asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the United Nations military force in Sierra Leone is as effective as it should be; and whether they will inquire into its acclimatisation, mobility and training. [HL2192]

The military element of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) forms the largest UN peacekeeping operation in the world. Troops from over 30 nations are participating, including a small number of UK forces, working to support the headquarters' operational planning and as military observers.The peacekeeping force was significantly strengthened by the addition of over 3,000 Pakistani troops during the latter half of 2001, and with the recent arrival of troops from Nepal has reached its authorised ceiling of 17,500. Other elements of the force have benefited from training assistance from the United States Government. We welcome the multinational nature of the peacekeeping force and recognise the difficult circumstances in which it must act. We are also conscious of the complexities in welding together a force composed of so many different nationalities.UN forces are working well in Sierra Leone as a result of a series of measures taken to enhance general effectiveness. These include pre-deployment training and assessment visits to troop contributors, an integrated training and acclimatisation package in the mission area prior to operational deployment, better logistic sustainability and enhancement to medical and welfare support.During 2001, UNAMSIL deployed troops throughout the country and provided crucial assistance in the area of human rights and with the disarmament and demobilisation process. They have helped to provide a level of security in Sierra Leone not seen for many years. Confidence in the peace process, stemming from their presence, is encouraging refugees and displaced persons to return home in advance of the elections, scheduled for May 2002.UNAMSIL is now turning its attention to providing technical and logistical assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone in the run-up to and immediate aftermath of the elections. As a demonstration of its conflict prevention capacity in Africa it is vital that UNAMSIL's mission in Sierra Leone succeeds. We will continue to offer it our full support.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the role of the reserve forces in the continuing campaign against international terrorism. [HL2307]

Since the call-out order (Official Report, 16 October, col. 1132, in another place) was signed last October to permit reservists to support the campaign against international terrorism, 74 reservists from all three services have been called out. Reservists have been supporting the operation on other forms of service. We are immensely grateful to all of them. As a further measure to support the current level of operations, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence has authorised the compulsory call-out of up to 140 specialist Territorial Army personnel to provide intelligence support to headquarters organisations in the UK and to the UK forces deployed in Afghanistan. This action is fully in accordance with our stated intention as part of the Strategic Defence Review to make our reserve forces more useable integrated and relevant. We believe that the compulsory call-out will be welcomed by the personnel involved and their employers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What matters were discussed and decisions made at the Agriculture Council held on 18 and 19 December 2001. [HL2304]

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Agriculture Council in Brussels on 19 December 2001. Agriculture Ministers of the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland were also present.The Council reached agreement on reform of the sheepmeat regime, including a number of measures for which the United Kingdom had pressed strongly. The changes will make substantial savings in the budget for the EU's current financial year. The main ones will fix permanent rates of premium and create national envelopes which can be directed towards national or regional priorities. Different approaches will be permitted in England and the devolved administrations. We are delighted with this outcome which will give us some valuable flexibility in the operation of this important regime.The Council also agreed to introduce a stabiliser which will cap spending in the seeds sector. The new arrangements fully safeguard UK interests. A further amendment of the banana regime was also agreed, bringing to a close a long-running dispute with certain of the EU's trading partners.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are taking to reduce the inequities in the arrangements for prescription charges outlined in the recent report from the Citizen's Advice Bureau

There are no plans at present to change the current exemption and remission arrangements in England. These are intended to ensure that no one need be deterred from obtaining any necessary medication on financial grounds. Eighty-five per cent. of items are dispensed free of charge in England.In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland these are matters for the devolved administrations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have a means of assessing the ability of 16 year-olds to buy and prepare meals that constitute a healthy diet and are within their budget; and, if so, how they make this assessment. [HL1759]

There is no comprehensive and authoritative data on the purchasing and preparation of food by 16 year-olds. Information that is available suggests that habits depend on a range of factors such as whether they are in employment, living within a family or living independently. The Government are currently considering a campaign to promote healthy eating among young adults.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have made to the Belgian authorities following the discovery of a second incident of BSE specified risk material being found in beef imported from Belgium. [HL1850]

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is responsible for food safety matters in the United Kingdom, has alerted the Belgian veterinary authorities to the incident. The FSA has asked those authorities to investigate the incident and to notify the FSA of the action being taken to prevent a recurrence. The FSA has also notified the European Commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which companies have been found to have imported meat containing BSE specified risk material in the past two years. [HL1851]

Since the introduction of harmonised European Union-wide controls on specified risk materials (SRMs) in October 2000, there have been 23 instances where consignments of meat imported into the United Kingdom from other EU member states have been found to contain SRM. In all but one case the SRM concerned was spinal cord.In each case the importing company was not responsible for the problem. Under EU rules it is the responsibility of the slaughterhouse operator to ensure the removal of all spinal cord and other specified risk material before the meat is placed on the market or traded.The names of the importing companies involved are set out in the following table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action the European Commission has taken against Belgium, Spain, Holland, Italy and Denmark in connection with the export of beef to United Kingdom with spinal cord still attached. [HL1852]

Following the instances in which spinal cord has been found in beef exported from other European Union member states to the United Kingdom, the European Commission has written to member states to remind them of their responsibilities to enforce EU law. The problems have also been discussed in the EU's Standing Veterinary Committee.Immediate action against the meat plants where the breaches of the law occurred lies with the national authorities of the member states concerned. Following requests from the UK, those national authorities have investigated each case. As a result, operations have been suspended or curtailed in eight plants until identified deficiencies in controls were rectified. Of these plants, four were in Germany and one in each of Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the results of the census of general and acute beds in National Health Service trusts carried out as at midnight on Thursday 29 November. [HL2020]

The results of the census of general and acute beds have been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In relation to their patient choice proposals published on 6 December:

Detailed implementation plans for the proposals set out in the discussion document Extending Choice for Patients will be worked up in discussion with patient representatives, National Health Service clinicians and managers and partner organisations.Under the funding arrangements set out in the section of the document on heart surgery, it is proposed that funding should flow from NHS commissioners to their local cardiac centres, which will either undertake operations themselves or arrange for patients who have waited longer than six months to be treated elsewhere, if the patients so choose. Funding will transfer to those hospitals which do the extra activity.Arrangements for travel and support for patients and their families will be considered in more depth with patient representatives and others; this will include reviewing travel cost arrangements to ensure that patients who exercise choice do not lose out.The detail of the arrangements for cardiac patient care advisers and patient choice trustees will be explored further early in the new year.A copy of the discussion paper has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is being done in response to the findings of the national surveys of National Health Service patients,

Since the 1999 coronary heart disease survey was carried out, the Government have published the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (NSF for CHD). The NSF for CHD was produced with the need to address inequalities in healthcare firmly in mind, and sets out to ensure that top quality treatment and care are available in all parts of the country and to all communities. The NSF for CHD requires National Health Service organisations to take into account the impact of ethnicity on the heart disease risks to which patients are exposed and to ensure that they meet people's needs in ways that are culturally, religiously and linguistically appropriate. Expansion in heart disease services combined with a greater sensitivity to patients' backgrounds will improve both access to services and the experiences of ethnic minority patients.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Department of Health is reviewing the performance ratings awarded to the nine National Health Service trusts named in the National Audit Office report.None of the National Health Service trusts named in the National Audit Office report has been awarded three stars under the performance rating system and they are therefore not entitled to any earned autonomy freedoms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, and if so by how much, specialist schools achieve higher marks at GCSE in the subjects in which they specialise than in other subjects; and whether those subjects are more popular in such schools than they are in state schools as a whole. [HL1990]

The information requested on GCSE achievements in specialist schools, and on the popularity of the specialist subjects in specialist schools compared with all state schools, is shown below:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce the full composition of the United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of Western European Union. [HL2308]

The United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Western European Union is as follows:

• TONY LLOYD Esq MP (Leader)
• Full Representatives
• David Atkinson Esq MP
• Malcolm Bruce Esq MP
• Sir Sydney Chapman MP
• Tom Cox Esq MP
• James Cran Esq MP
• Terry Davis Esq MP
• Bill Etherington Esq MP
• Paul Flynn Esq MP
• Lord Judd
• Baroness Knight of Collingtree DBE
• Jim Marshall Esq MP
• Chris McCafferty MP
• Kevin McNamara Esq MP
• Eddie O'Hara Esq MP
• Lord Russell-Johnston
• John Wilkinson Esq MP
• Jimmy Wray Esq MP
• Substitute Members
• Janet Anderson MP
• Tony Banks Esq MP
• Baroness Billingham
• Lord Burlison
• Ann Cryer MP
• Michael Hancock Esq CBE MP
• Baroness Hooper
• Rt Hon Lord Kilclooney
• Khalid Mahmood Esq MP
• David Marshall Esq MP
• Alan Meale Esq MP
• Gordon Prentice Esq MP
• Geraldine Smith MP
• Lord Tomlinson
• Dr Rudi Vis MP
• Robert Walter Esq MP