asked Her Majesty's Government:On what date the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure was first requested to allow an appointment of an education and language officer by the Ulster-Scots Agency, why there has been a delay; and when permission will be given. [HL4722]

The Ulster-Scots Agency approached the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) in June 2002 seeking additional staff. The agency provided details of the staffing requested on 9 July 2002.In July 2002 DCAL, on behalf of the agency, commissioned the Business Development Service (BDS) to develop an organisational structure that would reflect the operational needs of the agency. The work was undertaken in two stages. The first involved a review of four core administrative posts, and on 2 October 2002 DCAL asked BDS to proceed to the second stage, which included drawing up a job description for a director of education and language.The evaluation of the post was delayed due to BDS experiencing difficulty gaining relevant information from the agency and work pressures in DCAL. However, the agency is now considering a draft job description prepared by BDS, and when this has been agreed, DCAL will press ahead with the completion of the approved interim procedures process to allow the agency to advertise the post.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 16 October (

A range of programmes and initiatives by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), Tourism Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) have the potential to impact upon cultural tourism in Northern Ireland including Ulster Scots tourism.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 16 October (

The Driver & Vehicle Testing Agency carries out the full range of statutory roadworthiness tests in Northern Ireland. These include tests on motor cars and motor cycles for which a vehicle test certificate (MoT) is issued as well as other categories such as heavy goods vehicles, taxis, buses, etc, for which other certificates are issued.Details of vehicle test applications received between October 2001 and September 2003 are presented in the table (the figures exclude retests).

asked Her Majesty's Government:For each year since 2000, how much funding the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure was allocated; what was the underspend each year; and what were the reasons for any underspend. HL5242]

The budget allocation for 2000–01 was £72,047,000. Actual expenditure incurred during the year was £70,289,000, an underspend of £1,758,000. The major variances were in respect of:

asked the Chairman of Committees:Further to his answer of 10 November (

I am grateful for the noble Lord's suggestion, and have asked officials to examine it. I shall write to him when I have more information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their policy concerning the sale and control of replica and deactivated firearms and the prevention of crimes arising from their use or their possible reactivation. [HL4875]

We are currently introducing new controls in the Anti-social Behaviour Bill which will make it an offence to possess an imitation firearm in a public place without reasonable excuse. Under the Firearms Act 1982, imitation firearms that are readily convertible to fire live ammunition are treated in law as real, working guns. It is also a criminal offence to possess a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence.The standards for deactivating firearms were made more stringent in 1995 and we are not aware that guns deactivated after this date are being readily reactivated.Under the provisions of the current Criminal Justice Bill, anybody convicted of possessing a prohibited firearm—which will include converted or reactivated handguns—will be liable to a five-year minimum sentence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 16 October (

We have sought information from contacts in the European Commission and have received responses in respect of the following countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. A summary of the responses is as follows:In Belgium the directive is rendered verbatim, i.e. without mentioning colour, but in a recent amendment (25 February 2003) to the Belgian law on discrimination, "colour" is included next to race and ethnic origin.In Denmark, a new proposal for a law was put forward on 22 October by the Minister for Employment implementing Directives 2000/78/EC and 2000/43/EC. This Danish law concerns equal treatment on the labour market only, but this Bill does mention colour of skin. The Bill is an update of existing legislation, which already mentioned colour of skin in the text.The Finnish transposition of the Race Directive makes no mention of colour. It refers to discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or national origin.In France a law against discrimination of 16 November 2001 transposes the Race Directive into national law. This law makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of physical appearance, surname (implying a particular ethnic origin) and belonging or not belonging, whether real or supposed, to an ethnic group, a nation or a race.Germany is in the process of drafting a Bill to transpose EU legislation on ethnic origin, sex, and age through one portmanteau law. Germany plans to follow the wording of the EU directives.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the five allegedly racist police officers who were exposed in the BBC programme "The Secret Policeman" were allowed to resign, rather than being sacked. [HL5102]

It is for a chief officer to decide whether or not to accept the resignation of an officer who is suspended. All three forces concerned advise that, in all the circumstances, they felt the public interest was better served by accepting the immediate resignations of the officers concerned.Under the police misconduct regulations, there is no means of instant dismissal for alleged gross misconduct, no matter how overwhelming the evidence. To pursue this route would have entailed the officers remaining suspended on full pay pending disciplinary procedures, which would have involved a formal investigation and a hearing before a misconduct board. This process, which would probably have taken some months to complete, also carries a statutory right to a review by the chief officer concerned and then an appeal to an independent police appeals tribunal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the answers by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 22 October (

The Government have a manifesto commitment to "look at Government's interface with the faith communities". This was prompted by the success of the Lambeth Group at the time of the millennium celebrations. A great many people in Britain are members of faith groups which to a greater or lesser extent guide their values and beliefs. Providing a mechanism to bring faith perspectives into the development of social policy is therefore a good way of engaging with many citizens and improving the sensitivity of the Government's policies. The steering group includes not only Ministers from departments with a particular interest, but representatives of the faith communities and others with an interest.The aim of the review is to ensure that issues raised by different faith communities are given full and proper consideration when departments are developing policy that affects them. Also, places of worship and faith-based organisations are themselves engaged in a huge range of voluntary activities which benefit the wider community, and the Government wish to take advantage of their networks, people and buildings in seeking to build more cohesive, active communities.It would not be appropriate to predict the conclusions of the steering group by suggesting at this point what its recommendations for future consultative arrangements will be. The steering group itself will disband once a report is produced at the end of the year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which prisons do not yet have a visitors' centre (whether on prison service land or not); and how long they estimate it will take to provide such centres for all prisons. [HL5150]

In Northern Ireland only Hydebank Wood Young Offenders' Centre does not have a visitors' centre at present. However, building work has already commenced on a new visitors' centre and contractors have estimated that this will be completed by April 2004.In England and Wales the provisions on a visitors' centre is a matter for each governor or director, who is best placed to assess the facilities required locally. All newly built and contracted-out establishments are required to have a visitors' centre under the terms of their contract. We aspire to provide such centres at most prisons across the remainder of the estate, in due course, but the considerable financial and other resources required, as well as the many competing priorities, have prevented some establishments taking this forward. It is estimated that around 90 establishments have a visitors' centre. However, details of the number and distribution are not routinely collected and there is some doubt about the accuracy of the information that we have on this matter. The Prison Service is shortly to conduct an exercise to establish the current position and I will write to the noble Lord when it is completed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many prisoners convicted of sex offences have been assessed as suitable for the sex offender treatment programme (SOTP); how many have undergone such a programme; and what are the estimated extra resources needed to ensure that all such prisoners are given SOTP before release. [HL5163]

The sex offender treatment programme is open to all adult male prisoners who have been convicted of a sexual offence, or whose index offence appears to have a sexual motive, and to those who have been convicted of a sexual offence in the past and are assessed as needing to participate in the programme. Candidates must be assessed as suitable for participation in the programme and must be willing to participate in it.No records are kept centrally of the number of prisoners who have been assessed for a place on a sex offender treatment programme, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.In England and Wales, between 1992 and March 1996, 1,716 sex offender treatment programmes were delivered. Between April 1996 and March 2003, 5,012 accredited sex offender treatment programmes were completed. This is a net figure following a quality audit. The target for 2003–04 and 2004–05 is 1,240 post-audit completions each year. We estimate that this figure is in line with the numbers eligible for these programmes.There are about 130 men convicted of sexual offences currently held in prison in Northern Ireland and an increase in staffing levels would be required to increase treatment provision for these offenders.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many officers of the Metropolitan Police are engaged in the investigation of offences under Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988; how many alleged offences have been investigated since the Act came into force, and in respect of how many of them have files been sent to the Attorney-General, either to request him to exercise his powers under Section 135 of the Act or as a preparatory act with a view to a possible subsequent request. [HL5167]

I have been informed by the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis that there are currently no Metropolitan Police officers engaged in the investigation of offences under Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.There have been no alleged offences investigated since the relevant provisions of the Act came into force on 29 September 1988 and therefore no files have been sent to the Attorney-General, either to request him to exercise his powers under Section 135 of the Act or as a preparatory act with a view to a possible subsequent request.

asked Her Majesty's Government: What weight is given to maintaining family links, especially those between parents and children, when prisoners are allocated to prisons. [HL5183]

In Northern Ireland Maghaberry is the only committal prison for adult prisoners. Those who meet the selection criteria will transfer to Magilligan Prison. At all establishments in Northern Ireland developing and maintaining family links is considered an important element of the work being done to help reduce reoffending. Establishments offer a variety of temporary release schemes, family visits and a number of family days to help to maintain family links. Prisoners can also retain regular contact with their relatives by phone and letter.The Prison Service of England and Wales places great importance on prisoners maintaining close ties with family and friends and does everything reasonably possible, within the current population pressures, to ensure that prisoners are allocated to a prison near to their homes. However, high population levels throughout the Prison Service estate can lead to prisoners being transferred from their home area to establishments with a greater number of vacancies. Otherwise, local prisons and remand centres would be unable to provide accommodation to meet the needs of the courts.For some prisoners, such as life sentence prisoners and vulnerable prisoners, it is more important to hold them in establishments that can cater for their specific needs, though such establishments may often be a longer distance from home.Governors are required to consider regime and family contact issues before moving prisoners. Where this is not possible, family contact is facilitated through financial assistance for travel costs, for those who qualify, under the Assisted Prisons Visits Scheme, extended family visits and the temporary transfer of prisoners closer to home to have a series of accumulated visits.

of Crosby asked Her Majesty's Government:On what grounds they object to providing the Government of Nigeria with the material they have requested to enable them to recover state funds taken out of the country by relatives of the late dictator, General Sani Abacha; and [HL5246]Why they consider that a Nigerian court ruling barring further investigations into the money taken out of Nigerian state funds by the Abacha family requires clarification, when courts in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Jersey and Great Britain have already ruled that the judge concerned lacks competence in the case. [HL5247]

Officials have been in close contact with representatives of the other jurisdictions involved in this case. I refer the noble Baroness to my previous responses to her dated 19 June and 30 July 2003. The Federal Government of Nigeria, through their English solicitors, conceded that although they contested the validity of the judgments, they would comply with them so long as they remained in force. It would serve no purpose to transmit evidence to the Federal Government of Nigeria that they may not be able to use their criminal investigation.The Federal Government of Nigeria have now provided answers to the outstanding matters that were requested of them in October 2002 and this material is subject to review by Home Office officials.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they will take to encourage planning authorities to target investment in smaller towns and district neighbourhoods. [HL5463]

Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 (PPG6)—Town Centres and Retail Development—sets out the Government's planning policy on investment in town and other centres, and must be taken into account by planning authorities in the exercise of their planning functions. It directs development for all key town centre uses (including retail, leisure and offices) to central locations, specifically identifying district and local centres as suitable, accessible locations for development of an appropriate scale.PPG6 is currently being reviewed, and will be replaced with Planning Policy Statement 6 (PPS6): Town Centres. A consultation draft of PPS6 is due to be published by the end of this year. PPS6 will carry forward and develop this focus on smaller towns and centres, and be accompanied by some good practice guidance to further assist planning authorities in equipping smaller centres to compete. This good practice guidance (Strategies for Smaller Centres) will be published with the final version of PPS6 in 2004.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether a preferred bidder has been selected for the provision of water and waste water services to MoD sites within the north and east of England. [HL5490]

We are pleased to inform the House that the C2C consortium has today been announced as the preferred bidder for the second of three contracts for the provision of water and waste water services to Ministry of Defence sites in the north and east of England.Project Aquatrine is one of the Government's leading and most significant public/private partnership (PPP) projects and will transfer the responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the department's water and waste water assets and infrastructure throughout Great Britain to private sector providers. This project will enable the transfer of environment risk to those in the private sector who are best placed to manage it.This contract is expected to go live in September 2004 following a pre-commencement period.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made since the launch of their defence industrial policy in October 2002. [HL5518]

The Government launched their defence industrial policy in October 2002. We sought to maximise the economic benefit to the United Kingdom from our investment in defence and to enhance the competitiveness and global sustainability of our defence industry. Since we launched the policy we have worked closely with industry to develop and pursue a joint implementation plan. We have completed a review of progress over the first year. During this time our close and productive relationship with industry has developed further and we have agreed how we will take forward our common aims over the next few years.The policy has been a significant driver in bringing together government and industry, resulting in better communication and access to information. We both recognise that the policy is for the long term and that it will take some time to measure the full effects on defence programmes and the industry that supports them. We remain committed to the policy and will continue to monitor its effectiveness and to develop best practice in this area among the MoD acquisition community. We will also continue to work to improve access to overseas defence markets and to maximise the benefits from our investment in research and technology. We will conduct a further review of progress in a year's time. Copies of the review have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and on the Ministry of Defence and DTI websites.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the provisions and requirements of the Telephone Preference Service apply to the telephoning of electors by political parties and elected representatives; and, if so, in which respects. [HL5304]

Yes. Under the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/2093), a political party or an elected representative telephoning an elector for his or her support or a donation is required to ensure that any numbers that are on the Telephone Preference Service list are not called, unless the elected representative or political party has the elector's prior consent to do so. In addition, the elected representative or political party would need to ensure that anyone who had previously told the caller that they did not wish to hear from the elected representative or political party again was not called again, irrespective of whether that elector's number appears on the Telephone Preference Service list. The regulations do not affect an elected representative's ability to telephone their constituents about other matters, such as to give information relating to an inquiry.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What estimates they have made of the annual cost of servicing the total outstanding debt on the income-contingent student loan scheme in each of the three years after the proposed introduction of increased tuition fees; and how such estimates are derived [HL5075]

The annual cost to government of income-contingent student loans in the first three years after the introduction of variable fees will depend on the following factors: the number of students entering higher education institutions (HEIs) in those three years; the level of fees charged by each HEI; and the proportion of students who choose to take out loans to cover the cost of their fees, and the value of such loans. Further details will be available in the regulatory impact assessment which will be published shortly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have studied the United States' National Institutes for Health 2001 report on the effectiveness of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases; and, if so, whether as a result they have revised what is taught to people under 18 (both in schools and elsewhere) about the effectiveness of condoms. [HL5333]

We have considered the United States' National Institutes for Health 2001 report alongside other evidence relating to the effectiveness of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs).There is strong evidence that, when used correctly and consistently, condoms decrease the risk of HIV transmission

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they encourage primary and secondary schools to consult their parent-teacher associations as to the content of sex education and related teaching. [HL5335]

The responsibility for determining the content of sex education and related teaching rests with governing bodies and head teachers. Our sex and relationship education (SRE) guidance, published in July 2000, clearly states that governing bodies and head teachers should consult parents in developing their SRE policy to ensure that the views of parents and the community are reflected. All schools must have an SRE policy, which is made available to parents and to Ofsted for inspection.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What funding has been set aside for "Star Awards for the Learning and Skills Sector'' announced on 4 November. [HL5379]

The department has set aside some £1.2 million over the next two years.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many patients have been treated for peripheral neuropathy as a result of vitamin B6 intake in each of the past 10 years. [HL5158]

The information requested is not collected centrally. The Food Standards Agency publishes advice about the use of vitamin B6 on their website at http://www.food.gov.uk.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have about the attendance at and progress made at the meeting held on 23 October between the Food Standards Agency and a number of stakeholder organisations to discuss their concerns about the Food Supplements Directive. [HL5200]

The meeting was requested by the noble Lord, Lord Feldman, who attended with Mr David Tredinnick, Member of Parliament, and representatives of five groups representing consumer or industry interests. Lord Feldman and his colleagues described their concerns about the Food Supplements Directive. Representatives from the Food Standards Agency described the outcome of the meeting between industry representatives and the European Food Safety Authority to discuss dossier content for nutrient sources to be added to the lists in the Food Supplements Directive. The agency also confirmed its commitment to arguing for a safety-based approach to regulation of food supplements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether liquid milk sold by retailers as "British" has to be produced from cows in the United Kingdom; and whether labelling requirements for the origin of liquid milk are being adhered to by the retail trade. [HL5227]

There is no legislation requiring the declaration of country of origin on liquid milk sold at retail. However, if such information is provided it should not be false or misleading. The Food Standards Agency's advice is that milk sold as "British" must be produced from cows in the United Kingdom. The agency is not aware of any specific problems with misleading labelling of country of origin of liquid milk by the retail trade.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the income from National Health Service prescription charges for each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002; and what costs were incurred by the National Health Service in recovering these charges. [HL5388]

The available information is given in the table.

Year	Income from Charges (England) (£ millions)
2000–01	389
2001–02	408
2002–03	423

More than 85 per cent of total charge income is collected by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors as part of the dispensing of medicines. There is no separately identifiable element of their remuneration attributable to the charge collection function. The sale of prepayment certificates, which accounts for the remainder of the income, was the responsibility of health authorities until October 2002, and the cost was not identifiable separately. The function is now centralised at the Prescription Pricing Authority, and the estimated annual cost is around £1.5 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether a decision will be made on United Kingdom participation in the Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline before an assessment has been conducted as to the project's compliance with World Bank safeguard policies, both on paper and in project implementation. [HL5245]

The project sponsors, led by BP, have approached the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) regarding cover for the supply of UK goods and services, and for UK investments related to the project. In considering whether to provide ECGD cover, the project's compliance with the relevant World Bank safeguard policies will be a material factor. No final decision on this project has yet been made.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What steps they will take to ensure that the annual percentage rates charged by credit card companies suppliers are made more transparent; and [HL5406]Whether in order to protect credit card consumers from exploitative interest rates, they will set a standard method for calculating annual percentage rates of interest. [HL5301]

As the noble Lord is no doubt aware, the Government are nearing the conclusion of their review of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and plan to publish a consumer credit White Paper outlining their proposals in December.Alongside the White Paper, we will be consulting on draft regulations to reform laws on the advertising of consumer credit and the form and content of credit agreements. Among other things these will create new requirements to ensure that annual percentage rates (APRs) and other key financial information are displayed more transparently, both in promotional material and on the face of agreements; and will set out the basis of which such APRs should be calculated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they still aim to achieve 10 per cent of the United Kingdom electricity supply from renewable energy sources by 2010; and, if so, by what factor renewable generating capacity will have to be increased from the current rate of installation. [HL5443]

Yes. The Government remain committed to the target of achieving 10 per cent of the United Kingdom's electricity supply from renewable sources by 2010. While this target is ambitious, we are doing all we can to achieve it.The key instrument for delivering the target is the renewables obligation, which was introduced relatively recently, in April 2002. We are starting from a low base; in 2002, only 1.7 per cent of the UK's electricity was generated from renewable sources eligible for the renewables obligation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will have discussions with the relevant authorities with a view to banning the use of loudhailers in Parliament Square; and, if so, whether such a ban should apply only when Parliament is sitting or at all times. [HL5140]

The use of loudhailers in Parliament Square is a matter for the local authority, which in this case is Westminster City Council, to decide on how to proceed, using its powers under Section 62 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The use of loudspeakers in the street for advertising entertainments, trades or businesses is banned. Other uses are restricted to the hours between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., unless the local authority has agreed otherwise and has considered the effect on the surrounding area before doing so. A local authority is not required to serve an abatement notice and offenders are automatically subject to prosecution which could result in a fine of up to £5,000 for the first or subsequent offence.However, all public authorities are also bound by the Human Rights Act 1998.I understand the authorities of both Houses have discussed these issues with the local authority.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much direct expenditure under the common agricultural policy took place in each of the 12 regions and nations of the United Kingdom in the most recent financial year for which data exist. [HL5290]

The table below shows the direct expenditure paid by Defra to farmers and traders in England under the common agricultural policy in the 2002 EU financial year. This expenditure has been analysed by government office region, based on the postal code of the recipient. In cases where the postal code was unknown or out of date it was not possible to allocate payments to a specific region; this expenditure has been shown under the heading "undefined". Questions regarding payments under the common agricultural policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be directed to the devolved authorities in Scotland and Wales and the Northern Ireland administration.

Region	Expenditure £000
East Midlands	209,662
Eastern	262,311
London	105,687
North East	73,117
North West	86,740
South East	196,533
South West	206,478
West Midlands	123,647
Yorkshire and Humberside	171,399
Undefined	71,630
Total	1,507,204

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has decided to establish its own network of demonstration farms when Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) already has such a network and is partially supported by the Government. [HL5389]

The Government said in March 2002 that they would set up a pilot network of demonstration farms in response to recommendations made by the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food. The policy commission noted the existence of LEAF and other demonstration farms and said that these models needed to be built on and expanded.The contract to administer, monitor and report on the pilot network was won by the ELITE consortium of land-based colleges. They have worked with LEAF and others to deliver the pilot, which is due to end on 31 March 2004. Its aim is to test the effectiveness of different types of demonstration farms; and associated activities in improving the economic and environmental performance of farms and their integration into the food chain and wider rural economy.The project is currently being evaluated. The evaluation team has been asked to provide a blueprint for the development of future publicly funded demonstration farm activities.

asked Her Majesty's Government:(a) how near the Linking Environment and Farming audit is to a satisfactory whole-farm assessment scheme; and (b) which factors currently absent from the Linking Environment and Farming audit are required for it to be 100 per cent satisfactory as a whole-farm assessment scheme. [HL5390]

The Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) audit supports and promotes farming practices that are compatible with the system of integrated farm management (IFM) LEAF have developed. However, not all farming practice is compatible with the LEAF audit, a good example being organic production. A satisfactory whole-farm assessment scheme should be inclusive and open to the widest range of farmers possible, and to all farmers if it seeks to be a regulatory tool.In developing the whole farm appraisal we aim to reduce the amount of paperwork that farmers have to face. Making use of data already provided by farmers for existing audits such as LEAF will help reduce the need for farmers to submit the same data twice.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many cases there have been of water poisoning in the United Kingdom in the 10 years (a) before and (b) since the introduction of the European Union Water Directives. [HL5266]

I understand that there are no central, retrievable records of any significant incidents affecting the quality of public drinking water supplies during the period 1970–1980.Between 1980 and 1990 major incidents affecting the quality of public water supplies were notified to the former Department of Environment. With the exception of a serious incident in July 1988 when the public water supply to Camelford was contaminated with aluminium sulphate, there are very few records of such notifications.Regional water authorities were privatised in 1989 and the Drinking Water Inspectorate was set up in 1990 under powers in the Water Act 1989. That Act created an offence of supplying water "unfit for human consumption". The Act did not define a meaning of "water unfit". This is left to the courts to decide on the basis of the evidence and circumstances in each individual case.Proceedings against water companies in England and Wales for supplying such water are initiated by the Chief Drinking Water Inspector acting on behalf of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Assembly for Wales.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether small and medium-sized companies will have to repay tax credits under the research and development tax credit scheme, due to confusion over the definition of "research and development" [HL5300]

If a company claims an R&D tax credit to which it is not entitled, the error will be handled in the same way as for any incorrect tax return. There is no question of requiring companies to repay R&D tax credits where they have been claimed correctly.At the time of the introduction of the credits in 2000 the Government acknowledged that they would want to revisit the definition of qualifying research and development (R&D) in the light of experience. The defining innovation consultation has recently closed and the Government are currently considering the responses so that the definition of R&D is even clearer.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any plans to reform inheritance tax. [HL5327]

The Chancellor of the Exchequer considers all taxes as part of his annual Budget judgment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which freehold properties owned by government departments or non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) currently have more than 500m

The list of freehold office properties owned by Government departments having more than 500m² vacant has been placed in the Library. The information relating to non-office properties, valuation, duration of vacancies and properties owned by NDPBs is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which new leases or lease extensions for more than 2,500m2 have been signed by government departments or NDPBs since Budget day 2003, and in each case what is the address, the relevant department or NDPB, the annual rent, and the term of years until the expiry of the lease or, if applicable, the tenant's first option to break the lease. [HL5364]

This information is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will encourage the appropriate agencies to prosecute people who have broken the law by bringing into the United Kingdom illegal meat for their own consumption; and [HL5310]Whether they will encourage the appropriate agencies to prosecute people when they have broken the law by bringing into the United Kingdom illegal meats for consumption by friends and members of their community; and [HL5311]Whether they will encourage the appropriate agencies to prosecute people for bringing into the United Kingdom illegal meats for commercial use, such as for use in a restaurant; and [HL5312]Whether they have a policy not to prosecute people for bringing illegal meats into the United Kingdom; and [HL5313]

HM Customs and Excise took on responsibility for anti-smuggling controls on meat from 11 April 2003. Their policy is outlined in a service level agreement between Customs and Defra, which says that Customs will consider for investigation and prosecution cases where suitable evidence is available, and in particular: serious cases involving repeat offenders; large-scale imports; commercial-scale smuggling; other aggravating circumstances.To date, there have been few cases which meet these criteria. Customs' judgments in respect of these have been that there has not been sufficient evidence to warrant prosecution. Conviction is a. matter for the courts. Customs balance the use of their resources between detection, seizure and prosecution to maximise their overall impact on smuggling. They believe that the most effective way to deliver their aim of reducing disease risks from illegal imports of meat and products of animal origin is to enhance awareness of the rules and regulations, to detect breaches of those rules, to seize and to disrupt, with investigation and prosecution confined to the most serious cases. The effectiveness of these measures is being kept under review.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many people have visited Buckingham Palace since it was opened to the public. [HL5354]

3,813,000 paying visitors have visited Buckingham Palace since it was opened to the public in 1993.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many Royal Palaces are now open to the public [HL5355]

There are three occupied Royal Palaces and four historic Royal Palaces now open to the public in England. The occupied Royal Palaces are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Clarence House (which is part of St James's Palace) and the historic Royal Palaces are the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House Whitehall and Kensington Palace.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many (a) deaths and (b) injuries to cyclists occurred in England and Wales in the past 12 months. [HL5422]

The table below provides figures for the number of (a) deaths and (b) injuries to cyclists in England and Wales for the last full year available.

Pedal cycle casualties, England and Wales: 2002
Country	Killed	Injured	Casualties All
England	119	15,661	15,780
Wales	3	495	498
Total	122	16,156	16,278