asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 15th June (

The Treasury leases the following cars under contract with the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in writing off third world debt since the G8 summit in Cologne; and what progress they anticipate before the end of this year. [HL3182]

Eight countries have so far reached their decision points and are receiving debt relief under the enhanced HIPC initiative (Bolivia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Tanzania, Senegal, Uganda, Honduras and Burkina Faso). By the end of the year a total of 20 countries are expected to have reached decision point and, therefore, be receiving debt relief (Mali, Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Guinea, Chad, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Zambia, Guyana, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and the eight already mentioned).

asked Her Majesty's Government:What, on the basis of purchasing power parities, they calculate the correct exchange rate should be between the pound sterling and the euro and the pound sterling and the dollar. [HL3196]

The Government do not produce estimates of purchasing power parity exchange rates nor estimates of what a "correct" sterling exchange rate should be.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any pressure has been exerted by the Government of the Republic of Ireland on the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank to appoint Mr Hugh O'Flaherty as a vice-president of the Bank; and [HL3264]What qualifications in banking and finance (or both) Mr. O'Flaherty possesses that would make him a suitable candidate for a vice-president of the European Investment Bank; and [HL3265]Why vacancies in the posts of vice-presidents of the European Central Bank are not advertised; and [HL3266]Whether they will seek to defer the appointment of Mr O'Flaherty as a vice-president of the European Investment Bank until proceedings in the Irish courts seeking an injunction to prevent his appointment have been decided. [HL3267]

Nominations for posts of vice-president of the European Investment Bank have traditionally been matters for the nominating member state.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions were held prior to the reported decision to launch a fourth Trident submarine later this year and whether this decision would be consistent with their policy on nuclear disarmament. [HL3194]

In the Strategic Defence Review we rigorously re-examined our nuclear deterrence requirements. The review was made as open as possible to outside views. One factor of many that we considered was the size of our Trident submarine fleet. We concluded that we need a fleet of four Trident submarines to ensure that our minimum deterrent remains effective. The review also reported the planned launch of HMS "Vengeance", our fourth Trident submarine. She was launched on 19 September 1998; it is planned that she will enter service next year.At the 2000 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the nuclear weapon states gave an unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals—the most explicit pledge ever to work for global nuclear disarmament. The Government have clearly demonstrated their commitment to further international progress on non-proliferation and disarmament; the constructive role we played at the conference has been widely recognised and welcomed, as has been the contribution we have already made by reducing our deterrence posture to the levels announced in the Strategic Defence Review.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What studies they have undertaken to evaluate the contribution by universities and higher education to the future economic and social viability of the United Kingdom; and what was the outcome of such studies. [HL3258]

We have undertaken studies that show graduates undertake many of the higher added value jobs in the economy and have high average earnings; there is a good rate of return to degrees of 8 to 10 per cent; the wider benefits include graduates' greater involvement in community and voluntary associations; and publicly funded research is important for industrial innovation. Collectively these studies show that higher education is vitally important to the future well-being of the country.

Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking to prevent an acute shortage of funding resulting in a reduction in the quality of human resources available to ensure the effectiveness of teaching and research in universities and higher education throughout the United Kingdom. [HL3259]

Since April 1998 the Government have increased planned funding for higher education in England by just over £1 billion, an uplift of 11 per cent in real terms over four years. Following the Joint Infrastructure Fund, the Government announced on 5 July 2000 support for research infrastructure amounting to a total of £1 billion over two years from 2002–03, jointly with the Wellcome Foundation. These are substantial sums which will enable universities to maintain the quality of both teaching and research.Higher education elsewhere in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they will take to ensure that development of newer forms of renewable energy proceeds and, in particular, to promote the use of biomass by ensuring that outlets for willow to be used as a renewable energy source will be available within a reasonable timescale. [HL3220]

The Government are taking powers through the Utilities Bill to place a new obligation on electricity suppliers to supply a set proportion of their electricity supplies from renewable sources. This will create an assured market for renewable energy, initially to 2025.The Government have increased the budget for their new and renewable energy research and development programme to a total of £32 million over this and the next financial year. Work supported includes a commercialisation programme designed to bring new technologies closer to the market. The Government also fund the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council which spends £3.5 million each year on research into new and renewable forms of energy. In addition, the Government are considering the scope for more specific support for offshore wind and energy crops.The reforms to the common agricultural policy which we obtained last year in Agenda 2000 include a new rural development regulation which, among other things, enables us to provide support for the development of energy crops. The Minister of Agriculture announced last autumn that he planned to introduce a new energy crops scheme under the England Rural Development Plan, costing around

£29 million over the six-year life of the plan. The main element is a planting grant which will be available,

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assistance they provide towards the fuel costs of those with physical disabilities who depend on transport by car. [HL3252]

The Government recognise that many disabled people are highly dependent on the car for transport, and help with their motoring costs is already provided through the mobility component of the disability living allowance. Recipients of the allowance's higher mobility rate also pay no vehicle excise duty on their

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in the absence of a world-wide prohibition on the use of tributylin (TBT) antifouling paint on commercial vessels, they will support such a prohibition on all ships entering European ports. [HL3280]

Her Majesty's Government banned the sale, supply, storage and use of tributylin anti-fouling paint on vessels under 25 metres in length in 1987. In view of the current progress at the International Maritime Organisation to introduce a world-wide ban on their use, we do not consider that separate European action is appropriate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in view of the difficulties and dangers for traffic attempting to leave the M25 to join the Al3, they will arrange for traffic lights to be installed at the M25/A13 road junction. [HL3213]

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list, for each region and for each of the last five years:

. The data provided below by the British Transport Police (BTP) cover acts of criminal damage/malicious mischief, arson and graffiti. The DTP does not hold any information on the number of convictions for these offences but has provided information for detections. "Detections" are where a person has been identified with the crime and either charged, cautioned or no prosecution has occurred.

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr Peter Nutt, to write to the noble Lord.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 28th June (

The latest available figures published by my department, of the UK all lenders mix-adjusted house price index, show an estimated rise of 192 per cent between the second quarter of 1985 and the first quarter of 2000. This is equivalent to an average annual rate of 7.5 per cent.The rise in owner-occupied house prices from 1950 to the first quarter of 2000 is estimated at 4,750 per cent. This is equivalent to an average annual rate of 8.1 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they propose to take in response to the recent review by NHS Estates of device decontamination practices. [HL3231]

A high-level steering group, chaired by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pat Troop, has been set up to consider the report when it is received and to determine what action is needed in the light of its findings.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, under the terms of the Data Protection Act, National Health Service hospitals are prevented from communicating the details of a patient's condition to the patient's family by telephone. [HL3228]

The Data Protection Act 1998 prevents National Health Service hospitals from disclosing confidential information, such as a patient's condition, to any third party by telephone or other means where this would represent an unlawful breach of confidence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In what circumstances Cabinet Ministers are allowed to express personal views not reflecting government policy about the Monarchy. [HL3092]

Section 8 of the Ministerial Code sets out Ministers' responsibilities in relation to media interviews.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office on 23 June (

The organisation of an end-of-year celebration in the Dome is a matter for the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC). NMEC is considering what, if any, celebrations there should be, and I look forward to hearing its plans in due course.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office on 23 June (

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) is working to a revised budget of 6 million paying visitors, which has been approved by the Millennium Commission. The revised budget is achievable and with careful monitoring I am confident that NMEC will continue to trade solvently until 31 December 2000.

asked Her Majesty's Govenrment:Whether the sole shareholder of the New Millennium Experience Company is aware of any proposition to reduce the opening hours of the Dome in any one week or to reduce the number of shows per day; and, if so, when he anticipates that the implementation of such a proposition may be necessary. [HL3145]

The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) has no plans to reduce the opening hours of the Dome in any one week, nor has it any plans to reduce the number of shows per day.

asked the Leader of the House:Whether she will support the introduction of a procedure in this House comparable to the Early-Day Motion procedure in the House of Commons. [HL3195]

This is a matter for the House as a whole to consider. If the noble Lord wishes to pursue the matter, he should do so through the Procedure Committee.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have for the future of the apartments at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, currently occupied by the King Edward VII convalescent home; and [HL2851]What plans they have to fulfil the undertaking made to Parliament by the Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Mr. Howarth, on 4 February 1999 (H.L. Deb., col. 694) to keep the convalescent home at Osborne House open until Parliament approves its closure by amending the Osborne Estate Act 1902, given the decision of the Civil Service Benevolent Fund to cease to operate it. [HL2852]

Following the decision of the Civil Service Benevolent Fund to withdraw from the contract to run the King Edward VII convalescent home on behalf of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport we have concluded that it would not be sensible, appropriate or cost-effective to enter into an agreement with another organisation to run the home while we await Parliament's approval to repeal the relevant provision of the Osborne Estate Act 1902.The convalescent home will therefore close on 31 October 2000. The accommodation will remain out of use at least until December 2001 to allow English Heritage to complete, in the most efficient and cost-effective way, the restoration and repair of the external fabric of the building.My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is considering how he should meet his responsibility after December 2001 to devote part of Osborne House for the benefit of the Armed Forces and the Civil Service—which is not specified as the running of a convalescent home—for such time as that statutory requirement is in force.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the total cost to public funds of the Football Association's bid to host the 2006 World Cup. [HL3169]

Sport England has agreed to pay £3.14 million of the costs of the 2006 World Cup Bid from its Lottery Fund: £2,975,649 of that amount had been paid to the Football Association before 5 July.Direct costs to the Government have arisen in respect of the previous Minister of Sport's visits to a number of countries in support of the bid. The cost of these visits was £102,780, although some other government business was also conducted. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has also agreed to pay £20,000 of the travelling expenses for the Prime Minister's special envoy.