asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made in offering protection to military maritime graves. [HL5583]

I refer my noble friend to the answer given on 9 November 2001 by my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Moonie) (Official Report, col. 435W) to the honourable Member for Hendon (Mr Dismore) in another place. A statutory instrument (SI) was made on 9 July 2002 which prohibits intrusive activity without licence on 11 vessels: HMS Bulwark, HMS Dasher, HMS Formidable, HMS Hampshire, HMS Natal, HMS A7, HMS Vanguard, HMS Affray, HMS Exmouth, HMS Royal Oak and H5, and in addition the U-boat U12, as representative of all U-boats lost in United Kingdom territorial waters. The SI prohibits intrusive activity without licence by UK nationals on a further five vessels. HMS Hood, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse, HMS Gloucester and RFA Sir Galahad which lie in international waters. These regulations come into force on 30 September 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have completed the final assessment of the decision to locate the Army's headquarters in the North in Edinburgh. [HL5597]

A post project evaluation into this decision has been completed and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the view of Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, stated at paragraph 20 of the Minutes of its July meeting, that the current rate of increase in house prices is clearly unsustainable. [HL5580]

Yes. The rate of increase in house prices over the past year is clearly unsustainable.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which Minister will be responsible for taking decisions relating to planning applications in respect of the Dome and surrounding developments on the Greenwich peninsula. [HL5642]

Taking account of the constituency interests and other policy responsibilities of Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), and in order to ensure that the advice set out in the Guidance on Property Issues in the Handling of Planning Casework is followed, the Deputy Prime Minister has decided that any planning matters arising in respect of the Dome and related developments should be dealt with by Mr Christopher Leslie MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State).I will be responsible within ODPM for policy issues relating to the Dome.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the allocation of responsibilities among Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be settled. [HL5673]

My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister has now allocated responsibilities among Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as shown in the table below.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether claimants are cancelling their services claims in mineworkers' vibration white finger (VWF) due to delays in the tendering process for their second medicals; and, if so, what action they propose to take to remedy this. [HL5335]

To date, just over 13,800 claims have been received for VWF services—compensation for household tasks where additional assistance is required such as DIY or gardening. Out of these, nearly 2,400 have been preliminary processed and 109 claims are no longer being pursued. This is mostly in response to a denial.No figures are available for the number of claimants (if any) who have withdrawn a services claim whilst waiting for the services medical contract to be tendered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Given that the Ecclesiastical Committee is unable under its term of reference to receive representatives from the union to which members of the clergy belong, they will reconsider the position of the clergy and their rights as employees. [HL5102]

The functions and powers of the Ecclesiastical Committee are set out in the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, as amended, and relate to the consideration of measures approved by the General Synod. We are considering the employment status of the clergy in our review of employment status in relation to statutory employment rights. As part of this review, we published a discussion document on 11 July 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What directions are to be issued to judges on the conduct of care and adoption proceedings in the light of the judgment delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of

The judgment in the case of P C and S v The United Kingdom was delivered on 16 July 2002. We are carefully considering its implications in partnership with the senior judiciary.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 17 July (

The Crumlin Road Courthouse was sold for a nominal sum of £1. This formed part of the public private partnership scheme to build a modern courts complex situated at Langanside, Belfast.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs departmental report 2002, whether the decline in spending on animal health and welfare planned for 2002–03 reflects an anticipated fall in BSE compensation; and whether its budget will cope with a bovine tuberculosis increase. [HL4810]

Further to the written reply provided to my noble friend Lady David on 23 July (HL Deb. WA 58), subsequently, extra funds have been obtained for DEFRA from the reserve for the current financial year. We are considering how best to use the additional funding; to take forward work on areas such as bovine tuberculosis.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the capacity in the United Kingdom for testing for prions in 2000; and whether in the past six months there has been any alteration in that capacity. [HL5153]

In 2000, UK TSE testing capacity was sufficient to meet diagnostic and research requirements and to carry out ad hoc surveys of cattle entering the over thirty months scheme (OTMS). Since then, major EU-wide cattle and sheep testing programmes have been introduced and capacity has greatly increased. In the past six months, new facilities have come on stream at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency laboratory at Shrewsbury.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 27 June (

Pursuant to the Written Answer I gave on 27 June (WA 154–55) Snowie was awarded a road haulage contract through the negotiated procurement procedure without the prior publication of an Official Journal (OJEU) notice because the FMD outbreak required us to act very swiftly. As the recent NAO report (The 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, paragraph 4.51 page 94) made clear, many contracts which would normally have been put out to tender were awarded without competition. The department reverted to normal competitive tendering where the circumstances and priorities permitted. We are unaware of any other road haulage contracts in Northumberland awarded on the basis of the negotiated procurement procedure without the prior publication of an Official Journal (OJEU) notice.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Whitty on 26 June (

The sale of the disused military airfield at RAF Bentwater took place on 15 May 1997, as an open market sale. The then Countryside Commission was aware that the land was being sold and when it was sold. The commission was concerned about proposals for major new developments such as reuse of the site as an airport, on the part of the site within the AONB. It made its view widely known and they were taken into account in developing the planning brief for the site and the local plan for the area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the cost to the European Union to date of using a satellite system to reduce fraud and malfeasance in relation to subsidies for olive oil; and how effective the system has been. [HL5572]

Work on developing a geographical information system (GIS) for olive trees is subject to dual funding by producer member states and the EU.The maximum amount of approved EU funding is 97,817,268 euros (£61,928,112 at current exchange rates

asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimate they have made of the cost to date to the United Kingdom, and the total cost to European Union member states as a whole, of subsidising farmers to produce tobacco that was subsequently dumped on third world markets. [HL5573]

Member states contribute to EU budget as a whole and not to any particular part. The UK contribution is about 12.7 per cent after the effect of the Fontainbleau abatement has been taken into account.In the financial year ending 15 October 2001, some 964 million euros (£610 million at current exchange rates

asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimate they have made of the extent of ecological damage to fishing grounds historically in British waters from "fishing out" by European Union-subsidised fishing fleets; and what co-operation there has been between Spain and the United Kingdom in addressing its consequences. [HL5574]

The ICES Advisory Committee on Ecosystems monitors the ecosystem effects of fishing activities, including the impact of fishing on the wider marine environment. UK and Spanish scientists contribute to the work of this committee. However, the committee's work to date has made no distinction between the impact of fleets receiving subsidies and those that do not. The one stock that could be described as "fished out" in historic British waters is herring. This took place before the introduction of the common fisheries policy(CFP). The stock has since improved under it.The CFP is the means by which fisheries are managed in the European Union and the UK is keen for progress to be made through the present reform of the CFP on the removal of counter-productive fleet subsidies and the greater integration of environmental concerns in fishing policy. This will require measures to address the adverse effects of fishing on marine habitats. Progress in these areas will depend on co-operation between all member states.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by Lord Whitty on 16 July (

Since 1 April 2001, agricultural grants and subsidies have been administered by the Rural Payments Agency whereas the schemes which comprise the England Rural Development Programme have been administered mainly by the Rural Development Service within DEFRA. The estimated costs given in the previous answers were prepared on a comparable basis as far as possible, bearing in mind that they are two different organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why it costs 150 per cent more to administer grants under the England Rural Development Programme than it does for agricultural grants and subsidies. [HL5637]

The Rural Payments Agency's processing of agricultural grants and subsidies is mainly office-based, apart from a small percentage of compliance inspections in the field. It consists largely of checking the eligibility, based on standard rules, of claims received from farmers and traders and arranging payment. There is a wide customer base and the total value of payments made is £2.2 billion.The schemes in the England Rural Development Programme are for the most part specially tailored to individual farms or projects, each requiring detailed assessment to ensure benefits will be delivered. In the agri-environment schemes, for example, the processing of applications involves a site visit by a technical expert in almost every case both to assess and develop the proposals and to give conservation management advice. Experience has shown that such visits are important in terms of securing the desired environmental outputs; for example, habitat restoration, over the life of the 10-year agreement which the land manager will subsequently sign, and hence obtaining best value for money for the taxpayer. The customer base for these schemes is narrower and the total value of payment is just over £200 million. For all these reasons the administration costs are higher.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make available for consultation their contingency plans for handling a future possible outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the interests of public confidence in their ability to handle such a crisis. [HL5643]

Following initial stakeholder consultation, the interim contingency plan was publicised by a news release and placed on the DEFRA website on 12 March 2002 together with a mailbox inviting comments. The plan has since been updated and a revised version placed on the website for comment on 3 July 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have entirely revised their contingency plans for dealing with a possible outbreak of foot and mouth disease following the outbreak in 2001 and the ensuing reports into the way it was handled. [HL5644]

An interim contingency plan was developed and publicised in March and has continued to be worked upon and updated over the last few months. Now that both the Royal Society study of infectious diseases of livestock and the Lessons Learned inquiry have reported, the plan will be further amended to take account of the recommendations made.The plan is very much a 'living' document. It is expected that it will be subject to regular revision taking on the latest scientific advice and comments from stakeholders and operational partners.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published Working for the Essentials of Life on 20 March 2002. The document set out the department's priorities and 106 key commitments for the coming year. It is normal practice that such documents are dated, have a reference number and clear contact details for DEFRA. We regret that due to an oversight during publication no date was printed on Working for the Essentials of Life, although a reference number and contact details were. It is a standard requirement of contractors producing such material that these elements are printed on all documents and this is enforced through normal contractual procedures.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made on the consultation paper

The consultation ended on 12 March and today we are publishing a summary of the 330 responses received by the UK Government and the devolved administrations. We have considered the many comments made on the specific issues on which Managing radioactive waste safely sought views, and the other comments which some recipients offered, and are now outlining the next steps which the UK Government and devolved administrations have agreed will be taken in the policy process.We now propose to press ahead with a review of waste management options. The review will seek the views of interested stakeholders, the public and government departments. We will appoint an independent body to oversee the review process which will make recommendations on the option, or combination of options, for managing radioactive waste which achieves long-term protection for people and the environment. We will review all options and revise the timetable to a four rather than five stage process. We, the UK Government, and the devolved administrations will continue to be responsible for taking the ultimate decision on the management option.We propose that the new body will be in place by the end of the year. We will advertise widely for the members of this new body and they will be appointed jointly by Ministers from the UK Government and the devolved administrations. We will be seeking people who will bring technical expertise and people who will bring a wider perspective of environmental, health, social or ethical issues. We will also want to ensure that its membership is drawn from across the UK. Further details will be announced later. This new body must win public confidence and operate in an open, transparent and inclusive manner. The review process must engage with stakeholders and the public. The first step of the review will be to set the framework for debate by establishing broad agreement on the wastes to be considered, the range of management opt ions for each of them, and the criteria against which these options should be assessed. The second step will be to assess each option including commissioning any new research required. The final step will draw up recommendations for Ministers to consider.The

asked the Chairman of Committees:When the procedural changes agreed to on Wednesday 24 July will take effect. [HL5641]

The Procedure Committee recommended (5th Report, paragraph 3), and the House has now agreed, that implementation should be phased in with effect from the start of the next Session (2002–03) as resources become available. The following changes will therefore take effect at the start of the Session:

• Additional topical Starred Question on Tuesday and Wednesday; Question Time on those days extended from 30 to 40 minutes;
• Number of topical Questions per Member per Session raised from two to four;
• Motion after Second Reading to commit each Bill to the appropriate committee (subject to amendment of Standing Order 47, which will be done in the spill-over);
• House normally to rise by about 10 pm on Monday to Wednesday;

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider the study by Professor John O'Leary of Trinity College, Dublin, to be presented to the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland next month, into measles, mumps and rubella and children with autism and bowel disease. [HL4814]

The abstract of Professor O'Leary's paper due to be presented to the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland has been reviewed by measles experts. Already available information suggests that the technique used cannot distinguish between vaccine and wild measles virus.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In view of the Committee on Safety of Medicines' decision and guidance issued in 1998 not to recommend the use of United Kingdom-sourced plasma in the manufacture of blood derivative products due to the unknown and theoretical risk of vCJD, why 50–70,000 patients per year are still being treated with transfusion plasma derived from United Kingdom donors, and [HL5083]Why their ongoing consideration of ways to improve the safety of transfusion plasma administered by the National Health Service has not been referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for independent and evidence-based appraisal of the available plasmas; and whether they plan to do so. [HL5082]

There is no evidence that Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or variant CJD has ever been transmitted to patients through blood or blood products. Since 1998 the Government have acted on expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines to minimise the unknown risk to patients of vCJD by sourcing plasma for the manufacture of licensed blood products from the United States and Germany.The United Kingdom Expert Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation (MSBT) is actively reviewing other possible ways in which the unknown risk from vCJD in blood might be reduced even further. This includes the importation of transfusion plasma known as fresh frozen plasma (FFP) (used in managing patients with severe burns, massive blood loss and supporting intensive care unit patients); the possible exclusion of people who have received blood transfusions from giving blood and work on reducing the plasma component of blood platelets. The review involves detailed risk assessments about the possible impact of such measures on secondary transmission of vCJD and the impact on the UK blood supply. In the case of FFP, the review is looking at the need for confidence in the viral inactivation techniques used for non-UK plasma and the availability of sustainable supplies. Decisions on some of these measures will be taken later this year.These issues have not been referred to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence as the membership of MSBT is set up specifically to look at blood safety issues and seeks specialist advice or includes the relevant specialists among its members.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whom they consulted before they responded to the first annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy. [HL5163]

The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy was established to provide advice to government and monitor the success of the national Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. The group includes a membership draw from a wide range of individuals and organisations with experience of working with young people and teenage parents. The first annual report of the group set out 49 recommendations to government on the further delivery of the national strategy. The government response addresses these recommendations to set out a forward action plan for the next phase of delivery.In addition to the independent advisory group, the Teenage Pregnancy Unit has put in place arrangements to consult and involve the non-statutory sector, faith groups, relevant professional organisations, regional and local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators, young people and parents in tackling teenage pregnancy. The views of these organisations and individuals were taken into account in developing the government response.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the analysis of local audits of general practice referred to in paragraph 5.33 of their response to the first annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy indicates a change of their policy in respect to the right of conscientious objection by general practitioners to taking part in abortion operations. [HL5166]

The Government's position on conscientious objection to abortion remains unchanged. Section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, provides that, except where treatment is necessary to save the life of or prevent grave permanent injury to the pregnant woman, "no person shall be under any duty, whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to participate in any treatment authorised by this Act to which he has a conscientious objection".

asked Her Majesty's Government.Whether information from the national analysis of local audit will also be used to collate national and regional information on the proportion of general practitioners who have a conscientious objection to abortion or who have a practice policy not to provide contraception to under 16s. [HL5167]

An analysis of the general practice audits which have been returned to the Teenage Pregnancy Unit will provide an indication of the proportion of general practitioners, nationally and regionally, who have a conscientious objection to abortion or who have a practice policy not to provide contraception to under 16s.Information on the analysis will be available on the Teenage Pregnancy Unit website by the end of the year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, as reported in the

Overseas clinical teams are already operating on National Health Service patients in England as part of a first mover wave of projects. For these projects providers were identified who could in principle bring in clinicians to a tight timetable, at an appropriate price. Central funding is only being released where providers can demonstrate high clinical quality and good value for money benchmarked against alternative sources of capacity in the local independent sector.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether research into the incidence of cancer at a primary school in Valladolid in Spain is being considered by departmental officials with responsibility for mobile transmittal licensing policy. [HL5205]

The early reports of a cancer incidence in Valladolid in Spain were first noted in December 2000 and have subsequently been reported in the press. After this case received much national and international attention the World Health Organisation released a statement saying that none of the recent reviews has concluded that exposure to the radiofrequency (RF) fields from mobile phones or their base stations causes any adverse health consequence.The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (the Stewart Group) was set up to investigate the public health implications of mobile phone technologies. Its report, based on a review of all available research to date, was published in May 2000. It concluded that the balance of evidence does not suggest that the mobile phone technologies put the health of the general population at risk. It did, however, include a recommendation to set up a substantial research programme. This programme, jointly funded by government and industry, is currently under way.The Stewart Group also recommended that there should be an audit of base stations to ensure that exposure guidelines were not exceeded and that base stations on or near to sensitive sites should be a priority. The Radiocommunications Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, undertook 100 audits in 2001 on schools with masts on their premises, and this exercise showed a level of emissions far below the international guidelines. All the results are on the agency website

asked Her Majesty's Government:What psychological or psychiatric problems may be caused to a woman following a miscarriage at home. [HL5226]

The guidelines issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on the management of pregnancy loss indicate that many publications confirm the negative psychological impact of miscarriage on a significant proportion of women.In addition, publications from the Miscarriage Association and the Still Birth and Neonatal Deaths Society show that women may experience a variety of emotions, which can range from disappointment, anger, guilt, to wonder about what they did wrong, why their pregnancy ended or why their baby died. Having a miscarraige at home can sometimes be a distressing, frightening and lonely experience for some women. Women certainly feel a sense of loss and need time to grieve over the lost baby.While the needs of women who experience loss through miscarriage will vary in the amount and kind of support they need and in the kind of care they find acceptable, this is provided mainly through the general practitioner, midwife and health visitor who are best placed to manage their after-care. Women are also given information about the help available in the voluntary sector. The department provides support through Section 64 funding to:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What psychological or psychiatric problems may be caused to a woman following the handling and disposal of an unborn child aborted by the use of the abortion drug RU 486 and; [HL5227]What advice is given to women about the disposal of the corpse of an unborn child following an abortion using abortion drug RU 486. [HL5228]

Women seeking an abortion should be given clear information beforehand to help them prepare for the procedure and staff are on hand to give support. A study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology¹ found that two years after early medical and surgical abortion procedures there were no significant differences between women who had undergone medical abortion or surgical abortion in either general, reproductive or psychological health. Almost all women placed a high value on the provision of choice of method of termination. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' evidence-based guideline The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion considered the mental health implications of termination and concluded "only a small minority of women experience any long term, adverse psychological sequelae after abortion" and stated that referral for further counselling should be available for these women.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the:

RU 486, now more commonly known as mifepristone (Mifegyne), is licensed for use in medical termination of pregnancy. Information on how to use mifepristone, as well as information on possible side effects, is provided in the product information for prescribers (summary of product characteristics (SPC)) and patients (patient information leaflet (PIL)).Warnings and contraindications for the use of mifepristone which are included in the SPC and PIL are as follows: allergy to mifepristone or any component of the product, suspected ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy not confirmed by ultrasound scan or biological tests, chronic adrenal failure, severe asthma not controlled by therapy and presence of a inter-uterine device in situ. In addition, special care should be given to patients with haemostatic disorders with hypocoagulability or with anaemia, and patients on long-term therapy with corticosteroids since corticosteroid efficacy can be decreased by concomitant treatment with mifepristone. Mifepristone is not recommended for use in patients with hepatic or renal failure or in women over 35 years of age and who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day.As with all medicines, Mifepristone is not without side effects. Some of the side effects experienced by patients such as pain, uterine contractions, or cramping and vaginal bleeding result from the termination of pregnancy. Side effects of the medication which may occur in some women include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramping, hypersensitivity reactions such as skin rashes and urticaria, headaches, malaise, hot flushes, dizziness, chills and fever.The Medicines Control Agency, with advice from the independent scientific advisory committee, the Committee on Safety of Medicines, is responsible for monitoring the safety of all marketed medicines.The safety of mifepristone was evaluated at the time of granting a marketing authorisation and continues to be monitored using information from clinical trials, post-marketing studies and from spontaneous adverse reaction reports. There have been a large number of studies and reviews of the safety of mifepristone published in the scientific literature in the last 10 years.Induced abortion is one of the most commonly performed gynaecological procedures in Great Britain. Abortion, both surgical and medical, is safer than carrying a pregnancy to term and complications are uncommon. All available evidence in terms of safety and efficacy of mifeprestone was reviewed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and. Gynaecologists when producing its evidence based clinical guideline

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current rate of incomplete abortions following the use of the abortion drug RU 486. [HL5255]

All methods of first trimester abortion carry a risk of failure to terminate the pregnancy, thus necessitating a further procedure. The evidence based clincal guideline The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (2000) produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists states that the failure rate for medical abortions is around 6 per thousand.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What counselling is available to a woman—

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' evidence-based guideline The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (2000), which applies to both medical and surgical abortions, recognises the importance of women seeking abortion receiving accurate impartial information. Verbal advice must be supported by printed information which every woman considering abortion can understand and may take away and read before the procedure.Clinicians caring for women requesting abortion should try to identify those patients who require more support in decision-making than can be provided in the routine clinic setting. Facilities for additional support, including access to social services, should be available. Appropriate information and support should be available for those who consider, but do not proceed to, abortion.Professionals should be equipped to provide women with the information they need in order to give genuinely informed consent: that abortion is safer than continuing a pregnancy to term and that complications are uncommon; description of the abortion methods that are available; immediate complications; and complications in the early weeks following abortion. During the procedure, staff are on hand to give support to women.The guideline also considers the mental health implications of termination and concludes: "Only a small minority of women experience any long-term, adverse psychological sequelae after abortion. Early distress, although common, is usually a continuation of symptoms present before the abortion. Conversely, long-lasting, negative effects on both mothers and their children are reported where abortion has been denied."Referral for further counselling should be available for the small minority of women who experience long-term post abortion distress.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are fully satisfied that the abortion drug RU 486 will be administered only in accordance with the Abortion Act 1967, as amended by Section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. [HL5260]

Under Section 2(2) of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, registered medical practitioners must notify the Chief Medical Officer of every completed termination of pregnancy they perform. The notification form contains detailed information relating to the procedure including the doctors who certified there were grounds under the Act, gestation, method used and place of termination. Every form is checked and monitored by Department of Health officials to ensure that the abortion was performed within the provisions of the Act.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they believe that the abortion drug RU 486 is safer than surgical abortion. [HL5257]

Depending on the gestation at which a woman presents for abortion and her individual circumstances, one or more different abortion methods may be appropriate. Both medical and surgical abortions are safe. Ideally, abortion services should offer women a choice of recommended methods for relevant gestation bands.Abortion, both medical and surgical, is safer than continuing a pregnancy to term and complications are uncommon. The risk of complication is lowered the earlier in pregnancy an abortion is performed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total cost to the National Health Service in each of the last five years to provide the abortion drug RU 486; and [HL5279]What they estimate will be the savings during each of the next five years to the National Health Service of using the abortion drug RU 486 instead of surgical abortion. [HL5259]

The information available relates to all medical abortions, of which about 95 per cent are undertaken using RU 486.The estimated cost to the National Health Service for NHS-funded medical abortions that took place on NHS premises in England is given in the table. This information is not available prior to 1998–99.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they agree with the statements made on 17 May by Dr Richard Hausknecht, medical director of the RU 486 manufacturer Danco, that the use of the abortion drug RU 486:

We have not seen the full text of Drs Hausknecht's and Sakiz's statements and cannot confirm whether the comments attributed to them are accurate. RU 486, now more commonly known as mifepristone, has been licensed for use in medical termination of pregnancy since 1991. The Medicines Control Agency in conjunction with its independent scientific advisory committee, the Committee on Safety of Medicines, is responsible for monitoring the safety of all marketed medicines to ensure that medicines meet acceptable standards of safety and efficacy.Medical abortion is one of the methods recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in its evidence based clinical guideline

asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations have been received from the Haemophilia Society by Ms Hazel Blears, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, further to her meeting in June with the society on financial assistance for haemophilia patients infected with hepatitis C by contaminated National Health Service blood products; what consideration the Department of Health's financial-economic team have given to the proposals; and what reply is being sent to the Haemophilia Society. [HL5306]

We are considering the Haemophilia Society's detailed report and will respond as soon as this has been completed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

The number of patients waiting for elective admission to hospital for hip replacement is not collected centrally. Our aim is to balance data requirements with the burden that they place on the National Health Service, and there are no plans to start collecting this information.Data on patients waiting for elective admission is collected on the consultant's main specialty function. Usually patients waiting for hip replacement are listed under the trauma and orthopaedic specialty. At 31 March 2002, 260,000 patients were waiting for elective admission to hospital in the trauma and orthopaedic specialty.During the financial year 2000–01, 70,000 hip replacements were performed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress they are making towards forming the Diabetes National Service Framework; and whether specific funding will be allocated to implement it; and [HL5364]Whether they will make resources available to ensure that the Diabetes National Service Framework is effective; and [HL5365]Whether they will make it clear to local health bodies that diabetes is a funding priority and should be included in future local health improvement programmes; and [HL5366]Whether they have any plans to encourage local health providers (for example, general practitioner practices) to meet agreed diabetes standards by receiving additional central funds for so doing; and [HL5367]Whether they believe that spending money on preventing and managing diabetes now will save money, as well as lives, over the long term, as the complications of diabetes can be delayed or avoided; and [HL5368]Whether they think investment in the Diabetes National Service Framework will also help deliver existing government targets, for example, those on older people and heart disease. [HL5395]

We published the standards for the Diabetes National Service Framework in December 2001. The forthcoming delivery strategy for the framework will set requirements for implementation at local level. Planning at a local level will respond to these requirements, taking account of local priorities and progress, and showing how milestones will be reached. Local strategies to deliver the framework will also be integrated in the wider planning process.Funding for diabetes is being considered as part of the current government Spending Review, together with other priorities. The Budget provides the highest sustained growth in NHS history, with annual average increases of 7.4 per cent in real terms over the five years 2003–04 to 2007–08. Decisions about the allocation of the increased funding will be announced later this year. The pace of change for delivery of the Diabetes National Service Framework will take account of the resources that will be available.Diabetes shares a number of common risk factors with coronary heart disease and stroke. Investment in the promotion of healthier lifestyles and in the control of blood pressure, in particular, will help to combat all three conditions. The standards for the Diabetes National Service Framework highlight the importance of common strategies for prevention and treatment. In doing so, they build on the National Service Frameworks for Coronary Heart Disease and Older People.

asked Her Majesty's Government:With reference to the draft Mental Health Bill, for the most recent period for which data are available on which reasonable estimates can be based, (a) what number of patients would fall under Clause 6(4) of that Bill; (b) what illnesses would they be diagnosed with and in what numbers; (c) what classes of treatment are available for those illnesses; and (d) what plans there are to refer those treatments to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for its consideration. [HL5449]

Nobody will be subject to compulsory treatment under the Bill's proposals who does not meet all the conditions for compulsion. It is not a question of different people being treated under different conditions.(a) The best estimate of the number of patients who could be so dealt with can be derived from the latest statistics of the number of inpatients detained in hospitals under the Mental Health Act 1983. This bulletin is prepared by the Government Statistical Service and was last published in October 2001.We should add to this the estimate of people who are dangerous by virtue of severe personality disorder and who could he treated under the Bill but could fall outside the scope of the 1983 Act. This estimate is derived from the Office for National Statistics

asked Her Majesty's Government:What directions or guidance they propose to issue to social services departments of local authorities in the light of the judgment delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of

The Government received the judgment delivered by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of P.C. and S. v the United Kingdom on Tuesday 16 July 2002. The Court did not find any Department of Health legislation or guidance to be in breach of the convention. However, the judgment has raised a number of issues that the Department of Health is giving careful consideration to. The department will ensure that these issues are kept carefully in mind as it develops the guidance necessary to implement the adoption legislation currently before Parliament.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many patients were registered with (a) the general dental services; and (b) the community dental services in each year since 1990, showing the figure both as a total and as a percentage of the population. [HL5450]

Arrangements are now in place to ensure that patients can gain access to National Health Service services by calling NHS Direct. this means that even if a patient is not registered with a dentist it will still be possible for that patient to access all forms of dentistry that are provided by the NHS.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the number of calls made each month since the introduction of NHS Direct by people seeking dental treatment; and how many of these patients (a) were treated on a single visit basis; or (b) became permanently registered with the suggested dentist. [HL5451]

The following table shows the number of telephone calls to NHS Direct from patients seeking dental treatment from November 2001 to April 2002. The percentage of calls meeting local distance standards for referral to dental services is also included.No information is available about the dental services which these callers subsequently received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the average cost of a course of dental treatment within the general dental services for (a) adults; and (b) children exempt from payment. [HL5452]

The average cost per course of dental treatment in the general dental service (GDS) for adult patients exempt from paying dental charges for England was £53.17 in 2001–02. This excludes patients who are partially exempt from paying dental charges. Including the partly exempt patients, the average cost was £53.45 for 2001–02.The average cost per course of dental treatment in the GDS for children in 2001–02 was £34.53 for England. Remuneration for courses of treatment involving an examination only are covered by the registration payment so are excluded from this average cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the average adult patient contribution towards the cost of dental treatment within the general dental services. [HL5453]

The average charge-payers contribution rate per course of treatment in the general dental service was £23.28 in 2001–02 in England. This figure includes patients with an HC3 certificate for partial remission from dental charges.People who fall into the following categories are exempt from charges.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to publish the Department of Health's report

We intend to publish the Options for Change report on NHS dentistry shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many (a) physiotherapists and (b) neuro-physiotherapists are currently employed in the National Health Service; and what are their plans to increase the numbers. [HL5505]

As at 30 September 2001, there were 16,210 physiotherapists employed in the National Health Service in England. Neuro-physiotherapists are not identified separately in the Non-medical Workforce Census.Our latest workforce projections estimate that there will be around 8,000 more physiotherapists in 2009 than there were in 2001.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the underlying data for changes in activity levels and hospital and community health services expenditure expressed in volume form which are shown in graphical form in Figure 7.7 of the Department of Health's departmental report (

The table shows the underlying changes in activity levels and hospital and community health service expenditure over the last 10 years for which data is available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimates they have made of the difference between changes in activity levels in hospital and community health services expenditure expressed in volume terms for the year 2001–02. [HL5525]

No estimates have been made of the differences between changes in activity levels and in hospital and community health services expenditure expressed in volume terms for the year 2001–02.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to publish final figures for general and acute activity, analysed into elective and non-elective activity, for the year ended 31 March. [HL5526]

The Department of Health expects to publish the hospital episode statistics for the year 2001–02 in the autumn. Figures will be available on the DH website at www.doh.gov.uk/hes/

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the judgment of the House of Lords of 20 June concerning the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, in particular the comments of Lord Hobhouse of Woodborough in paragraph 72 on

The Government are pleased that the House of Lords ruling has confirmed that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission may apply to the courts to intervene in legal proceedings when there is an issue about human rights.We were interested to read Lord Hobhouse of Woodborough's comments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the request of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to have a say in the allocation of public finance in Northern Ireland. [HL5045]

Paragraph 2.1.1 of the minutes of the commission meeting held on 14 January 2002 states that the chief commissioner will write to the Northern Ireland Executive with regard to the commission monitoring the allocation of public funds in Northern Ireland. As this is a matter between the commission and the devolved administration in Northern Ireland, it is not for Her Majesty's Government to comment.A copy of the minutes of the meeting will be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they were asked by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to intervene in the House of Lords case about its powers; and, if so, whether they declined to support the commission. [HL5056]

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission wrote to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 14 February 2002 requesting that the Government intervene in the commission's appeal to the House of Lords on 11 March. The Government, who had always understood the commission to have the power to intervene as a third party, was happy to intervene on behalf of the commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide a breakdown of the composition of the staff of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission by (a) religion, (b) by gender and (c) by the number of staff who are disabled; and whether this breakdown represents a true reflection of the Northern Ireland workforce as a whole. [HL5444]

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission as the commission directly employs its own staff.The chief commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 20 June (

Yes.

asked Her Majesy's Government:What plans they have for the former HM Prison in the Crumlin Road in Belfast. [HL5089]

The former HM Prison Belfast is now the responsibility of the devolved administration in Northern Ireland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that an organisation which is developing terrorist weapons can be considered to be creating a threat against people and a serious risk to the health or safety of the public. [HL5125]

The Prime Minister has made it abundantly clear there can be no halfway house on the road to peace. All paramilitary activity, including training and targeting, must stop, along with the decommissioning of all terrorist weapons.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list all the items which could cause damage to people and property which were captured by security forces in North Belfast on 12 July. [HL5329]

During a security force operation in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast at 5.30 am on 12 July security forces recovered the following items from the roof of the Credit Union:

• 82 spikes;
• 4 petrol bombs in a crate;
• 50 beer bottles;
• approximately 100 bricks;
• 20 x 1 foot long pieces of angle iron bent like boomerangs;
• 2 sections of insulator pre-fab roofing 3½ feet x 11 feet (No roofs in the vicinity are constructed with this material);
• an assortment of wooden posts 2 inch x 2 inch and 2 inch x 4 inch all between 4 feet and 6 feet long;
• 6 x ½ inch solid steel rods between 6 feet and 8 feet long with ends cut at an angle.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the strength of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, excluding the full-time reserve policemen; what was the figure recommended by the Patten report; and whether the present strength of the Police Service of Northern Ireland is adequate to provide efficient policing in Northern Ireland. [HL5356]

The current number of regular officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland is 6,879.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the role of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat; and how much does it cost to run annually. [HL5383]

The British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat supports the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference established by the British-Irish Agreement and deals with non-devolved Northern Ireland matters. The expenditure of the secretariat is met by the two governments and the cost to the British Government in 2001–02 was £554K.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 10 July (

Issues are discussed and agreed by Ministers in many different ways. If the occasion and duration of Cabinet and Cabinet committee meetings were known publicly, the likely speculation about what could be read into this information could inhibit the use of the full range of effective decision-making processes.