asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the 1999 report of the Council on Foreign Relations Independent Task Force on Strengthening Palestinian Public Institutions provides a starting point for an internationally recognised Palestinian state; and, if so, whether they will bring the report to the attention of members of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations. [HL 4384]

We welcomed the report as a valuable contribution to the work on the reform of Palestinian public institutions and worked on follow-up to it. The report will help to form the basis of future discussion on Palestinian reform. The report has already been widely disseminated among the international community.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the percentage increase in the budgets of each of the police forces in England for the current financial year compared with the previous year. [HL3875]

The information is set out in the table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much financial assistance they make available each year to improve security in the retail sector and reduce retail crime; and [HL4182]Whether any of the financial assistance made available to the retail sector is reserved for the assistance of small retailers; and [HL4183]What was the total level of financial assistance given to small retailers in the last full financial year. [HL4184]

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary announced on 27 June last year the provision of £15 million over three years from the Capital Modernisation Fund to assist small retailers in deprived areas to improve the security of their businesses: £3 million was available in the 2001–02 financial year, with a further £6 million in both 2002–03 and 2003–04.This money, which is being spent on schemes identified by regional crime reduction directors, in conjunction with crime and disorder reduction partnerships, is being used to help small retailers to improve security. This is being achieved by employing a variety of interventions, including enhancing the security of individual premises and improving the environment of shopping centres. Nearly 3,000 shops in 114 retail schemes in some of the most deprived areas in England and Wales benefited from first year funds. More shops will be assisted in the next two years.My department has also supported work undertaken to establish retail crime partnerships by funding a consultant post for the past two years. The consultant has worked closely with the British Retail Consortium to produce a definitive guide how to establish and run a retail crime partnership and encourage retailers and other stakeholders in main shopping centre areas to establish partnerships to tackle retail and related crime.Funding totalling £223,000 was also given to aid retail crime reduction initiatives under various programmes administered by regional crime reduction directors in the financial year ending 31 March 2002 and a further £86,500 is expected to be disbursed through regional crime reduction directors specifically for retail crime reduction initiatives in the current financial year.Other funding under the Crime Reduction Programme, such as the 170 million for schemes for the installation of closed circuit television, particularly in town centres, will help to reduce shop theft as well as other types of crime. Other initiatives such as the street wardens schemes will also be of benefit to retailers in the areas where they operate.My department also makes advice available to retailers and crime reduction practitioners on the crime reduction website

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 8 May (

I am afraid that the information is not available in the form requested. However, a family of four (two adults and two children both under the age of 16) would receive a total subsistence payment of £126.26 per week. If they were in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation, the costs of this, together with associated utility bills and council tax, would be met centrally.It is not possible to predict the level of gross earnings per week to achieve this level. This would be dependent on the individual circumstances of the family.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 11 March (

Further to the reply I gave to the noble Baroness on Monday 11 March 2002 (WA 47–48), Home Office officials are still in the process of considering the relevant issues and no firm conclusions have been reached as to all the matters we should raise.However, the United Kingdom Government's position on the use of Great Apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, pygmy gorillas, and orang-utans) is that we cannot foresee any justification for their use in scientific procedures. This policy was set out in the Supplementary Note to the Home Secretary's response to the Animal Procedures Committee interim report on the review of the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Copies of this document were deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 6 November 1997.As to other non-human primates, we support the position reflected in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, under which they can be used only in strictly controlled circumstances when no other suitable species is available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to issue their consultation document on the review of the Working Holidaymaker Scheme and how they plan to consult on the development of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme. [HL4567]

We said in our recent White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven—Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain that we wanted to review the long-established Working Holidaymaker Scheme.We are issuing a consultation document tomorrow and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library. The text will also be available from the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate website at

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will bring the Commission for Racial Equality Statutory Code of Practice on the duty to promote race equality into effect. [HL4596]

I will tomorrow be laying an order under Section 71 of the amended Race Relations Act 1976. The order brings into effect the code of practice, which will offer practical guidance to public authorities on how to meet their duty to promote race equality.The statutory code of practice will come into effect on 31 May 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish in the

The figures requested are shown below. The Legal Services Commission cannot differentiate asylum from wider immigration cases but the vast majority of cases listed are thought to be asylum. All figures for 2001–02 are provisional estimates and may be subject to year-end adjustments.We believe that good quality publicly funded legal representation is very desirable in asylum cases to ensure that the facts are properly presented and the right decision is made as soon as possible.The cash available for legal aid is set by the Lord Chancellor's Department according to the Supply Estimates agreed by the Treasury. The budget allocated to the Commission is split between the Community Legal Service (CLS) and the Criminal Defence Service (CDS). While overall spending on the CLS is limited by the Lord Chancellor in directions given to the commission, he has recognised the importance of legal representation in appeal proceedings and made an additional £60 million available last financial year for asylum cases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many cases of substantial damages awarded to claimants have been to the Court of Protection since 24 May 2001. [HL4353]

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

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they assess recent developments under the South East Europe Stability Pact, in particular:

The stability pact is only one of the instruments used to deal with the problems of South East Europe. In the case of the issues raised:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What comments they have on the poll undertaken by the Spanish newspaper

We are aware of the poll to which the noble Lord refers. However, it is not our practice to comment on such polls or the methodology that underlies them. The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht provides that, were the UK to relinquish sovereignty, the right of the first refusal would be given to Spain. Thus independence would only be an option with Spanish consent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:If Spain and Her Majesty's Government each agreed proposals on Gibraltar, how long they will give the Government of Gibraltar and its people to study the proposals before these are put to a referendum. [HL4412]

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to him on 15 May (Official Report, col. WA 52).

asked Her Majesty's Government:What actions they are taking through the Brussels Process, arising from the communiqué of 1984, to lift the ban on access to Gibraltar from Spain by air and ferry; and when the Government and the Government of Spain last had talks about this ban. [HL4413]

In accordance with the terms of the Brussels Communiqué, November 1984, the talks under the Brussels Process are aimed at overcoming all the differences between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar and at promoting cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis on economic, cultural, touristic, aviation, military and environment matters. These talks are ongoing.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the European Aviation Safety Agency is due to start operating fully. [HL4331]

The draft EC regulation setting up the European Aviation Safety Agency is expected to come into force in summer 2002.The agency is required to begin issuing certificates and approvals relating to aircraft design, production and maintenance, plus appropriate environmental certificates, 12 months from the entry into force of the regulation. There is a subsequent transitional period of 42 months to allow a smooth handover of these certification tasks from member states to the agency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have concerning the failure of the air traffic control system on the morning of Friday 17 May; and what steps they are taking to ensure that this type of delay to air traffic does not happen again. [HL4455]

This is an operational matter for National Air Traffic Services (NATS). I understand the position to be as follows.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What guidance they have issued to local authorities which wish to create quiet lanes (as defined by the Transport Act 2000) where the routes of such lanes necessitate crossing A and B roads with regard to the visibility splays necessary for (a) pedestrians, (b) horse-riders and (c) cyclists. [HL4469]

It is for local highway authorities to consider such matters and take action where necessary. The department may provide technical advice following the completion of a current research project to monitor two pilot quiet lane schemes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the interests of integrity of the ballot, they intend to review the proxy voting legislation with a view to reverting to the rule that proxy votes are only permitted for electors who are not likely to be within the United Kingdom on polling day. [HL4508]

As part of its review of absent voting, the Electoral Commission intends to examine the use of proxy voting and make proposals about its future. The review aims to report before the end of the year and we will consider any recommendations carefully.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the reply by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 21 May (HL Deb, col. 638) in relation to allegations about postal voting in Pendle in the council election on 2 May, that "I cannot comment on the allegations made by the noble Lord, as I know nothing about them", what discussions took place prior to that answer between officials of his department and the election staff at Pendle Borough Council about these matters; and whether the content of such discussions was made available to Lord Falconer. [HL4510]

No discussions have taken place between my department and Pendle Borough Council about postal voting. Any allegations of criminal activity in relation to postal voting should be reported to the police for investigation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will comment on the circumstances in which a ballot box from the Temple School polling place for polling district CTC in the Cheetham Ward of Manchester City Council on 2 May took 90 minutes to arrive at the count compared to less than 30 minutes for all the other boxes in that ward; whether the content of this ballot box affected the result of that election; and what action they intend to take to prevent any future such occurrence. [HL4511]

I understand that the returning officer's investigation of this delay found no evidence of electoral malpractice. All candidates were notified in writing of the findings of that investigation. The contents of the ballot box which had been delayed were mixed with the contents of another ballot box in accordance with the proper procedures for conducting the count. This prevents any speculation about the effect of the contents of a single ballot box on the outcome of any election. The returning officer has put in place measures to ensure good practice at future elections and I see no reason for the Government to take further action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are certain that the use of cannibalised material in the manufacture of animal feeding stuffs has stopped. [HL4399]

In relation to feeding animal proteins back to the same species from which they are derived, current BSE-related feed controls combining national and EU measures prevent processed animal proteins from being fed to animals kept, fattened or bred for food production, and mammalian meat and bonemeal from being fed to all farmed livestock. These controls effectively prevent same-species feeding practices.There are a few remaining permitted exceptions to these controls, where the scientific evidence does not suggest that a total ban is necessary. Notable examples include the use of milk and milk products; non-ruminant gelatin used for coating of feed-additives; animal-derived dicalcium phosphate; tallow; and eggs and egg products.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether consideration of the environmental impact of procurement decisions is an essential tool in developing a truly sustainable procurement policy. [HL4409]

The consideration of the environmental impacts arising from procurement is an essential tool in developing a truly sustainable procurement strategy. Government departments are required to identify the possible adverse environmental impacts of their operational activities and to eliminate them as far as practicable by specifying environmental criteria for the products and services they purchase.The cross-government Sustainable Procurement Group set up by the Secretary of State will seek to identify opportunities for public sector buyers to purchase more effectively to help achieve government commitments on sustainable development within the policy and legal framework for pubic procurement. It is intended that the group will make recommendations that will form part of a new framework for sustainable development on the government estate that will be rolled out by spring 2003 to cover key operational areas such as energy, water, travel, waste, bio-diversity and procurement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the response by Lord Whitty on 15th May (HL Deb, col. 410) that under the European Union Regulations the Government had been required to extend their powers in order to be able to examine animals which have "been sent to the slaughterhouse, are fallen stock or are otherwise slaughtered", whether they will amend the powers of the veterinary inspector in all other circumstances by reinstating only those contained in Part II of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No 2) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/3183) which applied only to affected, suspected and exposed animals. [HL4400]

Council Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 requires member states to carry out compulsory TSE monitoring and testing programmes, which apply to specified categories of cattle, sheep and goats. The TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) set out the detailed arrangements whereby veterinary inspectors may slaughter animals for the purpose of the enforcement and administration of the Community monitoring requirements.Elsewhere, slaughter powers within the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 are the same as those in place under the previous domestic regime and remain fully commensurate with our EU obligations. However, such powers were not contained within the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No 2) Order 1996 alone. That is important to understand.Further circumstances in which inspectors may need powers to slaughter are described in Parts III (Animal feeding) and IV (Specified Risk Material) of the TSE England Regulations 2002. These powers are in respect of animals exposed to an explicit TSE risk. They go no further than is necessary to meet the relevant EU legal requirements and continue arrangements that were previously in place under the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy(No 2) Order 1996.Powers to slaughter animals in Part V of the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 relate to EU legal requirements for animals suspected of being infected with BSE or scrapie and for those confirmed as being infected. Under previous domestic legislation, equivalent powers were exercised under the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No 2) Order, the Sheep and Goats Spongiform Encephalopathy Order 1998 and the Animal Health Act 1981.Powers to slaughter animals in Part VI of the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 are directly related to the enforcement and administration of EU legal requirements for the offspring of animals confirmed as being infected with BSE. Equivalent powers were previously in place under the BSE Offspring Slaughter Regulations 1998.Thus, the powers afforded to a veterinary inspector must necessarily be wider than those needed to implement the compulsory BSE and scrapie monitoring and testing programmes covered by the new EU requirements and those previously set out in Part II of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No 2) Order 1996. However, in no respects do the powers extend beyond the degree necessary to comply with EU legal requirements and consequently to protect human and animal health and ensure the continued reduction and eventual eradication of these diseases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why under Schedule 1 to the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) the owner has to pay any reasonable costs of the Secretary of State in Part II, paragraph 3, Part IV, paragraph 4; and Part VI, paragraph 3. [HL4414]

Schedule 1, Parts II, IV and VI concern compensation under Regulations 8, 83 and 92 of the TSE (England) Regulations. These regulations make provisions for the administration and enforcement of the directly applicable Community TSE regulation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the arbitration process in Part II, paragraph 2(b) of Schedule I to the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) is supposed to work; and who pays the cost. [HL4416]

An independent expert will be asked to determine the value of relevant carcasses, parts or blood. The expert will be appointed, if possible, with the agreement of the owner. If no agreement can be reached, the President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors will be asked to nominate an individual to act as arbitrator. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will pay the costs of the arbitrator and will pay compensation to the owner as recommended by the arbitrator.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action the owner of an animal slaughtered under Regulation 6 or 7 of the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) may take if he objects to the valuer appointed by the Secretary of State. [HL4417]

Any representations made by owners will be carefully considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they propose to bring forward amendments to the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) to allow owners to make representations against a notice of intended slaughter issued by a veterinary surgeon. [HL4419]

Proposals will be drawn up for public consultation as soon as Ministers and Defra officials have completed a careful consideration of the options. The intention is to respond sensibly and in a timely way.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will outline the framework and guidelines for dealing with the impact of veterinary residues on the environment. [HL4474]

Before any veterinary medicine can be placed on the market in the UK, its safety, quality and efficacy must be assessed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the UK regulatory authority for veterinary medicines, or by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency. Safety in this context includes safety to the environment as well as to the animal and the user.Post marketing surveillance is carried out under the Suspected Adverse Reaction Surveillance Scheme, which receives reports on any pollution incidents involving veterinary medicines from the Environment Agency.The Environment Agency also undertakes monitoring for a number of veterinary medicines in environmental waters.Information from these schemes is used to take appropriate regulatory action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, following the recent decision of the House of Common to authorise three visits a year by Members of the House to either European Union countries or applicant countries to the European Union, they will make similar provisions in the House of Lords and therefore enable peers who are members of all-party bilateral groups to participate in such visits organised by those groups. [HL4376]

The House of Commons Resolution of 9 May allows Members of that House to be reimbursed for the costs of travelling on parliamentary duties between the United Kingdom and any European Union institution in Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg and to the national parliament of an EU state or a candidate country. It therefore does not extend to more general travel to any part of an EU country or candidate country which the noble Lord may have in mind.Any similar allowance for Members of the House of Lords would need to be implemented by a Resolution of the House. Any such Resolution would normally only be moved following a recommendation from the Senior Salaries Review Body. The SSRB has not hitherto considered this matter in relation to the House of Lords; and I will take steps to consult the chairman about it.