asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the estimated costs of training Ministers and civil servants in preparation for the coming into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [HL3940]

Officials from my department regularly give presentations or speak on training courses organised by other departments. I estimate that the direct cost to my department of this activity in financial year 2001–02 was £50,000. Departments would have incurred additional costs in organising and providing facilities for these events.We have also completed a series of regional presentations to the wider public sector. The estimated cost of these events was £10,000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the current plans for the training of Ministers and civil servants in preparation for the coming into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [HL3941]

Officials in my department intend to run a series of in-depth workshops in the autumn to follow up the regional seminars that have just been completed.My officials will continue to speak at awareness-raising seminars in a wide range of departments, on the Civil Service College course on FOI and at courses and conferences arranged by other organisations.As part of the FOI training programme throughout central government, my department is running a programme of awareness training. This will continue in the run-up to the access rights coming into force on 1 January 2005. We will also be putting systems in place for dealing with requests and training for staff on dealing with FOI requests in 2004.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What training has been completed by Ministers and civil servants in preparation for the coming into force of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [HL3942]

A seminar for Ministers was held on 25 February 2002 and Michael Wills MP, Parliamentary Secretary in my department, has almost completed a series of regional seminars to raise awareness of the Act at a strategic level in public authorities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many countries attending the Monterrey summit in Mexico have made firm commitments to an increase in their overall official development assistance towards the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income. [HL3478]

The EU and the US made firm commitments on aid volume at Monterrey. The EU undertook to increase its collective average from 0.33 per cent to 0.39 per cent by 2006, representing an additional 7 billion US dollars pa. The US undertook to provide an additional 10 billion US dollars in the period 2004–06 and an additional 5 billion US dollars pa thereafter, representing a 50 per cent increase in US aid.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any recent developments concerning Victor Bout, following the allegations made in Air Cargo News of 15 April. [HL4156]

There have been two recent important developments. On 15 April 2002, the UK publication Air Cargo News published an article which alleges that Victor Bout had been involved in the supply of an aircraft for Osama bin Laden in 1995. Prior to 11 September, this aircraft had reportedly been frequently overflying Iran from Saudi Arabia to Kabul and Kandahar in Afghanistan. It is now reportedly parked at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. We shall be asking that the United Nations investigate this very serious allegation as a matter of great importance.Following our past approaches to the UAE on the subject of Victor Bout, and the issuing of an international arrest warrant by the Belgian authorities, we are pleased to welcome a recent announcement by the Government of the United Arab Emirates. They have informed the United Nations Angola Monitoring Mechanism that Bout's companies, i.e. Air Cess and Trans Avia, have been prohibited from operating in the United Arab Emirates. He has also been banned from entering the United Arab Emirates personally.We hope that this increased international pressure on Bout will finally result in the end of his sanctions-busting activities and that he will be brought to justice. The UK has played a leading role in drawing international attention to Bout's illegal activities, initially in Angola and Liberia and more recently relating to Osama bin Laden and A1 Qaeda.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Home Secretary on 8 November 2001 (HC Deb, 391), whether the antiques and paintings listed are included in the Home Office's entry in the National Asset Register; and, if not, whether they will explain why these objects have been omitted. [HL3855]

Some of the stocks of antiques, paintings and fine wines listed in the reply of my right honourable friend the Home Secretary of 8 November 2001 are included in the Home Office's entry in the National Asset Register. In common with other departments' entries, they are not listed separately but grouped under a generic title. Most of the items, however, were omitted due to an administrative error. We shall ensure that the omission is corrected in the next compilation of the National Asset Register.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of those convicted of mugging and street robbery were at the time subject to sanctions on means-tested benefits; and what proportion of convicted offenders this figure represents. [HL3888]

The Home Office collects regular information on offences of robbery and theft from the person but does not routinely collect information on the financial circumstances of convicted persons prior to their committal of an offence.The Government are determined to tackle the problem of street crime, irrespective of the circumstances of those who commit it. Sanctions on means-tested benefits are used to protect every national insurance contributor from those who through their own actions have lost employment or failed to comply with the entitlement conditions. If these people had acted properly initially they would not have had sanctions placed against them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons at the most recent date have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted under each of the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [HL4008]

On information currently available, 144 persons have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000, of which 46 have been charged with offences. There have been no convictions for terrorist offences to date but 10 people are undergoing or awaiting trial for such offences.There have been no exercises of the powers of arrest under the terms of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 but people have been detained under Part 4 of the Act. Eight were detained in December 2001, one in February 2002 and two in April 2002. Of the total detained, two have voluntarily left the United Kingdom; the other nine remain in detention.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Medman exercises have been carried out at the Army's training area in BATUS, Canada, over the last 10 years; and what is the future programme; and [HL3850]What is the future of the BATUS Army training area in Canada. [HL3851]

Over the last 10 years we have conducted a total of 48 battlegroup level exercises (Exercise Medicine Man) and three formation level exercises (Exercise Hawk Iron Anvil) at BATUS in Canada. Under current plans we aim to carry out up to three Medicine Man exercises and one Iron Anvil exercise in future years.The British Army operates its training areas at BATUS under the terms of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Canadian Government. The current MOU will expire in August 2006 and negotiations have begun to renew it for a further 15-year period.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many army exercises have been carried out in Poland, at battle group level or higher, over the last six years; and what is the future programme. [HL3852]

Since 1996, a total of three brigade level and nine battlegroup level exercises have been carried out in Poland. This year we plan to conduct one brigade level and two battlegroup exercises and for the future we plan currently to conduct one brigade exercise and up to four battlegroup exercises in each year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the response of Lord Grocott to Lord Morris of Manchester on 10 April (HL Deb, col 407), whether maintaining "closest contact with our American friends" in so far as research into Gulf War illnesses is concerned relates only to United States government-funded research or whether they accept peer reviewed and published research from other United States sources. [HL3897]

The Government are interested in the findings of all peer reviewed scientific research into Gull veterans illnesses undertaken in the United States whether funded by the US Government or otherwise. The important point is not how the research is funded but whether peer reviewed findings are confirmed and validated by other scientific researchers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assurances will be given on the terms and conditions for the staff to be transferred to the private sector as part of the warship support modernisation initiative. [HL4154]

Following successful discussions between officials from the Ministry of Defence, MoD trade unions and the prospective partnering companies, the MoD and the partnering companies have signed a joint statement of intent on the transfer of staff to the private sector under the warship support modernisation initiative. The joint statement of intent gives assurances that current terms and conditions, including redundancy provisions, will transfer in full in compliance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations and the MoD TUPE code of practice. New pension arrangements, broadly comparable to those currently enjoyed under the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, will be offered to those who transfer.The partnering companies have stated their intention to achieve any changes to pay and conditions of employment through consultation and negotiation. It is also their intention to achieve any job reductions that may arise through natural wastage and voluntary means to avoid compulsory redundancies. The companies confirm their commitment to work fully with the recognised trade unions after the transfer. These assurances are set out in full in the joint statement of intent, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What instructions they have given to British military attaches to verify that licensed exports of arms and equipment are in fact used for the purposes for which they were approved; whether diversions have occurred; and whether they will strengthen the instructions and widen their application. [HL2323]

Our overseas posts have standing instructions to report on allegations of misuse of any UK-origin defence equipment to take into account in the licensing process. Detailed guidance notes are provided to posts and FCO officials involved in licensing in London to help decide when to carry out end-use checks and to outline the kinds of questions that these checks should address. This advice applies to defence attachés as well.We focus our efforts on assessment of potential end-use at the export licensing stage. Carrying out effective risk assessment on end-users before making the export licensing decision is the surest way to prevent UK arms falling into the wrong hands. We assess all export licence applications on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria in accordance with Criterion 7. In accordance with that criterion we will not issue an export licence where there is an unacceptable risk of diversion to an undesirable end-user.The Government nevertheless remain committed to carrying out end-use monitoring in those circumstances where this will genuinely add value to our efforts to minimise the risk of misuse and diversion and where such monitoring is practicable.The Government have introduced a number of safeguards in order to minimise the risk of diversion and those measures are under constant review. We can not disclose details of our safeguards or possible diversion to undesirable end users as much of the information is obtained from sensitive sources.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy in respect of the main recommendation in the Landmine Action report

The Government are committed to addressing the problems caused by explosive remnants of war. In international discussions, we are ready to explore steps to facilitate and make more effective the clearance of unexploded ordnance. We support the development of a new protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. But we are not convinced that a legal responsibility on the user is the best approach for a protocol. Legal responsibility is unlikely to be acceptable to countries unable to carry out or pay for post-conflict clearance. Moreover, it is not clear how such an obligation would apply when there are multiple parties to a conflict, or how the user would be identified in all cases. The practical and legal implications of this recommendation are thus wide-ranging and need to be considered fully.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will meet representatives of Landmine Action to discuss the issues raised in its recent report

We will be inviting Landmine Action to a round-table meeting with officials from the relevant departments to discuss its report on a mutually convenient date. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development will be the keynote speaker at a Landmine Action and Co-operative Bank reception to promote the report in June.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they are making in their consultations with states parties to the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention on how to achieve a binding agreement that will reinforce the international norm against biological weapons. [HL3862]

Since the suspension of the 5th Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in December last year, our efforts have been concentrated on preparing a Green Paper on ways of countering the threat from biological weapons. This paper, which was published on 29 April, will serve as a consultation document and seeks the views of Members of Parliament, NGOs, academia, industry and state parties to the BTWC. We hope that it will serve as the focus for discussion in preparation for the review conference, which will resume in Geneva on 11 November.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to address the problem that half of companies and four out of five large businesses fell victim over the past year to viruses, hacking attacks, fraud and other information security breaches, compared with fewer than one in five in 1998. [HL3950]

Business must be responsible for taking appropriate measures to minimise the risk of disruption or damage arising from information security breaches. Government can and do help in specific ways. The Cabinet Office is taking the lead on ensuring that the Government's own services and systems are suitably protected and work in partnership with the private sector to develop solutions that work with the grain of the market. The Home Office has established NISCC (National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre) to work with the owners of the critical systems in government and the private sector to ensure their resilience. The DTI has for many years sought to increase awareness of information security as an important business enabler. In the past two weeks we have released the latest in our series of surveys on information security. These surveys help government, businesses and suppliers assess the response to the challenge of information security. The DTI has also been involved in the development of best practice and works in partnership with business on several projects to promote best practice. To this end, it is embarking on a new project to better take the message to SMEs through the UK Online for Business programme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they collect data on the average cost to companies of an Internet security breach; and if so, what was that average as of 1 April 2002. [HL3955]

The DTI works with business to produce a biennial survey of information security breaches, the latest of which was published on 23 April 2002. The survey is intended to raise awareness of the importance of effective information security management. The 2002 survey did not set out to survey or measure the average costs of Internet security breaches but surveyed the costs of all forms of information security breach. Based on the information gathered, the figures indicated that serious security incidents cost on average some £30,000 per incident in 2001.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which regulations have been consolidated by the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (England) Regulations 2002. [HL4011]

Essentially, the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 seek to implement Community measures against TSEs set out in Regulation (EC) No 999/2001. This relates to all animal and public health risks resulting from animal TSEs, covering the whole chain of production and the placing on the market and export of live animals and products of animal origin.Of course the Government wish to ensure that the Community rules are fully reflected in national law. The TSE (England) Regulations 2002 therefore revoke and replace much of the previous national legislation and provide powers and penalties in order effectively to administer and enforce the Community measures in England. However, the regulations do not cover export trade aspects of the Community rules. These are covered by appropriate transitional measures, mirroring existing domestic legislation, until decisions can be taken on the BSE status of individual member states.This is reflected in the following list of legislation consolidated within the TSE (England) Regulations 2002:

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many individuals who (a) have warrants or outstanding prosecutions against them; or (b) are suspects who have failed to answer their bail, are still within the judicial system in the United Kingdom in connection with terrorist crimes. [HL3971]

The question is wide-ranging in its terms and would include all those on police bail or wanted by the police for questioning as well as those against whom the prosecution process is further advanced. No figures are held centrally that cover the United Kingdom.The whereabouts of such individuals are necessarily unknown as, if known, the individuals would be arrested.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the use of sub-post offices by pensioners and other people in order to receive pensions and state benefits is monitored; and, if so, what are the numbers and percentages of those users in Oxton in Birkenhead. [HL3905]

The information is not available in the format requested.However, nationally, over 40 per cent of our customers are paid directly into their bank or building society account, a figure that has been increasing year on year. The remainder are paid by order book or girocheque which they would normally cash at a post office.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they will take following another discovery of meat containing spinal cord being imported into England, this time from Spain. [HL3761]

The Government are advised on matters of food safety by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA has alerted the Spanish veterinary authorities to the discovery of spinal cord in meat which originated in Spain and 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, which is responsible for ensuring that member states fulfil their obligations under European Union rules.On instructions from the FSA, the Meat Hygiene Service is continuing to check every consignment of imported carcass beef arriving at licensed meat plants in Great Britian for the presence of specified risk material. Similar instructions have been issued to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland in respect of imported consignments arriving at licensed meat plants there.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 10 April (

I replied to my noble friend on 25 April 2002 at cols WA 59–60.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they had decided to purchase the Lister strain of smallpox vaccine before they discussed their purchasing needs with potential suppliers. [HL3921]

The Government's preferred timing, delivery and strain of smallpox vaccine manufacture was made clear to each of the potential suppliers who were then given time to submit their responses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will be meeting the costs of clinical trials for smallpox vaccine to be supplied by PowderJect Pharmaceuticals; and, if so, how much these are expected to cost. [HL3925]

The Government are not meeting any direct costs for clinical trials for smallpox vaccine supplied by PowderJect Pharmaceuticals. The contract price is for the supply of goods only and any direct costs of clinical trials or tests undertaken by the company are to be met by the company.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group last issued an annual report on its activities. [HL3980]

The National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group last issued an annual report in November 2000 for the year 1999–2000.Its report for 2000–01 will be published shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are their plans to increase the strength of the digital terrestrial signal so that the reception is improved. [HL4036]

The Independent Television Commission and the BBC notified the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Trade and Industry in February 2002 of their decision to adopt a change in the assumptions used in planning the digital television transmission networks which will permit a significant increase in the strength of transmissions, with adequate safeguards, of course, to protect the quality of the existing analogue signals and the television signals broadcast by neighbouring countries for their domestic consumption. The Radiocommunications Agency will seek to reach agreements with neighbouring administrations for the use of these higher power transmissions where there is a risk of interference with services in other countries. The implementation of plans to increase the strength of digital terrestrial television transmissions is therefore a matter for the broadcasters.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they have taken to protect government websites from the BadTrans virus. [HL2354]

Since November 2001 the Government Secure Intranet (GSI) provides a single virus checking service for e-mail coming into government. This scans all e-mails, identifying suspect items as potential viruses and preventing them being received (where traditional virus checkers would rely on regular updates to identify new viruses). This means that new viruses such as BadTrans are identified when they first appear, where other virus checkers would let them through. In the first two months, more than 22,700 viruses were prevented from reaching government departments and several instances of the BadTrans virus were stopped before it was even realised there was a threat. It is currently stopping one e-mail in every 250 received as containing a virus.In addition, general guidance on the protection of public sector websites is provided by the Office of the e-Envoy in its

asked Her Majesty's Government:On how many occasions Cabinet met in each of the Sessions 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01; and what was the average length of each Cabinet meeting. [HL3585]

It is established practice under Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of the Cabinet and its committees.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the basis of the Prime Minister's complaint to the Press Complaints Commission about Mr Peter Oborne's article in the

That it was in breach of Clause I of the Press Complaints Commission code, which covers accuracy.

asked the Chairman of Committees:How many copies of the

On a sitting day, 74 copies of the different editions of the Evening Standard, 21 copies of The Times, 14 copies of the Daily Mail and 12 copies of the Guardian are bought for the House of Lords Library. The numbers of copies of each title purchased are reduced on non-sitting and recess days. During the financial year 2001–02, Library expenditure on copies of the Evening Standard amounted to £4,048.25.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether he will arrange for The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal to be displayed alongside the Silver Jubilee Medal in the Palace of Westminster Medal Collection. [HL4177]

The House of Commons medal collection is a matter for the authorities of the House of Commons. I understand that they will be making a request for the loan of a specimen of the Golden Jubilee Medal 2002 to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood.