asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Amos on 2 May (

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in the process of disposing of a small number of antique and reproduction pieces in the UK. These are not considered to be historically important to the FCO. Proceeds will be used to purchase modern furniture which conforms with current health and safety regulations and is more suited to the demands of IT working.

asked her Majesty's Government:How many Commonwealth Prime Ministers since 1945 had, before they came into office, been sentenced to imprisonment by British authorities; and how many of these sentences were—

An answer to the question would require compilation of the personal profiles of all Commonwealth Prime Ministers since 1945; searches through domestic criminal records in the UK and its overseas territories (involving work by Home Office/Attorney-General's Office/Lord Chancellor's Department); searches through all relevant Colonial and India Office records from 1945 onwards.Such information is not held centrally and the cost to undertake the necessary research would be disproportionate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why there is no reference to an ethical dimension to foreign policy in the list of objectives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office contained within the HM Treasury document

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's objectives describe what the FCO aims to achieve across the full range of its activities. The Government continue to put human rights at the heart of their foreign policy. This is evident in many of the latest objectives, just as it was in the objectives for the 2000 Spending Review period.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many new entrants aged 18–24 there were in the United Kingdom labour markets in 2001; and in each of the following years: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991 and 1996; and [HL5612]When they last published figures on new entrants aged 18–24 to the United Kingdom labour market; and when they intend to publish such figures again. [HL5615]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many 50–65 year olds were resident in the United Kingdom in 2001; and in each of the following years: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1988, 1991 and 1996. [HL5613]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many 50–65 year-olds were economically inactive in the United Kingdom in 2001; and in each of the following years: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991 and 1996; and [HL5614]When they last published figures on the number of 50–65 year-olds who are economically Inactive in the United Kingdom; and when they intend to publish such figures again. [HL5616]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 24 July (

The EC Treaty contains no provision for a member state to withdraw from EMU.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What countries in Africa and Asia owe money to the United Kingdom; how much in each case; and what, if any, are the repayment arrangements. [HL5626]

Countries in Africa and Asia generally owe money to the UK via debts owing to the Department for International Development (DfID) or the Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD). Debts owing from these countries amount to around £57 million for the former and around £6 billion for the latter. In addition, the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) has some public sector debt owing to it by these countries that amounts to around £46 million. However, the Government have already written off all aid debts to the poorest countries and the majority of debts owing to DfID are written off as they fall due.In addition, the UK is at the forefront of the debate on international debt relief and participates fully in the enhanced heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative agreed at Cologne in 1999 that makes provision for the cancellation of around 100 billion US dollars of debt. Under the HIPC initiative a country receives interim debt relief on payments due when it reaches decision point (DP), and subsequently the debt is irrevocably cancelled at competition point (CP). Of the 42 countries classified as HIPCs, four are currently expected to have a sustainable burden of debt after traditional debt relief and one has, so far, not opted to apply for debt relief.Of the remaining 37 countries, 26 have now reached decision point with $62 billion in debt relief committed compared with the $100 billion total. Six of these countries, Bolivia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, have reached completion point and will have the totality of their debts owed to the UK irrevocably cancelled. Out of 11

Debts owing to UK by countries in Africa and Asia
	Debts owing to UK, £M
	HIPC	DfID		ECGD	CDC	Total
	status		repayment
African HIPCs1
Angola	Sustainable			120.0		120.0
Benin	DP			2.8		2.8
Cameroon	DP			73.5	30.7	104.2
Central African Republic	pre DP			0.3		0.3
Congo	pre DP			169.0		169.0
DR Congo	pre DP			192.3		192.3
Cote D'Ivoire	pre DP	1.47		27.4	14.3	43.1
Ethiopia	DP			11.5		11.5
Ghana	DP	4.40	None	33.4	14.7	52.5
Guinea Republic	DP			3.4		3.4
Kenya	Sustainable			20.4	4.0	24.4
Liberia	pre DP			19.8		19.8
Madagascar	DP			27.2		27.2
Malawi	DP	0.02	None	0.5	13.6	14.2
Mali	DP			4.4		4.4
Mozambique	DP	0.21	None			0.2
Niger	DP			8.4		8.4
Senegal	DP	0.10	None	1.5		1.6
Sierra Leone	DP			3.7		3.7
Somalia	pre DP			33.8		33.8
Sudan	pre DP			321.8		321.8
Togo	pre DP			16.8		16.8
Zambia	DP	25.66	None	229.2		254.9
Sub-total		31.87		1,321.1		1430.3
Other African countries2
Botswana					0.3	0.3
Gabon				123.9		123.9
Lesotho					11.5	11.5
Mauritius		0.16	None			0.2
Nigeria		4.23		3,977.0		3,981.2
Seychelles		7.89			1.8	9.7
Solomon Islands		1.01	None			1.0
Zimbabwe		9.23			10.2	19.4
Sub-total		22.52		4,100.9	23.9	4,147.3
Asia
India					4.1	4.1
Indonesia				613.0	18.0	631.0
Malaysia		1.33				1.3
Philippines		1.31		15.2		16.5

asked her Majesty's Government:What is the fuel duty on bioethanol in pence per litre; and what, converted to pence per litre equivalent, is the fuel duty on liquid petroleum. [HL5721]

Bioethanol is currently taxed at 45.82p per litre. Liquid petroleum gas is taxed at 9p per kilogramme (which is the equivalent of 17.6 pence per litre).

asked her Majesty's Government:In the context of the draft Mental Health Bill, what evidence they are aware of as to the reliability and consistency of the diagnosis "dangerous severe personality disorder"; and whether they are aware of any studies which demonstrate biases in this diagnosis in terms of gender, social class, or (in respect of the distribution of each characteristic in the population as a whole) the "likeability" of the patient as perceived by the person making the diagnosis. [HL5312]

"Dangerous severe personality disorder", or DSPD, does not exist as a clinical or legal diagnosis in its own right. There are no specific "DSPD" provisions in the draft Mental Health Bill. The term is a working definition. It is designed to cover individuals who show significant disorder of personality; present a significant risk of causing serious physical or psychological harm from which the victim would find it difficult or impossible to recover, (eg homicide, rape, arson; and in whom the risk presented appears to be functionally linked to the personality disorder.A developmental process of assessment designed to operationalise the above criteria is currently being piloted at HMP Whitemoor. The assessment process is comprehensive and, within a 16-week period, a number of instruments for the assessment of serious re-offending and severe personality disorder are completed. Prisoners are also observed and clinical judgements are made about the functional relationship between their disorder of personality and their serious offending behaviour.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there will be an increase in the number of police officers on the beat patrolling areas of Merseyside, and especially the town of Southport. [HL5323]

The Government's Crime Fighting Fund (CFF) provides Merseyside Police with funding to recruit 332 officers over and above the force's existing plans between 2000–01 and 2002–03.The CFF has assisted Merseyside Police in stabilising the previous decline in overall police numbers in the force which would otherwise have taken place as a result of the decline in the population sent by the force. There were 1,113 police officers in Merseyside as at 31 January 2002. This was 32 more than in March 2001.Merseyside Police is split into five local authority areas, Sefton area covers Southport and has a complement of 450 police officers and 86 civilian support staff.Figures collected by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary show that in 2000–01 the number of officers allocated to patrol duties was 2,313. However, the distribution of resources and deployment of officers within Merseyside is a matter for the chief constable of the force (Norman Bettison Esq QPM). I understand from the Chief Constable that the actual number of officers on duty in each neighbourhood varies hour by hour, as officers' shifts are planned to match resources as closely as possible to demand.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What measures they are taking to ensure that no British business facilitates or orchestrates tobacco smuggling, or assists in the funding of terrorism or the support of the illicit drug trade, organised crime or money laundering. [HL5422]

These activities are criminal under United Kingdom law and where there is evidence that offences have been committed offenders will be prosecuted. The adequacy of the criminal law in these areas is kept under review and in the case of money laundering existing provisions have recently been substantially strengthened in the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the development phase of the design and development of the central register of persons who have applied for or been granted a shotgun or firearm certificate on the police national computer, as required by Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 which came into force on 1 October 1997, has been completed; and whether the pilot operation is still expected to start in September; and [HL5459]Why on 1 October this year the requirement for the establishment of a central register of persons who have applied for a shotgun or firearm certificate under Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, which came into force on 1 October 1997, will not have been complied with for a period of five years; and whether they will list other statutory obligations which the Home Office has failed to comply with for a period of five years or more. [HL5460]

No time limit for establishing a register is specified in the Act. The Police Information Technology Organisation is taking the project forward as one part of the development of the Police/Home Office Extended Names Index (PHOENIX).I understand that the project board is currently considering their approach to PHOENIX to ensure value for money. We will write to the noble Lord once a decision has been made on the next steps to be taken.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many remanded juveniles, if any, were held in police cells in the months of May and June. [HL5609]

We do not hold separate figures on the number of remanded juveniles held in police cells centrally.However the numbers of remanded and sentenced juveniles held in police cells were 157 in May 2002 and 91 in June 2002. These figures have been provided by the Youth Justice Board who purchase juvenile secure accommodation, and are approximate. Juveniles are usually only held in police cells for one night because they are unable to reach their intended accommodation in time for admission on the same day. This problem is more serious in the south, and has eased following the availability of 112 extra places at Feltham for juveniles.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many children classified as vulnerable by the local youth offending team have been held in prison rather than in secure units in May and June. [HL5611]

The number of young people deemed to be vulnerable by youth offending teams and placed in prison was 84 in May 2002 and 58 in June 2002.We are working to increase the number of non-Prison Service accommodation available for juveniles. During June an extra 32 places were made available at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre; and we are in the process of making an extra 35 local authority secure unit places available. And in November we are expecting an extra 32 places in Medway Secure Training Centre.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

I understand that placing material on the Internet would constitute a display for the purposes of Sections 4, 4A and 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many bail applications, out of the total of 8,498 bail hearings before adjudicators between April 2001 and March 2002, were either (a) multiple bail applications for the same person; or (b) withdrawn on the day of the hearing. [HL5660]

Information on these is not held centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In what cases other than that of suicide it is a criminal offence to assist someone to perform an act when the performance of the act is itself legal. [HL5665]

I am not aware of any exact parallels to the legal position with regard to suicide, although there are other instances where activities associated with an act are unlawful when the act itself is not (e.g. prostitution).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have made any analysis of the relationship between the criminal records of juvenile offenders and any significant record of truancy on their part. [HL5727]

The Youth Justice Board's MORI 2002 Youth Survey explored the levels of truancy amongst both mainstream and excluded pupils. The survey also found a strong link between truancy and offending as 44 per cent of pupils who admitted committing a crime in the previous 12 months had played truant. The survey was published by the board on Monday 20 May 2002 and a copy was placed in the Library at the time of publication.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Measures introduced in 1999 in the magistrates' courts have streamlined case preparation and ensured that defendants are brought to court at the earliest opportunity. In addition, cases are fast-tracked through the system under the Government's pledge to halve the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders. The average time has been more than halved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many extra places for remanded juveniles have been required as a direct result of the piloting Section 130 of the Police and Criminal Justice Act 2001. [HL5610]

From 22 April 2002, the implementation date of Section 130 in the 10 street crime areas, we have provided the courts with a number of tough community alternatives to a custodial remands, including curfews with electronic monitoring as a condition of bail. In addition, intensive supervision and surveillance is now available in most sectors of the 10 street crime areas, including their major cities, and will be available throughout the whole of the 10 areas by autumn 2002. We expect this to cover some of those young people with a history of repeat offending on hail and who are at risk of a secure remand under Section 130.The most recent figures available indicate that from implementation until 19 July 2002, the population of juveniles remanded to local authorities with a security requirement rose from 98 to 109. This may have been because of the street crime initiative as well as a result of the implementation of Section 130. During this period 32 additional secure training centre places were made available and we expect to make another 340 places available over the next three years. We are also in the process of making available about 30 further local authority secure unit places for both remanded and sentenced juveniles.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What agreements have been reached with the Afghanistan interim government to protect the status of United Kingdom military personnel in relation to the powers of the International Criminal Court or other international tribunals. [HL4875]

The United Kingdom is fully committed to the International Criminal Court and has not sought immunity from the ICC's powers in Afghanistan, or indeed anywhere else in the world. Although the terms of ISAF Military Technical Agreement require the consent of the contributing nation before its personnel can be transferred to any international tribunal, this in no way affects the UK's commitment to the ICC or other international tribunals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which underground regional emergency centres, similar to the one close to the A 19 and between Easingwold and York, have been sold; when they were sold; and for how much in each case. [HL5086]

I will write to the noble Lord and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it has been decided to vaccinate members of the Armed Forces against anthrax and to put the territorial reserves on standby; if so, when the decisions were made; and why. [HL5552]

With respect to immunisation against anthrax, I refer the noble Lady to the Answer I gave on 13 June 2002 (WA 47) to the noble Lord, Lord Christopher.Reservists may only be called out to support military operations under the authority of a call out order made under the Reserve Forces Act 1996. At present there are four orders in being to authorise the use of reservists for the following operations: Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo; the former Yugoslavia; enforcement of the "no-fly zones" in the region of Iraq; and worldwide operations in support of the war against terrorism. The making of each order was reported to both Houses in accordance with the provisions of the 1996 Act. No reservists are on standby for any other operations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Statement by Lord Bach on 22 July (HL Deb. col. 23), whether they will place in the Library of the House or otherwise publish the advice they receive from "an extremely distinguished Queen's counsel" together with the instructions to, and the questions asked of, him or her, before there is a debate on the report of the Select Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Jauncey of Tullichettle, on the Chinook helicopter disaster. [HL5578]

It is not the practice of any government department to publish either such instructions or such privileged advice. I am therefore withholding the information requested in accordance with Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assurance they can give that the F680 process will not pre-empt consideration of the criteria governing the issue of export licences in the Export Control Bill, especially the criterion relating to sustainable development. [HL5602]

The Government consider F680 applications against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. However, it is routinely made clear that the advice to companies under this procedure does not constitute an export licence, nor guarantee any future export licence application will result in the issue of a licence.The Government have recently announced their decision to make procedural changes to the F680 process. Rather than as previously commenting through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development has been invited formally to comment directly on F680 applications for exports to countries where sustainable development may be considered an issue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the United Nations has completed its investigation into the shooting down of a helicopter of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) on 8 October 2001; and, if so, whether the Government will place a copy of the report in the Library of the House. [HL5617]

The board of inquiry established by the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia following the shooting down of the helicopter in October 2001, has not yet completed its report. We expect the report to be completed and passed to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Georgia in early autumn. It is likely that, as a minimum, copies of the final report will be passed to those countries whose nationals were killed in the incident (Germany, Hungary, Pakistan, Russia and Switzerland).

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they completed their review of the future use of RAF Northolt under their review of Ministry of Defence property holding within the Greater London area; when the work of the London study was published; and what proposals they now have for the future of the RAF Northolt site.[HL5653]

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) stated that further reductions in land and buildings in the London area should be possible. Among other sites in the Greater London area, it indicated that the future requirements at RAF Northolt should be examined in detail.To address this, the Strategic Development Plan for Greater London (SDP GL) was commissioned to provide an overview of the capacity and condition of the London estate and make recommendations aimed at encouraging its most efficient and effective use.The first phase of the study was concluded in 1999. Since then detailed studies have been undertaken to support the individual recommendations. A project team is now preparing detailed proposals for ministerial approval.We hope to make an announcement in the near future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many aircraft movements there have been from RAF Northolt in the most recent 12-month period for which they have data; and whether they will indicate by broad category the purpose of these flights. [HL5654]

The last 12-month period for which figures are available is July 2001 to June 2002. In that time there were a total of 11,477 movements, a movement being defined as a take-off or landing. This total was made up of 3,128 movements by RAF aircraft, 334 movements by civilian aircraft on United Kingdom government business, 1,160 movements by other military aircraft and 6,855 civilian aircraft movements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, if antidotes to anthrax, plague and other life-threatening diseases are required by members of the Armed Forces on active service, all the vaccines likely to be used will have been fully tested and approved. [HL5677]

It is not our policy to use unlicensed vaccines for Armed Forces personnel, except in emergencies where no other treatment is available, and on the basis of expert medical advice.In certain circumstances the Ministry of Defence may consider offering unlicensed vaccines to specialist individuals who risk contact with rare and dangerous diseases by virtue of their specialisation, for example laboratory workers. This would be done only where we have full confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, where no licensed vaccine or other treatment is available, and on the basis of expert medical advice.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 24 July (

Of the 52,323 regular members of the United Kingdom Armed Forces who were deployed to the Gulf between 1 September 1990 and 30 June 1991, 533 had died as at 30 June 2002. Of these, the underlying cause of death is known for 525 cases. In 204 cases death was disease-related and in 321 cases due to accidental causes. Of the 1,086 reservists and volunteers known to have deployed to the Gulf in the same period, there had been 18 deaths as at 30 June 2002. Of these, the underlying cause of death is known for 17 cases. In nine cases death was disease-related and in eight cases due to accidental causes. There is no statistically-significant difference in the mortality rates of the regulars or of the reservists and volunteers who deployed to the Gulf when compared to the Era comparison group. The Government are not able to provide a more detailed breakdown of cause of death information because this might lead to the identification of individuals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What extent they or any of their NATO or European Union allies have contributed to solving housing problems for the Russian military within Russia. [HL5715]

The United Kingdom has made no specific contribution to the solution of housing problems for the military within Russia. Instead, the United Kingdom's focus has been on retraining servicemen for civilian life after retirement or redundancy. Since 1995 over 15,000 Russian servicemen have received training, of whom over 70 per cent have secured employment within four months of completing their course.The Government are aware of two housing projects by NATO allies dating from the mid-1990s. The German Government built around 35,000 housing units in Russia as part of the withdrawal programme of Soviet Forces from Germany and the United States Government undertook a more modest pilot scheme to build houses in rural Russia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether all intercalating students are eligible for either education or social security support. [HL5373]

Generally, intercalating students are eligible for either HE student or social security support. The student loans system is the prime means of support for full-time higher education students. Support is provided to students who are absent from their courses because of illness for the first 60 days of absence. Local education authorities (LEAs) have the discretion to decide whether they should continue to receive support after the first 60 days' absence and also when students suspend their studies for reasons other than illness, such as caring responsibilities, financial problems, bereavement, or premature termination of a work placement. We strongly encourage LEAs to exercise this discretion. Additional assistance for students who are absent from their courses may also be available through the hardship funds, which allow universities and colleges to provide discretionary support for students in particular need.So far as social security benefits are concerned students in the "vulnerable groups" as defined in social security legislation (such as lone parent or disabled students) continue to be eligible for income related benefits during periods of intercalation and students who have been ill for 196 days become eligible to claim income support during their period of illness. Students who, with the permission of their higher education institution, have interrupted their course because of caring responsibilities or illness but those caring responsibilities have ceased or they have recovered form that illness may claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit from the date their caring responsibilities ceased until they are permitted to return to the course, but, to ensure they return as soon as practicable, the claim period is limited to one year.Some intercalating students who are not ill, lone parents or disabled may not receive LEA discretionary student support, as well as being ineligible for social security benefits. One example is students intercalating for academic reasons, such as those who have failed their exams and only return to their HE institution to retake them a year later.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which students, if any, are eligible for either educational or social security support. [HL5374]

Support for full-time higher education students comes from the student support system, which is designed for their needs, and not from the social security system. The vast majority of students, once they begin a full-time course of study, are not eligible to claim the income-related benefits.However some students in the "vulnerable groups" as defined in social security legislation, principally lone parents and disabled students, may have additional costs unassociated with their studies and these students retain their eligibility for the income-related benefits subject to satisfying eligibility and income criteria. They may be eligible for both higher education student support and social security benefits.Full-time students in these vulnerable groups continue to be eligible for income related benefits during periods of intercalation. This now includes students who, with the permission of their HE institution, have interrupted their course because of caring responsibilities or illness but those caring responsibilities have ceased or they have recovered from that illness but cannot return to their course until an agreed time in the academic year. These students may claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit from the date their caring responsibilities or illness ceased until return to the course; but, to ensure they return as soon as practicable, the claim period is limited to one year. A student who intercalates and has been ill for 196 days also becomes eligible to claim income support during their period of illness thereafter.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many days after withdrawal from their courses students cease to be eligible for educational support through normal channels. [HL5375]

Loans for living costs and grants for higher education students in respect of their dependants are payable in three instalments during each academic year. Students are not eligible for any instalments of living costs support payable during any quarters of the academic year that remain after the quarter during which they withdraw from their course. They may be eligible for an instalment of support during the quarter in which they withdraw, but this is subject to the discretion of the local education authority concerned, taking into account the circumstances leading to the student's withdrawal. Once they have withdrawn they are not eligible to apply to their institution for support from access or hardship funds.If students withdraw from their courses before the first three months of the academic year have expired, they will not be eligible for grant support towards the income-assessed contribution they are expected to make towards their tuition fees.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the cost of ensuring that all students should be eligible for either educational or social security support. [HL5377]

So far as full-time higher education students are concerned, the great majority receive student support. The exceptions are some intercalating students, although a number of intercalating students who suspend their studies are now eligible for social security benefits or for student loans at the discretion of their LEAs. We have no cost figures on the extension of student support to all such students because information on overall numbers of particular categories of intercalating students is not collected by LEAs or centrally. Costs would vary depending on whether extended support was in the form of repayable higher education student loans or non-repayable social security benefits.For other categories of students, there would be additional costs in extending social security benefits to full-time further education students but part-time higher and part-time further education students are already eligible to claim them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:For each of the three years covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review (2003–06), how much money has been allocated in England for (a) schools, (b) early years provision in schools and (c) other early years provision. [HL5635]

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills will take the decisions on the distribution of the additional resources provided by the spending review between and within the various sectors of education later in the year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much money schools currently spend on digital learning resources; and to what extent this figure is likely to change in light of the BBC's digital curriculum proposal; and [HL5647]What plans they have to make the N M Rothschild and CEPA reports available; and what the reports say about the likely impact of BBC's digital curriculum proposal on competition in the digital learning resources market; [HL5648]Whether they will consider the likely impact on competition in the digital learning resources market when considering the BBC's digital curriculum proposal. [HL5649]

The department does not routinely collect data on total spend on software. However the 2001 ICT in Schools Survey did report that in 1999–2000 schools in England spent an average of £800 per primary school and £5,230 per secondary on software and online content. As part of the Curriculum Online programme we are providing schools in England with £50 million for the year 2002–03 to spend on digital learning resources showcased by a range of commercial providers on the Curriculum Online portal.My right honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is considering the BBC's digital curriculum proposal in accordance with her department's published guidelines on proposed new BBC public services. The matters taken into account under the guidelines include the likely impact of the service on commercial services already in the market and on potential future services.The main points of the Rothschild report were included in the Curriculum Online consultation paper issued by the department in April 2001. The rest of the report, which reviews the future development and financing of the National Grid for Learning, is commercial in confidence and cannot therefore be made public. The work is Rothschild's intellectual property.Research Machines filed a judicial review claim with the Government over the BBC's digital curriculum activities in April 2002. The Rothschild report was made available as part of the litigation brought by RM on litigation disclosure terms for the purposes of that litigation only.CEPA's report on the market on digital learning materials draws on discussions and commercially sensitive information provided in confidence by the organisations interviewed. This report was commissioned as an internal document to inform the policy relating to Curriculum Online and its findings were never intended for publication.There are no plans for further dissemination of either report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will estimate the cost to an individual of obtaining an NVQ level II qualification [HL5658]

People who achieve their NVQ level 2 usually do so either through government-supported training, or with the positive support of their employer. Those people who obtain NVQs through the government-supported route are not required to pay for the costs of their training. For employers, there is no requirement to disclose how much they contribute to the costs of supporting individual employees.It is not possible to estimate the average cost of an NVQ level 2 because of the wide variation between occupational areas and time taken to achieve the qualification.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many days after withdrawal from their courses students become eligible for social security benefits other than crisis loans, and [HL5376]Whether they accept the objective of the Social Security Housing Committee that all intercalating students should be eligible either for education support or for social security support, and [HL5372]Which recommendations of the Report of the Social Security Advisory Committee on the draft Social Security Amendment (Students) Regulations 2000 (Cm 4739) they have now adopted; which they have not adopted; and what would be the cost of adopting those recommendations, and [HL5388]Whether they consider that students who are single parents and whose youngest child reaches 16 before the conclusion of their course should remain eligible for social security benefits until the conclusion of their course; and what the likely cost of such eligibility would be, and [HL5389]Whether the concept of "last day of course" (as referred to in paragraphs 43–46 of the Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee (Cm 4739)) is one which cannot easily be applied to postgraduate students, and [HL5390]Whether they accept the view of the Social Security Advisory Committee (Cm 4739, paragraph 36) that "the Government should recognise the wide variety of circumstances which can give rise to necessary breaks in full-time study, switches to part-time study or examination failure", and [HL5391]Whether they accept the view of the Social Security Advisory Committee (Cm 4739, paragraph 48) that those who lose exemption from council tax should thereby acquire liability for council tax benefit; and, if they see any justifiable exemptions from this principle, on what grounds. [HL5392]

A student becomes eligible to claim an income-related benefit immediately they have abandoned, completed or been dismissed from a full-time course of study. Students studying part-time are not excluded from claiming income-related benefits whilst studying. All students may claim other social security benefits subject to their satisfying the normal conditions of entitlement for the benefit concerned.In March 1998 the Social Security Amendment (Students) Regulations 2000 were formally referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee. The regulations amended social security legislation to make clear the policy intention that full-time students are not eligible for income-related benefits (income support, jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit) until they complete, abandon or are dismissed from their course. This is because support for students should come instead from the educational maintenance system, which is designed for their needs. However, in recognition that some students have costs unassociated with their study, certain students, such as disabled students or lone parents, can claim income-related benefits.In reporting their views on the proposed 1998 regulations to the Secretary of State, following the referral, the committee made three recommendations. We were unable to accept the recommendations in full and it is not possible to estimate the likely cost of adopting those recommendations we did not accept. However, we did make the following concessions.We recognise that there are a number of reasons why a student might interrupt their course of study, but we believe that students have a responsibility to progress as quickly as possible with their studies and for this reason students who interrupt, but do not abandon, a course of full-time study remain ineligible for the income-related benefits and may not have access to student support. In cases of illness however, although there is no mandatory requirement to determine that support is payable where a higher education student is absent after 60 days, the Department for Education and Skills is committed to ensuring that such students continue to receive their support whenever appropriate. Guidance has therefore been issued to educational institutions requesting them to be sympathetic to students in this position and to local education authorities asking them to consider exercising their discretion to extend student support payments.In addition, students who have, with the permission of their educational establishment, interrupted their course because of illness or caring responsibilities, and who have recovered from that illness or whose caring responsibilities have ended can claim jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit, or council tax benefit as appropriate. They may claim from the date of recovery from illness or the date their caring duties ceased until such time as they have permission to return to their course. However to ensure that the student returns as soon as practicable the period of such a claim is limited to one year.We also agreed not to amend the definition of "last day of the course" as we had proposed in view of the adverse effect it would have had on some post-graduate students. (Command Paper 4739, government response, paragraphs 21–23). Guidance was issued to decision makers to make clear that post-graduate students who have completed their course of study should not be treated as full-time students. These students will therefore be eligible for council tax benefit unless, in the opinion of the decision maker, they are engaged full-time in writing a thesis or doing associated work such as research.Students who change from a full-time course to a part-time course and who have had to abandon one to begin the second are able to claim the relevant income-related benefits, as they are no longer full-time students.In recognition of the additional costs unassociated with their studies that lone parents who are full-time students may have, they continue to be eligible for income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit. However this eligibility ceases when the youngest child reaches age 16 for income support purposes or when the child reaches age 19 or is no longer in full-time relevant education for housing benefit and council tax benefit.At age 16 for income support purposes, the child is no longer treated as dependant to the extent that the parent is required to register for employment and is therefore no longer considered to be a vulnerable group student. It would be unfair on other single students, who also have no dependants, if these students remained eligible for income support.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hollis of Heigham on 22 July (

Schemes operate tracker funds in a variety of ways. The exact current value of money invested in a stakeholder pension will depend on a number of factors, such as the date of the investment and the specific nature of the stakeholder's charging structure. Also, for a given index tracked, fund performance may vary. For these reasons no specific answer can be given.Data are available from

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 17 June (HC Deb, 63W) and on 16 April (HC Deb, 836W), why they have decided not to award the Queen's Jubilee Medal to the Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London: and what representations they have received in this respect. [HL5534]

The medal is being given to serving members of the Armed Forces, the Royal Fleet Auxilliary and the 999 emergency services. Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London are not eligible to receive the Queen's Jubilee Medal as they do not fall within these catergories.Five letters have been received from or on behalf of the Yeomen Warders in support of their receiving the medal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of the increases in broadcasting capacity delivered by increasing use of digital technology; and what implications they have identified as a result of that increase in capacity for the continuation of the statutory ban on Christian organisations owning broadcasting licences. [HL5656]

The Government recognise that the capacity for providing broadcast services on all delivery platforms has increased significantly through digital technology. The Government's position is set out in the document The draft Communications Bill—The Policy which states that, where there is sufficient spectrum availability, restrictions on religious bodies holding licences will be removed (paragraph 9.3.3). The growth of digital TV and radio broadcasting has helped reduce spectrum constraints, but limitations do remain. The Government's aim is to ensure that the limited spectrum available is distributed so as to satisfy as many viewers/listeners as possible and to avoid giving one religion an unfair advantage over another so that everyone's beliefs are equally respected. We have decided to lift the present prohibitions on religious ownership of certain television licences (digital programme service, digital additional service and restricted service licences) and in relation to radio, the local digital sound programme service licence, where (as noted in the Communications White Paper) the disqualification in relation to religious bodies is an anomaly in the present legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is spectrum scarcity in the digital environment; and why there is a statutory ban on religious organisations having a range of broadcasting licences. [HL5736]

The Government recognise that the capacity for providing broadcast services on all delivery platforms has increased significantly through digital technology. The Government's position is set out in the document The draft Communications Bill—The Policy which states that, where there is sufficient spectrum availability, restrictions on religious bodies holding licences will be removed (paragraph 9.3.3). The growth of digital TV and radio broadcasting has helped reduce spectrum constraints, but limitations do remain. The Government's aim is to ensure that the limited spectrum available is distributed so as to satisfy as many viewers/listeners as possible, and to avoid giving one religion an unfair advantage over another so that everyone's beliefs are equally respected. We have decided to lift the present prohibitions on religious ownership of certain television licences (digital programme service, digital additional service and restricted service licences) and in relation to radio, the local digital sound programme service licence, where (as noted in the Communications White Paper) the disqualification in relation to religious bodies is an anomaly in the present legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the European Court of Human Rights intends to consider an application about the ban on religious organisations having a range of broadcasting licences; and when a decision could be expected. [HL5737]

I understand that the European Court of Human Rights has received an application in relation to religious ownership of broadcasting licences. However, it is a matter for the Court as to when or whether it considers an application.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration they give to membership of religious organisations when considering appointments of (a) members or senior officers of the Radio Authority; (b) members or senior officers of the Independent Television Commission; and (c) Governors and senior officers of the BBC; and whether they have declined to make such an appointment to any of those bodies solely on the basis of the religious affiliations of the candidate. [HL5657]

All appointments of members of the Radio Authority and the Independent Television Commission, and Governors of the BBC are made in compliance with the guidance issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This provides that all public appointments should be governed by the overriding principle of selection based on merit: religious affiliation is not a criterion for appointment. The Government are not responsible for appointing executive staff to these bodies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which museums and art galleries have abolished charges in the last two years; and what effect the abolition of such charges has had on admission numbers. [HL5692]

The DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries which abolished charges for admission to their permanent collections on 1 December 2001 (22 November 2001 for the V&A), are set out in the list below. This followed the introduction of free access for children on 1 April 1999 and for people over 60 on 1 April 2000.Since April 2000 child visits to ex-charging museums and galleries sponsored by the DCMS have increased by 713,000 (14 per cent). Over the same period, there were an additional 532,000 visits from people over 60, a 23 per cent increase.In the seven-month period December 2001 to June 2002 following the introduction of free entry visits to these museums and galleries increased by 2,700,000, a 62 per cent growth on the same period in the previous year. This is a spectacular endorsement of the Government's free access policy.In addition, the National Coal Mining Museum for England introduced free admission on 8 April 2002, and the Imperial War Museum of the North in Trafford opened free in July 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What criteria were applied to the museums and art galleries that were permitted to abolish admission charges; and whether it is envisaged that other establishments may abolish charges if they meet these criteria. [HL5693]

The Government's pledge, first made in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review, was to ensure universal free access to the national museums and galleries. The VAT refund scheme, announced by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2001 Budget was designed in order to help deliver that pledge. Only the national museums and galleries that are free, funded directly by Government, and to which that commitment to free access applied, are eligible for the refund scheme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the interests of greater transparency, they will institute an annual independent audit of the BBC's expenditure in pursuit of (a) its public service role and (b) any commercial activities. [HL5750]

The BBC's financial statements are audited annually by independent external auditors, currently KPMG, who assess whether the accounts have been properly prepared in accordance with the provisions of the BBC's Charter and Agreement. Although not mandatory, the BBC also complies with the provisions of the Companies Act 1985.Following the licence fee settlement in February 2000, the BBC is required to appoint a separate audit firm for fair trading purposes, currently PricewaterhouseCoopers. This was part of a package on transparency and fair trading measures designed to open up the BBC to more external scrutiny. The independent fair trading and financial audit reports are published in the BBC's Annual Report. The Government have no plans to institute any further transparency measures.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which committee now advises the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England on Ancient Monuments under the terms of the National Heritage Act 1983 (Chapter 47, Schedule 3, paragraph 9); and what advice they have received from the Commission on the ongoing destruction of the Scheduled Ancient Monument at Verulamium through continuing deep ploughing and upon the problems which deep ploughing presents for other scheduled ancient monuments in England. [HL5517]

The committee that advises English Heritage on ancient monuments is the Historic Sites and Landscapes Committee, formerly the Ancient Monuments Advisory Committee.English Heritage has advised that there is evidence that ploughing in parts of the Verulamium scheduled monument is causing ongoing damage to the archaeology. It is, however, difficult to delineate the areas in which damage is being caused because of the topography of the site.Before a final decision can be made by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the correct way forward she must satisfy herself that all available options have been explored, that the necessary legal procedures have been followed and that any action is underpinned by appropriate evidence. DCMS is identifying those parties with a legal interest in the site so that consultation can take place. We all want to bring matters to as speedy a conclusion as possible—within the relevant legal and procedural constraints.The term "deep ploughing" is not one that has an agreed definition and used in the context of this site, it conveys a misleading impression. Ploughing at scheduled monuments is only permitted within the terms of the Ancient Monuments Class Consents Order 1994 which gives consent to the following works (among others):"Agricultural, horticultural and forestry works of the same kind as those previously carried out lawfully in the same location and on the same spot within that location within the period of six years immediately preceding the date on which the works commence; but excluding works falling into one or more of the following categories—(a) in the case of ploughed land, any works likely to disturb the soil of any part of that land below the depth at which ploughing of that part has previously been carried out lawfully."Of course, ploughing and other means of cultivating the soil are potentially damaging to any ancient monument or archaeological site. The cultivation of previously undisturbed sites may disrupt and make archaeological areas indecipherable and the repeated disturbance of the soil can fragment and abrade artefacts that are contained within it. The deeper the ploughing the more likely it is to destroy previously undisturbed levels even in land that has previously been cultivated. The impact on any one ancient monument is, however, dependent on the land use history and the nature of the site itself.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which organisations have been designated as exempt from the provisions relating to political organisations under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. [HL5645]

The following 32 political organisations have been specified in orders—The Registered Parties (Non-constituent and Non-affiliated Organisations) Order 2000 and The Registered Parties (Non-constituent and Non-affiliated Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2002—made under Section 26(8)(c) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 as organisations which are not to be taken as constituent or affiliated organisations in relation to political parties and are therefore exempt from the provisions of the Act.

• Association of Conservative Peers
• Association of Loyal Orange Women of Ireland
• Black and Asian Society
• Christian Socialist Movement
• Conservative Animal Welfare Group
• Conservative Christian Fellowship
• Conservative Disability Group
• Conservative Foreign Affairs Forum
• Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council
• Conservative Friends of Israel
• Conservative Lawyers
• Conservative Medical Society
• Conservative National Education Society
• Conservative Transport Group
• Conservatives at Work
• County Grand Lodges of the Loyal Orange Institution of Ireland
• Fabian Society
• Hurst Park Residents Association
• Labour Housing Group
• Labour Irish Group
• National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs
• Poale Zion
• Socialist Health Association
• Socialist Education Association
• Socialist Environment and Resources Association
• Society of Labour Lawyers
• The Association of Conservative Clubs
• The Conservative Councillors Association
• The Countryside Forum
• The 1992 Committee
• The Society of Conservative Accountants
• The Tory Green Initiative

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, following the amalgamation of the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the Public Record Office, they will invite the newly-formed National Archives to accept the deposited records of the privatised railway industry. [HL5688]

The Public Record Office (PRO) and the Historical Manuscripts Commission (HMC) will combine to form the National Archives in April 2003. As the HMC's current role does not include the acquisition of records, it is not anticipated that the coming together of the two organisations will impact immediately on the acquisition policy currently operated by the PRO. This policy excludes the records of privatised industries operating outside Government.The National Archives will continue the practice of the PRO and the HMC in working closely with the Railway Heritage Committee to ensure that historically significant railway records are safeguarded and deposited with appropriate institutions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the 31,251 reports of suspected money laundering referred to by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 9 July (HL Deb, col. 558) have been followed by subsequent court prosecutions. [HL5234]

The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) does not hold statistical information relating to the number of prosecutions which may have resulted from these reports of suspicions of money laundering. However, it does monitor whether the financial disclosures it receives and forwards to law enforcement agencies are of value to those agencies. From these 31,251 reports made in 2001, to date NCIS has received feedback in 11,047 cases, and in respect of 9,082 (82 per cent) of these replies from law enforcement agencies have indicated that the reports have assisted their efforts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What role, if any, they envisage for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in dealing with asylum seekers who are:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has offered this service to the United Kingdom (UK) and French Governments to help find a mutually acceptable solution to the problem of Sangatte. Both governments welcome the offer and are considering their response. No other role within the European Union is under consideration. For countries outside the European Union, under the proposed Rufugee Quota Resettlement scheme the UNHCR will be consulted on the scheme's development and have a role in the selection of potential applicants for the scheme.UNHCR is not routinely involved in the process for considering asylum claims although it may intervene in individual cases. It is also consulted as appropriate on certain asylum and country policy issues.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps are taken to ascertain what assets asylum seekers may possess in other countries including their country of origin; and whether these may be recoverable. [HL5302]

Regulation 6 of the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 sets out the assets which the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) must take into account when determining whether an asylum seeker is destitute. Those assets are cash, savings, investments, land, cars or other vehicles, and goods held for the purpose of trade or other business. The assets may be held in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. NASS does not consider the value of personal jewellery, nor does it take account of personal clothing, bedding and optical or medical items when calculating asylum support.Asylum seekers applying for support from NASS are required to declare any assets when they apply for asylum support. They are asked to say if their assets are not reasonably available to them and explain why. NASS caseworkers must then exercise their judgment in determining whether assets are reasonably available to the applicant. Where possible, caseworkers are advised to confirm factual matters (such as the existence of currency restrictions) with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) Country Information and Policy Unit (CIPU) or with the relevant embassy or High Commission. In assessing the value of property overseas, caseworkers are advised to give the applicant the benefit of the doubt concerning the location, current market value and description of property unless it is inherently improbable or inconsistent with other information. NASS guidance states that land or property should be disregarded indefinitely if it is impractical and unreasonable to sell it or if it is occupied by relatives who are 60 years of age or older or are disabled.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What means they are employing to improve the background information and professional training provided for (a) case-workers and (b) interpreters dealing with asylum applicants up to the point of the initial decision. [HL5438]

The content of the comprehensive and independent information on asylum seekers' countries of origin provided for asylum decision makers by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is regularly updated. Recent improvements include plans to establish an advisory panel to help quality assure these country of origin information reports.The means employed to improve training and background information for asylum decision makers include:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of asylum seekers detained and subsequently granted bail attempt to evade the asylum system; and whether they accept the findings of

The requested information on the proportion of asylum seekers that are detained and subsequently granted bail who attempt to evade the asylum system is not available. However, detention is used sparingly and only a small proportion of all those liable to detention under the Immigration Act 1971 are actually detained.We welcome the contribution the research conducted by South Bank University makes to the on-going debate about the use of immigration detention powers. We are aware of its conclusions but have not yet had an opportunity to study the whole report.We are making improvements in the area of contact management as detailed in the current Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill. The Bill will provide for the creation of accommodation centres for asylum seekers who will be required to report within the centre. Those asylum seekers who are dispersed or who are not in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation will be required to report to reporting centres or to police stations attended by staff from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. During the induction process all asylum seekers will be advised of their obligations to notify the Home Office of any change of address and of the need to report as required. Provision of support to asylum seekers will be conditional on their reporting as required.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have published the rules for the operation of asylum seeker induction centres; and, if not, whether they will do so. [HL5710]

No operational rules for the running of induction centres have been published. Procedures for doing so are currently being tested at the Dover induction centre where operations include working in partnership with the voluntary sector who deliver briefings to asylum applicants, and a combination of National Asylum Support Service (NASS) and asylum procedures. There are no plans for publishing operational guidelines at present.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of asylum seekers went through the induction centre process in each of the last three months; and what is their future intention in this regard. [HL5711]

I am afraid that the information is not available in the precise form requested. Currently there is one induction centre in Dover. In the future it is intended that all asylum seekers will go through the induction centre process. Further induction centres are planned for London (north and south) and in the regions.Data for the last three months are not yet available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the announcement that it is now safe to return asylum seekers to Afghanistan applies to all asylum seekers from that country or whether they will consider each case on its merits according to the circumstances of each individual including such factors as their treatment and experiences before they left Afghanistan, their place of origin within Afghanistan and their ethnicity. [HL5304]

Applications for asylum from people from Afghanistan will continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. In cases where asylum has been refused, asylum caseworkers will consider—on a case by case basis—whether in the individual circumstances of a particular case it is appropriate to grant exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom. Full account will be taken of the particular circumstances of the individual concerned and the country situation. If the circumstances of an individual case justify it, exceptional leave to remain will be granted. In cases where asylum has been refused and exceptional leave has not been granted, appropriate enforcement action will be taken.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that two weeks provides sufficient time between an asylum seeker completing the induction process and attending his or her substantive interview for competent legal advice to be sought and any necessary supporting documents obtained from the asylum seeker's country of origin or elsewhere; and whether an allowance is made for circumstances where documents have been sought but have not yet arrived. [HL5712]

The induction process includes the booking of the applicant's substantive asylum interview. This interview is booked for no less than 10 working days from the applicant's departure from the induction centre. This timing is in line with current practice for asylum seekers who do not yet go through the induction process. In addition, the induction process provides briefing for asylum applicants detailing the asylum process, their rights and responsibilities.The briefing makes it clear that an asylum seeker may seek legal representation but that this is not deemed necessary prior to attendance at a substantive interview, and an interview will not be delayed because of a lack of representation. This is consistent with the Government's view that it is not necessary for an asylum seeker to obtain legal representation prior to a substantive asylum interview.Regarding documentation it is incumbent on an asylum seeker to provide additional documentation to support his claim at the earliest opportunity. If documents are not available at the time of interview they could be produced to support any appeal the asylum seeker may lodge.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will outline their policy on physical inspection of passports of all those arriving in the United Kingdom, indicating at which points of entry equipment for the electronic recording of machine readable passports is already in operation. [HL5461]

The published Immigration Rules, as approved by Parliament, require any person arriving in the United Kingom, or seeking entry through the Channel Tunnel, to produce a valid passport or other document satisfactorily establishing his/her nationality and identity. Passengers arriving in the United Kingdom who are subject to immigration control must seek leave to enter from an immigration officer in order to establish whether they meet the requirements of those Immigration Rules. Personal details, including passport number, will be checked against the Immigration Service's warnings index.Immigration ports of entry to the United Kingdom currently have no ability to record electronically machine readable passports, but the majority do have computerised warnings index equipment to read these passports.The Immigration Service is currently testing several devices and their output relating to the technology needed to record data from machine-readable passports. A short and limited experiment was conducted at Dover during May 2002 for the purpose of trialling a particular piece of equipment in a working control environment. The data from the trial is still being evaluated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give, for each month from January 2000 to date, the number of illegal immigrants who are known to have arrived via the Channel Tunnel. [HL5462]

It is not possible to establish precisely how many illegal entrants have reached the United Kingdom after travelling through the Channel Tunnel on freight trains. Some are detected inland and cannot be attributed to a particular port of entry and some claim to use the Channel Tunnel but have in fact entered by a different route.Provisional management information for 2000 shows that 100 illegal entrants arrived at Cheriton platform having travelled on board open-sided freight shuttles through the Channel Tunnel.In 2001 and the first quarter of 2002, locally collected, provisional management information indicates the following monthly arrivals:

Cheriton Platform Arrivals	Number
Jan 2001	195
Feb 2001	411
Mar 2001	515
Apr 2001	553
May 2001	565
June 2001	745
Jul 2001	808
Aug 2001	726
Sep 2001	465
Oct 2001	133
Nov 2001	40
Dec 2001	36
Jan 2002	100
Feb 2002	61
Mar 2002	31

In 2000, 1,312 illegal entrants arrived at Dollands Moor rail freight yard having arrived on freight trains through the Channel Tunnel.In 2001 and the first quarter of 2002 provisional management information indicates the following numbers of illegal entrants who were detected having arrived in the United Kingdom at Dollands Moor:

Dollands Moor Arrivals	Number
Jan 2001	189
Feb 2001	139
Mar 2001	151
Apr 2001	40
May 2001	121
June 2001	92
Jul 2001	68
Aug 2001	69
Sep 2001	35
Oct 2001	274
Nov 2001	289
Dec 2001	96
Jan 2002	57

Dollands Moor Arrivals	Number
Feb 2002	288
Mar 2002	109

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements have been put in place for the funding of the Assisted Voluntary Returns—Afghanistan scheme. [HL5734]

A package of assistance is being introduced for a trial six month period to assist reintegration of those Afghans who return home voluntarily. It will be offered to those who have, on 14 August 2002, asylum claims awaiting decision or appeal, or who have received exceptional leave to remain. Payments of £600 for individuals and up to £2,500 for families, to be paid after departure, reflect an equitable payment to make return to Afghanistan sustainable.Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Home Office RFR1 (H). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £1,685,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Filkin on 18 July (

British Overseas Citizen (BOC) passport holders were only eligible to apply for a special voucher if they lived in East Africa or had an East African connection, where they were under pressure to leave their country and held no other nationality. The scheme was abolished in March because it no longer served the purpose for which it was set up and, since that time, BOCs wishing to settle in the United Kingdom have had to qualify under the general provisions of the Immigration Rules. Sympathetic consideration will be given to applications from BOCs in special cases of hardship but each case will be determined on its own merit.At the time the scheme was abolished there was no intention of introducing a more general right of settlement for BOCs. However, following representations about the position of BOCs with no other nationality, the Government announced its intention to include some provision in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill. Under these provisions, all BOCs who hold no other nationality and have not renounced any other nationality will have the right to register as British citizens.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the duties and obligations as a British citizen referred to in the proposed citizenship pledge in Schedule 5 to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill. [HL5709]

The pledge component of the proposed citizenship oath and pledge is intended to symbolise a new British citizen's commitment to the core values of the United Kingdom.An independent group of experts is being convened to advise the Home Secretary on the content of a citizenship curriculum for naturalisation applicants. The group will no doubt wish to consider, amongst other matters, what the curriculum should include on the question of the rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether crack cocaine is now included in Sections 8 and 9 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, in accordance with Section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. [HL5646]

Section 8(a) and (b) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 which covers the production or attempted production, supply and attempted supply of controlled drugs to another on premises applies to all controlled drugs including crack cocaine. Last year, the Government introduced an amendment to Section 8(d) of the 1971 Act through Section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. The amendment extended the scope of Section 8(d), which covered the use of cannabis and opium, to cover the use of all controlled drugs including crack cocaine on premises in order to strengthen police powers to deal with the proliferation of crack houses.It was also recognised that the strengthening of Section 8(d) could impinge on the legitimate harm reduction activities of those working in the care sector. The Government therefore undertook that, before the amendment was implemented, Notes of Guidance outlining how it should be enforced must be published. Work is currently being undertaken to publish the Notes of Guidance and implement Section 8(d).Section 9 of the 1971 Act applies to opium only.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What appraisal they had from National Institute for Clinical Excellence of the clinical effectiveness of Visudyne in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD); to how many AMD patients it is recommended that treatment should now become available and on what terms; and what action they are taking. [HL5074]

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence's (NICE) appraisal of photodynamic therapy has been extended to allow further consideration of the draft guidance. It is likely that the guidance will not now be available before January 2003.Guidance issued in August 1999 to all National Health Service bodies asked them to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where there was no guidance from NICE at the time. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the relevant factors including the available evidence on effect.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What rights parents with moral and ethical objections to abortion will have to ensure that their children are not given the abortion pill RU 486 to procure a medical abortion. [HL5179]

It is highly desirable that a young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy will feel able to discuss this with her parents.The legal framework for young people under 16 to consent to treatment, including abortion, was set out in the House of Lords ruling in 1985 in the case of

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many abortions were carried out in each of the last 10 years using the abortion drug RU 486 in:(a) England; (b) Wales; (c) Scotland; and (d) Northern Ireland; and [HL5277]What are their proposed target levels in 2002–03 for use of the abortion drug RU 486. [HL5278]

The number of abortions carried out in the last 10 years using the abortion drug RU 486 for residents of England and Wales are shown in the table:

year	England	Wales	England & Wales
1991	1,022	42	1,064
1992	1,502	63	1,565
1993	3,719	224	3,943
1994	5,324	376	5,700
1985	6,983	685	7,668
1996	8,782	933	9,715
1997	10,345	956	11,301
1998	12,849	1,064	13,913
1999	14,735	1,284	16,019
2000	17,647	1,844	19,491

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking in response to reports of frozen chicken adulterated with beef protein powder being imported from the Netherlands. [HL5197]

The problem of mislabelling, under-declaring added water, and not disclosing hydrolysed chicken and pork proteins in frozen chicken breast was first reported by the Food Standards Agency in December 2001. The agency informed local authorities, the European Commission, the Dutch and Belgian authorities, as well as the Irish Food Safety Authority, who carried out a similar study. The Irish study published in May 2002 revealed similar results, but in addition found some samples containing undisclosed beef protein in chicken imported from the Netherlands.The agency obtained a commitment from the Dutch authorities to put inspection of the poultry plants involved on their priority list. This action has been further reinforced by the European Commission, who in June threatened infraction proceedings against the Dutch government if the problem of mislabelling is not resolved. The United Kingdom study was carried out in close co-operation with local authority enforcement staff, and one UK wholesaler has been prosecuted as a result.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the morning-after pill is to be issued free of charge by pharmacies and school nurses to teenagers in Exeter, including those under 16, without parental consent or knowledge; and, if so, whether this practice is lawful. [HL5407]

A small number of school nurses have been trained to issue emergency contraception to pupils as one part of the wider support they provide within school based drop in clinics. The governing bodies of the individual schools concerned have taken this decision, after consultation with parents. All parents have received information about the service.A pilot project is currently being developed to train pharmacists to provide emergency contraception under National Health Service arrangements. This is part of a wider scheme to improve access to emergency contraception by older women. The project is due to start in late autumn.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list National Health Service health authorities in rank order according to the number of full time equivalent chiropodists/podiatrists per thousand of the population; and [HL5499]How many full-time equivalent chiropodists/podiatrists there are per thousand of the population in the National Health Service in England compared to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [HL5500]

The information on health authorities in England employing chiropodists/podiatrists in rank order has been placed in the Library.The number of chiropodists and podiatrists working in the National Health Service is increasing. The NHS Plan states that by 2004 there will be an extra 6,500 therapists over the 1999 baseline, chiropodists/podiatrists are included in this target. Since 1999 the number of chiropodists employed in the NHS in England has risen by 190 (6 per cent) and the number of places available for students to train as chiropodists has increased by 40 (12 per cent).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any plans to reduce waiting times for foot surgery by using the underused services of podiatric surgeons in this country, rather than recruiting orthopaedic surgeons from abroad. [HL5501]

The Changing Workforce Programme pilot based in Salford is focusing on developing new and extended roles for members of the allied health professions. They are currently testing the role of consultant in foot health which includes surgical podiatry. The pilot's initial outcomes are proving to be positive in terms of reducing waiting times of orthopaedic consultants. In due course we will undertake an analysis of the pilot's results to consider the potential for wider use in the National Health Service.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How satisfied they are about the levels of co-operation between National Health Service hospitals and local authority social services departments when dealing with the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis. [HL5504]

We have put in place a range of measures to encourage the National Health Service and local authorities to work together more effectively so that patients and people in need of care get the high quality and co-ordination of service they need. These include using existing Health Act flexibilities covering over 100 schemes and involving over £1 billion of resource. Primary care trusts are also providing a unique opportunity to foster closer working between the NHS and local government, particularly social services.As the next stage in this evolution, the NHS Plan announced a new kind of organisation, called care trusts. The first four care trust became operational in April 2002. They will enable the even closer integration of health and social care services and will build on existing joint working.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that a potential conflict of interest arises so long as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is responsible for both the awarding of licences to clinics and the generation of income for itself by charging fees to IVF clinics holding licences. [HL5507]

It is Government policy that services should bear the cost of regulation and that charges should be set at a level to recover the full cost. We do not believe that the charging of fees to licensed clinics by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority causes a conflict of interest for them, since the fees generated should only cover the actual costs of the work involved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assumptions they have made for activity levels, the levels of inflation specific to the National Health Service and efficiency changes for each of the years 2002–03 to 2007–08 (HL5527)

The following assessments were made for the National Helath Service between 2002–03 and 2007–08:Activity growth was broadly based on historic trends, plus the expected increase required to meet the access targets:Inflation is broadly based on historic trends; andAn estimate of the potential efficiency gains, which culminated in the new Public Service Agreement target:

asked Her Majesty's Government:In numerical terms what level of efficiency and value for money gains, expressed as a percentage of Health Authority unified allocations, were made in each of the years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02. [HL5528]

Allocations to health authorities are based on an overall assessment of the resources required to cover inflationary pressures and deliver national targets. Allocations to health authorities in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 were made net of 3 per cent efficiency savings, and in 2001–02 allocations were made net of 2 per cent efficiency savings. This means that health authorities needed to achieve the efficiency target to fully fund delivery of national targets and inflation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the estimated cost to the National Health Service over the next five years as a result of overweight and obesity. [HL5555]

This information is not available. However, the National Audit Office report Tackling Obesity in England (NAO) published in 2001, estimated the direct cost to the National Health Service of overweight and obesity in 1998 to be £500 million, or 1.5 per cent of the total NHS expenditure. The NAO report also estimated the indirect cost of obesity to be around £2 billion. Combining the estimates of direct and indirect costs, the total estimated cost of obesity in 1998 was £2.6 billion. Based on present trends, the report calculated that the combined annual costs would increase to £3.6 billion by 2010.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much government funding has been allocated for research and development into issues related to overweight and obesity in the next five years. [HL5556]

The Government have funded and continue to fund a wide range of research and development relating to diet, nutrition, obesity and other related research such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. It is not possible to predict what the future level of government expenditure will be as new proposals are regularly being considered and commissioned.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What initiatives are being developed to raise the awareness of overweight and obesity and their related morbidities. [HL5557]

There are a range of programmes on promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and reducing overweight and obesity which are being developed as part of the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease. These programmes also contribute to reducing the risk of obesity related conditions and diseases such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.The department is also developing a Five-a-Day Programme which includes local Five-a-Day community initiatives, based in deprived areas, which provide education about the health benefits of fruit and vegetables, as well as improved access and availability. To increase awareness of the importance of diet and exercise among children, we have a Healthy Schools Programme that aims to promote better health for all children and young people through education on a range of issues.There are also a range of organisations and charities such as the British Dietetic Association, the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust and Weight Concern who are raising awareness about the problem of obesity and are supported through the department's Section 64 grant scheme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration they have given to supporting the proposals in the Action Plan on Obesity recently produced by the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust. [HL5558]

The Department of Health supports the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust through the provision of the Section 64 grant scheme. Under the scheme the Department of Health has to manage the grant, and this involves discussions about its work programme, including the Action Plan. The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust provides valuable support and advice to obese people and its Action Plan complements the department's work to tackle this problem.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have considered a National Service Framework for Overweight and Obesity; and [HL5553]What standards and milestones have been set for the reduction of overweight and obesity, other than those within the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease. [HL5554]

The Government are not considering a National Service Framework for overweight and obesity. There are no specific standards and milestones for the reductions in the level of overweight and obesity. However, action to address obesity is being taken forward through the national service frameworks for coronary heart disease and older people. To meet standard one of the National Service Framework for Diabetes will also require action to reduce obesity.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were (a) the terms of reference, (b) composition and (c) consultees of the expert group set up by Ministers in August 2001 to consider requiring or offering HIV testing for all new National Health Service healthcare workers. [HL5618]

The terms of reference of the ad hoc expert group set up by Ministers last year were:To carry out an assessment of the potential health risk posed to patients from healthcare workers new to the NHS infected with serious communicable diseases, in particular HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. This assessment is to include a relative risk assessment, which will take account of the following factors: prevalence of such infections, country by country, as an indication of likelihood of infection in those (of any immigration or refugee status) applying for posts in the NHS; prevalence of such infections in UK citizens generally and in high-risk groups; evidence of the risk of transmission of such infections from different groups of health care workers to patients; the effectiveness of measures already in place in this country to detect and manage infected healthcare workers.To report back on the policy options that will minimise the potential health risk posed to patients.The expert group, chaired by a Department of Health official, comprised:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of the strength of the arguments of the German government in relation to the conformity of the Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship Bill with the Technical Standards Directive and whether significant amendments will need to be made to the Bill. [HL5619]

The German Government have delivered a detailed opinion on the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill under the procedure in Article 9(2) of Directive 98/34/EC as amended (the Technical Standards Directive). The Government are currently considering this opinion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 23 July (

The Department of Health is developing a number of approaches to using overseas providers to treat National Health Service patients in England. Different contractual arrangements are likely to be appropriate in different cases. In deciding which National Health Service bodies should enter into these contracts we will take account of who is best placed to commission and manage the services in a way which secures high clinical standards for patients and good value for money.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In what circumstances a visitor to the United Kingdom who is HIV positive is entitled to remain in the United Kingdom and receive, under the National Health Service, free treatment for the condition; and whether there is any time limit to how long such a person is allowed to remain; and [HL5651]Whether they take steps to prevent or discourage those who do not hold United Kingdom passports from coming to Britain for treatment for HIV or AIDS. [HL5652]

The National Health Service is first and foremost for people who are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom. The services provided are free except ill specified circumstances. Where a person is not ordinarily resident in the UK the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, require NHS trusts to establish if the person is liable to be charged under those regulations for any NHS treatment they receive and if so to recover such charges. Visitors to the UK are allowed to remain for a maximum of six months and are unlikely to be regarded as ordinarily resident for the purposes of these regulations but may fall under one of the exemptions from charges specified in the regulations.The regulations provide that certain services are without charge in any circumstances. This includes an initial diagnostic test and any associated counselling for HIV/AIDS. If a person is liable for charges under the regulations then any treatment needed for HIV/AIDS other than the test and counselling will be subject to charges.Entitlement to free treatment under the National Health Service is primarily based on residence not nationality and the type of passport held is therefore only relevant in relation to certain specified exemptions relating to member states and countries with which there are reciprocal healthcare agreements. The Department of Health has, with the help of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, arranged for publicity material explaining the charging regulations to be placed in British embassies and other diplomatic offices abroad to help bring them to the attention of people applying for admission to the UK.A copy of the charging regulations has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many hospital consultants have been suspended for six months or more in the North West of England in the years, 2000, 2001 and 2002 so far; in what specialities the suspended doctors have been working; and what were the ethnic groups, according to the 2001 national census, of the suspended doctors. [HL5680]

The following table shows the number of consultants suspended for six months or more, by speciality. We do not collect this information by ethnic group.

Year	Speciality	Number
2000	Obstetrics & Gynaecology	2
	General Surgeon	3
	Paediatric Anaesthetist	1
	Total	6
2001	Ophthalmologist	1
	Trauma & Orthopaedics	1
	General Surgeon	2
	Community Paediatrician	1
	Total	5
2002	Obstetrics & Gynaecology	1
	Total	1