asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and English Nature have carried out ecological surveys in respect of the sites identified for development as accommodation centres to determine the presence of protected species; if so, whether they will publish the reports; and, if not, when they will commission such surveys. [HL5811]

We understand that there are Home Office proposals to build asylum seeker accommodation centres on surplus land at three sites; the Defence Storage and Distribution Centre near Bicester (Oxfordshire), RAF Newton (Nottinghamshire) and Throckmorton airfield (near Pershore, Worcestershire).It is not the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's role, or English Nature's, to commission or undertake ecological surveys of potential development sites. As with any planning proposal, it will be for the relevant planning authority to ensure that potential impacts on protected species are identified and considered, including requiring the developer to undertake ecological surveys where appropriate.English Nature's role is to provide advice to the planning authority and also to the developer on the nature conservation issues. With respect to the specific sites, English Nature reports that Wychavon District Council has commissioned an ecological survey of the Throckmorton site and that English Nature staff have liaised with ecological consultants engaged on behalf of developers in respect of the Bicester site.Where European protected species will be affected by an activity such as development works, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs administers a licensing regime under the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations 1994. A licence under these regulations may be needed to allow the development works or other activity to proceed. Ecological surveys of sites are required from applicants as part of applications for such licences, in order to allow the conservation issues to be fully considered. There is no Crown immunity from these regulations. At this point in time no applications have been received by my department in respect of these sites.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What facilities will be available to enable disabled people to draw their pensions when local post offices and rural branches of banks have closed. [HL5815]

Payment directly into bank or building society accounts (including the Post Office card account) will become the normal method of payment of benefits and pensions from April 2003.All customers including disabled people will be given information so that they can choose the account most suitable for them. One of the things they will need to consider is ease of access to local banks and post offices.Customers will normally have some choice as to where and when they collect their money, so they will not be tied to any particular bank or post office branch.