asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have a policy for Northern Ireland departments to discourage racism; if so, what is that policy; how does such a policy operate; and whether it extends to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. [HL2747]

The Government have made it clear that there is no place for racism in society. Their anti-racism policy is given effect through legislation including the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 as amended by the Race Relations Order (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 and Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is developing race equality and good relations strategies for Northern Ireland. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has been closely involved in the development of these strategies and will contribute to their implementation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 6 May (

It is unclear what the noble Lord means by "purchasing terms". The budget for the Ulster-Scots Agency for 2004 increased by £164,000, a 10.65 per cent increase on 2003. The budget for the Irish Language Agency for 2004 increased by 824,000 euros, a 4.61 per cent increase on 2003.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 6 May (

Under the care and maintenance arrangements of north/south bodies during suspension of the Assembly the budget of the Ulster-Scots Agency was increased by 10.65 per cent to £1,704,000 for 2004. It is up to the agency to prioritise its spending within their budget while recognising that spending must be within the approved budget and associated business plan.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure removed the funding from the Ulster-Scots Agency's requested budget for 2004, when a proportion of it was specifically aimed at resolving the annual dispute at Drumcree. [HL3090]

The approved budget for 2004 was calculated based on approved actions in the agency's business plan in line with care and maintenance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which political parties will be officially consulted about the appointment of the chairman of the Ulster Scots Agency. [HL3054]

Some parties have already conveyed views to the Government about the appointment of the chairperson of the Ulster-Scots Agency. There will be further consultation with parties before a final decision is taken.

asked Her Majesty's Government:From 2003 to date, whether officials of the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure have attended events illustrating Ulster-Scots culture, language, history and identity; and which events they attended. [HL2887]

DCAL officials attended the following functions in an official capacity.

Date	Function Attended
20 February 2003	Symposium on Language and Law in Northern Ireland Dinner
5 April 2003	Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Reception
5 July 2003	Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Function
11 August 2003	"A blad o' Ulster-Scots" Book Launch in Linenhall Library
22 September 2003	Understanding Identity evening hosted by Ulster-Scots Heritage Council
October 2003	Irish Studies Mid-Atlantic Conference—University of Maryland
9 October 2003	Jim Fenton reading at the Linenhall Library
18–19 October 2003	Language and Politics Symposium at Queen's University, Belfast
6 November 2003	Launch of "On Eagles Wing"
8 April 2004	Ulster-Scots Showcase, Stormont
15 May 2004	Rehearsals and Reception of "On Eagles Wing"
28 May 2004	World Premier—On Eagles Wing, Odyssey

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any newspaper publishing companies have been granted aid in Belfast in the past five years; if so, which companies; when such aid was granted; and for what reason. [HL2803]

Set out below are details of the funding made available by departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Company	Year(s) Funded	Purpose of Funding
Andersonstown News	1999, 2000 and 2001	Funding of Community Newspaper
East Belfast Publishing Ltd	2003	Funding of Community Newspaper
Flagship Media Group Ltd	2000 and 2001	Funding of Publishing Company
Preas an Phobail Ltd	1999, 2000 and 2001	Funding of Irish Language Newspaper
Shankill Community Media Ltd	2002, 2003 and 2004	Funding of Community Newspaper
The Mirror Group	2000	Funding for Disabled Employee

In addition, the following funding has been made available by Foras na Gaeilge (the Irish Language Agency of the North/South Language Body).

Company	Year(s) Funded	Purpose of Funding
Preas an Phobail Ltd	2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004	Funding of Irish Language Newspaper

asked Her Majesty's Government:Since October 2002 whether any discussions concerning cross-border implementation bodies have been referred to political advisers; if so, to whom; and for what reason. [HL2949]

Under paragraph 2, Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (internal discussion and advice), such information is exempt from disclosure.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the terms of reference for the current Electoral Office inquiry in Northern Ireland; who is conducting that inquiry; by whom the appointment was made; who determined the terms of reference; and what has been the cost to date and to which department. [HL2991]

The Chief Electoral Officer is normally responsible for matters of conduct and discipline in the Electoral Office. I understand that following allegations made by the noble Lord concerning the conduct of past and present staff in the Electoral Office, he asked Brian Blackwell, a former senior civil servant in the Northern Ireland Office with experience in disciplinary matters, to conduct an independent investigation to determine whether any Electoral Office staff had been engaged in misconduct. The chief electoral officer has yet to receive the report. The cost of the report to date is £5,757, which is being met from Electoral Office funds. At the same time the chief electoral officer decided to show the material to the PSNI. The PSNI decided that it would take no further action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any meetings between their officials and those of the Eire Government on issues relating to the Official Languages Act 2003; and, if so, when, where and with whom the meetings took place, and whether they will place the minutes of the meetings in the Library of the House. [HL3033]

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on 6 May 2004 (WA 126).The meeting on 19 March 2004 took place in Armagh and comprised officials from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Finance and Personnel, the Department of Finance, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the NSMC Joint Secretariat.Under paragraphs 1 (defence, security and international relations) and 2 (internal discussion and advice) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it would not he appropriate to disclose the minutes of this meeting.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the written Answer by the Lord President on 25 May (

The operational arrangements referred to in (WA 117) are the consultation and liaison procedures via which business plans and annual budgets are considered and agreed between the sponsor departments and the constituent agencies of the North/South Language Implementation Body.

asked the Chairman of Committees:Whether the temperature and air quality in the Moses Room during the Grand Committee on the Employment Relations Bill at 6 p.m. on 15 June complied with the requirements of Health and Safety at Work legislation. [HL3284]

Health and Safety regulations do not specify the maximum acceptable temperature for an office, although the Health and Safety Executive does give guidance that, "An acceptable zone of thermal comfort for most people in the UK lies roughly between 13°C (56°F) and 30°C (86°F)". While I understand that this indicative maximum temperature was not exceeded in the Grand Committee on 15 June, I regret that overall conditions deteriorated to the extent that it was found to be necessary to adjourn the Committee.The reason for the deterioration in conditions was a mechanical fault which caused the air-conditioning equipment to shut down. Unfortunately, due to the age and design of the equipment, when an event such as this occurs there are no automatic visual or audible warnings. In this particular instance, once staff were informed of the conditions in the Moses Room at about 5 p.m., the fault was immediately rectified. However, as the temperature in the room had already risen considerably, it took some time to restore the room to a normal temperature.It seems that the fault was probably caused by a build-up of dust on the cooling coils arising from stone cleaning activity in the vicinity. Action has now been taken to have the cooling coils cleaned, and staff are actively monitoring the temperature in the Moses Room to avoid a repetition of this unfortunate occurrence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present United Kingdom military commitment in Kosovo, in terms of numbers, units and roles; whether any future changes in this commitment have taken place over the past two years and whether they are contemplating any future changes in the commitment. [HL3103]

The United Kingdom has around 200 troops committed to KFOR, including headquarters staff officers in HQ KFOR and an infantry company (currently from the 1st Battalion, the King's Regiment). The UK also provides a battalion to the Balkans-dedicated Operational Reserve Force (ORF); this deployed to Kosovo during the outbreak of violence in mid-March 2004, returning to the UK on 18 April.British Forces are deployed in Kosovo under NATO command to provide a safe and secure environment, and to assist the international community in creating conditions which will support eventual self-sustaining security in the region.Over the past two years the UK standing military presence in Kosovo has reduced from approximately 1,200 personnel. The UK commitment to KFOR is subject to regular review, including in the context of NATO's biannual periodic mission review process.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present United Kingdom military commitment in Sierra Leone, in terms of numbers, units and roles; whether any future changes in this commitment have taken place over the past two years; and whether they are contemplating any future changes in the commitment. [HL3104]

The United Kingdom has 22 military personnel committed to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, and 92 military personnel deployed to the UK-led International Military Advisory Training Team (IMATT). At IMATT's formation in 2002 the total UK military commitment was 360.IMATT continues to provide strategic guidance to the Government of Sierra Leone on defence and security issues, and assists in the development of the Republic of Sierra Leone armed forces into a self-sustaining, accountable force.The future UK commitment to the UN mission will be determined by the UN plan for gradual drawdown; final withdrawal is expected by the end of 2005. Our commitment to IMATT is longer term, but reviewed annually. It forms part of the UK's wider contribution to the reconstruction activities of Sierra Leone, where MoD, DfiD and the FCO work closely together to support the Government of Sierra Leone in ensuring lasting and sustainable peace for the people of the country.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the present United Kingdom military commitment in Afghanistan, in terms of numbers, units and roles; whether any future changes in this commitment have taken place over the past two years; and whether they are contemplating any future changes in the commitment. [HL3105]

The United Kingdom currently has around 580 military personnel from all three services serving in Afghanistan, with the largest single contingent drawn from the 1st Battalion, the Green Howards. Their numbers and roles are:

Table 1: United Kingdom Military Deployments in Afghanistan on 11 June 2004
Role and Location	Number
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Kabul	400
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), Mazar-e Sharif and Meymaneh	165
Coalition Headquarters, Kabul and Bagram	15
Total	580

On 11 June 2002 the United Kingdom had around 2,770 troops deployed in Afghanistan, again from all three services, and with the largest contingents drawn from 45 Commando, Royal Marines and the 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment. Their numbers and roles were:

Table 2: United Kingdom Military Deployments in Afghanistan on 11 June 2002
Role and Location	Number
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Kabul	1,300
Task Force JACANA, Bagram	1,440
Airfield Security, Bagram	65
Coalition Headquarters, Bagram	5
Total	2,810

The principal changes over the past two years stem from the transfer of the United Kingdom's status as lead nation for the ISAF to Turkey on 20 June 2002, the withdrawal of Task Force JACANA following the completion of its operations on 10 July 2002 and the deployment in July 2003 of the PRT to Mazar-e Sharif.I informed the House on 1 April 2004 (

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland is required to nominate to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission judicial members who reflect the community there; and [HL3152]Whether the General Council of the Bar and the Law Society in Northern Ireland are required to nominate to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission legal professional members who reflect the community there. [HL3153]

Section 3(8) of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, as amended, places a statutory duty on those responsible for making nominations to the Judicial Appointments Commission (the Lord Chief Justice, the General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland) to make such arrangements that will, so far as is practicable, secure that the membership of the commission is reflective of the community in Northern Ireland.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether a senior judiciary "reflective of the community in Northern Ireland" in accordance with the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004 will he appointed on the basis of merit. [HL3171]

Section 5 of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, as amended, provides that the selection of persons to be appointed, or recommended for appointment, to a judicial office listed in Schedule 1 to that Act (ie judicial offices up to and including High Court Judge) must be made solely on the basis of merit.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004 will lead to an increase, or a diminution, in the involvement of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor in the affairs of Northern Ireland. [HL3172]

The enactment of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004 will not have any material impact on the Lord Chancellor's ministerial responsibilities in Northern Ireland.The Act will allow the Lord Chancellor to establish a Judicial Appointments Commission which will select persons for appointment to judicial office up to (and including) High Court judge level. The Lord Chancellor will remain responsible for making, or recommending to Her Majesty the making of, judicial appointments.The 2004 Act also confers on the Lord Chancellor certain additional powers in relation to court security.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 25 May (

My earlier Answer explained precisely where the information concerned could be found on the Inland Revenue website. The practice of referring to departmental websites has been followed

Direct effects of illustrative tax changes1
Amounts: £ million
	Cost/yield
	2004–05	2005–062	2004–05	2005–062
	(full year)	(full year)	(NABs)	(NABs)
Income tax3
Rates
Change starting rate by 1p4	560	590	490	610
Change lower rate on savings income by 1p5	80	100	60	90
Change basic rate by 1p6	3,300	3,450	2,900	3,600
Change basic rate in Scotland by 1p6	270	280	240	290
Change higher rate by 1p	1,090	1,190	800	1,270
Change higher rate for dividends by 1p	120	125	—	150
Allowances
Change personal allowance by £100	610	640	520	660
Change age-related personal allowances by £1007	65	70	60	70
Change age-related married couple's allowances by £1008	5	5	5	5
Change aged income limit by £500	25	25	15	25
Change all pesonal allowances by 1 per cent	320	340	280	360
Change all personal allowances by 10 per cent	3,200	3,350	2,750	3,500
Limits
Change starting rate limit by £100	310	330	270	340
Change basic rate limit by 1 per cent	190	210	140	220
Change basic rate limit by 10 per cent
Increase (cost)	1,750	1,900	1,300	2,000
Decrease (yield)	2,150	2,300	1,650	2,450
Allowances, starting and basic rate limits (BRL)
Change all main allowances, starting rate limit and BRL by 1 per cent	590	620	490	650
Change all main allowances, starting rate limit and BRL by 10 per cent
Increase (cost)	5,600	5,900	4,600	6,200
Decrease (yield)	6,300	6,600	5,200	7,000
Working tax credit
Change basic element by £100	240	240	240	240
Change 30 hour element by £100	170	170	170	170
Change additional element for couples and lone parents by £100	230	230	230	230
Child tax credit
Change family element by £1009	570	560	570	560
Change child element by £10010	720	730	720	730
Common features
Change first income threshold by £10011	70	70	70	70
Change second income threshold by £1,000	20	20	20	20
Corporation tax
Raise starting rate by 1 percentage point12	15	15	—	10
Change small companies' rate by 1 percentage point12	200	210	—	170
Change main rate by 1 percentage point13	1,050	1,050	650	750

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Inland Revenue staff have been (a) prosecuted, and (b) otherwise disciplined for corruption, fraud or misconduct of a similar nature in each of the past 10 years, analysed by grade and division of revenue concerned. [HL3101]

The number of staff prosecuted for fraud, corruption and similar offences is set out in the table below:

Corruption and Fraud Cases with Prosecution Outcome 1995–96—2003–04
1. Business Stream
Business Stream	Corruption and Fraud Cases
Revenue Policy	3
IR Southern England	5
IR London	8
IR Central England	5
IR Northern England	11
IR Scotland	8
IR Northern Ireland	1
IR Learning	3
Valuation Office	4
Receivables (RMS)	1
	49

2. Pay Band
Pay Band	Corruption and Fraud Cases
E2	11
E1	24
D	9
C2	3
C1	1
B1	1
	49

The number of staff disciplined for fraud, corruption or similar offences is set out in the tables below:

Corruption and Fraud Cases with Disciplinary Outcome 1999–2000—2003–04
3. Business Stream
Business Stream	Corruption and Fraud Cases
Revenue Policy	3
IR Southern England	1
IR London	4
IR Central England	2
IR Northern England	1
IR Scotland	2
IR Northern Ireland	1
IR Wales	2
Tax Credit Office	3

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 27 May (

The actuary advising each scheme calculates the cost of the benefits accruing to current employees. These benefits include those payable in respect of prospective survivors following the employees' deaths.Various assumptions are made by the actuary including the proportions of employees and former employees who at death will leave a survivor. The rates of contribution disclosed within resource accounts and FRS17 statements for 2003–04 for the public service pension schemes will be based on a rate of return net of prices of 3.5 per cent.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to propose legislation to provide security of tenure for Gypsies and Travellers living on local authority sites, following the ruling on 27 May of the European Court of Human Rights that the United Kingdom's existing legislation failed to protect Gypsies' rights in accordance with the right to respect for private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights. [HL3114]

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the implications of the judgment in the Connors v UK case. We are already looking at the tenure issues associated with Gypsy and Traveller sites as part of our wide-ranging review, which will report to Ministers in the summer.If our review concludes that a change in the status of those residing on local authority residential sites is appropriate, then the Law Commission's current tenure review would be an appropriate vehicle to take this forward.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which Government departments have required, or currently require, health impact assessments, as advocated by the BSE inquiry report 2000; and in respect of which of their policies. [HL2970]

The Government response to the BSE inquiry report stated that departments were expected to apply health impact assessments to all new key policies and that the Government had begun developing an integrated tool for screening and rapid assessment. This has now been subsumed within regulatory impact assessment (RIA) which is mandatory. RIA includes analysis of economic, social (including health), environmental and distributional effects of policy proposals. The social and environmental impact assessment elements of the RIA have recently been strengthened and new guidance issued to departments.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What research they have commissioned into the incidence of pre-cancerous skin lesions in England. [HL3042]

No research has been commissioned in the past three years into the incidence of pre-cancerous skin lesions in England. We have commissioned the National Institute of Clinical Excellence to produce improving outcomes guidance on skin tumours, including melanoma. This guidance is due for publication in April 2005 and is aimed at informing commissioners and providers how to configure their services to provide the best outcomes for patients.As skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultra-violet radiation from the sun, a range of measures has been taken to ensure that the public are aware of the simple steps they can take to minimise the risks. The United Kingdom health departments are providing £400,000 funding to Cancer Research UK for the SunSmart Sun awareness campaign. In addition, the Department of Health continues to provide funding for the Meteorological Office ultra-violet index and core funding for the National Radiological Protection Board.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the reply by the Lord Warner on 5 May (

The Department of Health has supported the work of the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust (TOAST) for two years (2001–02 to 2002–03) through the department's Section 64 grant scheme. A large number of applications covering ministerial commitments were received for funding from April 2004 which resulted in intense competition for limited funds. This has resulted in many applications being rejected, including those from TOAST.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans they have to replace the Chief Nursing Officer for England. [HL3207]

The post will be filled through fair and open competition by a selection panel chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner. The vacancy will be advertised in the national and professional press.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many grants have been given for the establishment of traditional orchards over the past three years by (a) the Countryside Agency and (b) local authorities. [HL3148]

We are not aware of any grants having been given for the establishment of traditional orchards over the last three years by these bodies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of farmers have now signed up to the new fallen stock disposal scheme to be run by the National Fallen Stock Company. [HL3176]

Farmers have not yet been asked to sign up to the scheme but will have a chance to do so when it is launched in the autumn.