asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the report published in July 2001 by the Zimbabwe Network for Informal Settlement Action. [HL2479]

We are aware of the report by the Zimbabwe Network for Informal Settlement Action and agree with a number of its findings on the plight of commercial farm workers. While original estimates of the extent of displacements have not been realised, none the less there has been a devastating impact on most farm workers' livelihoods resulting from the Government of Zimbabwe's land resettlement programme. The UK is deeply concerned about these communities and is working bilaterally and with other development partners to help address their needs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Amos on 6 February (

Maize meal re-routed from Tanzania was part of a US Government pledge to the WFP for use in the Great Lakes Region. This is being replaced by the US. WFP officials agreed that this action would not adversely impact their work in East Africa, where many countries have a good harvest and regional maize stocks are high. By contrast, the food crisis was worsening rapidly in Zimbabwe.The Earl of Caithness asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Amos on 6 February (

The World Food Programme's current plans cover the following 19 districts; Muzarabani, Guruve and Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central Province; Kariba in Mashonaland West; Bikita, Chiredzi, Chivi, Masvingo, Mwenezi and Zaka in Masvingo Province; Chipinge in Manicaland; Hwange and Tsholotsho in Matebeleland North; Gwanda, Insiza, Matobo and Umzingwane in Matabeleland South; and Mberengwa and Zvishavane in Midlands Province. District selection has been based on poverty, health and nutrition indicators and on food security surveys.In addition to these plans in mainly rural areas, people in urban and peri-urban areas also require assistance. The programme is being extended to take account of these populations and the forecast impact of a poor maize harvest as a result of drought in the middle of the growing season.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Amos on 6 February (

Donors have not channelled food aid through Zimbabwean Government systems.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Amos on 6 February (

The value of these commodities is approximately 5.2 million US dollars.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament (a) a copy of any communication they have received from any institution or official of the European Union or Community requesting them to forward names and other details of persons from the United Kingdom to be representatives of the Government and Parliament respectively; (b) a copy of any reply; and (c) any subsequent correspondence relating to the Convention on the Future of Europe and its operation. [HL2756]

Copies of the letter from Valery Giscard d'Estaing, President of the Convention on the Future of Europe, to the Prime Minister requesting him to forward the names of the UK representatives to the convention and the Prime Minister's reply have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What physical checks were made by the staff of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv or by other government officials in the last two years on the actual uses to which weapons, ammunition and military equipment supplied by the United Kingdom to Israel have been put. [HL2782]

British Embassy staff in Tel Aviv do not undertake physical checks on the end-use of UK licensed equipment, components and spare parts supplied by the UK to Israel. They do not have the resources to do so. In addition, many UK defence exports in recent years have been components or pieces of technology embedded in other systems and therefore not very visible. We do however use information supplied by a number of sources to check that UK equipment is not being used against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, including information gathered by our embassy and non-governmental organisations among others.The Government have also taken steps to strengthen the process of risk assessment when considering export licence applications for any destination. For example, we have improved our procedures for gathering information on end-users of potential concern from UK overseas posts. We also take into account reliable information received about end-users of concern from a variety of external sources, including international reporting bodies and non-governmental organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the current terms of reference and operating instructions for the 700 NATO troops in Macedonia. [HL2783]

NATO deployed Task Force Fox at the invitation of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. The role of Task Force Fox is to support the Macedonian authorities in providing protection to monitors from the European Union and the organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in overseeing aspects of the implementation of the framework agreement signed on 13 August 2001. Emergency and other pre-determined forms of support to the monitors can be provided within defined limits agreed with the Macedonian Government and monitoring organisations. The task force's mandate precludes it from using military force to secure freedom of movement for international monitors or to implement or enforce agreements between parties within Macedonia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What importance for regional peace and stability they attach to the implementation of the declaration of amnesty for rebels, made by the President of Macedonia in October 2001; and whether they have discussed this matter with the Government of Macedonia. [HL2784]

We consider an amnesty for former insurgents an essential component of reconciliation in Macedonia and therefore of peace and stability in the region. Together with our EU, NATO and OSCE partners, we have encouraged the Macedonian Government to enact the necessary legislation to give legal force to President Trajkovski's declaration. We hope that the amnesty law will be approved by the Macedonian Parliament later this month.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Amos on 6 February (

We ask the Spanish authorities to provide us with evidence of legitimate complaints against Gibraltar on any occasion they raise these issues. They have not so far made available any evidence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What agreements were made at the meeting between British and French Ministers on 19 September 2001 concerning the needs and provision of policing and security at the SCNF terminal at Frethun, near Calais, in the short and medium term; and whether the terms of the agreement are currently being adhered to. [HL2907

British and French Ministers did not meet on 19 September. However, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary met with French Interior Minister Daniel Vaillant on 12 September 2001 to discuss security measures at the Eurotunnel site at Coquelles.Since the escalation of incursions into the Frethun site and the decision of SNCF to reduce freight services through the tunnel in November, we have continued to put pressure on SNCF and the French Government to improve security at the Calais-Frethun freight yard. I understand that improved perimeter fencing has been in place since the end of January and that SNCF has embarked upon a £3 million security programme. There is still a clear need for additional security patrols to reinforce the deterrent value of the perimeter fencing. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister raised this matter again with the French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, when they met in Stockholm on 22 and 23 February. In addition, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary and Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) Ministers are in regular contact with their French counterparts stressing the urgent need for improved security at Calais-Frethun so that normal services can he resumed as soon as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list by number, title and the date the National Asylum Support Service policy bulletins which are currently in force. [HL3080]

I have placed in the Library a list of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) policy bulletins which are currently in force. All policy bulletins issued by NASS are included on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's website.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to review the United Kingdom's position under the various international human rights instruments. [HL3218]

My department will conduct a review with the following terms of reference: "To review the United Kingdom's position on international human rights instruments in the light of experience of the operation of the Human Rights Act, the availability of existing remedies within the UK and law and practice in other EU Member States; and to report by Spring 2003".The review will consult widely within and outside government. We hope to report the outcome in about a year's time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made on the public private partnership for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [HL3148]

We refer my noble friend to the announcement my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence made in another place on 24 July 2000 (Official Report, cols. 778–79) about our decision to implement the Core Competence model for the DERA public private partnership. Under this approach, on 1 July 2001 around three-quarters of the former DERA organisation was vested with its assets as QinetiQ, a wholly government owned company. For strategic reasons, the remainder was retained within the Ministry of Defence as the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to carry out functions that could not appropriately be transferred to the private sector.Since the vesting of QinetiQ as a company on 1 July 2001, work has concentrated on preparing the company for sale, options for which were through a flotation or strategic partnership. We have now completed a comprehensive review of the available options for the transaction route and timing in conjunction with specialist advisers and QinetiQ's senior management. Although flotation has always been our preferred route, as we have consistently stated, the priority is to achieve a successful move into the private sector with a transaction that clearly achieves best value for the taxpayer. We believe that a flotation under current market conditions would not realise this, yet delay could lead to a damaging loss of momentum. We have, therefore, decided that the strategic partner route offers the best potential for a transaction within 2002, offers value to the taxpayer and meets our objective of a successful public private partnership.A strategic partner would work closely with QinetiQ and contribute significantly to growing the overall value of its business, from which the taxpayer would benefit through MoD's initial retention of a significant financial interest in the company. MoD will also retain a special share as a means of protecting UK defence and security interests.Confidential discussions with potential strategic partners will now begin and it is expected that a preferred partner will be selected, and agreements signed, later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any people at disease control centres, other than those in Newcastle upon Tyne, responsible for supervising the cleansing and disinfection procedures failed to ensure that the procedures were fully documented and filed in the registered file for premises infected by foot and mouth disease. [HL2830]

All those responsible for cleansing and disinfection in disease control centres have ensured that the necessary cleansing and disinfection procedures were documented and recorded in registered files.

asked Her Majesty's Government:For each European Union member state, what is the last known date on which farmers fed meat and bone meal to their farm animals. [HL2955]

An EU-wide ban on feeding proteins derived from mammalian tissues to ruminants was introduced in 1994.The UK banned ruminant derived meat and bone meal (MBM) from cattle feed in 1988. Other member states introduced feed controls as follows: Austria (mammalian protein to ruminants in December 1990); Denmark (ruminant protein to ruminants in June 1990); Finland (mammalian protein to ruminants in March 1995); France (mammalian proteins to bovines in July 1990; mammalian proteins to all ruminants in December 1994 and all animal proteins except milk and fish to ruminants in July 1996); Ireland (ruminant proteins to ruminants in August 1990); Netherlands (ruminants proteins to ruminants in August 1989); Sweden (ruminant MBM to ruminants in December 1990 and ruminant proteins to all animals in December 1997). Belguim, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain had no feed controls in place until the EU-wide ban on mammalian proteins to ruminants in 1994.From 1 January 2001, Community legislation banned the use of a wide range of processed animal proteins (including meat and bone meal) in feed for all farmed animals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What checks are in place on animal feed coming into this country and in particular on feed that is transported in the holds of ships. [HL2956]

New EU-wide measures (implemented domestically under the Processed Animal Protein Regulations from 1 August 2001) already control intra-Community trade and imports from third countries of a wide range of processed animal proteins, effectively preventing their inclusion in feed for farmed animals in order to stop the propagation of BSE.In Great Britain, a national feed sampling programme has been in place since 1996 to monitor compliance with BSE-related feed controls. This programme, operated by the State Veterinary Service, typically takes around 20,000 samples per year from feed mills, on-farm mixers and other premises handling livestock feed. The results of the programme are very encouraging and indicate wide compliance with the feed controls, confirming that prohibited ingredients (from domestic or imported sources) are being effectively removed from the market, distribution channels and farms.One theoretical issue is that recent cases of BSE in younger animals may have been exposed to infection as a result of cross-contamination (during transhipment) of imported vegetable protein used in the production of animal feedingstuffs with meat and bone meal. We are continuing carefully to investigate such cases but there is currently no clear evidence that individual animals have been infected by this route.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will take immediate action to protect the coldwater reefs known as the Darwin Mounds; and [HL2991]

We are currently taking steps to implement the site identification and protection requirements of the EU Habitats Directive beyond territorial waters where we claim sovereign rights. As part of this process, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has been commissioned to identify and agree relevant habitats and species in the 12 to 200 mile marine zone; to develop selection criteria and refine habitat definitions; and to collate known data on those habitats and species. The JNCC is due to report in April and we plan to host a European conference to discuss the findings of the report during the summer. Subject to the conclusions of the JNCC report, the Darwin Mounds appear to be a strong candidate for site protection under the directive as a special area of conservation (SAC).The UK has raised with the European Commission on several occasions the issue of effective implementation of the directive beyond territorial waters. In a letter of 21 June 2001, we alerted the Commission to the existence of the Darwin Mounds and reported the possibility of damage by Community fishing vessels. Only the European Commission could propose legislation to control all member states' vessels working in this area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will extend the winter fuel payments system to severely disabled people. [HL2984]

Help is already available through disability benefits and the disability premium in income support in recognition of the extra costs, including heating, which disabled people may have. There are no plans to extend the winter fuel payment scheme to disabled people under age 60.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What routine information is collected after a road traffic accident to determine whether mobile phone usage featured in the circumstances of the accident. [HL2979]

The data on road traffic accidents involving personal injury are collected on a voluntary basis using the STATS 19 form. The data collection system is reviewed regularly and the review team is currently considering the issue of collecting data on mobile phone usage in connection with a long-standing proposal to collect information on contributory factors to supplement the more objective data already collected. Agreement on any such changes to the existing data collection system should he reached by early next year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment has been made of the incidence of mobile phone usage while driving in the United Kingdom. [HL2980]

Three observational surveys of mobile phone use by people while driving have been carried out for the department by TRL Limited. The latest survey, carried out in October 2001, showed that 2 per cent of the 27,900 drivers observed were using a mobile phone; 85 per cent of the phones observed in use were hand-held. The surveys are undertaken at road junctions at the same time as regular seat belt wearing surveys and may not be representative of the extent of mobile phone use by drivers on all roads. Consideration is therefore being given to the need for further surveys to monitor the position.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What specific research is being undertaken by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on the potential role of mobile phone usage in the causation of road traffic accidents. [HL2981]

There is clear evidence of an increased risk of an accident when using any type of mobile phone while driving. Detailed investigation is needed to establish the cause of any accident. Two research projects currently under way will help to establish the likely numbers of road traffic accidents involving mobile phones. One project involves carrying out in-depth analysis of police fatal road accident reports that identify distraction as a possible contributory factor. The other involves on-the-spot studies of accidents in order to improve the understanding of the influences of human involvement, vehicle and highway design on accident causation and injury mechanisms.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 15 January (

The Medical Toxicology Unit received £15,000 from Zeneca in financial year 1999–2000 which contributed towards a locum registrar post in medical toxicology for nine months. This post was established with a specific focus on product safety and agrochemical toxicology, in line with guidelines on partnership arrangements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the cost of making recombinant treatment available to people with haemophilia in England in each year since the treatment was introduced; and whether the Department of Health's estimates for the next financial year include any provision for making the treatment more widely available. [HL2826]

Information on the annual cost of recombinant treatment is not collected centrally. We are still considering the provision of recombinant clotting factors for all haemophilia patients in England.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proposals they have to introduce interim arrangements, before the full implementation of protection of title under the Health Act 1999, to establish minimum requirements for safe practice for unregistered chiropodists such as a test of competence; and to ensure that patients are protected, as indicated by the statement by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 13 December 2001 (HL Deb, col. 1518) on the Health Professions Order 2001, when he referred to unregulated practitioners being trained chiefly to carry out basic foot care on otherwise healthy people. [HL2936]

This is a matter for the Health Professions Council. The Health Professions Order 2001 provides a transitional pathway to registration for anyone who is not and never has been registered under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960. This pathway is open to those who can demonstrate that they have been practising safely and effectively or that their qualifications and experience are comparable to the current requirements for registration. In either case, the new council may, but need not, require them to pass a test of competence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the two community health councils for Northamptonshire now have to be line managed and employed by the West Sussex and Surrey Health Authority. [HL2943]

In order to maintain a level of continuity for community health councils (CHCs) affected by the changes in National Health Service region boundaries, it was agreed nationally that they would remain, for pay and other personnel matters, within their current groups. In the case of the Northamptonshire CHCs, from 1 April this will be the South Region.Personnel and paymaster services would continue to be provided by the health authority incorporating the current service level agreement provider. On 1 April that responsibility moves to the new Surrey and Sussex Health Authority for all CHCs included in the South Region.In recognition of the fact that, from April, Northamptonshire CHCs will cover activities within the Midlands Region, both CHCs will be establishing links within the new Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Health Authority area in respect of their role in monitoring the NHS.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What role Ministers have played in the scrutiny of the list of candidates who are being considered for membership of the new board of Wembley National Stadium Limited. [HL3028]

These are matters for the Football Association (FA) and Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL). Ministers have not played any role to date in the consideration of changes to the corporate governance of WNSL. My officials, together with those of Sport England, are involved in discussions relating to the proposals which the FA and WNSL are considering in response to Patrick Carter's recommendations and the conditions for government support which I set out to the House on 19 December (Official Report, cols. 301–304). My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has asked Patrick Carter, in compiling his final report on the National Stadium project, to undertake an assessment of whether the Football Association and WNSL have satisfactorily addressed his concerns.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of the economic impact upon restaurants and public houses which are currently in business of the implementation of the proposals in the Budd report to permit the development of resort casinos. [HL3066]

Some of those who commented on the report of the Gambling Review Body argued that the changes in the law which it recommended, which would permit the development of resort casinos, would damage other leisure businesses in their areas by drawing customers away from them; others argued that resort casinos, by making the areas more attractive to visitors, could contribute to an overall increase in business. We intend to publish a partial regulatory impact assessment when announcing our conclusions on the report. This will include an overall assessment of benefits and costs for the gambling industry and the economy as a whole.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of the impact upon employment in the gaming machine industry in the United Kingdom if the recommendations of the Budd report are agreed. [HL3067]

We have noted the concerns expressed by the gaming machine industry that full implementation of the recommendations in the report of the Gambling Review Body would lead to the loss of at least 4,436 jobs.We intend to publish a partial regulatory impact assessment when announcing our conclusions on the report. This will include an overall assessment of benefits and costs for the gambling industry and the economy as a whole.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many ministerial visits and visits by Government Departmental officials were made to Sweden in the year 2001. [HL3111]

My Answer to Baroness Miller of Hendon (6 Feb 2002, col. WA 101) concerning ministerial visits

asked Her Majesty's Government:If they will outline the strategy for the reform of the public services. [HL3217]

The Prime Minister has today published a pamphlet entitled Reforming Public Services: Principles into Practice which sets out the Government's strategy. Copies of this document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses today.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Scotland Act 1998 provides for the appropriate use of parliamentary time by the Scottish Parliament. [HL2906]

Section 22 of the Scotland Act 1998 provides that the proceedings of the Scottish Parliament shall be regulated by standing orders, and Schedule 3 makes provision as to how certain matters are to be dealt with by standing orders. These do not include the use of parliamentary time, which is a matter for the Scottish Parliament itself.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the membership is of each Cabinet Committee. [HL3219]

Since the Answer I gave on 10 July 2001 (Official Report, col. WA 70), the Prime Minister has established six new Cabinet Committees and made a number of minor changes to the membership and terms of reference of existing Cabinet Committees. I have placed a copy of the current list of Cabinet Committees, their membership and terms of reference in the Library of the House. Details have been updated on the Cabinet Office website.