asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 27 February (

Laboratories transferring to National Health Service trusts will be expected to maintain existing commitments to contracts and to continue to use these agreements when they are taken over by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency so as to continue to realise their overall benefits of value for money and accredited quality.There has been no indication from any NHS trust that it intends to do other than to utilise these central contracts.The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency contracts at national level for goods and services on behalf of the NHS. Contracts are made at national level only where there are clear and demonstrable benefits from aggregating demand, achieving economies of scale (undertaking work once-only on behalf of the whole of the NHS) and managing markets of strategic importance. Where the most appropriate levels of contracting have been agreed with NHS trusts, there would be a clear expectation that commitment is given to using these contracts to achieve best value for money.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many meetings the Secretary of State for Health has had with ministerial colleagues in the past two years with regard to children and young people who sexually abuse; and what plans he has to hold such meetings in future. [HL2238]

Department of Health Ministers meet regularly with colleagues to discuss issues relating to all children in need and expect to continue to do so in future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the legal or contractual basis for National Health Service general practitioners with the consent of their primary care trust entering into a reciprocal arrangement whereby they will not take on any patient from within their area who wishes to change general practitioners; and [HL2225]How many reciprocal arrangements exist within primary care trusts in England under which general practitioners, with the consent of their primary care trust, agree not to take on any patient from within their area who wishes to change general practitioners. [HL2257]

There is no basis in the National Health Service (Choice of Practitioner) Regulations 1998, the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 or the equivalent provisions which apply to general practitioners (GP) working within personal medical services for a GP to enter a reciprocal agreement with another GP to refuse to accept one another's patients or for a primary care trust to consent to such an arrangement. Accordingly, the Department of Health does not hold or collect data on any such arrangements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many beds there are in National Health Service hospitals in England; and how many administrators there are in the National Health Service in England. [HL2093]

In 2001–02 the average daily number of beds was 184,871. The number of managers in administration and estates employed in the National Health Service as at September 2001 was 27,420. This represents only 3 per cent of the NHS workforce.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In respect of (a) males, (b) females and (c) both sexes combined, what is the employment gap between Protestants and Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland. [HL1963]

What is referred to as the employment gap has been described in different ways. One approach expresses the number of persons in a particular group in employment as a percentage of all of persons in that group who are of working age. The latter includes both economically active and economically inactive persons. The report of the Task Force on Employability and Long-Term Unemployment (Department for Employment and Learning, December 2002) employs this approach and includes associated targets to reduce differences between groups. Relevant statistics from the Labour Force Survey are noted in the following table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much the North/South Ministerial Secretariat in Armagh has spent on public relations and public affairs in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002; and who has been responsible for delivering that service. [HL2097]

The Joint Secretariat of the North/South Ministerial Council (North) has not incurred any expenditure on public relations/public affairs in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of funds for capital projects, authorised by Waterways Ireland, in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, was spent in Northern Ireland; and what percentage in the Republic of Ireland. [HL2110]

Capital/development expenditure by Waterways Ireland is funded totally by the jurisdiction in which it is incurred. The spend on capital projects authorised by Waterways Ireland in each year of operation by jurisdiction is:

Year	Republic of Ireland	Northern Ireland
2000	100%	0%
2001	89%	11%
2002	98%	2%

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of the budget for Waterways Ireland was provided by the Government of the Irish Republic in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. [HL2111]

The percentage of the budget for Waterways Ireland provided by the Government of the Irish Republic in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 is as follows:

• 2000: 90 per cent
• 2001:88 per cent
• 2002: 83 per cent

Waterways Ireland is financed on the basis that current expenditure is divided between jurisdictions on the basis of 85 per cent from the south and 15 per cent from the north, reflecting the proportional length of the waterway network in each jurisdiction, while capital/development expenditure is funded totally by the jurisdiction in which it is incurred.

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

The recommended allocations for 2003 budgets for the North/South Implementation Bodies were agreed by the British and Irish Governments under the agreement made by the exchange of notes between the two governments dated 19 November 2002. Details for each of the bodies is set out in the table below:

Implementation body	Recommended budget 2003 (millions)		Date of approval
	Euros	GBP
Waterways Ireland	35.89	22.61	24 February2003
Language Body	17.99	11.33	26 February2003
Food Safety Promotion Board	8.61	5.42	27 February 2003
Trade & Business Development Body	14.29	9.00	25 February 2003
Special EU Programmes Body	3.21	2.02	6 March 2003
FCILC	5.08	3.20	11 March 2003

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has expressed support for an amendment to the Sexual Offences Bill so that it applies in its entirety to Northern Ireland. [HL2118]

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The chief commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the details of the arms find of last weekend in the Ormeau area of Belfast; what they consider are the origins and dates of the material found; and who they think was responsible for the arms. [HL2326]

On 22 March 2003, as a result of a police operation, an AKM assault rifle and a large quantity of ammunition, along with other items, were discovered in Essex Street, Lower Ormeau Road, Belfast. A number of items have been sent for forensic examination and at this stage it is too early to provide details as to the origin and age of the weapons, timer power units and the other items seized. The police have stated that they believe the Provisional IRA was responsible. Two persons have been charged in connection with this incident and police inquiries are continuing.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many self-contained air cartridge system air guns there are in circulation in the United Kingdom; and [HL2231]Whether it is their intention to ban all self-contained air cartridge system air guns; and [HL2232]Whether in the event of a ban on self-contained air cartridge systems air guns they would provide compensation to those persons affected. [HL2233]

We estimate that there are about 70,000 self-contained air cartridge weapons currently in circulation.As indicated in the recent White Paper on tackling anti-social behaviour, these weapons are easily converted to take conventional ammunition and have become popular with criminals. In 2001–02 they were used in at least seven murders and 10 attempted murders. In the same period, the Forensic Science Service saw over 100 such weapons in connection with a range of offences.We intend therefore to ban their import, sale, transfer and manufacture. Current owners will be able to keep their guns on licence and the question of compensating them does not therefore arise. I am considering the position in relation to United Kingdom dealers and manufacturers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What key performance targets have been set for Her Majesty's Land Registry executive agency for 2003–04. [HL2368]

The following list sets out the key performance targets that my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor has set for Her Majesty's Land Registry for 2003–04.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what statistical basis they believe that if the price of a game licence had kept pace with inflation it would cost about £2,000 rather than £6. [HL2157]

The Game Licences Act 1860 set the price of an annual licence to kill game at £3. The current price is £6. The average weekly earnings of regular full-time men farm workers increased from around £0.70 in 1860 to £367 in 2002. If the price of a licence to kill game had increased in line with farm workers' earnings since 1860 it would now be £1,600.My earlier statement that the equivalent today would be about £2,000 had not properly allowed for the increase in the cost of the licence to £6 in 1968. I apologise to the noble Lord for the slight misunderstanding.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any of the British Tourist Authority's offices abroad are to be closed this year; how many, if any, are planned to be opened in the next two years; and in which countries. [HL2202]

Visit Britain (formerly the British Tourist Authority) has recently reviewed its operations in Germany and South America, which will result in some rationalisation following consultations with staff. Over the next two years Visit Britain plans to expand its activities into China, South Korea, Poland and Russia, but currently there are no plans to open offices in those countries or elsewhere.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, following the decision of the United States Government that China's population policy amounts to a programme of coercive abortion and therefore to cease their funding of the United Nations Population Fund, whether they will now cease their funding of the United Nations Population Fund. [HL2281]

The Government increased their core contribution to the United Nations Population Fund in 2002 to £18 million to support the important work the fund is doing to improve the sexual and reproductive health of the poor. We will remain strong supporters of UNPFA.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How public inquiries into highway schemes will be handled in the future. [HL2361]

With the agreement of the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Transport, I wish to make an announcement concerning the Lord Chancellor's panel of independent inspectors. This follows informal consultations with relevant parties. From today I have asked the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency to take on full responsibility for arranging for suitable inspectors to carry out public inquiries into proposed road schemes.The Lord Chancellor has nominated inspectors for road scheme inquiries since acceptance of a recommendation in the 1978 White Paper on the handling of the 1970s roads programme. The Planning Inspectorate was established as an executive agency in 1992, bringing with it the high standards of impartiality, openness and fairness that are a hallmark of the work of the inspectors.The Planning Inspectorate has established a deserved reputation for the independent and impartial way it conducts inquiries. That is rightly regarded as key to the process of public participation at inquiry stage, which the Government recognise and value. I therefore have every confidence in asking the agency to take on the task of arranging for suitable inspectors to carry out road inquiries. And that confidence will, I know, be shared by all holding an informed view of the process.The Planning Inspectorate places great importance on employing inspectors with an appropriate range of technical skills. Over the last few years it has recruited as inspectors a number of highly qualified and experienced men and women. Their expertise now covers a wide area, including planning, the environment, architecture, engineering, housing and transport issues. Such high quality recruitment is a continuing feature of the agency's profile.This change will provide greater flexibility for the Planning Inspectorate to manage resources more effectively, enabling it to deliver an enhanced service, while maintaining and improving quality.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Department for Transport allowed the Highways Agency to overspend its budget by £456 million; what were the reasons for the overspend; and what action they are taking to ensure that overspend by the Highways Agency does not occur again. [HL2236]

The department did not allow the Highways Agency to overspend; it occurred as a result of technical resource accounting and budgeting changes that would not have been necessary under cash accounting. My department and the Highways Agency are working closely to avoid a recurrence.In 2001–02 the final audited expenditure position showed the following breakdown of underspending and overspending.Overspending against voted provision is shown as a positive amount.

	Resource £ million	Capital £ million	Total £ million
Departmental
Expenditure Limit (DEL)	128	-142	-14
Outside DEL and AME	-10		-10
Conventional spending	118	-142	-24
Annual Managed
Expenditure (AME)	338		338
Grand Total	456	-142	314

The Highways Agency underspent on its conventional expenditure programme (equivalent to the old cash expenditure) by £24 million, in line with its forecasts.However, some technical accounting classification issues emerged in the first year of full resource accounting and the consequences of these came to light only after the end of the financial year. Regrettably this was too late for We department to seek proper parliamentary approval for the expenditure. As a consequence, this produced a resource overspend and a capital underspend against the voted provision within the departmental expenditure limit.More significantly, within the annually managed expenditure (which covers resource accounting and budgeting non-cash items such as depreciation and write downs) the Highways Agency failed to budget correctly for the depreciation of bridges and structures, for the write-downs required on opening new roads and for the creation of some provisions for future maintenance. These led to the overall overspend of £314 million.The department took account of the emerging audit results before submitting its Spring Supplementary Estimate for 2002–03 and is reviewing its future requirements in the light of this better understanding.Full details of the circumstances of the budget excess are detailed in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report to the 2001–02 accounts for the agency (HC 326).

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to publish regulations on home zones and quiet lanes, pursuant to the Transport Act 2000. [HL2316]

We plan to publish regulations on home zones and quiet lanes in draft for consultation later this year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Macdonald of Tradeston on 25 March (

The Government have no plans to make the carriage of driving licences mandatory. The police have immediate, 24-hour access to the driver licensing details held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. This information is provided via the police national computer and includes details of a driver's licensing status, entitlement and any associated restrictions that may apply. Police officers may also require drivers to produce their driving licences at a police station within seven days.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the outcome was of the Transport Council held on 27–28 March and what its stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record. [HL2389]

The transport segment of the Transport, Energy and Telecommunications Council was held in Brussels on 27–28 March. My right honourable friend the Minister for Transport represented the United Kingdom.The Council reached a general approach on a proposal further to accelerate the phase-out of single hull tankers and to ban the carriage of heavy grades of oil in such ships sailing to and from EU ports. The regulation will apply to all ships calling at or leaving Community ports and to all ships carrying Community flags anywhere in the world. The final date for phase-out of single-hull tankers is 2010, with an exemption until 2015 for certain vessels under specified conditions. A Presidency compromise date of 2008 was agreed for the coming into effect of a ban on carriage of heavy oil in tankers below 5,000 tonnes deadweight. The definition of heavy oils was agreed as those having a density at 15ºC higher than 900kg/m