asked Her Majesty's Government:What powers and functions which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister currently exercises will be transferred to the proposed regional assemblies.[HL2176]

The Government's proposals on the functions of elected regional assemblies are set out in chapter 4 of the White Paper Your Region, Your Choice (Cm 5511). Of these, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently responsible for the functions relating to planning, housing and management of the European Development Fund.Elected assemblies will take their functions from central government, its agencies and public bodies in the regions. In respect of these policy areas, elected assemblies will become the regional planning bodies and take responsibility for allocating housing capital investment in their regions. Responsibility for publishing the regional spatial strategy and the regional housing strategy will be transferred from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.Regional development agencies, which are the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry, also deliver regeneration and economic development objectives for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and receive substantial funding from the office. Responsibility for the regional development agencies will also transfer to elected regional assemblies.As the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister stated in the White Paper (paragraph 4.5), this package of assembly functions reflects the way in which these functions are currently organised. However, the Government are keen further to decentralise responsibility for policy and delivery where this will improve regional outcomes. There are likely to be further proposals for the decentralisation of responsibilities to elected regional assemblies as time goes on.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Armed Forces remain deployed to provide emergency fire cover.[HL2279]

I am pleased to announce that the Armed Forces personnel deployed on firefighting duties have been stood down on the grounds that no further strike dates will be announced before the Fire Brigades Union recalled conference on 15 April. The FBU would then be required to give seven days' notice of any further strike.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In the event of a further firefighters' strike, how many troops will be required for Operation Fresco; and whether this will interfere with any plans to deploy additional troops for the purpose of guarding Iraqi prisoners of war.[HL2164]

The Armed Forces commitment to providing emergency fire and rescue cover during the national firemen's strike remains the same now as it has been from the outset, with some 19,000 personnel currently being committed to Operation Fresco. While there is an inevitable impact on other Armed Forces operations, this is being kept to the minimum and will not interfere with plans to guard prisoners of war.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Home Office will publish the technical notes for its public service agreement targets for the 2002 Spending Review period.[HL2277]

Technical notes for the Home Office public service agreement (PSA) targets for the 2002 Spending Review period have been published today. Copies are available in the Library and online at www.homeoffice.gov.uk.In common with those of other government departments, the Home Office technical notes define the terms used in the targets, their territorial scope, measurement systems which will be used and criteria for success. The purpose of the technical notes is to enable Parliament and the public to judge progress against the Home Office targets. The measurement systems will be used by the department and its partners to manage delivery of the new, challenging targets.The Home Office PSA targets were presented to Parliament on 15 July 2002 as part of the Command Paper

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the work commissioned by the GM Public Debate Steering Board on (a) toolkit of stimulus material; (b) organisation of the regional workshops; and (c) evaluation of the outcomes were put out to tender; what the specifications for the contract were; and how many bodies bid for the tender.[HL2129]

The independent GM Public Debate Steering Board, which is managing the GM public debate at arm's length from government, appointed COI Communications as its agent and prime contractor. COI Communications has rosters of suppliers which have been previously selected in accordance with EU public procurement rules. A Defra official was appointed to the steering board in order to ensure proper accountability for the expenditure of public funds. Further information on the specification and tendering for different elements of the debate can be obtained from the steering hoard.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the commencement date for the risk sharing scheme announced in February 2002 in respect of beta interferon and multiple sclerosis; and [HL1830]How many patients in England were on waiting lists for treatment with beta interferon for multiple sclerosis when the 2002 risk sharing scheme began; an [HL1831]Whether they will publish a progress report on the implementation of the risk sharing scheme for beta interferon; and [HL1832]What guidance they have given to patient care trusts to encourage them to implement the risk sharing scheme for beta interferon.[HL1833]

It was estimated that up to 9,000 patients in England and Wales may be eligible to receive a drug treatment for their multiple sclerosis under the risk sharing scheme which started on 6 May 2002. Guidance on implementation was included in Health Service Circular 2002–04 issued on 4 February 2002. Strategic health authorities and primary care trusts were further reminded of their responsibilities to implement the scheme in the Chief Executive's Bulletin dated 17 July 2002. We have set up a steering group involving a range of stakeholders to oversee implementation of the scheme but there are no plans to publish a formal progress report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman on 31 July 1998 (

The total amount of money allocated through the Investing in Dentistry scheme was £11,122,089. The following health authority areas applied for funding in 1999. The scheme ceased in 1999. Therefore no further applications or allocations have been made since.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which applications for funding under Investing in Dentistry have been successful this year; and how much has been allocated to each.[HL2151]

The Investing in Dentistry scheme ceased in 1999–2000 and no applications were considered in 2002–03.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether it is possible to prevent demonstrators from using amplifiers to convey their views in the close vicinity of the Palace of Westminster when Parliament is sitting.[HL2214]

It is for the Metropolitan Police to control demonstrators in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster. The police have been instructed, in accordance with the terms of the Sessional Order of 13 November 2002, to prevent any behaviour, including inappropriate use of amplifiers, that might disrupt the proceedings of Parliament.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 25 February (

The work of the review of arrangements for security vetting in Northern Ireland, to which I have referred in response to successive Questions on this subject by the noble Lord, includes examination of the extent and the appropriate levels and frequency of security vetting both at entry and beyond in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The information necessary to answer this Question is not held centrally and could be obtained only by a date-specific review across all of the Northern Ireland departments, at a disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the set-up costs of each of the North/South implementation bodies created as a result of the Belfast Agreement, including premises and furnishings.[HL2020]

Details of the set-up costs for each of the North/South implementation bodies are provided below. The costs represent expenditure in relation to the period December 1999 to 31 December 2000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the set-up costs of the central secretariat for the North/South Ministerial Council in Armagh, including premises and furnishings.[HL2062]

The North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Joint Secretariat (North) set-up costs were £144,852. The costs represent expenditure in relation to the period December 1999 to 31 December 2000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much was spent by the central secretariat for the North/South Ministerial Council on travel and entertainment in the years 2001 and 2002. [HL2063]

Details of expenditure by the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat (North) on travel and entertainment are provided in the table below.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the salary bands of the grades of those employed in the North/South Ministerial Council central secretariat; and what was the total amount of expenses during the year 2002. [HL2064]

Details of grades of staff and salary bands, effective from 1 April 2002, relevant to staff currently employed in the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat (North) are as set out in the table below.In 2002 the Joint Secretariat (North) incurred expenses totalling £30,026.62.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish updated values of sensitive lorry miles to be used in the calculation of rail freight grants. [HL2185]

Updated values will be published later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the budget available for new freight facilities grants and new track access grants in 2002–03; and what was the total value of the awards made in this period under each scheme for England. [HL2186]

The budgeted figures were £20 million and£20 million respectively. The total value of awards made was £27.8 million for freight facilities grants and £28.7 million for track access grants.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the budget available in England for new freight facilities grants and new track access grants in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05. [HL2187]

The Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan provides a budget of £20 million for freight facilities grants and £20 million for track access grants for each of the two years 2003–04 and 2004–05.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the estimated total expenditure on freight facilities grants and on track access grants in 2002–03 in England.[HL2188]

Total expenditure is estimated to be £57.9 million in 2002–03.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the anticipated expenditure on existing committed freight facilities grants and existing committed track access grants in each of the years 2003–04 and 2004–05 for England. [HL2189]

The committed expenditure is:

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many staff are employed in the following organisations: (a) Strategic Rail Authority; (b) Office of the Rail Regulator; (c) Health and Safety Executive (Railways); and (d) Railway Safety Ltd. [HL2190]

Staff numbers for the Strategic Rail Authority, the Office of the Rail Regulator and Health and Safety Executive (Railways) are contained in the relevant organisation's annual reports. Copies of such reports are routinely placed in the Library of the House. Figures for Railway Safety as a private company are not collated centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make the issue of a driving licence conditional on the driver wearing prescription glasses if an eye test shows that to be necessary; and whether this requirement should be spelt out on the licence.[HL2213]

An eyesight correction code is currently displayed on the driving licence where a driver declares that glasses or corrective lenses are required to meet the eyesight standards. This alerts the police to the need to check, when they stop vehicles at the roadside, that such drivers are wearing their glasses/corrective lenses. Any driver who is found not to be driving in accordance with the conditions set out on his/her licence will be liable to prosecution.