asked Her Majesty's Government:When the senior official currently on secondment as chief executive of Action Mental Health in Northern Ireland will return to a post in the Department for Employment and Learning. [HL4596]

:The secondment is scheduled to end on 31 March 2005.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what dates since 30 September 2002 the Prime Minister has met Mr Rupert Murdoch or spoken to him on the telephone respectively. [HL4639]

The Government's position on the disclosure of information relating to contacts with outside interest groups or individuals remains as set out in its response to the sixth report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which is that it should not be the normal practice to release details of meetings with private individuals or companies. Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. Some of these discussions will take place on a confidential basis.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy towards food security and special agricultural products in the poorer developing countries under World Trade Organisation rules. [HL4709]

At the Doha ministerial meeting in 2001, it was agreed that the WTO agriculture negotiations would aim to achieve substantial improvements in market access. The UK is firmly committed to this objective and to ensuring that adequate special and differential rules are agreed, with the aim of meeting the development and food security needs of poor countries.The so-called "food security box" proposals made by developing countries and being discussed in the WTO's Agriculture Committee include:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What lessons have been learned from the use of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in north and west Afghanistan; and whether security for humanitarian work is now an urgent priority in the east and south. [HL4827]

To date, four international joint civil-military provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) have been established in Mazar-e Sharif, Kunduz (both in the north), Bamiyan (in central Afghanistan), and Gardez (south east). Our experience so far from the United Kingdom's PRT, based in Mazar-e Sharif, has been very positive. It has been instrumental in facilitating the negotiation of a ceasefire between two competing warlords in Northern Afghanistan.Four more PRTs are planned to be operational before the end of this year in Jalalabad (south east), Kandahar (south), Herat (west) and Charikar (near Kabul). This will help to improve security for reconstruction and development work by the Afghan Administration, the UN and NGOs in the south, east and west.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied with the present level of staffing throughout the Crown Prosecution Service; and if not, what is being done to address the issue. [HL4751]

Staffing levels have increased substantially in the last two years in order to deal with increases in workload. The manifesto commitment to increase the number of prosecutors has been met. Staffing levels will continue to be kept under close review in the light of changing workload demands.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether allied forces in Afghanistan are holding prisoners in underground cellars at Bagram airbase; whether there have been any deaths in custody there; whether sensory deprivation during the flight from Bagram to Cuba has affected the mental health of the prisoners; and what representations they have made, or are making, to the United States Government. [HL4626]

No British citizens are currently being held at Bagram and none of the detainees held there was captured by British forces. The British Government do not have detailed information on non-British detainees at Bagram or the conditions in which detainees are moved elsewhere. The ICRC has been able to assess conditions at Bagram since 22 January 2002 and the two widely reported deaths in custody there in December 2002 are under investigation by the US military. We are not aware of any further fatalities at Bagram. We believe that all detainees should be treated humanely and we remain in regular contact with the United States, at both ministerial and official level, about the situation of detainees.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What they mean by weapons of mass destruction; and which countries they consider to be in possession of such weapons. [HL4670]

There is no universally-accepted definition of the term weapons of mass destruction (WMD), however it is generally taken to mean nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.Under the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Russia and China are legally entitled to possess nuclear weapons. Additionally, India and Pakistan have tested nuclear devices. We continue to urge Israel to resolve international concerns about its nuclear status by acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state.There are four states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention that have declared possession of chemical weapons. They are currently in the process of destroying them in accordance with their obligations under the convention.The Government have made clear in recent months that we continue to believe that Iraq had produced and had active programmes for production of WMD. We are also aware of, and very concerned by, persistent reports that Iran, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Libya and Syria are pursuing programmes for the development of WMD and the means for their delivery.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 6 June

We do not record statistics on the point raised, it would involve disproportionate cost to provide the information requested.However, we believe that a higher percentage of the UK prisoners referred to were detained for drug offences.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether all Kuwaiti citizens held by Iraq after the 1991 Gulf war have been located; and, if so, whether they have been returned to Kuwait alive or dead. [HL4738]

We regret that none of the 605 Kuwaitis missing after the Gulf War has so far been found alive. We understand 34 sets of human remains have been positively identified. The Tripartite Committee, established after the invasion of Kuwait under the auspices of the ICRC, has begun to investigate mass graves in Iraq. The coalition has so far established that there are 202 mass grave sites. The UK sent a team of forensic experts to Iraq who have made recommendations on the treatment of mass graves, including identification programmes. The Coalition Provisional Authority has set up an Office of Human Rights and Transitional Justice which will put these recommendations into effect.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current outstanding amount and status of reparations from Iraq claimed by Kuwait following the 1991 Gulf War. [HL4739]

According to the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) Kuwait has been awarded 37,113,774,922 US dollars of which 9,340,747,973 US dollars has been paid. A total of 27,773,026,949 US dollars remains outstanding on the awards. The UNCC states that a further 22,186,998,404 US dollars of claims remain to be adjudicated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union from October 2003 to April 2004. [HL4870]

The forthcoming business in the Council of Europe is as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the purpose of the Intergovernmental Conference, the opening session of which took place in Rome on 4 October. [HL4871]

On 4 October my right honourable friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary attended the opening session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in Rome. The conference has been convened to enable member states to make decisions on a future Constitutional Treaty in order to ensure that an expanded European Union is both more effective and more accountable. Its starting point is the draft treaty produced by the Convention on the Future of Europe, placed before the House this August as Command Paper 5897.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have recently made any exemptions to the United Nations arms embargo on Iraq. [HL4872]

Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a further licence to export military list goods to Iraq. The arms embargo against Iraq remains in place under United Nations Security Council resolution 1483 (2003), with the exception of "arms and other related material required by the (Coalition Provisional) Authority to serve the purposes of this and other related resolutions". Accordingly, Her Majesty's Government consider it appropriate to grant exemptions for the export of submachine guns and pistols which are to be used by private security firms contracted to provide close protection for employees of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq. The export is consistent with the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. Future applications will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis against the UN embargo and consolidated criteria, taking into account the circumstances prevailing at the time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many indemnity undertakings were given in respect of loss or damage to works of art loaned to the British Council for exhibition overseas for the six-month period to 30 March; and whether the arrangements for government art indemnities for such exhibitions are being revised. [HL4905]

The British Council, although not a government department, receives a substantial grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The council regularly organises or sponsors exhibitions overseas of works of art loaned from national galleries and private collections in the United Kingdom. It provides certain assurances or guarantees in respect of loss or damage while these works are on loan.In the six-month period ended 30 March 2003 the British Council provided such assurances to four national lenders and undertakings to 171 private lenders. The value of the contingent liabilities that remained outstanding as at 30 March 2003 in respect of national lenders was £300,000 and £3,703,862 in respect of private lenders.Following a recent review, HM Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Council have agreed to a revision of the government art indemnities arrangements for artworks loaned to British Council exhibitions overseas. The revised scheme, which comes into effect on 1 April 2004, has three main features. The maximum total liability available to the Council at any one time will be £50 million (compared with the current £70 million). The £50 million limit does not include "high value" exhibitions (i.e. single exhibitions valued at £30 million or over), which are treated separately. In the case of "high value" exhibitions the council will submit proposals to the UK's Public Diplomacy Strategy Board and HM Treasury for approval at least two years in advance. For all exhibitions the council will have to show evidence of having approached the government of the host country for cover and of having sought sponsorship for commercial insurance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many lethal or potentially lethal firearms have been recovered by United Kingdom Police Services in the current year and in each of the previous four years:

The national firearms amnesty in April saw the hand-in of 43,908 guns (including 9,480 imitations and 13,974 air weapons), and 1,039,358 rounds of ammunition. Police forces were instructed to destroy all items, unless they were of national forensic or museum interest. Information on firearms recovered by the police during normal operations is not recorded centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they are taking to provide for investment in affordable housing. [HL4988]

I am pleased to be announcing today the allocation of nearly £5 billion over the next two years to drive forward the Government's commitment to affordable housing. This includes the balance of the £1 billion for key worker housing promised in the Communities Plan and funding to help ensure that all people living in social housing have a decent home by 2010.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What contribution they will make to a further expansion of the International Security and Assistance Force in Afghanistan to provinces outside the capital. [HL4826]

The United Kingdom is already active in the Afghan regions through our Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mazar-e Sharif. We have made no decisions on the nature of our future contribution to the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF), though the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as a whole continues to explore the potential for ISAF expansion further to the United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 1510 passed on 13 October 2003.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their estimate of the proportion of road vehicle drivers who are "at work" as defined by the Health and Safety Executive document of September

The Government have no statistics on which to base an estimate of the proportion of drivers who are "at work".The estimate referred to in

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they have taken to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety Executive document of September

The publication Driving at work: Managing work-related road safety, jointly published by the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Transport, is a guidance document that has no legal status and does not require compliance. The guidance is designed to raise awareness about employers’ responsibilities for work related driving activity, where relevant, under existing health and safety law. It contains advice on how these responsibilities can be carried out, to assist employers meet their obligations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the obligation under the Jobseekers Act 1995 on claimants to prove that they are actively seeking work carries a corresponding obligation on employers to acknowledge receipt of applications and their rejection where appropriate; and, if not, whether they take the view that there should be such obligation on employers. [HL4634]

As jobseekers are not required under the Jobseekers Act 1995 to provide written evidence that they are taking reasonable steps to obtain employment it is not necessary to place an obligation to provide written evidence on employers.When a jobseeker makes a claim for jobseeker's allowance they agree the steps they will take to actively seek work. This is recorded on their jobseeker's agreement and reviewed on a regular basis. Jobseekers are advised to keep any evidence of applications and the steps they have taken, not only for their own records, but to enable further advice and assistance to be provided.If any doubt arises about the action that a jobseeker is taking, they will be asked to provide additional evidence. If it appears that they are no longer actively seeking employment, a statement will be taken from them. The statement will include details of the steps they have taken, why they think these were the best steps to take, details of anything that restricted their jobseeking activities and an explanation of why the steps agreed on their jobseeker's agreement have not been followed. The personal adviser will also provide a statement explaining why they consider the steps taken to be inadequate.These statements, together with the jobseeker's agreement and any other evidence supplied by the jobseeker, are then passed to an independent decision-maker. They will look at the evidence and make a decision regarding entitlement to jobseeker's allowance. If benefit is disallowed the jobseeker will be advised of their right to appeal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total cost of the Government's New Deal for Lone Parents in 2002–03; and how much of the total was received directly by the participants. [HL4647]

The forecast outturn for total expenditure on New Deal for Lone Parents in 2002– 03 is £79.08 million. Of this, £15 million was incurred making training allowance payments to lone parents and meeting the additional costs incurred by lone parents through their participation in the programme such as, for example childcare and travel refunds. Elements of this £15 million are paid to third parties and details of the amount paid direct to lone parents could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many national insurance numbers are in issue; and what steps are being made to limit their allocation to those who are entitled to them. [HL4714]

The total stock of national insurance numbers (NINOs) is 71.5 million. The vast majority of NINOs are issued to UK born residents at the age of 15 years and 9 months. The enhanced NINO process (ENP) which almost exclusively affects people entering the UK from abroad, was introduced in April 2001 to ensure a thorough and consistent approach to NINO allocation for benefit applications and for those starting work or in employment. This robust process includes face-to-face interviews for all clients, the provision of document examination tools and comprehensive guidance for interviewing staff Only when this process is satisfactorily completed will a NINO be allocated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether qualification for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens will lead to the selection of a Great Britain's women's wheelchair basketball team. [HL4672]

A team to represent Great Britain will be selected provided that a sufficient number of women meet the selection criteria agreed between the British Paralympic Association and the governing body, the GB Wheelchair Basketball Association.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give their latest estimate of the total annual cost to public funds of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the European Parliament, expressed in pounds sterling per Member. [HL4687]

Precise comparisons between the cost of the European Parliament and the United Kingdom Parliament are difficult. The latest

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will link death certificates with birth records wherever possible and require death certificates to note the deceased's national insurance number so as to help prevent identity theft.[HL4819]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General who has been asked to reply.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When Culture Online will commission its first projects. [HL4963]

Culture Online is a new project, led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which aims to use new technology to increase access to and participation in the arts and culture. Digital technologies B including, but not limited to, the Internet, give us the opportunity to present cultural resources and activities in different formats and allow people to use and add to them in new and exciting ways. Projects involving interactive games, audio and video footage, and digital cameras and editing software and tools can improve the quality of education and bring in new users.Culture Online is commissioning digital educational materials from cultural and new media organisations. We are about to commission the first seven projects (details of which will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses). They involve a range of organisations including local and regional museums and theatres, the V&A, Kew Gardens and the National Theatre. Just over a half of all projects will be aimed at school age children. The rest will be aimed at adult learners, particularly those who may not traditionally have been involved in the arts and culture. The first projects will start in November and will be accessible by the public next year. Projects will be available through participating organisations’ websites, the Culture Online website (www.cultureonline.gov.uk) and the DfES Curriculum Online portal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Countryside Agency has been required to maintain records of objections to access rights and to definitive maps used in determining those access rights; and, if so, when they will report on any anomalies in the definitive maps which, taken together, may require a change in the legislation to allow corrections to be made.[HL4862]

The Countryside Agency is required under the Access to the Countryside (Provisional and Conclusive Maps) (England) Regulations 2002 to keep a record of the names and addresses of any person who has made representations to them about the draft maps of open country and registered common land issued by the agency under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Following the issue of a provisional map, the agency will publish on its website a consultation report which will detail the general issues highlighted during the public consultation exercise. The report will also include information on the amount of land which has either been added or removed from the draft map as a result of the representations received.The agency does have some limited powers to correct any errors to the provisional and conclusive maps of open country and registered common land under the Access to the Countryside (Correction of Provisional and Conclusive Maps) (England) Regulations 2003. In addition a review of a conclusive map will be carried out within 10 years of the map being issued.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 3 June

Data extracted from the State Veterinary Service (SVS) database show that, on 31 August 2003, the overall number of overdue tests stood at 3,134, down almost 200 tests from 31 July 2003. The current number of overdue TB tests is below the level prior the onset of the foot and mouth disease outbreak of 2001.Almost 30 per cent, of these 3,134 tests have been overdue less than one month. the nature of TB testing is such that most TB tests are completed on or shortly after their due date. Delays in the submission of test results from veterinary practices can result in those tests appearing as outstanding on the date that the statistics were compiled, even if the herds in question had already been tested.Another 12 per cent. of these tests have been overdue by six months or more. All those herds have been under movement restrictions at least since last April. Despite the gradual reduction in the number of overdue TB tests there is no room for complacency. With effect from 1 October, and on the first working day of each month thereafter, the SVS is placing under restriction any herds in which a TB test becomes overdue by more than three months.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the answer by the Lord Whitty on 14 October (HL Deb, col. 764) on a traffic regulation order, for how long can an "extended period" run. [HL4879]

A traffic regulation order made under Section 22B of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as introduced by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, can apply for as long a period as the Secretary of State decides to specify in the order.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they propose to bring forward measures to deal with the problems of evasion of Vehicle Excise Duty and the non-insurance of motor vehicles. [HL4747]

1. VED Evasion: Draft regulations introducing a regime of "continuous registration" under powers taken under the Finance Act 2002 Budget were laid before Parliament on 15 October. Subject to the approval of Parliament, they come into force on 30 November 2003.The effect of the regulations is that in the event of a vehicle keeper failing to relicence their vehicle by the due date they will be liable to an £80 fixed penalty reducing to £40 if paid within 28 days.The fundamental change from the present position is that action may now be taken in respect of unlicensed vehicles on the face of the vehicle registration records held by the DVLA. Thus it will no longer be necessary as at present, for the vehicle to be seen on the road in order for action to be taken. Stronger penalties may result where the vehicle continues to be unlicensed.These measures should ensure that there is a greater incentive for motorists to renew their tax discs by the due date and to inform DVLA when a vehicle changes hands. There will be a major publicity campaign to explain these measures to motorists starting in January 2004.2. Insurance: The Government announced, on 21 August, the appointment of Professor David Greenaway to carry out an independent review of the UK motor insurance system. The review is expected to report next April and has a particular focus on changes that might help reduce levels of uninsured driving.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Network Rail has sufficient engineering and technical capacity to meet its obligations in respect of railway equipment approvals. [HL4835]Lord Davies of Oldham: Network Rail advises that all safety and business critical railway equipment is subject to a stringent product acceptance process which forms part of its railway safety case. Processing products through this acceptance procedure is prioritised by Network Rail's business need.