asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will propose to the European Union that concerted measures be taken against drug tourism, building on the methods developed by the United Kingdom and Jamaican authorities. [HL650]

The UK co-operates with other EU member states in our fight against drug trafficking throughout the Caribbean, including against air passengers ("mules") smuggling small quantities of cocaine. The EU/Latin America and Caribbean mechanism on drugs co-operation is the main forum for keeping other member states engaged and promoting more effective action in the Caribbean.In addition, we regularly exchange best practice with other member states' and international partners' police and counter-narcotics agencies. This has included recent successes we have had working with the Jamaican Government to reduce the number of "mules" coming to the UK.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are intervening in proceedings pending before the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of British citizens detained by the United States in Guantanamo Bay. [HL710]

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to the noble Lord, Lord Lester of Herne Hill, in the House on 15 January (Official Report, cols. 679–80).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that Answers to Written Questions are prepared for Ministers in accordance with the required timescale. [HL786]

Yes. The majority of Written Questions are answered within a fortnight but officials are constantly looking at ways of improving the service we provide to the House of Lords.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether in order to achieve continuity of spiritual care and equality of care for those concerned, they will arrange for chaplaincy services in prisons and special hospitals to be provided by the same means in both classes of establishment. [HL422]

As the noble Lord will be aware, the Prison Service and the NHS currently manage chaplaincy provision in prisons and special hospitals separately. By 2006, prison healthcare services will transfer into the NHS, and this will help to enable the continuity of spiritual care for the prisoner/patient.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have considered prosecuting Mr Abu Qatada and the other detainees under the Terrorism Acts for incitement to violence, conspiracy to commit crime or other offences; if not, why not; and if so, what were the reasons for not prosecuting. [HL554]

Those detained under Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCS) Part 4 powers are foreign nationals whom we would normally deport but are unable to do so.As my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has made clear, our preference is always to prosecute where sufficient admissible evidence exists. This is a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and such decisions are independent of Ministers.Individual cases are kept under review and if further evidence comes to light prosecuting will be reconsidered by the CPS.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What equipment they possess which could identify chemical or biological substances that could be used in a terrorist attack, before any clinical symptoms appear; in each case, which substances the equipment identifies; how long the identification takes, how many pieces of the equipment are in the hands of public bodies; and how many are in place and activated. [HL642]

The Government recognise the importance of rapid and reliable detection at the scene of a potential chemical or biological incident.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will seek to establish framework agreements with the main countries involved in the deportation from the United Kingdom to them of suspected international terrorists to minimise the delay in dealing with individual cases. [HL668]

We are actively pursuing this possibility with a number of countries, although discussions are still at an early stage.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What objective tests they expect to be applied following the enactment of the Gender Recognition Bill in the determination of the sex of persons who are litigants in civil actions or the accused in criminal actions where that is a relevant matter under the law. [HL673]

The general principle of the Gender Recognition Bill is that a transsexual person's acquired gender will be recognised in UK law for all purposes from the date of issue of a certificate of gender recognition by the Gender Recognition Panel. Clause 9 of the Bill clearly states that, if the acquired gender is male, the person's sex becomes that of a man and if the acquired gender is female, the perons's sex becomes that of a woman. Therefore, the sex of persons who are litigants in civil actions or the accused in criminal actions will be taken to be the gender in which he or she is recognised by law.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will outline details of discussions which took place between the Minister for Sport and the interim chair of UK Sport about the suspension of the head of the Drug Free Sport Directorate at UK Sport; and [HL700]Whether they will publish the minutes of any communications involving the Prime Minister's Office about the suspension of the head of the Drug Free Sport Directorate at UK Sport. [HL701]

The Government will not be disclosing details of any discussions about the employment of the head of Drug Free Sport. This is in accordance with exemption 8 of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information where discussions about public employment are confidential.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to be in a position to announce a permanent chairman, a new chief executive and a new head of the Drug Free Sport Directorate at UK Sport. [HL702]

The interim chair of UK Sport, Sue Campbell, was appointed in September 2003 for up to 18 months and we do not expect to appoint a permanent chair until her term of office expires. UK Sport intends to commence the recruitment process for a permanent chief executive officer in the near future.An independent review of the UK's anti-doping arrangements is currently underway. The results will assist UK Sport in determining its staffing requirements, including the post of head of Drug Free Sport.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What sum of money is to be paid to UK Sport's head of the Drug Free Sport Directorate, Michelle Verroken, upon the proposed termination of her contract; and what contractual conditions are due to be placed upon the receipt of such payment. [HL704]

Michelle Verokken's contract of employment with UK Sport has not at this stage been terminated and it would be inappropriate for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to make any further comments at present.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What specific anti-doping expertise the new acting head of the Drug Free Sport Directorate at UK Sport brings to the job. [HL705]

John Scott, UK Sport's Director of International Relations and Major Events, is undertaking the role of acting head of Drug Free Sport. He has considerable experience of anti-doping having been actively involved in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the European Anti-Doping Convention; the creation and negotiation of the International Anti-Doping Agreement, and is one of UK Sport's advisers on international doping matters.In addition, Mr Scott, during his five years in Canada, was closely involved in the federal government's response to the high profile Ben Johnson case, and the subsequent Dubin inquiry where he was a member of the team that established Canada's national anti-doping agency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What sum of money was paid to UK Sport's former chief executive, Richard Callicott, upon the termination of his contract; and what contractual conditions have been placed upon the receipt of such payment. [HL703]

Richard Callicott's contract of employment with UK Sport has not at this stage been terminated and it would be inappropriate for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to make any further comments at present.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they favour a policy of deaccessioning contemporary works of art in national and regional museums and galleries in order to fill gaps in their collections. [HL768]

The deaccessioning of contemporary works of art by government-sponsored museums is a matter for their trustees, subject to their governing legislation, and in the case of those which are not sponsored by government, a matter for their governing bodies, authorities or institutions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have assessed the contribution made over the years by not-for-profit providers of health cash plans to the support of the National Health Service and its patients; and what plans they have to encourage the further development of such funds as the National Health Service evolves into the future; and [HL628]How many individuals currently benefit from cover provided by not-for-profit health cash plans; and what plans they have to publicise such plans. [HL629]

The Department of Health does not collect information on:

asked Her Majesty's Government:To what extent the requirements of European Directive 2001/20/EC, which relate to clinical trials of medicinal products, will be deemed to apply to the human testing of non-medicinal toxic agents. [HL794]

The full title of the Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC) is "Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use". It applies only to the conduct of clinical trials with medicinal products for human use, and does not apply to the testing of substances which are not medicinal products.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what date the charge for a game licence was last increased; and what the present charge would be if it were to be increased by the change in the consumer price index since that date. [HL201]

The duty payable for game licences was last changed in 1968 by a Treasury Order (SI 1968/120) and by virtue of the Decimal Currency Act 1969 (s10(1)). The effect was to increase the cost of licences stipulated in the Game Licences Act 1860 by 100 per cent.An annual licence to kill game currently costs £6. If it were to be increased by the change in the consumer (retail) price index since 1968 it would now cost £65.55 (data provided by the Office for National Statistics).

asked Her Majesty's Government:To what extent the Environment Agency can assure the public that trout carrying the infectious

There are no known records in the UK of trout being infected with the ligula tapeworm or of this parasite affecting humans.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many outbreaks of sudden oak death have occurred in each English county and in Wales and Scotland respectively; how many of these have been in nurseries and similar establishments; and how many in established gardens, woods and other locations "in the wild". [HL709]

The information on outbreaks of Phytophthora ramorum is as follows: