asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the Audit Commission (

While recognising and accepting the independence of the component parts of the criminal justice system, the Government have a whole-system approach to provide clear strategic direction for the criminal justice system and to encourage closer working. The CJS business plan sets out system-wide aims, objectives and targets to which all CJS organisations work.To oversee the delivery of the Government's policies for the management and reform of the CJS, a Ministerial Committee on the Criminal Justice System has been set up, chaired by the Home Secretary. Ministers are advised by a recently established strategic board, made up of the most senior officials from across the CJS organisations and chaired by the Home Office Permanent Secretary. Other trilateral boards have been created to focus on CJS performance, resourcing and planning. This process of working together has helped highlight where policy and process change is needed, both within the individual organisations and across the CJS. The Government do not wish to deflect effort on direct service delivery improvements by going for major departmental reorganisations.To encourage closer trilateral working, the 2000 spending review introduced the CJS Reserve—£525 million over three years (£200 million in 2002–03)—that is jointly managed by the Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor and the Attorney-General. This reserve is used to fund initiatives which contribute to jointly agreed objectives. It provides CJS Ministers with funding flexibility and the ability to respond to changing pressures on the system.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made a decision about the Wolvercote Clinic and about plans for the provision of residential treatment for sex offenders living in the community. [HL5076]

In the interests of public protection, we have commissioned the National Probation Service to undertake a national review of the provision of residential treatment for sex offenders. This will encompass the work of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which runs the Wolvercote Clinic in Epsom.We have also decided not to proceed with the relocation of the Wolvercote Clinic to Silverlands.The Wolvercote Clinic will cease to operate at Horton Hospital in Epsom following the sale of the site. Contingency plans will be implemented for the nine remaining residents so that they can complete their treatment on a non-residential basis, and for those under licence or supervision formal contact with the authorities will continue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to make a decision on the future of British overseas citizens who hold no other nationality. [HL5077]

Following representations made during passage of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill about the continuing difficulties faced by British overseas citizens who have no other nationality, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has decided that those British overseas citizens who currently do not hold and have never given up another nationality will be given an entitlement to register as British citizens. We are doing this to address the situation which left those people concerned with no right of abode in any country. An amendment to this effect will be made to the Bill at Report stage in the House of Lords. Applicants will be dealt with at our posts overseas and will not need to meet any United Kingdom residence requirements. There will be no deadline for applications.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 13 June (

There were contacts between the Government and the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man prior to the debate in the ECOFIN Council meeting of 1 December 1997 on measures to tackle harmful tax competition.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they propose to legislate for the people of Gibraltar to vote in the next European parliamentary election; and whether Gibraltar, whose people have close links of birth with Northern Ireland, can be considered as part of the Northern Ireland constituency for European parliamentary elections. [HL4864]

The Government intend to seek to introduce legislation at the next convenient opportunity to allow people of Gibraltar to vote in the European parliamentary elections; and to consult the independent Electoral Commission about which existing United Kingdom regional constituency Gibraltar will form a part.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In relation to the Chinook ZD576 crash: (a) on what date the Ministry of Defence commissioned new simulation tests; (b) on what date the results of the tests have been or are to be submitted to the Ministry of Defence; (c) what the simulation tests are designed to prove; and (d) whether the results of the tests can assist Boeing Corporation, the manufacturer of Chinook, in its view that there were no faults in the helicopter that could have caused the crash. [HL4878]

As part of the investigations into the crash of Chinook ZD576, Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, was asked to conduct simulations to model the likely flightpath during the final seconds prior to impact. The House of Lords Select Committee was critical of certain aspects of these simulations, which did not include full FADEC parameters, although the engineers who conducted the original simulation factored in known FADEC performance criteria.Boeing was commissioned in early March 2002 to revisit its original analysis to include full FADEC performance parameters. Boeing is the sole manufacturer and design authority of the Chinook. Only Boeing possesses the necessary detail about the design and material and its capabilities.This work has just been received and is being reviewed. We intend to make the results of Boeing's work available as part of the Government's response to the Select Committee report, although there may be matters of commercial sensitivity which would preclude the publication of some elements. It remains our intention to produce our response before the Summer Recess.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest estimate of the cost of the Trident Acquisition Programme. [HL5032]

The current estimate of the total acquisition cost of the Trident programme, with payments already made expressed at the prices and exchange rates actually incurred and future spend at the current financial year exchange rate (the hybrid) estimate, is now £9,800 million. Since the 2001 estimate and leaving aside the effects of price inflation and exchange rate variation (+ £11 million), there has been a real cost increase of £25 million. This increase derives principally from additional costs associated with dockyard projects and with missiles and related equipment, offset by a reduced acquisition cost for the four submarines. Expenditure on the Trident acquisition programme to 30 September 2001 represented over 98 per cent of the total estimate. If all expenditure, past and projected, is brought up to this current year's economic conditions (the non-hybrid estimate) the estimate is £14,376 million.The programme continues to show an overall reduction in real terms on its original 1982 estimate. This reduction, including the savings resulting from the decision to process missiles at the United States facility at Kings Bay, Georgia, now stands at over £3·7 billion at current prices.The proportion of the estimate for work undertaken in the United Kingdom continues to be around 70 per cent.Three in-service Vanguard class submarines are successfully maintained continuous at-sea deterrence, with the fourth, HMS Vanguard, now undergoing planned major overhaul.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the most recent European Commission report on the application of Cyprus to join the European Union refers solely to economic statistics for the southern sector of the island administered by Greek Cypriots or to economic statistics for the whole island of Cyprus. [HL4859]

The 2001 European Commission regular report on Cyprus' progress towards accession has a section on the situation in the northern part of the island. This includes economic statistics.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the European Commission should record the statistics of the entire island of Cyprus if it proposes that the entire island of Cyprus should become a member of the European Union. [HL4860]

The European Council at Seville reiterated that in respect of Cyprus "The European Union's preference continues to be for the accession of a reunited island". The 2001 European Commission regular report on Cyprus' progress towards accession has a section on the situation in the northern part of the island. This includes economic statistics.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the European Union has advised the Greek Cypriot leadership that Cyprus can join the European Union without any settlement with, or approval of, the Turkish Cypriot administered Turkish Republic of Cyprus; and, if so, whether such a guarantee would be likely to encourage a settlement in the present inter-communal talks in Nicosia. [HL4862]

The UK is fully committed to the 1999 Helsinki Conclusions, which were reaffirmed at the Seville European Council, and which remain the basis of the EU's position on Cyprus. Helsinki stated that "The European Council underlines that a political settlement will facilitate the accession of Cyprus to the European Union. If no settlement has been reached by the completion of accession negotiations, the Council's decision on accession will he made without the above being a precondition. In this the Council will take account of all relevant factors". Her Majesty's Government believe that it is in all parties' interests to reach a settlement this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Malta is included in the nations to be accepted into membership of the European Union; if so, whether Malta is included in the first tranche of applicant nations; and what is the preferred timetable for Malta's accession into the European Union. [HL4863]

The Seville European Council reaffirmed that Malta is one of 10 candidates expected to complete negotiations for EU accession by the end of 2002 if the present rate of progress in negotiations and reforms is maintained. It is reasonable to expect Malta to sign the Treaty of Accession in spring 2003 and participate as a full member in the European Parliament elections in 2004.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Pursuant to a statement of 28 November 2001, when the White Paper on arrangements for managing public sector civil nuclear liabilities will be published. [HL5063]

My honourable friend the Minister of State for Energy and Construction has announced today that the White Paper Managing the Nuclear Legacy—A Strategy for Action is being published today. Copies are available in the Library and the Printed Paper Office.The White Paper sets out plans for radical change to current arrangements for the clean up of the public sector civil nuclear legacy, including the creation of a new body, the liabilities management authority, responsible to government and with a specific remit to ensure that clean up is carried out safely, securely, cost-effectively and in ways which protect the environment for the benefit of current and future generations. It makes clear the Government's determination to drive clean up forward systematically and progressively, using the best available skills to get the job done and, through competition, to promote the development of the supply chain and skills base required to sustain the clean up programme over the long term. It also underlines our commitment to ensuring that management arrangements are open, transparent and command public confidence. Implementing legislation will be brought forward at the first available opportunity.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the event that, following consultation, they decide to ban the use of battery cages in England, they will also ban the import of eggs which are produced in such cages overseas. [HL4998]

WTO rules currently do not permit the restriction of trade of goods based on methods of production. However, the EU has been successful in getting non-trade concerns, which includes animal welfare, firmly written into the Doha development agenda.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will make an announcement about the Wye Navigation Order. [HL5071]

The Environment Agency has applied for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 making it the navigation authority for the river Wye. A public inquiry into the application was held in 1997, following which further detailed representations were made. After careful consideration we have decided to accept the inspector's recommendation and, with the agreement of the National Assembly for Wales, make the order. A copy of the decision letter has been placed in both Libraries of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much funding has been used to date from that recently allocated to hospices in England and Wales. [HL4769]

The Government have pledged in the NHS Cancer Plan that funding for specialist palliative care services in England, including hospices, will increase by £50 million per annum by 2004. This investment is included in the overall National Health Service investment for implementing the Cancer Plan. How the £50 million is deployed locally will depend on the needs of the area. Cancer networks have drawn up service delivery plans on palliative care to review the level of services offered in their area and these will ensure that each network has a range of palliative care services available. We are currently reviewing the outturn position for 2001–02 and the progress in that year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they propose to merge the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and, if so, when. [HL4847]

We propose that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will provide the secretariat for the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances, starting with the committee's October meeting.

asked Her Majesty's Government:(a) what is their policy on providing funds for revascularisation procedures; (b) whether they achieved the target of 3,000 extra procedures by April 2002 set in March 2000 by paragraph 61 of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease; (c) what further increase is now planned; and (d) whether they consider that, pending the 2003 review by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, interim advice should be offered to hospitals on the use of drug eluting stents in the light of the preliminary results of the SIRIUS clinical trials in the United States and the RAVEL trials in Europe and Latin America. [HL4904]

The Government's policy on funding for coronary heart disease (CHD) is set out in its NHS Plan, published July 2000, a copy of which is available in the Library.The National Service Framework for CHD published in March 2000 set an immediate priority that by April 2002 the total number of revascularisation procedures, over the 1999–2000 baseline, would increase by 3,000. More than 8,000 extra procedures had been carried out by April 2002.Future plans are based on reducing waiting times for heart operations. By April 2002, no patient had been waiting more than 12 months for revascularisation. The NHS Plan targets are for a maximum six-month wait for surgery by 2005 and a three-month maximum wait by 2008.It would not be appropriate for the Department of Health to pre-empt the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) by issuing interim guidance. The absence of guidelines from NICE does not prevent the NHS using new drugs or technologies. Standing guidance to the NHS (Health Service Circular 1999/176) asks NHS bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the new technology first becomes available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How they will ensure medical negligence claims for up to £15,000 will be resolved within six months. [HL4920]

Both the civil procedure rules and medical negligence dispute pre-action protocols set out the way in which all clinical negligence claims should be resolved. Whilst there is no requirement to settle cases within six months we would want to ensure that cases are handled quickly and that those with a valid claim receive speedy compensation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the Government's response to the House of Lords' Select Committee report of Session 2001–02 on stem cell research. [HL5069]

The Government's response to the House of Lords Select Committee report on stem cell research is published today as CM 5561 and copies have been placed in the Library.