asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the working time of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary is spent in detemining appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in professional disciplinary cases. [HL3157]

About 10 per cent of the court time of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is taken up with health profession appeals but they take up less than that proportion of the time spent by the Law Lords in the Judicial Committee because:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the justification for retaining the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final appellate jurisdiction in professional disciplinary cases. [HL3158]

There are strong arguments for dealing with these cases at a lower judicial level. I am considering the question with the other Ministers concerned. Primary legislation would be required in some cases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish a policy document on electronic records management. [HL3487]

The Government's policy on electronic records management was published in April. It is called the Framework for Information Age Government: Electronic Records Management, an Annex to e-government, A strategic framework for public services in the Information Age. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report is also available on the Internet.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish a draft code of practice on the management of records under the Freedom of Information Act. [HL3491]

I am delighted to publish today a working draft of the code of practice on the management of records under the Freedom of Information Act. Copies of the draft have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report will also be available on the Internet.The aims of the code are twofold. The first is to set out practices which bodies subject to the Freedom of Information Act should follow in relation to the creation, keeping, management and destruction of their records. The second is to provide guidance on the review and transfer of public records to the Public Record Office, to places of deposit for public records appointed under the Public Records Act 1958 and to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. The code covers records in all technical or physical formats.Any freedom of information legislation is only as good as the quality of the records to which it provides access. Such rights are of little use if reliable records are not created in the first place, if they cannot be found when needed or if the arrangements for their eventual archiving or destruction are inadequate. Consequently, all public authorities are encouraged to pay heed to the guidance in the code. Authorities should note that if they fail to comply with the code they may be in breach of their statutory obligations.The code would satisfy a duty proposed in the Freedom of Information Bill.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many prosecutions and convictions there have been under the incitement provisions of Part III of the Public Order Act 1986 in each of the last three years. [HL3239]

Since 1997 there have been a total of 17 prosecutions under Part III of the Public Order Act 1986. Thirteen of the prosecutions have resulted in convictions. The detailed breakdown for each year is summarised below.

asked Her Majesty's Government: When the Director of the Serious Fraud Office intends to publish her annual report. [HL3494]

I can confirm that I have today placed copies of the annual report in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the cost of administering the ordinary accounts of National Savings as a percentage of average total balances in 1970–71; and whether they believe that the average administration cost of 4.2 per cent of balances in the 16 million accounts in 1999–2000 would be reduced if the £10,000 limit on the accounts set in July 1969 were to be increased to take account of inflation. [HL3242]

The cost of administering ordinary accounts in 1970–71 as a percentage of total balances was 1.6 per cent. In real terms the cost of administering ordinary accounts reduced significantly during the period 1970–71 to 1999–2000; however the total amounts invested during the same period have reduced at an even greater rate in real terms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will set out in tabular form the percentage by which the pound sterling has (a) strengthened or (b) weakened against each of the following currencies in the 18-month period from the close of business (London) on 4 January 1999 to the close of business on 4 July 2000:

The requested sterling exchange rates for 4 January 1999 were published in the 5 January 1999 edition of the Financial Times, page 33. The sterling exchange rates for 4 July 2000 were summarised on page 33 of the Financial Times for 5 July 2000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have regarding the general pattern of chemical warfare agent alerts during the Gulf conflict. [HL3512]

The Government's 1997 policy statement Gulf Veterans' Illnesses: A New Beginning 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 chemcial warfare exposures. As part of this commitment, my honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces is today publishing the third paper looking at incidents where veterans have suggested they were exposed to chemical warfare agents. This paper is entitled A Review of UK Forces Chemical Warfare Agent Alerts during the 1990–1991 Gulf Conflict. We are placing a copy in the Library of the House.This paper looks at the general pattern of chemical alarms during the conflict. The review has shown that there was usually a straightforward explanation given at the time for chemical warfare agent detection equipment alarming. There is no evidence to suggest Iraqi use of chemical weapons or the presence of chemical weapons in any of the UK alarms.The paper reviews in detail two specific incidents: Dhahran on the night of the 20 January 1991 when a SCUD was destroyed by a Patriot missile close to the

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the most recent figures for deaths among Gulf veterans and the comparison group. [HL3513]

Peer reviewed scientific data comparing the mortality of UK Gulf veterans to an era group of service personnel who did not deploy to the Gulf was published for the first time in the Lancet on 1 July 2000. The Ministry of Defence will now continue to monitor the mortality of both Gulf veterans and the era group and will publish updated figures on a regular basis. The figures as at 30 June 2000 are shown in the table. Overall, in the period 1 April 1991 to 30 June 2000 the mortality of UK Gulf veterans was only slightly greater than that of the comparison group. The number of Gulf veterans dying from disease related causes is rather less than for the comparison group, whereas the number of Gulf veterans dying of external causes is rather higher than for the comparison group. The Ministry of Defence will conduct a more detailed analysis of road traffic accidents to establish whether there are any underlying trends that might help explain this excess.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 19 June (H.L. Deb., col. 10), whether they will publish the "Treasury Rules": and, if not, why not. [HL3142]

The "Treasury rules" referred to can be found in Treasury guidance titled The Green Book—Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government published by the Stationery Office (ISBN 0-11-560034-5), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.The paragraphs relating to the treatment of redundancy are set out at paragraphs 4.29 to 4.32 of the main text and at paragraph 9 of Annex E.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the pattern of military low flying activity in the United Kingdom during the training year 1999–2000. [HL3488]

The ability to fly fast and low continues to be an essential skill in our armoury of tactics. Training for aircrew to achieve and maintain these skills is vital.The amount of low flying training carried out in the UK low flying system during the training year April 1999 to March 2000 was the minimum necessary for aircrew to reach and maintain these skills. Hours booked for low flying training during this period amounted to some 15 per cent. less than for 1998. Some of this reduction can be attributed to the number of aircraft and crews committed to overseas deployments. Since detailed records of hours booked began in 1995, the total overall has reduced by 36 per cent. (some 24,200 hours) with fixed-wing activity showing the greatest reduction 42 per cent (19,800 hours).The distribution of low flying training across the UK has not changed significantly. We continue to try

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 7th July (

The following makes and models are used:

• Rover Sterling
• Rover 416
• Nissan Primera
• Vauxhall Vectra
• Ford Mondeo.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the approximate total annual cost in the National Health Service of employing an additonal (a) 1,000 nurses; (b) 1,000 doctors; and (c) 1,000 specialists [HL3327]

The approximate total annual cost to the National Health Service, in terms of earnings and other employer contributions, of employing an additional (a) 1,000 qualified nurses; (b) 1,000 hospital doctors (of all grades); and (c) 1,000 specialists (consultants) is £25 million, £55 million and £80 million respectively.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the National Health Service is currently paying for allopurinol 300 mg blister packs of 28 tablets; and how this price compares with the last available price it was paying for loose packed tablets; and [HL3396]Whether the National Health Service can still purchase loose packet tablets of allopurinol 300 mg; and, if so, at what price; and [HL3397]What price the National Health Service will pay, under the new regulations on the purchase of generic medicines for allopurinol 300 mg in blister packs of 28 tablets; how that price will compare with the current retail price; and by what percentage the new price would differ from the current retail price; and [HL3398]What is the retail price of allopurinol 300 mg in blister packs of 28 tablets; and how it compares with the price in France of FFr20.30 for 28 tablets. [HL3395]

Medicines dispensed on the National Health Service in the community are purchased by community pharmacies and dispensing doctors at various prices. The cost to the NHS is generally the drug tariff price—the price at which community pharmacies and dispensing doctors are generally reimbursed—less a deduction which reflects discount obtained on medicines purchases. Prices paid by hospital pharmacy departments for use in hospitals or for dispensing to outpatients will often vary from those applicable in primary care.The current (July) drug tariff price for allopurinol 300 mg in patient packs of 28 is 529p. A price for a 100-tablet pack (which may have been based partly or fully on the price of packs where the tablets were available in loose rather than strip and blister format) was last listed in the drug tariff edition of November 1999 at 571p.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What overall assessment they have made of local councils' plans to improve children's services. [HL3435]

We have placed in the Library a copy of the report Tracking Progress in Children's Services: An Evaluation of Local Responses to the Quality Protects Programme Year 2.When we launched the Quality Protects programme in September 1998, we required local authorities to submit annual management action plans to show how they were intending to improve the management and delivery of children's social services. This report presents the key messages and findings from the second round of management actions plans (MAPS) which were received in January 2000.Councils have made a good start over the past year in implementing the Quality Protects programme. For example we have seen: more corporate working across councils and more partnership working with voluntary organisations; an increase in the proportion of children looked after in foster care or placed for adoption; a reduction in re-registrations on the child protection register; more support being given to care leavers; an increase in education support being given to looked after children; more councils listening to children and young people in their care; and improvements in the collecting and using of management information.But if there are to be real and lasting gains for children, these early improvements must be built on and further substantial progress made in 2000–01. The Government's determination to support this change is demonstrated by the significant increase in special grant available for funding this year (from £75 million to £120 million). We will expect progress in 2000–01 to be commensurate with this increase in funding.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to receive the annual report of the Medicines Commission for 1999 and whether this will be published. [HL3486]

We have received the report and copies have been laid before both Houses of Parliament today in accordance with the requirements of Section 5(2) of the Medicines Act 1968. Copies have also been placed in the Library.Bound volumes have been placed in the Library containing the 1999 reports of the Medicines Commission, the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Advisory Board on the Registration of Homoeopathic Products, the British Pharmacopoeia Commission and the Veterinary Products Committee.We are glad to acknowledge the valuable work done by the distinguished members of the Medicines Act advisory bodies and thank them for the time and effort dedicated in the public interest to this important work.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the annual report and accounts of the Medicines Control Agency. (HL3489]

We have received the report and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of Sections 5(2) and (3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the 1999–2000 annual report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency. [HL3490]

The report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of Sections 5(2) and (3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In the light of proposals for raising revenues for transport policies, whether they can estimate the revenue accruing to the French Government from French motorway tolls in 1999. [H13331]

I have been advised by the ASFA—the Association of French Motorway Companies—that in 1999 users of French tolled motorways paid FF33.9 billion (approximately £3.24 billion) in tolls.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the 1999–2000 annual report for the Central Science Laboratory. [HL3492]

The 1999–2000 annual report and accounts for the Central Science Laboratory were laid before Parliament today. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 3 May (

My honourable friend the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting is considering the responses received from her consultation with industry contacts about the report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have made to broadcasting organisations about the amount of smoking in all forms of drama. [HL3270]

During the last year officials from the Department of Health and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport met the BBC and the Independent Television Commission (ITC) to discuss smoking in television drama. They were reassured that the broadcasters and regulators recognised their responsibility towards viewers, especially young viewers, and reflected concern about smoking in the guidelines they have developed for programme-makers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many public appointments the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is authorised to make; and how many of those posts are vacant. [HL3362]

The information is below. The figures do not include appointments to public bodies sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, where the role of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is to advise on appointments made by the Prime Minister and through him, Her Majesty, the Queen.