asked Her Majesty's Government:To whom the Special European Programmes Body allocated peace funding during 2003; for what purpose; what percentage was allocated in Northern Ireland; and whether the system of grant allocation was approved by the North/South Ministerial Council. [HL2059]

Table 1
Organisations	Project Title	Project Description
Donegal County Council	Donegal Tourism Research Programme	This tourism research programme is being developed with the purpose of providing an information resource for tourism and related sectors in Donegal.
Donegal County Development Board	Forest Link	The project will focus on the enhancement and creation of linkages to build networks, learning from models of best practice internationally and the promotion of collaborative partnership approaches to projects. This will assist in the strategic development of forestry in Donegal with regard to (1) the establishment and management of community forests (2) the need to improve market outputs for private limber growers.
North West Food Consortium	North West Food Network	The central aim of this project is to assist in the development of a progressive and receptive food sector through a cross-sectoral programme designed to establish enduring links and develop networks between food enterprises based in the border counties of the north-west Ireland region (Leitrim. Donegal. Sligo and Cavan) and their European counterparts.
FAS	The Messines Peace Networks	The main aim of this project is to establish and promote three Messines peace initiative networks, which will be dedicated to facilitating participation in international conflict resolution and peace-building networks to enable international best practice in these fields to be applied to the peace process in Northern Ireland and the Border region.

Table 2
Organisations	Project Title	Project Description
Co-operation and Working Together	CAWT: Promoting Healthy Minds for a Healthy Future	This project will develop a cross-border strategy and action plan for tackling the mental health problems of young people including those who have suffered as a result of the conflict. This will include an art therapy programme for young people who have been emotionally traumatised.
Fisheries Conservancy Board NI	Reinstatement of the weir at Cullaville, South Armagh	The Fane river flows through the border counties of County Armagh and Monaghan. It experiences good runs of salmon and sea trout in the summer and autumn. Passage of these migratory fish to their upstream spawning beds is curtailed by a badly neglected weir at Cullaville. The project seeks to repair the weir and improve facilities for fish passage at the weir and also to enhance salmon habitat in the Fane and adjoining rivers.
Co-operation and Working Together	CAWT: Acknowledging the Past and Building on Peace	This project will address a number of key health and social services development areas in the region adjacent to the border and will target socially excluded groups many of whom have suffered directly as a result of the troubles.
Cavan County Council	Breifne Mountain Region	The project will establish this region of north-west Ireland as a quality, educational and activity destination based upon the sustainable development of its total natural and cultural resources.
Dungannon Borough Council	South Tyrone-Donegal Exploring Diversity Together	The South Tyrone-Donegal exploring diversity together initiative aims to develop a strategic framework for cross-border co-operation between the Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council (NI) and Donegal County Council (ROI). It will operate on a three-phase basis and will be facilitated by two cross-border integration officers based in each local authority.
Black water Reconciliation Partnership	Blackwater Reconciliation Partnership	The Blackwater reconciliation partnership is a vehicle through which three local authorities, namely Armagh City & District Council, Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council, and Monaghan County Council, aim to build relationships on a cross-border/cross-community basis and to maximise the opportunities for social interaction and reconciliation.
FAS	North-West Cross-border Public Sector Co-operation on Teleservicing and Customer Relationship Manage	This project entails FAS and the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education (NWIFHE) working together, and with other agencies, to help redress the legacy of the conflict in the area. The project will bring individuals, businesses and organisations from both communities in the north together with individuals, businesses and organisations in the Republic of Ireland and help them to overcome their differences in order to pursue a common goal: that is, to help position the north-west as a prime location for tele-businesses (inward investment) and to promote the use of electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) to local businesses. Cross-border co-operation and promotion of peace and reconciliation arc integral to the project.

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) allocated funding under two measures of the PEACE II programme during 2003 to the bodies listed in the following tables.Table 1 shows the projects allocated under Measure 4.1 where the SEUPB is responsible for allocating funding to the Border region only. Table 2 shows the allocations under Measure 5.2 where, as all the projects supported involve cross-border partnership, it is not possible meaningfully to calculate a specific Northern Ireland share.The PEACE II grant allocation process is described in the PEACE II programme complement document that was approved by NSMC on 20 June 2001.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How the Administrative Court of the Queen's Bench Division will accelerate decision-making on Immigration Appeals, particularly bearing in mind the current workload. [HL2714]

Clause 14 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill will streamline the asylum and immigration appeals process, creating a single tier of appeal with limited access to the higher courts. We expect that under the new system appeals will take a maximum of 15 weeks to complete. This includes consideration by the Administrative Court.To relieve pressure on the Administrative Court in the scheme's early stages, a filter mechanism will operate for a transitional period whereby applications under Section 103A will initially be reviewed by a senior member of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. We expect the filter mechanism to add approximately two weeks to processing times.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions they are having with the Greek Government and the organisers of the 2004 Olympic Games with a view to sending armed police or other security protection for British competitors and officials; and how many such armed personnel they are proposing to send. [HL2478]

We are in close contact with the Greek Government and the Greek security authorities both bilaterally and multilaterally, through NATO and our membership of the seven-country Olympic Advisory Group (OAG), which has been advising the Greek Government on security arrangements for the Olympics since December 2000. The OAG meets on a monthly basis in Athens and a senior officer of the Metropolitan Police Service acts as the informal chair of the group.On the bilateral level we maintain a dialogue with the Greek authorities on all aspects of security affecting British nationals, the members of the British team, and visitors who will be attending the Games. As my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said in the House on 5 May, "we have every faith in the manner in which the Greek authorities are handling matters".For reasons I am sure you will appreciate we do not comment in detail on security matters. I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 1a of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which covers information whose disclosure would harm national security.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will support the admission of Taiwan with observer status to the World Health Organisation at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May. [HL2543]

There are difficulties over Taiwanese involvement in a UN forum where statehood is a prerequisite for full membership. We would consider with our EU partners any proposals for Taiwanese involvement in the World Health Organisation which took account of these difficulties.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions they have had with the United States administration regarding the admission of Taiwan to the World Health Organisation with observer status. [HL 2544]

Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly discuss Taiwan policy, including Taiwan's relationship with the World Health Organisation, with their US counterparts.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the arrangements for the inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha to receive post and supplies from the rest of the world. [HL,2592]

Post and freight to and from Tristan da Cunha is routed through Cape Town. It is carried on two South African fishing vessels and a South African research ship which are contracted to undertake this activity. In 2004 a total of 14 visits will be made to Tristan da Cunha.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What will be the ratio of police officers to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan staff, observers and officials; and whether they consider this local protection to be sufficient. [HL2639]

The UN envisages that a core of 2,695 UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan/Joint Election Management Body staff, together with up to 40,000 Afghan staff during the registration process, and up to 105,000 Afghan staff during the election will be involved in the conduct of the elections. An estimated 12,000 police will provide security for the registration process. 500 police have already received election training and have been deployed to support voter registration teams. 40 trainers from 20 provinces have completed their Train-the-Trainer programme, and the trainers from the remaining provinces will start their training next week. In addition, coalition and NATO planners are working with the UN to consider how they can best support the Afghan Government in providing security for the elections.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What advice they give to parents who are precluded from working with children because their children have been put on "at risk" registers as a result of evidence of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, also known as fabricated or induced illness in children, even when their case has not been tested in the courts. [HL1995]

There are three ways by which an individual can be disqualified from working with children:

• By being made subject to a disqualification order imposed on certain offenders at conviction under Part 2 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000.
• By being made subject of a direction under Section 142 of the Education Act 2002 by the Secretary of State on grounds of being unsuitable to work with children.
• By being included on the list of persons considered to be unsuitable to work with children that is maintained under Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1999.

Parents do not fall into any of these three categories solely because their children have been placed on the child protection register. Those whose children have been placed on the child protection register are not automatically precluded from working with children as a consequence of that.In addition the Disqualification from Caring for Children Regulations 2002 preclude a parent of a child with respect to whom a care order has been made from being a private foster parent, unless that person has disclosed that fact to the local authority and that authority gives its consent. Such a person cannot be employed in a children's home without the local authority's consent. We are currently reviewing the legislation and regulations in this area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In view of reported approaches to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation by the Greek Government, seeking additional security protection for the 2004 Olympic Games, whether they have yet made, or are intending to make, similar approaches in the event of a successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. [HL2477]

Every possible security arrangement will be considered to maximise the safety of the Olympic Games should London stage the event in 2012.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Commission for Racial Equality was consulted before a decision was taken to reduce the amount of information provided by the Office for National Statistics about local labour market conditions for ethnic minorities and non-Britons; and [HL2617]Whether the decision by the Office for National Statistics to reduce the amount of information provided about local labour market conditions for ethnic minorities and non-Britons will make it more difficult for local authorities and other employers to ensure that their employment practices are not indirectly discriminatory against members of racial groups. [HL2618]

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

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the decision of the World Trade Organisation on American export subsidies of cotton; and whether they will use the decision to speed up the ending of European Union agricultural export subsidies. [HL2641]

The World Trade Organisation dispute panel established to investigate Brazilian complaints about United States' upland cotton subsidies submitted its interim report to the two parties at the end of April. The report is confidential to the two parties and will not he made more widely available until it is finalised in mid-June. In the mean time the Government are unable to comment on its findings.The Doha development agenda commits all countries of the World Trade Organisation to negotiations aimed at substantial reductions in trade-distorting agricultural support, including negotiations with a view to phasing out all forms of export subsidy. Whatever the outcome of this dispute, this Government will continue to work with our international partners for a fair and equitable trading system for all agricultural products worldwide.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In which member states European Council Directive 2001/45/EC (Temporary Work at Height) is being applied to mountaineering, hill walking, abseiling, rock climbing, caving and sailing in respect of employed persons, self-employed people and private individuals. [HL2527]

All member states are transposing Directive 2001/45/EC into national legislation. That process is not yet complete in all cases, nor is implementation. We believe the directive is being applied in all sectors where there are employed people. As is the case with all other health and safety legislation the directive is being applied to self-employed persons in the UK, although this is not generally the case in other member states. It is not being applied to the self-employed in other member states. It does not apply to private individuals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they keep figures on the total amount of 34 second fuel oil that is used as red diesel and the proportions used in agriculture, in the heating of buildings, in marine engines and for other purposes; and, if so, what are those figures. [HL2600]

The Department of Trade and Industry publishes detailed oil information in its annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics, a copy of which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Refiners refer to middle distillate oil as gas oil, sometimes known as "34 second fuel oil". Table 3.4 of the 2003 edition of the digest contains figures for deliveries of gas oil that includes DERV and red diesel.Total gas oil deliveries in 2002 were 23.3 million tonnes of which 15.6 million tonnes related to DERV. Of the rest, 0.9 million were used for national navigation (marine engines), 0.6 million tonnes in agriculture, and some 1.4 million tonnes were used in domestic, public administration and commerce most probably for space heating.Red diesel is a rebated diesel for non-road use and marked with a red dye. Although not separately identified in DTI figures, HM Customs and Excise record that some 5.6 million tonnes of red diesel were used in 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether business regulations has grown since they took office in 1997; and, if so by what factor; and [HL1958]What are the extra costs on business since 1997 by way of (a) taxation; and (b) regulation. [HL1959]

The percentage of total tax charge set against total chargeable profits has fallen from 32 per cent in 1996–97 to 28.4 per cent in 2001–02 (the last available figures). The rates of tax have also fallen from 33 per cent (main rate) and 24 per cent (small companies rate) in 1996–97 to 30 per cent (main rate) and 20 per cent (small companies rate) in 2001–02.The cost to business by way of regulation since 1997 has not been calculated. However government policy on regulation is clear; we regulate only when it is both necessary and desirable, for example, to ensure fairness at work, better health and safety or a cleaner environment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What information the Department of Health has on potential adverse consequences for individual service men and women involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict as a result of the Ministry of Defence having planned the timing of their anthrax immunisations differently from those in the marketing authorisation and the giving of fewer immunisations than were recommended. [HL1961]

The Department of Health does not have any information on potential adverse consequences for individual service men and women involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict as a result of the Ministry of Defence having planned the timing of their anthrax immunisations differently from those in the marketing authorisation and the giving of fewer immunisations than were recommended.