asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to ensure that the legal aid system provides good value for money. [HL3190]

I am today announcing a package of measures, which will help achieve better value for money in the legal aid system while ensuring that help continues to go to those who need it most.A consultation paper has been published today on the Criminal Defence Service (CDS),

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is a target timescale for the answering of written parliamentary Questions in the House of Lords by the Northern Ireland Office; if so, what it is; how many have exceeded the target since 1 January 2002; and why. [HL2664]

The Northern Ireland Office aims to answer Questions for Written Answer within the 14-day timescale—as set out in the House of Lords Companion to the Standing Orders. However, in order to provide a full and accurate reply, it is sometimes necessary to await the outcome of consultation and discussion, resulting in delays.Since 1 January 2002, 484 Northern Ireland Questions for Written Answer have exceeded the 14-day deadline. However, I hope that the noble Lord will understand that the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly and transfer of powers to Westminster has added a considerable burden of work to the Northern Ireland Office.I would like to assure the noble Lord that the Northern Ireland Office, as with all other government departments, endeavours to answer all parliamentary Questions accurately and promptly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the approved minutes of the Ulster-Scots Agency, part of the Language Implementation Body, are received by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure; and, if so, for what purpose are they used. [HL2769]

The Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has been receiving copies of the minutes of the Board meetings of the Ulster-Scots Agency since August 2001. The minutes are used to inform the department about the activities of the agency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Privy Seal of 25 March (

The Answer given on 30 April 2003 (WA 101) provided exact set-up cost details for Waterways Ireland. This figure (£195,000) differed from the response given on 25 March 2003 (WA 72) (£200,000) as the figure in that Answer had been rounded up.The figures contained in the Answers in relation to the North/South Language Body also differ as some staff costs were mistakenly included in the Answer given on 25 March 2003 (

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the responses to the consultation paper on the reform of the disclosure process. [HL3219]

On 27 February the Home Office issued a consultation paper on the reform of the disclosure process to seek the views of registered bodies and others on how best to take forward a number of the recommendations of the independent review team (Official Report, column 33–36WS). The consultation period closed on 25 April; 570 responses were received. We have today placed in the Library of the House an analysis of those responses. We will consider carefully the views expressed in response to the consultation before deciding how best to proceed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain. [HL3220]

Each year, to comply with a requirement in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Government present to Parliament statistics relating to scientific procedures using animals in Great Britain. The statistics, based on data collected from those conducting licensed programmes of work under the Act, are published as a Command Paper and placed in the Library.For some while suggestions have been made, from different quarters and in various contexts, as to how the statistics might be improved, both as regards the information provided and the way it is presented. More recently the statistics have been the subject of recommendations by the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures, in its report published last July.In the government response to that Select Committee, we stated we would have the statistics reviewed to see how their content and presentation might he improved. This is to inform the House that Bob Ainsworth has today written to the chairman of the Animal Procedures Committee—the independent advisory body set up under the 1986 Act—asking for that committee to carry out a thorough review.The review is to take into account all the views and recommendations already put forward on the statistics, and to involve widespread consultation with stakeholders, other interested parties and the wider public. The expected cost of any recommended changes, especially in terms of any additional burden on the scientific community would have to be fully justified by the likely benefits.Bob Ainsworth has asked the Animal Procedures Committee to report back to me by the end of 2004. Its recommendations will then he carefully considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the Criminal Records Bureau's Corporate Plan for 2003–04. [HL3221]

I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the Criminal Records Bureau's corporate and business plan for 2003–04. After a difficult first seven months of operations, the business plan builds on the steady improvements in performance since last autumn. The average number of disclosures issued each week since October stands at 40,000 compared with 24,500 a week last August. Turnaround times have reduced from over eight weeks to under five and the number of aged applications over six weeks old (and not awaiting further information from the applicant) has been reduced from a peak of 76,000 to under 10,000.For 2003–04, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has set the CRB challenging but realistic service standards which take into account the experience of the first year of operating. The CRB will now seek to process 90 per cent of applications for a standard disclosure within two weeks and 90 per cent of applications for an enhanced disclosure within four weeks.As a result of the service improvements in recent months, the CRB is able to increase its capacity to 60,000 disclosures a week and consequently it can now commence criminal record checks on care workers postponed last November (

asked Her Majesty's Government:With particular reference to their commitment to NePAD (the New Partnership for Africa's Development), what will be their specific objectives at the G8 Summit in June 2003 with reference to each of the following:

In the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the draft modalities of the agriculture negotiations put forward by the chairman of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture, Stuart Harbinson, include specific proposals on:

asked Her Majesty's Government:With particular reference to their commitment to NEPAD (the New Partnership for Africa's Development), what will be their specific objectives at the G8 Summit in June 2003 with reference to each of the following:

UK objectives for the G8 Summit included obtaining G8 commitment to making real progress on the African concerns at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations. These concerns include commitment to establishing fair rules for special and differential treatment (the "development box"), ensuring real reductions in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) agricultural subsidies and improving market access for developing country agricultural products. UK objectives more specific to Africa were to obtain G8 commitment to improving and harmonising preferential access schemes for African products, expanding the integrated framework for trade-related capacity building to low-income Africa countries, and obtaining agreement on a meaningful African trade initiative based on the French proposals. The UK had no specific objective for the G8 meeting for the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) rescue plan but endorses the ICO quality improvement programme.The G8 agreed a statement on co-operative action on trade, which emphasises the importance of continuing to strengthen the multilateral system, and delivering the Doha Development Agenda including through decisions at Cancun. Specific actions identified are: to achieve further substantial opening of trade in particular in areas of interest to developing countries; to strengthen WTO rules and disciplines; to reach a solution on access to medicines for developing countries; to help with capacity building for trade; and to improve preferences for poor countries. There was limited progress on an African trade initiative following US objections to the proposed export subsidy moratorium proposed. Two of the original French proposals were referred to in the implementation report by Africa personal representatives to leaders on the G8 African Action Plan, in which G8 leaders reiterated commitment to the objective of duty-free quota-free market access for products originating from least developed countries and to improve the effectiveness and ease of use of their respective trade preference programmes. They welcomed the efforts underway by the World Bank Group to examine the potential for effective market-based mechanisms to help to mitigate weather and commodity shocks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the latest position as regards the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill. [HL3222]

The Leader of the House of Commons announced today at Business Questions our intention to recommit the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill to Standing Committee.We have taken this decision to enable us to bring forward provisions which will end the Crown's immunity from planning control, subject to certain safeguards. Given the substantive nature of the proposed amendments, I think it is important that the House of Commons is given the opportunity to debate these new provisions fully before the Bill resumes its remaining stages.We will also be seeking to introduce further provisions which will help to implement the sustainable communities agenda.Clearly this will mean that the Bill will not be able to complete its remaining stages in this Session. Motions have therefore also been tabled today to allow the Bill to be carried over into the next parliamentary session. We will be seeking to ensure that the Bill reaches the statute book as soon as possible in the next Session to lessen the impact of this slight delay.We propose that the provisions relating to Crown development extend beyond England and Wales, which would involve the Scottish Executive pursuing a Sewel Motion in the Scottish Parliament. We are, of course, discussing this with the Scottish Executive, which has been kept informed of our proposals.The intention to carry over the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill into the next Session does not signify any lessening in our commitment to reforming the planning system.Copies of a short progress report covering the large number of workstreams being taken forward as part of this commitment are available in the Libraries of the House. The note will also be available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website www.odpm.gov.uk.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the provisions of the Fire Services Bill are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL3226]

In my view the provisions of the Fire Services Bill are compatible with the convention rights.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the projected costs to government departments of the Office of the e-Envoy charges for improvements to e-government services when the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) comes to an end in September; and [HL2997]In respect of the intention of the Office of the e-Envoy to charge government departments for its services, whether they can explain the reported statement from the OeE that "the costs should be [invoiced to] where the savings are made". [HL2998]

The Knowledge Network project within the Office of the e-Envoy was set up with funding from the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) to develop the infrastructure and initial applications and business systems to support inter-departmental working. The CMF funding for the project has now expired.The Knowledge Network is now a successful ongoing service to government departments, with 32 departments and agencies using the infrastructure. As the main development stage is complete, it is in accordance with general government policy that the costs should be met by those benefiting from the service, hence the intention to introduce charges on user departments. The Office of the e-Envoy (OeE) is discussing details with users at the moment but charges are not expected to exceed£150,000 per year even for the major departmental users.The OeE is also responsible for delivering two other major infrastructure developments, the UKOnline portal and the Government Gateway. Both projects are still receiving funding from the CMF. No decisions have yet been taken about moving these services on to a charging basis.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following the recent publication of its 5th version, when they anticipate that the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) will be updated to allow for wider deployment of wireless and mobile computing technology across government, particularly in respect of broadband delivery to rural areas and the regions. [HL2999]

The e-GIF is regularly reviewed every six months, and at each review all content is updated as necessary. The next review is due in October 2003 when the current advice on the use of wireless and mobile technologies will be revised if the current security concerns about the use of those technologies have been resolved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will announce the membership, terms of reference and timetable for the Employer Task Force on Pensions. [H L3224]

The Membership and terms of reference for the task force on pensions are set out below. We expect the task force to report in around 18 months.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give the figures for the proportion of students entering Oxford and Cambridge universities from independent and state schools respectively every year since 1960. [HL2549]

The latest available information is shown in the table below.Comparable data for earlier years are not held centrally.

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

Figures for slug pellet use in gardens are not collated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the guiding principles of Lord Haskins's Rural Delivery Review. [HL3223]

Lord Haskins's Rural Delivery Review will help improve the way rural policies are delivered and make a real difference to local people.The seven guiding principles of the review—the first outcome of Lord Haskins's work—were published today. They are:Better accountability: policy development should be managed separately from policy delivery, whilst ensuring that proper communication exists at all stages between the two functions. Accountability for success or failure cannot be determined if there is confusion between the two.Readiness for policy change: the Government must prepare for the delivery of a major new agri-environmental agenda in the coming years.Devolution: delivery of economic and social policy must be devolved in accordance with the principles of public service reform.Customer focus: the services available to rural businesses and rural communities, and visitors to the countryside, need to be more accessible and transparent.Simplicity: the complex range of agencies currently engaged in delivering the Government's rural policies should be simplified.Co-ordination: the environmental, social and economic elements of rural delivery should be better co-ordinated at a regional level.Value for money: the taxpayer must get better value for money as a result of changes to the current arrangements.Ministers are very grateful for all the work Lord Haskins has done so far, meeting hundreds of individuals and organisations throughout England, as well as visiting Scotland, Wales, France, Germany and Belgium. The principles he has developed are a very useful first indication of his thinking and are consistent with existing work across government bringing services closer to local people, for example through devolution and decentralisation.