asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 7 May (

The purpose of Exemption 2 of Part II of the code of practice is to allow information not to be released if its discosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion. The code includes the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees under this exemption.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total annual cost to the police service for their involvement in preventing the smuggling of illegal drugs into the United Kingdom. [HL4254]

I am afraid that the information is not available. The police do not distinguish between expenditure on drugs and other items.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In respect of each substantial damages awards dealt with by the Court of Protection or the Public Guardianship Office since 24 May 2001:

It is not possible to provide this information without a file by file investigation of the Public Guardianship Office's records. This could only be done at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether medical officers from the Reserve Forces are to be called out for mobilised service in support of deployed operations. [HL4381]

The Government have authorised the compulsory call out of anaesthetists, general surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons from the volunteer Reserve Forces to support military operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan. Initially, we plan to call out five consultant anaesthetists and two consultant orthopaedic surgeons to report in mid-June and four consultant general surgeons to report in mid-July. Each individual will be mobilised for a period of no more than three months, which allows a little over two months' deployment in an operational theatre with the balance comprising pre-deployment training and post-tour leave. We expect to have to continue using similar, or possible slightly higher, numbers until next spring. The requirement will be reviewed regularly to ensure that the numbers called out are the minimum required to support operations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they received the findings of the public inquiry into the London International Freight Exchange at Colnbrook; and when they expect to publish the report. [HL4293]

The Government in May 2001 received the inspector's report of the public inquiry into the London International Freight Exchange (LIFE). A decision was delayed pending the outcome of the Heathrow Terminal 5 inquiry and the need to refer back to all the parties on any potential implications of this decision on the nearby LIFE proposals. If we are able to conclude the reference back process by the end of May, a decision and publication of the report is expected to be in the summer.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What figure is used to calculate the cost of the provision of public facilities for the movement of freight by road; and when this figure was last updated. [HL4294]

Figures are not kept in the form requested. However, projected spending on construction and maintenance of the trunk road network in England for 2002–03 amounts to £1.68 billion. Across trunk roads in Great Britain, movements of goods vehicles and light vans accounted in 2000 for some 22 per cent of total vehicle mileage.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimate they have of the cost of upgrading the railway tunnel at Ipswich so that it allows free movement by rail of containers to and from the port of Felixstowe; and what plans they have for this upgrading. [HL4295]

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) plans to upgrade the tunnel by 2005 to allow the conveyance of containers up to 9ft bin in height by 2.6m wide on standard lm high wagons. This gauge covers all types of deep sea shipping box in operation.Detailed assessment, funded by the SRA, of the necessary alterations to the tunnel interior is currently under way. The results of this study will be received during financial year 2002–03 and will enable the SRA to estimate the cost of the necessary works.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the reasoning behind their proposal that a regional assembly for north-west England, serving approximately 7 million people, should have not more than 35 members, compared with the National Assembly for Wales which serves approximately 3 million people and has 60 members; and what extra powers are possessed by the National Assembly for Wales which justify the difference in numbers. [HL4300]

The arguments for regional assemblies of 25 to 35 members are set out in paragraph 7.7 of the White Paper, Your Region, Your Choice, published on 9 May. Regional assemblies in England will have a significant range of powers, but, unlike the National Assembly for Wales, we are not proposing that assemblies should have powers on such matters as the National Health Service, education, social services, local government or agriculture, nor will they have powers to make secondary legislation. We believe that comparison between regional assemblies in England and the Geater London Assembly, with 25 members representing some 7.3 million people, is more relevant.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why, in any devolution referendum in north-west England, the electors of Merseyside and Greater Manchester should have a vote on the future local government structure in Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. [HL4301]

Voters in Merseyside and Greater Manchester would not be asked to vote on the future local government structure in Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Voters in the north-west region as a whole would be asked whether they support the Government's proposals for an elected regional assembly for their region. In casting their vote, they would be able to take account of the associated proposals for restructuring local goverment in the region.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in any devolution referendum in northwest England the electors of Lancashire will have the final say on the future structure of local government in that county, or whether their views may be over-ridden by the votes of electors in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cumbria. [HL4302]

The future local government structure in areas which currently have two tiers of local government wound depend on the recommendations of the Boundary Committee and on whether the region as a whole voted in favour of having an elected assembly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the likely strength of party groups in regional assemblies in the North East, North West and Yorkshire, established on the basis of the proposals in the White Paper,

The table below shows the proportion of votes given to the different parties at the 2001 general election in the three regions.

	Conservative	Labour	Liberal Democrat	Other
North East	21.3	59.4	16.7	2.6
North West	29.3	50.7	16.7	3.3
Yorkshire & the Humber	30.2	48.6	17.1	4.0

The voting system for elections to regional assemblies is described in paragraphs 6.11 to 6.13 of the White Paper,

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the proposal in the White Paper,

No. There are significant differences between the responsibilities and budget of the National Assembly for Wales and those proposed for elected regional assemblies in England. We have followed the precedent of the Greater London Authority in proposing a precepting power for regional assemblies in England, but this does not mean that we believe that a precepting power is also necessary for the National Assembly for Wales.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many member countries of the United Nations have a smaller population than the North West of England region as defined in the White Paper,

Based on the most recent estimates of population, we believe that 97 of the 189 members of the United Nations have a population below that of the north-west region of England.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many and which quangos would be brought under the direct control of elected regional assemblies in the North East and the North West respectively under the proposals in the White Paper on regional government. [HL4333]

An elected regional assembly would be responsible for the Regional Development Agency in its region. It would take on the strategic and resource allocation role of the local office of the Housing Corporation.It is also the Government's intention that accountability and funding for the arts and sports which are regional in character will be devolved to an assembly in a way which protects national priorities. In putting this into practice on arts, the Government will take account of the experience of the new regional framework and any reviews of it. In deciding the best arrangements to apply this principle to sport, the Government will take account of the current review of sport in England by the Performance and Innovation Unit and the quinquennial review of Sport England.In addition, elected regional assemblies will have influence over a range of public bodies, including the Learning and Skills Council, the Small Business Service, the Highways Agency, the Strategic Railways Authority, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Agency and English Nature.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many civil servants are currently employed by government departments with a specific northwest remit; and how many would be transferred to the direct employment of the North West Assembly under the proposals set out in the White Paper on regional government. [HL4334]

Approximately 325 staff work for the Government Office for the North West, which carries out activities on behalf of nine government departments. The number of posts to transfer to an elected assembly for the North West will depend on the number of posts devoted to the relevant function at the time of transfer but might be in the region of 50 to 100 posts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will lay down criteria such as minimum size for unitary local authorities that may be proposed as part of schemes for regional government in England; and, if so, what they will be. [HL4335]

We will be asking the Boundary Committee for England to recommend the best 100 per cent unitary structure for a region, having regard to the twin criteria of needing to reflect the identities and interests of local communities and securing effective, convenient local government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the estimated cost of introducing directly elected regional government in each of the eight regions. [HL4368]

Costs will vary from region to region, mainly because of the different sizes of their electorates. But we expect them all to fall in a range around £15 million to £30 million a region. This estimate includes all costs necessary to establish an assembly, including the cost of a referendum and of the first elections to an assembly.As chapter 5 of the White Paper,

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the regions as defined in the White Paper are those which equate to regions of the European Union. [HL4370]

Successive UK governments have established the boundaries of the regions that will now be used for elected regional assemblies. With some changes over time, they have been used for certain administrative and statistical purposes since the Second World War. They are now used by, for example, the Government Offices and regional development agencies and for the constituencies for European parliamentary elections. These UK boundaries are also recognised by the European Union for relevant purposes, but the boundaries are ones that the UK Government and Parliament have decided.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How European Parliament weight restrictions on lorries and other vehicles entering Britain are enforced in England and Wales. [HL4358]

The Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) is responsible, in conjunction with other authorities, for enforcing HGV and other vehicles weight restrictions. The Vehicle Inspectorate uses fixed weighbridge sites, mobile weighpads and weigh-in-motion units to check compliance with weight restrictions. Overloading offences are dealt with by issuing a prohibition notice and by prosecution.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Given the recent listing of the Braithewaite Viaduct at Bishopsgate Goodsyard, whether the demolition proposed by London Undergound Ltd at Bishopsgate Goodsyard requires listed building consent. [HL4391]

It is for the local planning authority in the first instance to decide whether listed building consent is required for particular works on the basis of the facts of the case.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Who is the ultimate controlling party of Rail track plc. [HL4340]

Since 7 October 2001, the special railway administrators (Alan Bloom, Christopher Hill, Scott Martin and Michael Rollings) have managed the affairs, business and property of Railtrack plc.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the nationalisation of Railtrack would he compatible with European Community law. [HL4348]

European Community law does not prohibit the nationalisation of Railtrack. The Treaty of Rome requires EC law to be neutral as between different forms of property ownership and it is left to member states to decide whether they provide public services themselves or entrust that provision to a third party.There are no plans to renationalise Railtrack.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Individual investigations on insider dealing are an operational matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and it is for the FSA not the Government to comment on investigations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Customs and Excise officers were based in Northern Ireland on 1 January of the past 10 years. [HL4233]

Figures for the number of staff employed by HM Customs and Excise in Northern Ireland on 1 January for the past 10 years are not available. However, figures are available for I April each year. The figures are full time equivalent (part-timers counted as proportion of the full-time post).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that the rules recently approved by the European Union requiring United States and other non-European Union firms to levy value added tax on digitally delivered products are not discriminatory and will not lead to tax discrepancies within the European Union. [HL4260]

I refer the noble Lord to the Explanatory Memorandum (5954/02) published by the Paymaster General on 6 February 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on the 1 May

The Government would like the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man to amend their tax regimes to incorporate the principles in the EU Code of Conduct on Business Taxation and adopt the same measures as those in the draft EU Directive on Savings.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 1 May (

Agreement of the draft Directive on Savings is conditional on sufficient reassurances being received that key third countries will adopt equivalent measures. The effect on the economies of the Crown dependencies of adopting the principles of the Code of Conduct on Business Taxation would depend on the nature of the tax changes introduced to replace the current harmful features.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 1 May (

The Government hope that the Crown dependencies will all remove the harmful aspects of their tax regimes and agree to adopt the same measures as set out in the draft Directive on Savings. To protect the UK tax base, the Finance Bill includes the reserve power to bring within the charge to tax under the controlled foreign companies (CFC) legislation all CFCs that are located in overseas jurisdictions where harmful practices continue to be prevalent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 1 May (

The Government are fully committed to the European Union Code of Conduct on Business Taxation and wish to see all the harmful aspects of tax regimes in EU member states and their dependent and associated territories removed.These commitments are part of the Government's support for international initiatives aimed at curbing harmful tax practices and anti-competitive tax practices and wider international efforts to ensure fair tax competition. For instance, the UK strongly supports the OECD harmful tax initiative, which seeks to promote fair tax competition worldwide.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 1 May (

The Code of Conduct on Business Taxation applies equally to all member states. No exemptions have been granted.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 1 May (

The European Union Code of Conduct on Business Taxation, which was adopted by the ECOFIN Council on 1 December 1997, sets out international standards of fair tax competition by defining the criteria against which potentially harmful tax measures should be assessed.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also published a report,

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action is proposed to deal with the reported exploitation and poor treatment of Filipino nurses in parts of the United Kingdom healthcare system. [HL3962]

All members of staff employed by the National Health Service through international recruitment are covered by guidance on international recruitment, published by the Department of Health in November1999. This guidance was complemented by a code of practice published in October 2001 which aims to ensure no nurse is financially exploited during the recruitment process.The Department of Health does not have the power to intervene in the employment of staff by independent or private agencies. However, at the recent Royal College of Nursing conference the Secretary of State for Health announced that we would be establishing a helpline to advise nurses of their options.Department of Health officials are currently organising a summit to help the situation. A summit meeting is scheduled for 9 May.In line with the national minimum standards for care homes, employers must have in place appropriate human resource policies for staffing.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 25 April (

It is the responsibility of the European Commission to ensure that member states fulfil their obligations under EC rules, and for the Commission to determine the programme of inspection missions by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO). The FVO did not carry out a further inspection mission to France on poultry meat production in 2001.Poultry meat is being imported into the United Kingdom from France, and trade figures for 2001 show a total level of imports, for all types and presentations of poultry, of 52,434 tonnes. The fact that the FVO has criticised the authorities in a member state does not mean that meat cannot be produced in accordance with EC law in that member state. The focus of health inspections is on the individual carcass, and meat may be lawfully traded only if it has been passed by veterinary inspection in the slaughterhouse, and has been given a health mark.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What meetings Ministers have had with the Lymphoma Association to discuss the problems of patients needing access to the drug Mabthera; and what plans they have for such meetings in the next 12 months. [HL4253]

Ministers have had no meetings with the association on this issue but, subject to diary commitments, are willing to meet organisations such as the Lymphoma Association.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of the likely impact of the draft European directive on food supplements (COD/2000/0080) on manufacturers of food supplements and health food shops selling food supplements; and what approach they will take with regard to this draft directive in any discussions in the Council of Ministers. [HL4291]

The Food Standards Agency has consulted widely on the likely impact of this directive.The directive will inevitably impose new labelling costs, although these will be partially mitigated by the two-year transitional period provided for. The task of setting maximum limits for individual vitamins and minerals falls to the Commission acting on the advice of the EU Scientific Committee for Food (SCF). Setting unnecessarily low maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements would have a detrimental impact on both manufacturers and health food retailers and would place an unnecessary restriction on consumer choice. The Food Standards Agency will be encouraging the SCF to liaise closely with the UK's Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals which is already in the process of carrying out similar assessments.In any future Council discussions, the UK will continue to argue against restricting consumer choice in this area so long as all products placed on the market are safe and properly labelled.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which government department has lead responsibility for children and young people who sexually abuse. [HL4328]

The Department of Health has lead responsibility for the welfare of children and young people who sexually abuse, while the Home Department has lead responsibility for the criminal law and offences committed by these children.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the results of the information recently collected from the National Health Service by way of the Trusts Connection Proforma in respect of target IMT101 (connections of clinical and support staff to NHSnet by 31 March 2002). [HL4346]

The IMT01 target in the Government's strategy document Building the Information Core was to provide desktop access to basic email, browsing and system facilities for all clinical and support staff in National Health Service trusts. The information recently collected in respect of this target is currently being analysed, and trusts are being asked to update their responses. The numbers quoted reflect the position at a point in time, and are continuing to rise.The interim report as at 2 April 2002 shows that of 455 responses, 76 trusts had 100 per cent clinical and support staff with access to email and browser facilities. A further 128 had declared their intention to take up the NHS national email service currently being procured, which is accepted as meeting the target for management purposes; 137 trusts have 100 per cent consultants with desktop access.A total of 284,079 (45 per cent) clinical and support staff have email and browser facilities; and 19,753 consultants (72 per cent) have desktop access.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the report of the quinquennial review of English Heritage. [HL4397]

I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of the report of the quinquennial review of English Heritage. The report is also available on line at the DCMS website www.culture.gov.uk. The report affirms the value of English Heritage and its statutory functions. It also highlights a number of areas which need further work, in particular reviews of English Heritage's:

1. property management function including consideration of alternative options for the management of its properties;

2. national, regional and local roles leading to a new structure which will equip the organisation to deliver its statutory and leadership responsibilities in a cost-effective and consistent manner;

3. research programme leading to the adoption of a targeted strategy linked to priorities for the sector as a whole.

English Heritage already has much work under way as part of its modernisation programme. I have therefore asked it to integrate the review's findings and recommendations into that process. DCMS and other interested departments will work closely with English Heritage to ensure that the recommendations in the report are implemented quickly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their procurement policy includes environmental criteria; and, if so, what are the criteria. [HL4161]

Government procurement policy is to obtain value for money having due regard to propriety and regularity. Value for money is defined as "the optimum combination of whole life cost and quality (or fitness for purpose) to meet the customer's requirement". Sustainable development objectives, including policies aimed at reducing adverse environmental impacts, are pursued within the framework of this procurement policy and the EC procurement rules.Government departments have been required since 1990 to operate procurement strategies that take into account the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions. This means drafting contract specifications (including for production processes) that reflect government objectives; selecting suppliers that have the technical capacity to meet the environmental criteria specified; and awarding contracts to the bids that offer the best combination of quality and whole-life costs for the contracting authority. Whole-life costs will include, for example, energy consumed over the life of the product or service and disposal costs. Incorporating environmental criteria into procurement is explained in a note published jointly by HM Treasury and the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions in 1998 and may be viewed on the Office of Government Commerce website. Detailed guidance on government policy and specific environmental criteria may be found in the Green Guide for Buyers—URL: