asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they can provide financial details of the international indebtedness of the Afghan government. [HL2648]

Since Afghanistan has effectively operated outside of the international financial system for a number of years, there are no consolidated and reliable records of Afghanistan's indebtedness. More accurate figures are currently being calculated and will be available in the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide details of how the £500 million of European Union aid is being distributed in Afghanistan; how much has already been distributed; and to whom. [HL2649]

At the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction in Afghanistan in January 2002, European Union (EU) countries pledged a total of £1·5 billion for assistance over the period 2002 to 2006. This combines firm pledges for 2002 of over £250 million and indicative amounts for the period beyond. The European Commission (EC) has pledged over £125 million for recovery and reconstruction in 2002 and similar annual contributions for the next four years.According to data collated by the EC, EU member states have so far disbursed over £64 million of assistance to Afghanistan in 2002. This is being channelled through UN agencies, the Red Cross, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and, in the case of the UK, the World Bank Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. The EC has so far approved about £60 million worth of assistance for emergency relief, rapid support for the Afghan Interim Administration and initial recovery programmes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which Ministers, Members of the Opposition and senior officers visited Afghanistan; when these visits took place; and how long was each visit. [HL4566]

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have raised with the Indian Government the question of the killing of Muslims in Gujarat since February by the Hindu fundamentalist groups, VHP and Shiv Sinna; and [HL4362]Whether they will call for an impartial and international inquiry into ethnic cleansing of minority communities from Indian Gujarat; and [HL4365]Whether they have raised with the Indian Government the question of the murder of Christian priests and the destruction of churches in Gujarat. [HL4366]

We have been very concerned by the recent communal violence and deaths in Gujarat, including attacks against Muslims, Hindus and Christians. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has been in close and regular contact with the Government of India, as has our High Commission in Delhi. The Government of India have given us their assurances, which we welcome, that they will take action to investigate the violence and to bring to justice perpetrators of the killings, including those who have murdered British citizens.We are aware of attacks against Christians in Gujarat, both prior to and during the recent communal violence since February. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Europe have previously raised our concerns for Christian welfare with the Government of India.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will suspend international aid to India until the Indian Government can prove that action has been taken against Hindu fundamentalists and that they have banned VHP and Shiv Sinna. [HL4364]

Our development assistance in India is firmly focused on reducing poverty. In India and elsewhere it would be wrong to reduce assistance to the poor in order to try to achieve other political objectives.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Dennis MacShane MP on 9 May (HC Deb, 309W), what has been the response of the Chinese authorities to the concerns expressed by Her Majesty's Government over abuses associated with the one child policy. [HL4434]

At a meeting on 20 May with my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development, a Minister from the Chinese State Family Planning Commission acknowledged that abuses had occurred but said that officials guilty of abuse would continue to be prosecuted. The new population and family planning law would enshrine citizens' rights and the responsibilities of family planning officials. He added that China's eventual aim was to end the system of birth targets and quotas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have received reports of attacks on civilians by either the Government of Sudan or the armed opposition since 26 April, the date of the report of Senator Danforth, the United States Peace Envoy. [HL4445]

The civil war in Sudan is being waged in remote areas of that vast country. Communications are poor and information often unreliable or unclear. It is virtually certain that civilians are suffering and dying as a result of the current military activity on both sides. That is why we are redoubling our efforts to achieve peace. We have seen a press release from the SPLM alleging a bombing involving civilian casualties. We are also aware of reports that civilians on the government side were killed and injured as a result of a landmine incident in the vicinity of Wau. However, as far as we know, neither side has formally sought to raise any such attack in the context of the mechanism set up in negotiation with Senator Danforth.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What involvement the British Embassy in Turkmenistan has had with projects aimed at supporting young people. [HL4447]

The British Embassy in Ashgabat has carried out more than 20 small projects since 1999 aimed at supporting young people in Turkmenistan. These include support to an advice centre; the provision of a craft workshop and renovated kitchen facilities at a children's detention centre; support for anti-drugs activities and an Ashgabat AIDS Centre; in conjunction with Shell PLC, a road safety campaign; the provision of a mini-bus for a special needs school; and a range of support for schools and higher education institutes. These programmes have been largely supported from a small grants scheme funded by the Department for International Development, with some additional funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Council.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the RAF human centrifuge project is running on time and budget; and [HL4342]Whether in the event of the failure of the ETC Corporation to deliver the RAF human centrifuge as originally specified it is intended that the contract to supply will fall to another company. [HL4343]

The RAF human centrifuge project is expected to deliver a new centrifuge facility in 2005. This is later than expected because the original contractor for the programme, Environmental Tectonics Corporation, failed to deliver and its contract was terminated. Following a further competition, we expect to place a new contract in 2003. We anticipate that the costs for the new project will be in line with the original cost estimates for the programme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they will mark the murders of members of the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Regiment since 1969. [HL4424]

The remembrance of soldiers from the Ulster Defence Regiment and latterly the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) who have died not only as a result of terrorist action but also through a variety of other causes is an ongoing process involving the whole regimental family of the R IRISH.There are permanent memorials of varying formats at regimental, battalion and company level and in addition there are annual memorial services at regimental and battalion level, as well as those held by antecedent regimental associations.There is also practical support from battalions and regimental welfare aftercare teams. They make sure that bereaved families are included in appropriate regimental and battalion events, organised annual outings and holidays and that they are aware of specific support groups and the Regimental Benevolent Fund.More generally, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in another place on 20 March (

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many awards of costs have been made in recent years under the Litigants in Person (Costs and Expenses) Act 1975:

The information requested is not collected.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether their proposed limit of two weeks on asylum appeals is compatible with their policy of dispersing asylum seekers. [HL4421]

The time limit for lodging an appeal in the UK is specified in Rule 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Appeals (Procedure) Rules 2000 as 10 working days. The rules came into effect on 2 October 2000. There is no evidence that this time limit has been incompatible with the dispersal of asylum seekers away from the South East. Asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service are usually dispersed prior to an initial decision being taken on their application.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 15 May (

The Northern Ireland Court Service has not, to date, required advice from the Ulster-Scots Agency. The Northern Ireland Court Service has yet to receive any correspondence from its customers in Ulster-Scots or any requests from Ulster-Scots speakers to communicate in Ulster-Scots.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In what respects the proposed negotiating position of the European Union on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) will advance the well-being of the world's poor. [HL4189]

Services are in urgent need of improvement in many developing countries, particularly infrastructure services such as telecommunications, distribution, water and financial services. Better services would provide support for those countries' manufacturing and agricultural activities and improve their export potential. Developing countries recognise the important part that services can play in the context of broader multilateral trade negotiations and are supporting this important part of the Doha development agenda.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In the light of the new relationship between NATO and Russia, what discussions they have held with Russia about allegations of disproportionate security operations and the abuse of human rights in Chechnya; whether they have discussed the desirability of a political solution there; and what response they have received. [HL4398]

We have repeatedly raised the human rights situation in Chechnya with the Russian authorities, including during the Russian Foreign Minister's recent visit to the UK. We have also, with EU partners, pressed the Russian Government over the disproportionate use of force in Chechnya, called on them to investigate thoroughly and effectively all allegations of human rights violations in the republic and urged them to seek a political solution to the conflict.The Russian Government have noted our concerns but have also sought greater understanding of their position: that the conflict in Chechnya should be seen in the context of the light against international terrorism. We acknowledge and condemn the clear links between some extremist groups operating in Chechnya and the international terror network, but we continue to stress that any counter-terrorist operations should be conducted in strict adherence to the rule of law and must respect human rights.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they are proposing to take to inform the public on geodiversity issues following the closure of the periodical Geodiversity Update. [HL4322]

None. I understand that there is a variety of other sources of information on geodiversity issues. For example, the Association of United Kingdom Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGS) Groups publishes the UKRIGS Newsletter four times a year covering a range of issues including conservation. Earth Heritage is a twice-yearly magazine produced by English Nature, jointly with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales. It covers geodiversity issues and geological conservation and is aimed at a wider audience. Geology Today is an independently produced journal also aimed at a wide audience and covering geodiversity issues as well as other related topics. A range of other journals and publications are produced by the British Geological Survey, the Geologists' Association and the Geological Society.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why under the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/843) the market value of a sheep or goat slaughtered under Regulation 81 or 82 is limited when the value of a pedigree stock may be in excess of the maximum stated. [HL4415]

Compensation arrangements in the TSE (England) Regulations 2002 precisely mirror those in place prior to 19 April 2002 under the Sheep and Goats Spongiform Encephalopathy (England and Wales) (Compensation) (Amendment) Order 2001. This order substantially increased the amount of compensation paid for suspected scrapie animals which are compulsorily slaughtered for diagnosis in order to encourage farmers to report their suspicion of the disease.The rate of compensation paid where a suspect animal is compulsorily slaughtered but the subsequent laboratory examination is unable to confirm the disease is linked to the true replacement cost but limited to a maximum of £400. In addition to this, Defra will pay the diagnosis and carcass disposal costs. Of course such animals were showing signs of a serious neurological disease when they were slaughtered and would very likely have died anyway. It is expected that owners of exceptionally valuable animals would have private insurance arrangements in place.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 7 May (

The 1999–2000 National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Committee annual report was published in November 2000 and distributed to NHS commissioners and providers and professional bodies in December 2000.The Annual Report was placed on the Department of Health's website on 8 December 2000 and can be accessed via http://www.doh.gov.uk/nscag/reports.htm.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to bring to a conclusion the lease deal for the Millennium Dome negotiated with Meridian Delta. [HL4372]

I am pleased to announce that English Partnerships (EP) and Meridian Delta Ltd (MDL) have signed today a binding legal agreement.The agreement is for the long-term development of 189 acres of land on the Greenwich peninsula over a period ending in 2025, including delivery of a long-term use for the dome as a major entertainment and sports arena and associated uses.I refer the noble Baroness to the Statement I have made today which provides further details of the deal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress is being made to achieve interoperability between the e-procurement systems of local authorities generally, and with particular reference to London borough councils; and [HL4429]To what extent there is co-ordination between central government, the London mayoralty and London's local authorities in establishing interoperability between their respective e-procurement systems. [HL4430]

We have announced in our draft national strategy on local e-government, e-gov@local: towards a national strategy for local e-government, which was published for consultation on 8 April 2002, that we are establishing in partnership with local government a national project on e-procurement.It is currently anticipated that this project will develop process models for local authorities implementing e-procurement, produce an e-tendering package and assist in the developing of regional e-purchasing consortia. It is being informed by the work of three pathfinder projects at Huntingdonshire, Leeds and LB of Newham, which have been funded by our Local Government Online programme.It is too early in the development of the national project to say what work will be undertaken on interoperability. However, the development of technical standards which aid interoperability across local government on e-procurement—as elsewhere on the development of e-government—is a key strategic issue.Any e-procurement standards which are produced for local government will work within the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF). This sets out the Government's technical policies and specifications for achieving interoperability across the whole public sector. The national project will also work with the Office of Government Commerce and the Office of the e-Envoy to investigate the desirability and feasibility of adopting specific e-procurement standards across the public sector.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy on matters relating to best value in local government. [HL4488]

Through best value, the Government are committed to encouraging authorities to secure continuous improvement in the quality of local public services. The Local Government White Paper, Strong Leadership—Quality Public Services (CM5237), sets out our proposals to build on the success of Best Value and develop a comprehensive framework of standards and accountability for local government in England.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the traditional twin safeguards against electoral fraud, of requiring an elector to vote in person and in secret, should still apply; and, if so, how they will be enforced under universal postal voting, Internet voting or text phone voting. [HL4509]

We are fully committed to ensuring that new ways of voting do not undermine citizens' ability to vote in person and in secret. Nor do we intend to deny the right to vote to those who for various reasons are unable to attend a polling station or find it more convenient to vote by other means. However, it is premature to provide details of how future arrangements might work. To reach that point, we will require further pilot schemes and evaluation, supported by research. We will only proceed with voting methods that are proven to work satisfactorily and that maintain the integrity of the ballot.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In announcing that the Electoral Commission's evaluation exercise into the 30 electoral pilots which took place on 2 May will look at whether or not the pilots "maintain or increase the level of security at elections", what they mean by "security at elections". [HL4512]

By "security at elections" we mean that new methods of voting should maintain the integrity and secrecy of the ballot and provide safeguards against those who may attempt to commit electoral fraud.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 21 May (

Chapter 4 of the White Paper Your Region, Your Choice, at paragraph 4.17,

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list all the significant power generating stations with their fuel sources in Scotland. [HL4135]

A list of all power generating stations in Scotland with installed capacity in excess of 1 Megawatt, and identifying their fuel sources, is provided below.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy on hydro-generation and the creation of more hydro schemes in Scotland. [HL4136]

Electricity generation from hydro and from other renewable sources makes an important contribution to achieving the Government's objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Renewables Obligation and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) impose requirements on electricity supply companies to supply an increasing proportion of their energy from renewable sources. The responsibility for determining applications for consent under the Electricity Acts for power station developments in Scotland and for planning legislation in Scotland are both devolved to the Scottish Executive.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much revenue they lost through the illegal import of fuel into Northern Ireland during 2001. [HL4457]

The information requested is not available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have been notified of Severn Trent's plans to increase the capacity of the Elan Valley reservoir; and, if so, what steps they propose to take in response. [HL4318]

None. I understand no proposal has been put forward by Severn Trent, or any other water company, to the Environment Agency or the National Assembly for Wales in relation to the enlargement of Craig Goch reservoir.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list each case in which the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been exercised in relation to terrorist prisoners since 1990; and whether they will give the reasons for its use in each instance. [HL3973]

There is no central record of prisoners released using the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. However the records that have been traced by the NIO show that since 1990 the Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been used to release terrorist prisoners in the following circumstances:providing information or assistance to the authorities—five cases;terminal illness—one case;remission incorrectly calculated—one case;to correct anomalies in the treatment of offenders convicted of the same offence(s) and given the same sentence as co-defendants but who would otherwise have served longer in prison—two cases;to release prisoners who would have been eligible for release under the Belfast Agreement had they not transferred to a different jurisdiction—two cases;to release prisoners who would have been eligible to be released under the Belfast Agreement had their offences (which subsequently became scheduled offences) been scheduled at the time they were committed—eight cases;to release prisoners who would have been eligible to be released under the Belfast Agreement had they not served sentences outside the jurisdiction having been convicted extraterritorially—five cases.In addition, it was the practice before 1995 to release using the RPM terrorist and non-terrorist prisoners whose release date fell while they were on Christmas home leave.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the provisions of Part 7 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 will be implemented. [HL4598]

The new controls on holdings of 47 specified dangerous substances will come into force on 31 May. Steps are being taken to ensure that those bodies who may be affected by the new controls are aware of their obligations. I should like to take this opportunity to place on record my appreciation for the co-operation we have received from the research community in improving standards of security for the substances in question in advance of the implementation of the new controls.