.8 of the White Paper

In its Second Report (8 May 2000, HL Paper 62) the Liaison Committee noted the Government's proposal to establish, before the Human Rights Act 1998 comes into force in October this year, a Joint Committee on Human Rights. Preliminary consultations on setting up a Joint Committee on Human Rights are now taking place within the usual channels. The House will, of course, have the opportunity to debate the proposed Standing Orders in due course, and I will ensure that adequate notice of any such debate is given on the Order Paper. The Government will propose very broad terms of reference for the Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Leader of the House on 11 May (

The mechanisms for dealing with potential and perceived conflicts of interest for members of the Committee on Standards in Public Life are set out in the Committee's code of practice. Copies of the code can be obtained from the Committee or downloaded from its website at www.public-standards.gov.uk. Copies have also been deposited in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Leader of the House on 11 May (

I refer the noble Earl to the Answer I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Dean of Harptree, on 11 May 2000, col. WA 237.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Leader of the House on 11 May (

Information on internal deliberation, whose disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of discussion, is exempt from disclosure under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to ensure that the House of Lords can consider any report emanating from the Committee on Standards in Public Life's review of standards of conduct in the House in advance of it being disseminated more widely. [HL2513]

It will be for the Committee to decide the arrangements for publishing their report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is yet possible for a Peer to request that copies of all replies to his Written Questions should be sent to him by e-mail; and, if so, how. [HL2415]

The Central IT Unit of the Cabinet Office has investigated the feasibility of answering written parliamentary questions electronically and the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) has been developing a detailed operating system. CCTA is now working towards the implementation of the system and will be providing a report to the Library and Computers Sub-Committee of the House in June.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will pay those pensioners who do not have a television the equivalent of the cost of a television licence, which they have proposed should be free to pensioners. [HL2537]

The Government is aiming to introduce, from 1 November, free television licences for all people aged 75 or over. We decided to introduce free licences for older pensioners because, as a group, they are more likely to be reliant on television as their window on the world. People aged 75 or over, who do not have a television set, will not receive a cash payment since the purpose of the concession is to assist access to television and not to provide a cash benefit.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Millennium Commission has any further plans to provide financial support to the Millennium Experience at Greenwich. [HL2636]

On 22 May the Millennium Commission considered an application for additional grant totalling £38.6 million from the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC). Whilst the Commission had serious reservations about providing further grant, they concluded that it would be foolish to withdraw support when the best of the year for visitor attractions is yet to come. They also felt that the value of the Dome as the centrepiece of the nation's millennium celebrations should be recognised and continued. The potential costs to the public sector arising from immediate closure, along with the economic impact on employment and tourism, were other factors taken into account.In light of this, the Commission announced that a further grant of £29 million, subject to stringent conditions, would be made available to NMEC. The Commission's decision was taken after an independent review of the NMEC's financial systems and business plans. The conditions are that there should be: strengthening and restructuring of NMEC's management and governance; a revised business plan showing substantial additional cost savings and enhanced marketing plans; and an enhanced financial team at NMEC, to be joined by a dedicated member of the Millennium Commission's own financial staff.All the Millennium Commissioners expressed confidence in NMEC's chief executive, P-Y Gerbeau and are appreciative of the changes he has made to the operation and running of the Millennium Experience.Despite lower than predicted visitor numbers, the Dome is the most popular and highly rated paid visitor attraction in the UK, with a wide range of educational benefits. NMEC is also running a national programme of events and activities across the UK. In addition, the largest derelict site in southern England has been regenerated and the foundations have been laid for a lasting legacy providing jobs and homes for thousands of people.In line with the commitment made by the previous administration that any additional Lottery funds required to support the Dome should not be at the expense of the Millennium Commission's wider programme of work, the Government confirmed that Lottery money would, if necessary, be made available to the Commission to ensure that its wider programme does not suffer.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the loss incurred (a) by British retailers and (b) by the Treasury as a result of (i) the smuggling of tobacco and (ii) the importation of duty paid tobacco between 1996 and 1999. [HL2548]

I refer my noble friend to the Tackling Tobacco Smuggling paper published on 22 March 2000 by HM Customs and Excise and HM Treasury.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether all the bridges supporting the Al4 near Huntingdon are rated for 44 tonnes; and, if not, what the limitations are; and [HL2562]Whether an operator running at 44 tonnes under the Construction and Use Regulations is required to notify any highway or bridge authority of his intention to use the A14 near Huntingdon. [HL2563]

This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency and I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Mr Peter Nutt, to write to the noble Earl.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list, by county, for England and Wales the number of miles of (a) public footpaths and (b) bridleways. [HL2504]

This information is not collected by my department. The County Surveyors' Society has supplied the information in Table 1 for England, and the Countryside Council for Wales has provided the information in Table 2 for Wales.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, applying to the carriage of guide dogs for blind people in taxis, have yet been put into effect: and to what extent minicabs are included under those provisions. [HL2552]

The package of regulations relating to those provisions is being finalised now. We are taking the opportunity to extend these duties, as provided for by the legislation, by specifying other assistance dogs used by disabled people in addition to guide and hearing dogs which are included on the face of the Disability Discrimination Act. This addition has delayed final production of the package, but we aim to consult on it within a matter of weeks with the aim of bringing in the duty at the end of this year. Private hire vehicles-or minicabs as they are known—are not covered by the Act. We therefore have no powers to extend these duties to the drivers of those vehicles.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration has been given to the dumping of litter or waste upon private land in connection with the proposed extension of access; what action (a) the owner or occupier of open land and (b) police forces will be able to take to prevent or respond to the problem. [HL2546]

The right of access to open countryside provided for in the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill is limited to those who enter onto land on foot for the purposes of open-air recreation. The Bill provides that those who exercise the right of access must abide by sensible restrictions, including a requirement not to deposit any rubbish or leave any litter. Leaving litter on access land will also be an offence. The Bill does not give people any right to enter onto land for the purpose of dumping litter or waste, nor does it oblige landowners to facilitate access for that purpose. We do not expect that the Bill will generally lead to a significant increase in littering on open country. Access authorities will be able to provide assistance with wardening where problems may occur.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the initiatives on which the Prison Service spent money without contractual backing in 1999–2000, giving in each case the name of the initiative and the money spent. [HL2468]

The Prison Service does not have any information available centrally about initiatives operating without contractual backing.A new Prison Service instruction is to be issued shortly which documents overall strategies, procurement best practice, mandatory instructions and carries with it a revised system of contractual delegations. A copy will be sent to the noble Lord and copies placed in the Library when it is published.I understand that the noble Lord is primarily interested in expenditure on the KAIROS/APAC projects which were operating in three prisons; the Verne, Swaleside and Highpoint under partnership agreements until June 1999.Money spent on these projects during the financial year 1999–2000 amounted to a total of £41,075. The amounts spent by each establishment in that financial year and, in total, are given in the table.