asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the statement by Baroness Scotland of Asthal that "The conclusions of the European Council were agreed by the heads of government at Nice and are politically binding (H.L. Deb., 7 February, col. 1235) applies to the French Presidency Report to the Nice Council on the European strategic and defence policy; and, if so, whether the United Kingdom is politically bound by the statement contained in the report, which reads " … the entire chain of command must remain under the political control and strategic direction of the European Union throughout the operation, after consultation between the two organisations. In that framework the operation commander will report on the conduct of the operations to European Union bodies only. NATO will be informed of developments in the situation by the appropriate bodies, in particular the PSC and the Chairman of the Military Committee. [HL720]

The Conclusions of the Nice European Council record the Council's approval of the Presidency Report on the European security and defence policy. The extract in question comes from the Appendix to Annex VII. This sets out "suggestions" by the European Union, on the basis of decisions taken by NATO at its 1999 Washington Summit, as to how the so-called "Berlin Plus" arrangements might be implemented by the EU and NATO.The "Berlin Plus" arrangements will enable the EU to have access to NATO assets and capabilities, including the use of NATO command options, for EU-lead operations, following decisions by NATO. The detailed arrangements remain to be worked out by the EU and NATO. However, once an EU-led operation was under way decisions on its political control and strategic direction would be a matter for EU governments. There would be intensified consultation between the EU and NATO before, during and after an operation. The elements of the permanent consultation arrangements have now been agreed by the EU and NATO.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have made to the Sudanese and Egyptian governments on the Sudan Government's continuing bombing campaign in the south of Sudan. [HL764]

Our Ambassador in Khartoum has made our concerns about the aerial bombing campaign clear to the Sudanese authorities. FCO officials have discussed our concerns with the Egyptian Embassy in London. We will continue to urge both sides in Sudan's civil war to return to the negotiating table and agree a comprehensive ceasefire.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of the protest made by the International Association of Conference Interpreters against the sentencing in Iran of two Iranian-German translator-interpreters, Khalil Rostamkhani and Said Sadr, for the alleged "participation" in a conference to which they provided their services; and, if so, whether they will make representations to the Iranian Government. [HL797]

We are aware that two interpreters were among those convicted on 13 January for their participation at an open conference in Berlin. Both the UK and the EU have publicly expressed deep concern at the verdicts. We and our EU partners take every opportunity to raise human rights concerns of this nature with the Iranian authorities, both in Tehran and London. My honourable friend Peter Hain, then Minister of State at the FCO, did so with the Iranian Ambassador on 22 January.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the annual amount of their contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Near East; whether it is fully paid; and whether they will list the states currently in arrears with amounts in each case. [HL700]

We have steadily increased our contributions to UNRWA's general fund, from £6 million in 1997 to £9.5 million in 2000, to reflect our increased confidence in UNRWA's governance and the rising numbers of refugees. In addition we have made further contributions, totalling £8 million, in 2000 to help cover UNRWA's budget deficit and to support the emergency appeal during the recent conflict. We also provide substantial technical assistance, to a value of £700,000 in 2000. Funding is voluntary, rather than by assessed contributions, and as such there are no arrears. UNRWA is likely to face a budget deficit again this year and we have supported the agency's efforts to widen the donor base and have urged existing donors to maintain, and increase, their annual contributions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the answer given by Baroness Amos on 12 February (H.L. Deb., col. 6) that they give £400,000 to the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices is consistent with the answer given by Baroness Amos on 22 November 2000 (H.L. Deb., col. 811) that "we have committed £400 million to support primary education programmes"; and whether they accept that the latter figure was the figure referred to by Baroness Rawlings (H.L. Deb., col. 5.). [HL750]

The answer I gave on 12 February is entirely consistent with that of 22 November. As of November, the Government had committed over £400 million to support primary education since 1997. This figure has now risen to £500 million. In addition, we are funding a number of projects targeted specifically to support the prevention of female genital mutilation (FGM). Since 1997, £1.2 million has been allocated to targeted projects, including £400,000 to support the work of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they have made with the implementation of a development programme in peaceful areas of southern Sudan. [HL765]

We do not believe conditions are right for a development programme in any part of the Sudan at present. The overriding priority is peace. We are however prepared to support imaginative ideas for peace-building work from international non-government organisations. We shall also continue to respond to urgent humanitarian needs wherever they arise in the country.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking to ensure that patents guidelines introduced by the World Trade Organisation do not harm the health and well-being of the people of developing countries by prohibiting or inhibiting the production of cheaper, generic versions of life-saving drugs within the developing countries themselves. [HL782]

The vast majority of drugs on the WTO Essential Drugs List are off-patent and are available at competitive prices from generic manufacturers. With regard to on-patent drugs, the UK Government believe that the TRIPs (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) agreement provides WTO members with sufficient flexibility to implement domestic patent regimes that take account of their national circumstances. For example, the agreement allows "compulsory licensing" in situations such as "national emergencies" when governments may authorise production of drugs.The UK Government believe the best way forward to be through negotiation with pharmaceutical companies, on price and licensing. The Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit's study is exploring a range of policy options to increase access to medicines, including tiered or differential pricing agreements, tax incentives and common purchase funds. The Department for International Development is setting up a commission on intellectual property rights to ensure that the interests of poorer countries are fully taken into account. We also continue to work with developing country governments to strengthen healthcare systems, without which the poorest will not be able to access appropriate and affordable treatment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking to encourage drugs companies to increase funding for research into the diseases which most threaten lives of the people of poor countries. [HL784]

Currently, only 10 per cent of global research funds are dedicated to the 90 per cent of disease burden that affects the poor. The UK Government are working to encourage public-private partnerships to increase investment in research for new medicines.The Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit is carrying out a study on a wide range of policy options, with the aim of improving access and affordability of drugs in developing countries. This includes strengthening research and development incentives for the pharmaceutical industry. Possible mechanisms are tax incentives for research into specific diseases and common purchase funds (where governments and international agencies provide a purchase guarantee for the development of a specific drug).The UK Government are a major contributor to several innovative international partnerships between the public and private sectors. Those with a strong research component include the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish the criminal justice system business plan for 2001–02. [HL948]

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary, my noble and learned friend the Attorney-General and I have today published the business plan for the criminal justice system in England and Wales for 2001–02. The plan describes the aims, objectives and performance targets which the Government expect the criminal justice system as a whole to work to deliver.Copies of the plan have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there are any proposals to amend the Lord Chancellor's Department departmental expenditure limit and running costs limit for 2000–01. [HL853]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate for Class V, Votes 1, 2 and 3, the Lord Chancellor's Department's departmental expenditure limit for 2000–01 will be increased by £29,818,000 from £2,638,861,000 to £2,668,679,000. The increase is the net effect of:

• take-up of year end flexibility to meet increased capital charges on the civil estate, to fund Change Programme, to meet increased expenditure on the Libra project, for legal aid expenditure and other running costs expenditure (£23,437,000);
• funding of the Children and Family Court Advisory Service and Support Service (CAFCASS) from both Home Office (£3,000,000) and Department of Health (£3,000,000);
• a contribution towards the costs of inspection for the Youth Justice Board from the Home Office (£23,000);
• the costs of recruiting and re-appointing panel members for the unified appeals tribunals from the Department of Social Security (£73,000);
• funding relating to the Unfair Contract Terms project from the Department of Trade and Industry (£8,000);
• a transfer relating to the publication of local authority reports project from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (£11,000);
• a contribution towards the costs of district judge redeployment from the Home Office (£467,000);
• a transfer relating to CMF2 interface development funding for the JUROR and the Phoenix interface from the Home Office (£32,000);
• a transfer in respect of Armed Forces Discipline Act from the Ministry of Defence (£340,000);
• following deferral in the responsibility for warrant enforcement a transfer to the Home Office (—£860,000);
• a contribution towards the costs of IBIS (Integrating Business and Information Systems) Criminal Justice Systems Unit to the Home Office (—£200,000);
• relating to the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) a transfer to the Home Office (—£23,000);
• in respect of modernising the courts, grants from the Civil Service Modernisation Fund (£510,000).

The increase will be offset by transfers from other departmental expenditure limits as stated and a charge on the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.The running cost limit for Lord Chancellor's Department Class V, Vote I will be increased by £30,885,000 from £611,797,000 to £642,682.000. The increase is in respect of:

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the service quarters at Invicta Park, Maidstone, would be deemed unfit for human habitation if they were local authority houses; and [HL722]What plans they have to repair and modernise the service quarters at Invicta Park, Maidstone, and to bring them up to a satisfactory standard; and [HL723]What effect poorly maintained quarters have on the retention of service personnel. [HL724]

The Ministry of Defence cannot comment on the standards applied by local authorities. It is accepted that the soldiers' houses in Invicta Park, Maidstone, do not meet modern standards. The department has plans to replace or refurbish the estate. Refurbishment of 20 houses built in the 1950s is due to start in April this year. A project manager has recently been appointed to plan a phased demolition/rebuild programme.The Government recognise that poor accommodation has a negative effect on the retention of service personnel and that is why we are giving priority to modernising the stock. It is the intention to complete the upgrade programme—that is, to get the bulk of the long-term stock in the UK up to standard 1 for condition—by November 2005.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will respond to the report of the Near Earth Objects Task Force headed by Dr Harry Atkinson. [HL947]

The Government's response to this report was published on Saturday 24 February. The Government are broadly in agreement with the majority of the task force's recommendations. The Government endorse the view of the task force that since the possible dangers posed by near earth objects are not limited to any one nation, an international approach is essential. At a European level, the European Space Agency is to work to devise a European strategy on near earth objects. The Government are investigating with the OECD its offer to set up an international forum for discussion of and action on the threat to earth from near earth objects. The British National Space Centre will continue to act as lead unit within government on near earth objects policy.Copies of the Government's response to the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in reducing any disparity of funding between primary schools and post-primary schools in (a) England and Wales, and (b) Northern Ireland since the Second Report of the House of Commons Education Committee 1993–94; if not, why not; and whether they have any plans to reduce any disparity. [HL742]

In England, based on the standard spending assessment (SSA) and grants allocated, funding for primary schools on a per pupil basis has increased at a greater rate than funding for post primary schools. In 1994–95^*, the primary per pupil figure was 70 per cent of the post primary: for 2000–01 the primary figure is 80 per cent of the post primary. Between 1994–95 and 1997–98 funding per pupil decreased in real terms by £20 per primary pupil and £260 per post primary. Between 1997–98 and 2000–01 funding per pupil has increased in real terms by £400 per primary pupil and £310 per post primary.In Wales, there is no education SSA and no comparable figures which identify separately funding per pupil for primary and post-primary schools.Education responsibilities in Northern Ireland are now the responsibility of the devolved administration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are their reasons for rejecting the recommendation in

Building on Partnership, the Government's response to All Our Futures, states our commitment to tackling age discrimination wherever it is found. We are already introducing measures that will make a difference to older people in employment, health, education and transport. Making legislation an effective way of tackling age discrimination is a complex task and our priority is to introduce age legislation in employment, vocational training and guidance. Legislation alone does not achieve the culture change that it is needed to end unfair age discrimination. The partnership approach of the Better Government for Older People programme has driven forward many improvements and reforms across the whole range of public services, which will help to effect a culture change. We want to build upon the success of that partnership approach.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of any source of funds available to a student intermitting a course in higher education because medically unfit to work and unable to rely on assistance from parents or other relations. [HL854]

Under the Education (Student Support) Regulations, full-time students who are absent from their course because of illness are entitled to continue to receive student support for the first 60 days of absence. Before academic year 1998–99 this was only 28 days. Local education authorities have the discretion to decide whether such students should continue to receive support after the first 60 days' absence. We have encouraged local education authorities to exercise their discretion and to be sympathetic to the student's position in considering cases which come to them. Among the factors they will consider in coming to a decision is the possibility of financial hardship.Students who remain ill for more than a period of 28 weeks may become eligible at that stage to receive income support and housing benefit. Local education authorities have the discretion to continue support to sick students waiting to receive income support.Additional assistance for students studying in the UK who are absent from their course due to illness may be available through hardship funds. These allow universities and colleges to provide discretionary support for students in particular need; and a total of £86.6 million has been made available in England for the 2000–2001 academic year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the status of the Blackpool-Preston-Hebden Bridge-Leeds-Scarborough express service in relation to the new trans-Pennine rail franchise. [HL788]

This service has not been included in the core proposition for the trans-Pennine express franchise. The Strategic Rail Authority is awaiting proposals from shortlisted bidders for this franchise. Their proposals need not be confined to the core proposition.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What further steps they are taking to promote the reliability of local bus services following the decision of the Transport Tribunal not to uphold the standards set by the Traffic Commissioners in recent cases in Bristol and Leeds. [HL832]

We attach great importance to improving the reliability of local bus services. There is a general objective in the transport 10-year plan to secure improvements in punctuality and reliability and there is a specific target to be achieved by June 2001 for no more than 0.5 per cent of services to be cancelled for reasons within an operator's control. The doubling of local transport capital spending over the next five years announced on 14 December 2000 should allow local authorities to provide up to 4,500 kilometres of busways, quality bus corridors, bus lanes and other traffic priority measures, all of which should help to improve bus reliability.Additional funding has been made available this financial year for monitoring to ensure that services are being run according to the registered details. My department and the Traffic Commissioners are considering the implications for future disciplinary proceedings of the Transport Tribunal's recent decisions on the appeals by Yorkshire Rider Ltd and First Bristol Buses Ltd.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made on the mapping of access land under Part I of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, including in particular—

The Countryside Agency let a contract in January this year for the mapping of open country and registered common land. The agency has identified two lead mapping areas, in the north west and south east of England. The north west area includes Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and the Peak District National Park. The south east area includes Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex and the outer London boroughs which border this area. The Countryside Agency expects to publish for consultation draft maps for these lead areas in the autumn.The Government are currently drafting regulations for the mapping of access land and the establishment of local access forums, and we expect to consult on such regulations before the summer. Once these regulations have been made, access authorities will be under a duty to establish forums under Part V of the Act.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the results of research undertaken under the sustainable livestock programme are always free for publication, even when supported financially by (a) industry and (b) the Government. [HL758]

All projects in the sustainable livestock production LINK programme are supported by both industry and public funds. Results for each research project are free for publication once the research consortium has had the opportunity to patent or benefit from the intellectual property generated by the research.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why two cars, escorted by three police motorcyclists, drove southward in Hyde Park down the footpath and cycle track at 6.30 p.m. on Monday 5 February at a time when it was heavily used by both pedestrians and cyclists due to the Tube strike; who was being escorted; and why these cars could not have used the parallel Park Lane; and [HL661]

Responsibility for the subject of these questions have been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, William Weston. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether the House will provide a vade-mecum of those who work in the House of Lords; and whether he will ensure that such a guide will contain up-to-date photographs of those listed. [HL776]

A 1996 photographic guide to all the staff of the House is available in the Library. A new guide is in the process of preparation. Black Rod's Office provides a photographic guide to senior staff in that office and I understand that the Clerk of the Parliaments is considering the production of a similar guide to senior officials of the House. Dods Parliamentary Companion provides a photographic guide to Members of the House and it would not be an appropriate use of public funds to provide a second such guide. Guides to Members' staff, party officials or civil servants would be for their employers to determine.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Further to his Written Answer on 12 February (

The decision to place the advertisements was taken by the Leaders and the Convenor, on the advice of the Clerk of the Parliaments. The cost of the advertisements was £3,742.37 for The Times and £5,358 for the Guardian.