asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will seek the release by the Iraqi Government of the 600 Kuwaiti hostages seized during the Gulf War. [HL48]

Her Majesty's Government continue to press Iraq to account for the whereabouts of the 605 Kuwaitis and other nationals missing since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, in line with its obligations under Security Council resolutions. The UK plays an active role in the Tripartite Commission process, chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which seeks to resolve these cases. That process has, however, been hampered by persistent Iraqi obstruction, demonstrated most recently by Iraq's refusal to attend commission meetings. In addition, Her Majesty's Government support the work of Mr Yuli Vorontsov, the UN Secretary General's High Level Co-ordinator for Kuwaiti missing and property issues.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will boycott the European Union-ASEAN meeting in December and urge other European Union governments to do the same, in the light of the conduct of the Burmese military towards the Karen, Karenni and Shan ethnic minorities and Burma's membership of ASEAN. [HL30]

My honourable friend John Battle, Minister of State, attended the EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting in Vientiane on 11–12 December. They had a frank discussion on Burma. EU and ASEAN Ministers expressed their full support for the efforts of Mr Razali, the UN Secretary General's Special envoy, and called for an early dialogue between the Burmese Government, the NLD, and other relevant parties. The Burmese Foreign Minister gave assurances that the EU Troika mission in January would have full access to the NLD, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and other opposition groups. This is a welcome development.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they have not attempted to build consensus at the United Nations Security Council concerning the creation of an International Criminal Tribunal on Burma. [HL31]

I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 25 October (WA 42) on this issue. In raising our concerns about Burma with Security Council partners, we have directed our efforts towards building consensus. It nevertheless remains the case that there is no consensus for engagement on Burma issues for now. This extends also to the question of an International Criminal Tribunal on Burma.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that Israel has complied in full with Article 2 of the Israel-European Union Association Agreement, which requires "respect for human rights and democratic principles"; and, if not, what action they will take. [HL1]

We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in the Occupied Territories, and would expect the European Union to raise human rights issues with the Israelis in the context of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.Article 2 must of course be read in conjunction with the rest of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, including Article 76, on security.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are their plans to reduce the incidence of smoking. [HL172]

The Government have introduced and published the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. The Department of Health has also issued a press release announcing consultation on the proposal to allow all nicotine replacement products to be prescribed on the National Health Service by general practitioners. Copies of the consultation letter have been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the authorities within the medical profession to whom the blood transfusion service, in considering what blood transfusions to accept or reject, turn for advice. [HL78]

. The National Blood Service has a United Kingdom Standing Advisory Committee on the Care and Selection of Donors. This committee reviews the criteria for selection of blood donors on a regular basis and consults with individual medical experts as the need arises.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How particular interventions and treatments are selected for appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and why the appraisals carried out so far have concentrated on drug therapies rather than on interventions which are not pharmaceutically based. [HL26]

Possible topics for appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence are identified by the Horizon Scanning Centre at the University of Birmingham, by policy advisers in the Department of Health, by professional or patient organisations, or by other interested parties such as pharmaceutical companies. Topics are assessed against published criteria. Ministers take the final decision on which topics are referred to the Institute.Application of the criteria has so far led to the majority of appraisals being concerned with pharmaceuticals. However, the work programme has also included other technologies such as surgical interventions, hearing aids and a screening technique.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is a duty on the National Health Service to consult the users of National Health Service provision about the therapeutic value of drugs or therapies currently used. [HL29]

Health authorities should develop local policies for the delivery of National Health Service services within available resources, taking into account guidance from the Department of Health and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. In formulating local policies there is no statutory duty to consult users, but as a matter of good practice it is recommended that the public's interests should be represented by the inclusion of lay representation on the local forum established to advise the authority.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of King's Heath on 16 October (

Government support for research into Multiple Sclerosis, Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSEs) and AIDS is provided through a number of government departments and research councils.When assessing individual proposals in any scientific area, the same fundamental criteria are used:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by Baroness Hayman on 8 February 1999 (

Fieldwork for the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of adults aged 19–64 years began in July 2000, and will continue for a year until June 2001. A report of the findings is expected in early 2003. 2,000 people are expected to participate in the survey, a proportion of whom will provide a 24-hour urine collection which will enable an analysis of urinary fluoride to be made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the reports and recommendations of the Health Pay Review Bodies. [HL193]

We are responding on behalf of my right honourable friend the Prime Minister to the reports of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) and the Review Body on Nursing staff, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine (NPRB), which are published today. We understand that a similar announcement is being made by the First Minister and the Minister for Health and Community Care in Scotland. Copies of the reports are available in the Vote Office and the Library. We are grateful to the chairmen and members of both review bodies for their hard work.The pay recommendations of the two review bodies are being accepted in full and without staging.Nurses, midwives and health visitors are to get an across the board increase of 3.7 per cent. For the third time in three years the award is being paid nationally in full without staging. In addition one discretionary point is being consolidated into pay ranges of grades F, G, H and I and the flat rate elements of London Allowance, on call and standby payments are also increased by 3.7 per cent. and the flat rate elements of London Weighting are being harmonised in line with rates paid to staff above grade B.On top of these increases we are also introducing Cost of Living Supplements from 1 April 2001. These will be worth between £600 and £1,000 for qualified NPRB staff in London, and between £400 and £600 for equivalent staff in high cost areas in the South of England.The minimum starting pay of a newly qualified nurse will rise to £15,445, an increase of 30 per cent. in cash terms over the salary paid at 31 March 1997. In Inner London, starting pay for a new nurse will be £19,178, including London Weighting and the new cost of living supplement—an increase of 7 per cent. on the April 2000 figure.The pay of an experienced ward sister or charge nurse on the maximum of grade G will rise by 5.5 per cent. to £25,420. This reflects the 3.7 per cent. award and the consolidation of one discretionary point. An equivalent nurse in inner London will earn £29,535, including also the new cost of living supplement—a 9 per cent. increase over the April 2000 figure.On the issue of midwives' grading, the NPRB has endorsed the agreement reached between the parties and recommended that it be implemented from 1 April 2001. This means that all midwives will be able to move through to the maximum of grade F without needing to be promoted.This year the largest increases go to the most experienced nurses, midwives and health visitors who are in the vanguard of delivering the modern NHS—providing leadership, assuring clinical and environmental standards and getting all aspects of basic nursing care right for the patients.The NPRB has also recommended an across the board increase of 3.7 per cent. for physiotherapists, radiographers and other professions allied to medicine (PAMs). Starting pay for basic grade PAMs with a degree after four years' training will increase on 1 April 2001 to £15,920. PAMs in the pay ranges of the Senior II, Senior I and Chief/Head/Superintendent IV, and the Chief/Head/Superintendent III grades are also to have one discretionary point consolidated in recognition of the extra responsibilities placed on them by the NHS Plan. In addition, the qualifying period for discretionary points will be reduced to one year in line with the arrangements for other NPRB staff.These awards are fair and reflect the contribution of the key staff in the review body groups to the delivery of the NHS Plan and the whole modernisation agenda.The Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body (DDRB) has recommended an overall pay increase of 3.9 per cent. for salaried doctors and dentists and general medical and dental practitioners.To encourage the retention of general medical practitioners, the DDRB has also recommended a 7 per cent. increase in seniority allowances, worth in the region of £500 for a general medical practitioner with 25 years' service. This is in addition to the 3.9 per cent. increase in intended average net remuneration.For consultants, this 3.9 per cent. increase comes on top of the £50 million package to recognise increased workload, contribution to NHS and intensity of work. Within this, over £40 million will be paid out in intensity supplements to consultants this year, paid in January 2001 backdated to April 2000.The DDRB pay rise takes the starting consultant salary to £50,810 and a consultant on the maximum of the scale with maximum distinction award to £128,935. The number of distinction awards has also been increased by 176, which will support the Government's proposals to reform the existing schemes to give more opportunity to reward consultants for their commitment and contribution to the NHS.Doctors in training will benefit from this increase as well as from the new pay and banding system introduced in December 2000. This deal replaced the old, unfair system of half pay for extra hours with a banding system to reflect total hours worked. As well as giving doctors in training significant increases, the pay deal acts as an incentive for employers to reduce excessive hours. With the addition of this pay increase, a Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO) on minimum of scale working more than 48 hours at most unsocial times (band 2A) will receive £26,903 and a Senior House Officer (SHO) on the maximum of the scale, again in band 2A, will receive £44,820.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are taking any action to ensure that the effects of the "Everything But Arms" initiative on the Sugar Regime, in particular the ACP Sugar Protocol and the Special Preferential Sugar Agreement, form part of the studies to be undertaken by the European Commission in the next two years. [HL35]

United Kingdom negotiators have made clear that we think it essential that the coverage of the studies should be comprehensive and that they should be handled transparently, with all those concerned being given an opportunity to input. We have also pressed for the implications of the Commission's "Everything But Arms" proposal to be fully considered in the context of the current sugar reform discussions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the brown rat population in England; whether the population is increasing; and whether there is a noticeable increase in the immunity of the species to poisons containing warfarin. [HL56]

A report published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in 1995 estimated the brown rat population in England at 5¼ million. No figures on trends over recent years are available. Information on the level of rodent infestation was collected as part of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' 1996 English House Condition Survey and published in January 2000. The results show that, in general, the level of rodent infestations is low, and is lower compared to a previous survey in 1993. Overall, the 1996 survey found that 1.7 per cent of properties had rats present outside and 0.4 per cent had rats inside. The detailed results are available in the report "Rodent infestations in domestic properties in England", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.Under the provisions of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities are responsible, as far as is practicable, for keeping their district free of rodents. They also have powers to require occupiers of land to keep their land free from rodents.Surveillance by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has shown that in some parts of the country rats are resistant to warfarin; however, stronger "second generation" anticoagulant rodenticides are available for the control of warfarin-resistant rats. In addition to lethal methods of control, heavy emphasis is placed throughout the pest control industry on the need to maintain hygiene and to proof premises against the entry of rodents.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 23 November (

No. SERPs and public service provisions increase in line with the Retail Prices Index. We have no plans to alter that arrangement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 29 November (

The Commission's request for member states to submit additional sites arose in the context of its general duty under Article 211 to ensure that the Treaty and legislation made thereunder is properly applied. Article 5 of the Treaty is not relevant in these circumstances.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What reported accidents have occurred on King's Road, London SW3, SW6 and SW10 in the last three years. [HL38]

The number of reported accidents occurring on Kings Road, London SW3, SW6 and SW10 in the last three years were the following:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What reported accidents have occurred on Wandsworth Bridge Road, London SW6 in the last three years. [HL39]

The number of reported accidents occurring on Wandsworth Bridge Road in the last three years that data are available for were the following:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy on the siting of advertising billboards on agricultural land which is outside conservation areas. [HL76]

The siting of all outdoor advertisements in England is controlled by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992. Where agricultural land is included in Areas of Special Control of Advertisements (ASCAs) large advertisement hoardings are prohibited. In areas outside ASCAs, express consent to display a billboard is required from the local planning authority. In considering applications, authorities will need to have regard to government policy set out in Planning Policy Guidance 19 (Outdoor Advertisement Control). This says that "poster advertising is out of place in the open countryside and should not normally be allowed". Responsibiltiy for these matters in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland rests with the devolved administrations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any studies conducted or commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive prior to 1993 into the effects of combining CS disinfectant with diazinon; and, if so, whether they will place a copy of the results in the Library of the House. [HL94]

The Health and Safety Executive has no record of having conducted or commissioned any studies, prior to 1993, into the effects of combining CS disinfectant with diazinon.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why, following the derailment on the West Coast Main Line at Stafford on the afternoon of 20 October, the police closed the unobstructed and undamaged fast lines for seven hours. [HL50]

The 16.57 Birmingham to Manchester train derailed at Stafford at 17.53 hours on 19 October. The derailment occurred within 5 yards of the main line to London and for safety reasons Railtrack stopped the main line services. As no passengers were injured it was agreed by the Staffordshire Fire Brigade, the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Rail Incident Officer present that they would remain on the train until road coaches arrived. They would then disembark in a safe and staged manner.The evacuation commenced at 19.27, but the restricted access to the site meant that this was a long process. At 20.20, the BTP and the Rail Incident Officer agreed that trains on the main line could be run at caution once all passengers had been evacuated. Trains began running at approximately 21.30, some 4½ hours after the derailment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they plan to take to ensure that the Class 92 electric locomotives recently offered for sale by Eurostar remain available for Channel Tunnel services. [HL51]

The Class 92 locomotives in question were originally intended to be used for the European Sleeper services through the Channel Tunnel. In the event these services were not commercially viable and Eurostar (UK) Ltd has had no use for these assets ever since, and I therefore consented to their sale.Although ultimately the final purchaser of these locomotives is a decision for Eurostar, I understand that these locomotives, having been designed specifically for use through the Channel Tunnel, are very powerful. They are, therefore, particularly suitable for freight use and for use in the Channel Tunnel.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they respond to the research carried out by the ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers' Association) Crime Unit indicating that 80 per cent. of software counterfeiters are associated with organised crime and drug pushing; and what plans they have to address this problem. [HL23]

The threat posed to the United Kingdom by organised crime is assessed each year by the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS). NCIS' threat assessment for 2000 recognises that the impact of intellectual property theft, such as software counterfeiting, is high. The police service and other law enforcement organisations take this assessment into account in deciding how best to deploy their resources.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In the light of the recent discovery that police forces throughout the United Kingdom have purchased and installed counterfeit Microsoft software, whether they have any plans to review their information technology procurement strategy. [HL63]

The Government deplore the use of unlicensed software and in July 1999 issued guidance to Public Sector Organisations reinforcing the code of conduct endorsed by FAST (Federation Against Software Theft). Standard government conditions of contract for the purchase of computer software seek to ensure that all software procured and used by government is correctly licensed.The Government and the Association of Chief Police Officers are working with industry representatives to examine ways of continuing to strengthen enforcement practice and existing guidance.There are no plans to review government information technology procurement strategy.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many police computer systems are fitted with imitation software. [HL64]

In the light of the discovery that systems supplied by a particular firm were loaded with counterfeit Microsoft software, the Association of Chief Police Officers is conducting an audit of software in use in a sample of police forces. This will provide some indication of whether the problem is confined to those particular systems or is more widespread. The findings will be available in the New Year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In light of the research being conducted by Dr Leon Straker at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, they have any plans to review the use of computers in schools, particularly in the context of protecting children from the potential risks of repetitive strain injury. [HL19]

The department believes that the effective use of computers in schools can help improve standards. The department is also determined to ensure that children's health and safety are protected at school, and we are continually looking to update our guidance and will maintain an interest in any relevant research. Earlier this year the department produced the Superhighway Safety information pack. This is a comprehensive guide to the whole range of safety measures which schools and parents can adopt, and includes information about pupils' physical well-being when using computers. The pack covers all the issues raised by Dr Straker, including addressing the potential risks of repetitive strain injury.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the flight crew of Chinook helicopter ZD 576 made any representations, written or oral, to their senior officers regarding the fitness of the helicopter to undertake the flight to Scotland on 2 June 1994; if so, what was the response; what record is kept of this exchange; and where any record is now kept. [HL47]

There is no evidence that the flight crew made any such representations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proposals they have for changing personnel management in the Naval Service. [HL108]

We are considering improved approaches to the current arrangements for the management of people in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The aim of these changes which have been instigated by the Navy Board is to alleviate overstretch by lessening the impact on the individual of a high operational tempo and to reduce the turbulence which existing arrangements may produce. The benefits should include greater stability for members of the Naval Service and their families, both in geographical terms and in the predictability of their employment, and hence enable them to plan their lives with greater certainty.The project is known as TOPMAST (Tomorrow's Personnel Management System). A basic concept has been outlined and will now be further developed. The concept is designed to provide the individual with quality sea time and properly managed time ashore, determined by reference to the individual rather than to the ship or unit, as under present arrangements.TOPMAST will apply to all members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and is designed to enhance their quality of life while bringing greater flexibility to their employment. It is planned that these improvements will be implemented in phases, beginning to take effect from as early as late 2001, subject to the outcome of the next phase of development.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in light of the current dispute relating to fees being charged to Internet country code administrators, they have made any representations to ICANN on issues of Internet codes; and, if so, what was the nature of such representation. [HL20]

ICANN's Government Advisory Committee (of which the UK is member) issued a communiqué on 14 July 2000 which covered, amongst other things, the funding of ICANN (http://www.icann.org/gac/communique-14ju100.htm). The communiqué recognised that country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) administrators should contribute towards the funding of ICANN and that collectively they should pay the allocation set out in ICANN's 1999–2000 budget but determine between themselves how much each should pay. The communiqué also encouraged ICANN to develop, in consultation with the ccTLD community and through a consensus based approach, appropriate criteria and mechanisms for calculating how much each ccTLD administrator should contribute annually to the future funding of ICANN.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether a company that complies with the terms of the Lawful Business Practice Regulations could lay itself open to potential liability under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. [HL21]

Under the Lawful Business Practice Regulations, businesses may have access to communications without the consent of the sender or recipient, for the purpose of monitoring or recording them for legitimate business purposes specified by the regulations. A business which complies with the regulations is exempt from liability under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.The regulations do not however affect the obligations which the Data Protection Act 1998 places on businesses regarding the processing of personal data. In particular, under that Act, any business undertaking the interception of communications should ensure that its collection, use and other processing of personal data is targeted and proportionate to the needs of the business.The Data Protection Commissioner has issued for consultation a draft code of practice on the use of personal data in employer/employee relationships. When this is finalised in the New Year, it will provide comprehensive guidance on the application of the Data Protection Act and the regulations to practice in the workplace.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What conclusions they draw from the level of debt currently being experienced by the telecommunications sector and its implications for the future development and advancement of information technology. [HL22]

I draw a number of conclusions.First, the level of debt being borne by the telecommunications sector indicates that a high level of investment is being undertaken. Additional investment, be it in networks, equipment, software and applications, must be to the ultimate benefit of the consumer and the telecommunications sector itself.Second, the level of financing being provided by the financial markets indicates that they believe they understand the telecommunications sector and can model risk and return. Of more concern would be an industry sector which was unable to raise affordable finance.Third, efficient companies will always leverage their equity and, provided that it is properly managed, debt is a cheaper form of financing than issuing equity.Finally, I believe that the apparent willingness of telecoms firms to invest; the readiness of financial markets to provide finance to the sector; and the efficiency with which telecoms firms are managing their equity is positive for the future development and advancement of information technology. While there are continuing concerns voiced about debt in the telecoms sector, these seem as much to be about the exposure of lenders to the telecoms market as about the level of debt being borne by the sector as a whole.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what occasions since the passage of the Parliament Act 1949 has the House of Commons overridden the House of Lords by using the special provisions of the Parliament Act. [HL79]

Since 1949, the Parliament Acts have been used to enact the War Crimes Act 1991, the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, and the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000.

asked the Leader of the House:

As much as possible of the information requested is set out in the table below. The table has been prepared by the House of Lords Information Office.