asked Her Majesty's Government:On how many days in 2002 each Lord of Appeal in Ordinary sat for the purpose of judicial business in (a) the House of Lords and (b) the Privy Council. [HL1754]

The number of days spent in judicial hearings by each Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2002 is as follows:

Council	House of Lords	Privy
Lord Bingham of Cornhill	64	36
Lord Slynn of Hadley	27	11
Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead	56	34
Lord Steyn	48	45
Lord Hoffmann	53	35
Lord Hope of Craighead	61	41
Lord Hutton	50	55
Lord Saville of Newdigate	0	0
Lord Hobhouse of Woodborough	71	31
Lord Millett	40	49
Lord Scott of Foscote	67	33
Lord Rodger of Earlsferry	40	55
Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe	12	18

Lord Slynn of Hadley retired on 30 September 2002 and was replaced by Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe. Lord Saville of Newdigate is the full-time chairman of the Bloody Sunday inquiry into the events in Londonderry on Sunday 30 January 1972. In 2002, as part of a continuing arrangement under the 1997 handover arrangements, Lords Hoffmann and Millett, in addition to their House of Lords and Privy Council duties, each sat for a month in the Final Court of Appeal in Hong Kong.These figures relate to days sat for hearing appeals and petitions for leave to appeal; they exclude directions hearings and judgments. In 2002 the House of Lords sat for a total of 131 days to hear appeals and petitions for leave either as the House or in Appellate and Appeal Committees. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat for a total of 118 days to hear appeals and petitions for leave.These statistics cannot be used to infer workload, particularly the burden of drafting opinions and in the House of Lords determining on the papers about 280 petitions for leave to appeal each year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What sum the Lord Chancellor intends to make available in the present financial year for legal aid for asylum cases. [HL1356]

The sum that the Lord Chancellor intends to make available in 2002–03 for legal help for immigration, which includes asylum cases, is £175 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made further to the announcement on the right to buy scheme made by the Deputy Prime Minister on 22 January 2003. [HL2049]

The Housing (Right to Buy) (Limits on Discount) (Amendment) Order 2003, reducing the maximum discounts available under the right to buy scheme in 41 areas in London and the South of England, has today been laid before Parliament.To coincide with the laying of the order, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has today published a report

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action has been taken and what priority has been given to upgrade medically 2,688 Royal Navy personnel, 10,602 Army personnel and 3,833 Royal Air Force personnel who were listed as downgraded in October 2002. [HL1270]

Numbers of medically downgraded personnel include those who are permanently medically downgraded as well as those who are pregnant or have recently given birth. Of the just over 17,000 personnel who were medically downgraded in October 2002, more than 40 per cent would have been deployable on military operations albeit not at the front line. Priority for medical treatment is normally based on clinical need. However, mechanisms also exist for service patients to be fast-tracked in order to return them to operational duty more quickly than would otherwise have been the case. Fast-track diagnosis and treatment are undertaken either through Ministry of Defence hospital units or through private healthcare providers. Moreover, rehabilitation facilities at unit and regional level are being improved as part of the work to reduce the number of personnel unfit through injury.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made on the Storm Shadow stand-off missile programme; and whether it will be made an urgent operational requirement. [HL1677]

Storm Shadow will provide the RAF with a highly effective precision strike capability. Due to technical problems experienced in the development of the system, we are reviewing the programme's timescales with MBDA (the equipment prime contractor). We are working hard with MBDA to ensure that the RAF gets this important capability into service as soon as possible, while not jeopardising the long-term performance of the system.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 19 February (

We still plan to procure 18 aircraft.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many persons resigned from the Royal Irish Regiment (a) as full-time members and (b) as part-time members in the home service in Northern Ireland during the year 2002. [HL1886]

The number of full-time members of the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) in Northern Ireland who put in a request 12 months previously to end their engagement in 2002 was 43. The number of part-time members who resigned was 78. These figures do not include those who are R IRISH and assigned to other units who have resigned in 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many recruits there were in 2002 to (a) the full-time home service of the Royal Irish Regiment in Northern Ireland; (b) the part-time home service of the Royal Irish Regiment in Northern Ireland; and (c) all other battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment. [HL1887]

The number of officers who were commissioned into the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) are as follows:

1 January to 31 December 2002
R IRISH home service full time	6
R IRISH home service part time	4
R IRISH General Service	4

Recruitment figures for soldiers joining the Army are calculated by financial year. The number who joined the R IRISH are as follows:

1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002
R IRISH home service full time	120
R IRISH home service part time	76
R IRISH General Service	42

1 April 2002 to 22 February 2003
R IRISH home service full time	109
R IRISH home service part time	75
R IRISH General Service	73

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total strength of the Irish Guards Regiment; and how many servicemen come from (a) Northern Ireland; (b) Great Britain; and (c) the Republic of Ireland. [HL 1889]

The total strength of the Irish Guards Regiment as at 1 January 2003 is as follows:

Nationality	Strength
Republic of Ireland	35
Great Britain	470
Northern Ireland	155
Others*	15
Total Strength	675

All figures have been rounded to the nearest five.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, for the benefit of Gulf War veterans and troops now deployed or deploying to the Gulf, they will publish in the

Yes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the value of arms and military equipment sold by the United Kingdom to China, in the last year for which figures are available. [HL1925]

The value of licences issued and actual goods exported to individual countries, is published in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of this report are available from the Library of the House and via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the operational welfare package is comprised of for those troops serving in the Gulf; and what is the allocation of telephone calls, e-mails and forces' airmail letters per individual. [HL1941]

The operational welfare package (OWP) is in the process of being implemented in all Gulf locations where operational and environmental factors allow. In order to provide the degree of support appropriate to the different stages of the deployment the OWP is being implemented in phases. While the aim is to provide as much of the OWP as possible, commensurate with the phase of the operation, commanders are aware that there are necessary limitations to what can sensibly be delivered.The operational welfare package for United Kingdom Armed Forces serving in the Gulf comprises the following:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the reasons for reducing the Armed Forces manning requirement between 1 April and 30 September 2002; by how much was the requirement reduced; and what were the reductions within each service. [HL1945]

Details of the manpower requirements for 1 April 2002 and 1 October 2002 by individual service are shown in the table below:

	1 April 2002	1 October 2002	Difference
All services	196,150	195,350	-800
Royal Navy	39,180	38,570	-610
Army	106,970	106,980	+10
Royal Air Force	49,990	49,800	-190

Notes:Figures are for full-time trained requirement.All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and therefore the totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.The requirement figure as at 1 October 2002 is 800 personnel fewer than 1 April 2002. The Navy requirement figure shows the greatest change, showing a reduction in requirement of 610 during the period in question. The reductions were due to ships entering refit and would have been offset later by ships emerging from refit.A review of the Army's future manpower requirement concluded last year, resulting in a revised manning target of 106,978 (106,980 rounded). This was published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency in June 2002. The previously published figure was 106,973 (106,970 rounded).The change in the RAF requirement figure of — 190 is due to small variations in the requirement which occur throughout the year reflecting decisions taken as part of the manpower planning processes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action has been taken by the Ministry of Defence and what progress has been made to assist house purchase through the long service advance of pay to members of the Army at an earlier stage than is currently allowed. [HL1946]

The Accompanied Service Review was completed in December 2002 and concluded that accompanied service continues to play a vital role in the Army's operational effectiveness and is the preferred choice of the vast majority of Army families.Long service advance of pay (LSAP) is one of the principal allowances that impacts on accompanied service. The LSAP work is ongoing and no change in current policy is expected before the short term plan for 2004–05.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the 447,600 non-industrial civil servants employed on 1 April 2002 were men and how many were women. [HL1828]

The figure of 447,600 non-industrial civil servants quoted refers to full-time equivalents, mandate only departments. The headcount figures for 1 April 2002 shows there were 488,300 (mandate and paper returns) non-industrial civil servants, of whom 225,150 are men and 263,150 are women.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many industrial civil servants were employed on 1 April 2002; how many were men; and how many were women. [HL1829]

On 1 April 2002 the total number of industrial civil servants was 27,720 (headcount), of whom 23,550 are men and 4,170 are women.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When it is anticipated that the HAZMOD data network to co-ordinate emergency services' responses in the event of a large-scale terrorist attack will be launched; and [HL1836]To what extent the failure to launch the HAZMOD data network by the originally scheduled date of October 2002 is attributable to lack of funding or technical difficulties. [HL1837]

The HAZMOD extranet (previously referred to as HAZMOD intranet) was a small pilot project, managed by a research group within the Home Office and subsequently the Cabinet Office, which investigated the access to maps by emergency planners and others using internet technology. The project lasted two and a half years and cost £175,000.Recent analysis undertaken by the Cabinet Office showed that better and faster approaches to securing the same information are now available elswhere and are already in use by a range of organisations. The Government therefore consider that it can best support local authority emergency planners through the provision of advice on the development of geographical information systems. Emergency planners at the local level will also continue to draw data from police commanders, who have direct access to information from central government.A letter explaining the position was sent on 24 February 2003 by the Cabinet Office to all the emergency planners involved in the project. The letter was also published on the UK Resilence website (www.ukresilience.info).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Macdonald of Tradeston on 26 February (

The Department for Transport has a programme of research into the relationship betweeen visual field impairment and driving. Three relevant research projects are at various stages:1. Review of Current Literature on Functional Correlates of Visual Field DefectsA critique of the recent literature that examines the link between visual function and car accident data was carried out. The review focused on visual field defects and examined the clinical and statistical evidence, taking into consideration the methodological strengths and weaknesses of both cohort and case control studies.This contract was awarded to QinetiQ, was completed in August 2002, and the total cost was £7,084.The final report is being prepared for publication in printed form and on the department's website, where it will be free to download in the near future.2. Peripheral Vision Field DefectsThis is a study of the relationship between peripheral visual field defects and driving performance. The association between these factors will be studied with the aim if improving the specification of standards for peripheral visual field defects and the methods to be used in measuring them.The study includes the investigation of the most efficient testing methods for visual field loss and the correlation between visual field loss and driving performance as measured by a range of techniques including simulated driving.This contract has been awarded to Nottingham Trent University and QinetiQ, and is ongoing. The total contracted cost of the project is £222,113.This project is near completion, with a draft final report expected shortly.3. Central Scotoma and DrivingA new research project will study the relevance of central visual field defects to the ability to drive safely. The study will evaluate the existing methods of examining central scotoma and develop more accurate measures, and will assess the association between performance on these measures and performance on several tests related to driving. Central scotoma is an area of reduced vision that interferes with central vision.The aim of this project is to improve the basis on which standards for central visual field defects are set, and to refine the methods used in measuring central vision.This contract has been tendered for, and is expected to be awarded shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many accusations of sexual abuse were made against teachers by pupils and parents respectively in England and Wales for the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of each category is expected to lead to a prosecution. [HL1714]

The requested information is not collected centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many trafficked persons were deported to their countries of origin from the United Kingdom in each of the past three years; and whether they can state the percentage of those who are women and list the countries. [HL1896]

This information is not collected centrally, and could be obtained only by examining the individual case files of every person removed under Immigration Act powers over the period in question.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any prosecutions of traffickers have been brought under sections 145 and 146 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and, if so, how many convictions were obtained. [HL1897]

The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act received Royal Assent in November last year, and sections 145 and 146 came into force on 10 February 2003. Data on numbers of prosecutions under these sections will be collected in the usual way and published in Home Office Criminal Statistics. Given that the powers came into effect very recently there is not any information yet held centrally about numbers of prosecutions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What conclusions they have drawn from the suicide in custody of Mikail Bodnarchuk on the day of his removal to Ukraine from immigration removal centre Haslar in January; and whether they will review their own evidence of torture in Ukraine in the Home Office country assessment. [HL1932]

The investigation into the death in immigration detention of Mikail Bodnarchuk is continuing. It would be premature to draw any conclusions until this investigation is complete.The country assessment for Ukraine is currently being revised and will be published in April. It will include the latest available information on the human rights situation in the Ukraine.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have established minimum standards of accommodation, free time and visiting hours in the new immigration removal centres; and, if so, whether they will provide details of those standards as applied to Haslar and other comparable centres. [HL1933]

The Detention Centre Rules 2001 make provision for the regulation and management of removal centres. All removal centres are required to operate under the rules, which include provisions relating to the suitability of accommodation, freedom of movement and association, and visits.