asked Her Majesty's Government:Which 10 countries send the largest number of students to study in the United Kingdom in schools, colleges and universities. [HL2254]

The latest available information is shown in the table. Comparable information for schools is not held centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What courses in schools, colleges and universities in England are the most popular among students from China. [HL2255]

The latest available information is shown in the tables. Comparable information for schools is not available centrally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current and future deployment of Successor Identification Friend or Foe equipment. [HL2283]

Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) equipment is being fitted to some 40 in-service sea, land and air platform types, covering over 1,000 individual platforms. Good progress is being made on the extensive fitting and integration programme. Nearly 50 per cent of the platforms will be fitted over the next two financial years, with the remainder scheduled to be fitted by the end of the decade.New platforms will include a SIFF capability as part of their baseline designs.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many project fact files on the Defence Procurement Agency's website have not been updated for six months or more. [HL2284]

All the project fact files have been updated in the past six months.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the design and manufacture contract will be awarded for the NATO Submarine Rescue System. [HL2285]

It is planned to award the design and manufacture contract for the NATO Submarine Rescue System by the end of April 2004, on completion of contract negotiations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the "assessment phase" which they are currently carrying out for the new carrier programme will result in any delay in the proposed construction operation. [HL2331]

Ministers are currently considering the output to date from the assessment phase, including proposals on when to proceed to the demonstration and manufacture phase. Our aim is to spend the right amount of time and money on assessment phase activity before taking a major capital investment, so that we can mitigate risks and seek to deliver the future aircraft carriers to their target delivery dates of 2012 and 2015.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Scammell EKA recovery vehicle first entered service. [HL2344]

The Scammell EKA recovery vehicle first entered service in 1977.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there is any shortage of wheeled vehicle recovery vehicles in the Armed Forces; whether the support vehicle will help mitigate this; and, if so, to what extent. [HL2345]

There is no shortage of wheeled vehicle recovery vehicles in the Armed Forces and there are sufficient in-service wheeled recovery vehicles to meet the current operational requirement. The Support Vehicle Recovery (SV(R)) will replace the three in-service variants, with equivalent numbers and increased capability.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there are any safety concerns regarding the long-term use of Foden Recovery Vehicles in the Armed Forces; and whether they will be kept in service after the support vehicle recovery variant comes into service. [HL2346]

There are no safety concerns regarding the long-term use of the Foden Recovery Vehicle. It is likely to remain in service until 2013 and will be used alongside the Support Vehicle Recovery Variant, which will enter service via a phased programme from 2007–08 onwards.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were the levels of the reservist standard award for the mobilised members of the Army Reserve and the Territorial Army over each of the past 10 years for the ranks of Private, Sergeant and Captain; and what recognition is made in each case of income lost during the period of active service. [HL2404]

Reservists are called-out under the authority of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 (RFA 96) which governs the use of the Reserve Forces. RFA 96 provides reservists with certain safeguards which include the right for a reservist to seek exemption from, or deferral of, call-out and the right to claim financial assistance. The latter takes account of the difference, within certain banded limits, between the reservist's civilian and military salaries. This assistance is paid in the form of a reserve standard award (RSA); RSA is paid in banded rates that are related to a reservist's rank and specialisation. The current rates are set out in the Reserve Forces (Call-out and Recall) Financial Assistance Regulations (Statutory Instrument 1997/309) and are shown in the table below:

of Dorking asked Her Majesty's Government:What would be the cost of upgrading the A27 Southerham to Beddingham from single carriageway to dual carriageway. [HL2384]

The cost of upgrading the A27 between Southerham and Beddingham from a single carriageway to a dual carriageway is estimated at £27 million.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many respondents to the consultation process on the upgrading of the A27 considered that a dual carriageway should be provided; and how many favoured a single carriageway. [HL2385]

A total of 450 people attended the public consultation exhibitions and were asked to comment on whether or not an improvement was needed. Overall 72 per cent of respondents stated that an improvement was needed. A small number of respondents requested consideration of a single carriageway improvement. When specifically asked to comment on the dual carriageway option, 58 per cent strongly approved/approved and 42 per cent strongly disapproved/disapproved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following their decision not to support the proposal for a Bill for a dedicated freight line that would link the Channel Tunnel with the north-west of England, whether they welcome proposals from private sector groups to develop rail infrastructure projects; and how such groups can best obtain permission to develop these projects. [HL2392]

Such proposals are welcome but would be treated on their merits. The normal mechanism for private sector promoters to secure the necessary statutory powers to take forward rail projects would be to apply for an order under Part I of the Transport and Works Act 1992.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following their decision not to support the proposal for a Bill for a dedicated freight line that would link the Channel Tunnel with the north west of England, whether the use of hybrid Bill, private Bill or Transport and Works Act procedures would mean that they would be requested to intervene with taxpayers' money. [HL2393]

No, but promotion of a hybrid Bill inevitably more closely associates government with a project than is the case with applications under the Transport and Works Act procedures, which replaced private Bills as the normal mechanism for authorising the construction and operation of railways.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the permission to build the Birmingham Northern Relief Road was obtained; who was the promoter; and when the current concessionaires assumed responsibility for the planning, development and construction of the road. [HL2394]

The M6 Toll Road (formerly the Birmingham Northern Relief Road) was constructed under the provisions of the Highways Act 1980 and went out to concession and is being tolled under the provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. Initially planned in the early 1980s as a publicly financed scheme, the M6 Toll was proposed by central government as a private financed scheme in 1989.On 28 February 1992 a 53-year concession agreement was signed between the Secretary of State for Transport and Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) to privately finance, design, build and operate the new road. The road opened on budget and ahead of schedule on 9 December 2003.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What authority the London Development Agency would need to provide the additional £250 million to meet the shortfall in the £2.375 billion required to stage the 2012 Olympic Games in the event of a successful bid; and what would happen if the agency declined to contribute the supplement. [HL2307]

The London Development Agency (LDA) funding is one of a number of potential tranches which would go to make up the £2.375 billion public funding package if required. The memorandum of understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London, presented to Parliament in June 2003 as Command Paper CM 5867, states that, "Should the shortfall between Olympic costs and revenues exceed £1.825 billion … up to £250 million from the LDA would be made available in keeping with their corporate plan". The LDA would not need any additional authority if, as is expected, its contribution were in accordance with its existing widely drawn economic and regeneration powers. If the agency declined to contribute any supplement that might be necessary, this would need to be addressed at that time. The Mayor of London does, however, have powers of direction and the Government are able to attach conditions to their annual grant to the LDA.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will deal with the tax consequences of the Civil Partnership Bill in the Finance Bill 2004. [HL2407]

The Civil Partnership Bill was published on 31 March 2004. Any tax consequences of the Civil Partnership Bill will be addressed in the first available Finance Bill.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How much Heritage Lottery funding has been given to (a) South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council; (b) North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council; (c) Newcastle Metropolitan Borough Council; (d) Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council; and (e) Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council; from (i) the inception of the Lottery until 1997; and (ii) from 1997 to date. [HL2329]

The amount of Heritage Lottery funding that has been given to each of the Metropolitan Borough Councils (MBC) listed below from (i) the inception of the Lottery until 1997; and (ii) from 1997 to date is:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will provide the 139 families who have intimated claims under the vCJD Compensation Scheme with easy access to specialist professional psychological counselling (as was done for the Alder Hey families). [HL1788]

The expectation is that all hospital trusts will now have services in place to support patient's families at this difficult time. A survey of all trusts will be undertaken in April 2004 to monitor the level of support currently in place.The Patient Advice and Liaison Service will be a source of information about psychological and bereavement services.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to reports that many children with a diagnosis of autism are being refused diagnosis or treatment for painful bowel conditions by National Health Service medical practitioners. [HL1996]

We are not aware of evidence that autistic children are being refused diagnosis or treatment for painful bowel conditions. People, of all ages, who have autism have the same right of access to health services as everyone else.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Secretary of State for Health's press release of 16 March on blood donations and vCJD, what specific steps the National Blood Authority will take to address the reduction now envisaged in the supply of blood available for transfusions; and what is their current assessment of the level of risk of vCJD infection to which people with haemophilia were exposed between 1980 and 1998. [HL2022]

The National Blood Service (NBS) has in place an advertising and marketing plan to encourage new donors to come forward and existing donors to give blood regularly. The NBS relies on voluntary donors, and the plan aims to recruit new donors and encourage regular donation among existing donors and those who have not given for a while.

asked Her Majesty's Government:From what budgets the ex gratia payments scheme for hepatitis C infection from contaminated National Health Service blood products will be funded; and [HL2239]From what budgets the payments scheme for infection with HIV from contaminated National Health Service blood products is funded. [HL2240]

The Departments of Health in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be funding the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme, known as the Skipton Fund, from central departmental budgets.The payment schemes for those inadvertently infected with HIV as a result of National Health Service treatment with blood or blood products, the Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts, are funded from the Department of Health's Central Health and Miscellaneous Services budget and by Section 64 grant aid.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why widows of haemophilia patients who have died of hepatitis C infection from contaminated National Health Service blood products are to be excluded from help under the proposed ex gratia payments scheme, while the widows of patients who have died from HIV infection are included in the existing payments scheme for that infection. [HL2241]

Unlike the Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts, which administer schemes for those infected with HIV, the ex gratia payment scheme for those infected with hepatitis C as a result of National Health Service treatment with blood or blood products, known as the Skipton Fund, is not a charitable trust.The Skipton Fund has been designed to make lump sum, ex gratia payments to those living with the hepatitis C virus and has not been designed to compensate for bereavement. For these reasons it is distinct from the HIV payment schemes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What limits the Department of Health has imposed on its consultation with the Haemophilia Society on implementation of the ex gratia payments scheme for hepatitis C from contaminated National Health Service blood products; and for what reason. [HL2242]

Representatives of the Haemophilia Society have met with officials and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health during the course of the Department of Health's deliberations on the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme. A constructive dialogue has been established and is continuing.Most recently, officials from the health departments in England, Scotland and Wales met representatives of the Haemophilia Society and other patient groups on 26 March 2004 to discuss the implementation of the hepatitis C ex gratia payment scheme, and in particular the application process. The Department of Health welcomes further feedback from the Haemophilia Society and other interested parties on this and any other aspect of the implementation of scheme.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the total sum paid by the Macfarlane Trust to the widows and other dependants of haemophilia patients who have died from HIV infection caused by contaminated National Health Service blood and blood products. [HL2280]

Specific figures for the total sum paid by the Macfarlane Trust to widows and other dependants of haemophilia patients are not available. The scheme of payments adopted by the trust and its provision for regular and one-off payments makes it impossible to calculate how much money has been paid to these recipients.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will require people to be included in the ex gratia payments scheme for hepatitis C infection from contaminated National Health Service blood products to sign a waiver before payment; and, if so, in what terms and on what grounds. [HL2281]

Recipients of payments made under the hepatitis C ex gratia payments scheme, known as the Skipton Fund, will not be required to sign any form of waiver.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many of the 457 alcohol treatment centres in England are based in the north-east region; and in which area health authorities in that region they are based. [HL2260]

There are 475 alcohol treatment centres in England. Most of the funding for alcohol treatment services is drawn from the mainstream budgets of the National Health Service and local authorities. The method of funding these services means that it is not possible to give a breakdown of numbers at a regional level.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the light of their clarification that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a neurological disease and not a psychiatric disorder, they will forward this information to the chief executives of all National Health Service healthcare trusts, to primary care trusts and to social services departments; and whether they will issue a press release to inform the general public and the media about the correct classification of the syndrome; and [HL2302]What steps they have taken to inform the Presidents of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health that those of their documents which describe chronic fatigue syndrome as a mental health disorder or list the syndrome under the heading "Support for children with mental problems" are not in accord with the Government's confirmation that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a neurological disease. [HL2303]

The Department of Health did not say that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a neurological disease. What we did, with the help of the World Health Organisation and WHO Collaborating Centre, was clear up some confusion around terminology in the second edition of the WHO Guide to Mental Health and Neurology in Primary Care.In our present state of knowledge, chronic fatigue syndrome remains medically unexplained with various associated risk factors, and with variable symptoms, including some neurological, cardiovascular, digestive and psychological symptoms.Our policy remains as stated in the government response to the Independent Working Group's report in 2002. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating and distressing condition affecting many people. It is a chronic illness and health and social care professionals should manage it as such.The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health are independent organisations and the Department of Health is not involved in the publication of their documents. Questions on the content of their publications need to be taken up with the organisations and authors involved.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What consideration they have given to providing pedometers free of charge on the National Health Service for the clinically obese as a means of encouraging them to monitor their physical activity and raise awareness of the energy consumption:output equation. [HL23961

Pedometers can help to provide the motivation for individuals to increase their walking, particularly when their use is encouraged by health professionals. The Department of Health is currently funding, together with the Countryside Agency and the British Heart Foundation, a pilot to disseminate 10,000 pedometers through primary care trusts in areas of health inequality. The aim of the pilot is to use the pedometers as a motivational tool to increase levels of walking. A final report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot will be available shortly and the outcomes will influence future action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, and if so where, it was stated during the passage of the National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professions Act 2002 that the Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals would have the power to refer to the High Court a decision taken by a regulatory body relating to alleged misconduct by an individual practitioner. [HL2437]

Section 29 of the National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professions Act 2002 gives the Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals the power to refer decisions of certain committees of regulatory bodies to the High Court where it considers that such a decision is unduly lenient and that it is desirable for the protection of members of the public to do so. This provision was explained during the debate on the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 31 January 2002 at col. 356 of the Official Report.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many regulation-making powers in the Animal Health Act 1981 have been superseded by replacement powers embodied in the Animal Health Act 2002; and [HL2317]How many regulation-making powers there are in the Animal Health Act 2002; and, of these, how many have been exercised as at 31 March 2004; and [HL2318]Whether the regulation-making powers in the Animal Health Act 1981 are still being exercised; and, if so, which powers. [HL2319]

The Animal Health Act 1981 provides Ministers with many powers to make secondary legislation for the control of animal disease and the welfare of animals. These powers are still extant. There are very many instruments remaining in force made under the original Act.The Animal Health Act 2002 amended the Animal Health Act 1981, so as to provide further powers to make secondary legislation, particularly in relation to foot and mouth disease, scrapie and other exotic and endemic notifiable animal diseases. An example of the use of the powers as amended in 2002 is the Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease (England and Wales) Order 2003. In total, three orders have been made under these new powers and all relate to avian influenza and Newcastle disease.