asked Her Majesty's Government:For each of the financial years from 1980–81 to 2003–04, what was:

Year	Total amount of UK contributions to budget of the Council of Europe	Percentage of this contribution attributable to the ECtHR	Total UK contribution to the budget of the ECtHR
1999	Euros 23,110,012.00 = £15,389,233.53	13.87%	Euros 3,206,360.00 = £2,135,153.49
2000	Euros 24,281,623.77 = £14,535,542.51	13.33%	Euros 3,236,980.00 = £1,937,731.22
2001	Euros 24,668,115.43 = £15,348,503.87	13.34%	Euros 3,290.980.00 = £2,047,648.08
2002	Euros 26,094,258.29 = £16,026,445.33	13.37%	Euros 3,488,130.00 = £2,142,322.81
2003	Euros 27,228,627.05 = £18,783,545.15	13.18%	Euros 3,589,920.00 = £2,476,490.07
2004	Euros 28,495,592.29 = £19,239,478.96	12.86%	Euros 3,664,330.00 = £2,474,059.82

The total amount of the United Kingdom's contributions to the budget of the Council of Europe from 1980 to 1998 are as follows:

Year	Total amount of UK contributions to budget of the Council of Europe (in French Francs with sterling equivalent)
1980	FF 38,560,783.74 = £4,102,909.40
1981	FF 43,438,054.23 = £3,822,561.00
1982	FF 47,506,373.40 = £4,285,567.54
1983	FF 52,170,433.20 = £4,979,710.32
1984	FF 55,996,226.02 = £4,727,215.06
1985	FF 61,213,499.63 = £5,515,375.64
1986	FF 65,101,643.27 = £6,379,324.38
1987	FF 70,883,798.73 = £7,486,749.83
1988	FF 74,850,706.59 = £7,333,128.24
1989	FF 77,625,530.06 = £7,080,231.13
1990	FF 83,284,027.07 = £8,765,724.71
1991	FF 98,816,451.00 = £9,955,815.92
1992	FF 115,686,363.00 = £11,852,139.47
1993	FF 134,778,676.00 = £16,685,691.86
1994	FF 140,397,846.20 = £16,181,018.84
1995	FF 148,426,576.70 = £18,302,576.78
1996	FF 151,259,537.80 = £18,970,995.05
1997	FF 148,781,520.30 = £16,236,674.59
1998	FF 149,945,515.21 = £15,372,562.84

Prior to 1999 the European Court of Human Rights did not exist in its present form, being only a part-time court. Figures are not available showing the United Kingdom's contributions to that part-time court.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Philippines has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; and, if so, whether it is up-to-date with the reports required by the convention. [HL2090]

The total amount of the United Kingdom's contributions to the budget of the Council of Europe from 1999 and the percentage and amount of this contribution which is attributable to the budget of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is as follows:

The Philippines ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 21 August 1990. The convention requires states parties to submit an initial report two years after their ratification comes into force and then every five years thereafter. The Philippines submitted the initial report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors implementation of the CRC, in 1993 but have not submitted the reports due in 1997 and 2002.We will continue to encourage the Philippine Government to comply with their reporting requirements under the convention.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether on his visit to Libya the Prime Minister will request Colonel Gaddafi to release all political prisoners, abolish the People's Court and the Special Revolutionary Courts, and introduce freedom of the media. [HL2101]

My right honourable friend the Prime Minister's discussions with Colonel Qadhafi focused on international and regional security issues. The issues of political prisoners, the judiciary and the media in Libya were not raised. But as my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary made clear during his meeting with the Libyan Foreign Minister, Abdul Rahman Shalgam, during his visit to the United Kingdom on 9 to 10 February, we are concerned about Libya's human rights record in a number of areas and will be addressing these with its government. To this end a delegation from the Qadhafi Foundation Human Rights Association visited the United Kingdom at our request from 1 to 5 March.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will offer technical assistance to the authorities of Somaliland in countering terrorism. [HL2102]

We already provide humanitarian and development assistance to Somaliland and we are considering an exploratory visit over the coming months to examine other options for assistance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which body is funding the following bridge reconstruction works: (a) Skew Bridge, Salisbury; (b) Broken Cross Bridge, on the A338 near Ford; and (c) two bridges over railway and over waterway, on the A40 west of Oxford. [HL2159]

The answer to this is as follows:

(a) Skew Bridge is being funded by the Highways Agency (Area 2)

(b) Broken Cross Bridge is not on a trunk road so is being funded by Wiltshire County Council, the local highway authority

(c) The A40 Woolvercote and Cassington underbridges are being funded by the Highways Agency (Area 2).

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Filkin on 15 March (

The question of whether actual damage would be caused by release of the advice of the Attorney-General and other government legal advisers about the legality of the military action against Iraq will be considered by the time the documents are due for transfer to the National Archives. This will take place before they are 30 years old, and any judgment will be made in the light of the circumstances at that time.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many databases, broken down by departments, comprising data and information about individual citizens are currently maintained and administered by central government. [HL2110]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proposals they have to change the regulatory regime for small self-administered pension schemes; and when they propose to implement them. [HL2168]

On 10 December 2003 the Government published a document setting out the details of their proposals to radically simplify the tax rules for all private pension schemes. Copies of this document, Simplifying the taxation of pensions: the Government's proposals, have been placed in the House of Commons Library. In his Budget speech on 17 March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that these rules would be introduced from 6 April 2006.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many conservation areas have been created in north-west England in the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to date. [HL2127]

In accordance with Section 70(5)(a) of chapter 9 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has been notified of the designation of two new conservation areas in the north-west region of England, which have been created between 2001 and 2004 to date. Both conservation areas were designated in 2001. In line with the Government's belief that local planning issues are best handled at local level, conservation areas are designated by local planning authorities in the light of their local knowledge.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Heritage Lottery Fund has been informally asked to reduce the size of lottery awards to ensure that there will be sufficient funds for Britain's Olympic bid. [HL2156]

We have made no such request of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Lottery funding will not be used for bidding costs, but for the staging of the Olympic Games. The costs of bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012 will be met by DCMS from exchequer funds, by the London Development Agency, and through financial support or value in kind from commercial or other organisations. In the event of a successful bid, the lottery contribution to the costs of staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 will be up to £1.5 billion. This will consist of £750 million from new Olympic lottery games, £340 million from sport lottery distributors, and up to £410 million, if required, from changing percentage shares after 2009. New Olympic lottery games would not begin until after a decision has been taken in July 2005 on who will host the Olympics, and then only in the event of London being awarded the games.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many people were employed, and at what cost, by Sport England nationally and in the regions in 2000–01; 2002–03; and 2003–04. [HL2174]

	2001–02 Number of staff	Actuals Cost (£000)	2002–03 Number of staff	Actuals Cost (£000)	2003–04 Number of staff	Projection Cost (£000)
North East	20	504	22	664	20	633
Yorkshire	20	557	21	602	12	634
East Midlands	14	529	17	643	15	644
East	20	541	19	579	18	658
London	22	642	22	717	20	818
South East	29	864	30	934	19	826
South West	19	531	21	624	22	639
West Midlands	21	545	23	593	21	626
North West	25	721	23	792	15	692
Headquarters	258	12,463	200	12,469	124	8,750
TOTAL	435	17,895	385	18,617	273	14,920

The costs shown include posts funded through specific programmes by other agencies and temporary staff costs. The headcount numbers exclude posts funded through specific programmes and temporary staff as these can vary throughout the year. For 2001–02, the average number of externally funded staff was 42 and temporary staff was 93, bringing the total staff number to 570.Sport England changed its accounting system for the 2001–02 year. Therefore, information for prior years (i.e. 2000–01) is not readily available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether Sport England's pre-recorded service which thanks callers for telephoning Her Majesty's Government is consistent with Sport England's independent status. [HL2175]

Until 29 March, Sport England used the government switchboard, which carries a message thanking callers for telephoning Her Majesty's Government. From 29 March, Sport England has operated its own low-cost telephone number for all inquiries.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the total redundancy costs arising from the reorganisation of Sport England; and how these costs were allocated between (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; (b) Sport England grant-in-aid; and (c) the Sports Lottery Fund. [HL2176]

The estimated costs of redundancy and related costs were set out in Sport England's 2002–03 financial statements, copies of which were placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The costs were shown as £11.5 million of which £6.6 million related to redundancy costs and £4.9 million related to ongoing pension liabilities (contributions for these staff).Within the statements, £6.9 million was shown as funded through the Lottery Fund and £4.6 million through grant-in-aid. An additional DCMS grant of £2.5 million was provided towards the full cost of modernisation, including the move of the support centre to Victoria House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Sport and Tourism on 10 March (HC Deb, col. 1500W), in which constituencies the 16 private finance initiative schemes are located. [HL2179]

Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Sport and Tourism on 10 March (HC Deb, col. 1500W), the 16 private finance initiative schemes are located in the following constituencies:

Recipient Authority	Constituency/Constituencies where PFI scheme is located
Sheffield Borough Council	Sheffield, Attercliffe
Liverpool City Council	Liverpool, Walton and Liverpool, Riverside
Telford and Wrekin Borough Council	Wrekin County
Croydon (London Borough)	Croydon Central
South Tyneside Council	Jarrow
Brent Council	Brent East
Wolverhampton City Council	Wolverhampton North East
Redbridge (London Borough)	Ilford North and Ilford South
Shepway District Council	Folkestone & Hythe
Rotherham Borough Council	Wentworth and Rother Valley
Oldham Borough Council	Oldham West & Royton
Cambridgeshire District Council	Cambridgeshire South East or Cambridge City (site to be confirmed)
Newcastle City Council	Newcastle upon Tyne Central, Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend and Newcastle upon Tyne North
Liverpool City Council	Liverpool, Riverside

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will give effect to the recommendation made by the European Commission against Racism in June 2000 that the United Kingdom should ratify the Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life. [HL2035]

The United Kingdom signed the Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life in February 1992. The then government did not seek ratification which, if all parts of the convention were subscribed to, would require changes to domestic law on the franchise for local elections.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ensure that health warnings are given on the packaging of food stuffs containing sugar. [HL1517]

Current European Union food labelling rules do not require pre-packaged foods containing sugar to early health warnings and there are no proposals to introduce such a requirement. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that information on the content of sugars is given in the nutrition label even when such information is not required by law.The Government are pressing for EU rules to require compulsory nutrition labelling on all prepackaged foods, in a format which gives clear information about levels of fat, sugar and salt.The FSA is also considering the case for voluntary front of pack sign-posting to help consumers identify healthier options; any such scheme would be likely to take account of fat, sugar and salt content.