asked Her Majesty's Government:How many planning applications in Armagh city were determined in each of the past six months; and whether resources are available in the Planning Service to process these applications. [HL3719]

The Planning Service in Northern Ireland has reviewed and continues to review its resources. I can advise the noble Lord that additional funding has been given to create an additional 125 posts across Northern Ireland covering a range of levels to further enhance its ability to deliver a speedier and improved service. The Planning Service is currently in the process of recruiting the additional staff to fill these posts, 15 of which have been allocated to the Craigavon Divisional Planning Office.It is not possible to give precise figures of planning applications processed for Armagh city. However, the available figures for the number of applications determined for Armagh City & District Council area for a six-month period is as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, while respecting the independence of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission, they will give sufficient encouragement to that body to resolve the Garvaghy Road impasse. [HL4048]

The Government have given and continue to support everyone who has made genuine efforts to resolve the Drumcree dispute. The Government will continue to assist anyone who remains committed to finding a permanent solution which accommodates both traditions, and consigns the current impasse to history

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the cost to the taxpayer of the security arrangements at Drumcree and Portadown on the first Sunday in July 2004. [HL4049]

The PSNI costs of security arrangements at Drumcree and Portadown in the first Sunday July 2004 was £177,437. The costs of military support were contained within the Army's normal operational budget.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the cost to the taxpayer of the security arrangements on the occasion of the parades of Portadown Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1 to Drumcree Church in 2003 and 2004. [HL4050]

The PSNI costs of security arrangements for the parades of Portadown Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1 to Drumcree Church in 2003 and 2004 were £221,810 and £177,437 respectively. The costs of military support were contained within the Army's normal operational budget.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers and Army personnel were involved in the Portadown area on "Drumcree Sunday" 2004. [HL4051]

There were 375 PSNI officers on duty in connection with the Drumcree parade held on 4 July 2004.It is not possible to readily distinguish the number of Army personnel available in the Portadown area on Drumcree Sunday from the wider deployment of military personnel in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland during the marching season.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to review the mandate under which the Parades Commission (Northern Ireland) operates at present. [HL4052]

We are currently formulating policy on future parades legislation and structures and will be bringing forward proposals later in the year. In the interim period the Government will remain open to further suggestions on possible improvements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will monitor the proportion of those involved in anti-social behaviour who: (a) have been subjected to a social security benefits sanction; (b) are teenagers estranged from their parents; (c) have been in care; (d) are smokers; (e) are drug-addicts and (f) are victims of parental abuse. [HL3984]

There is no information available that monitors the profile of anti-social behaviour offenders as described and there are no plans to collect such information in the future. However, there is much work going on which takes into account these factors and attempts to address them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the commitment in the Comprehensive Spending Review to increase the number of criminal convictions to 1.25 million by 2007–08 is compatible with ensuring justice in individual cases. [HL3977]

Yes. Cutting Crime, Delivering Justice: A Strategic Plan for Criminal Justice 2004–2008 sets out how we will achieve this target, through a more modern and efficient justice process. It should go without saying that the target does not alter the presumption of innocence, judicial independence or the need for the judiciary to judge each case as it appears before them.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the meeting at the Department of Health of its Recombinant Roll-out Working Group on 5 July; what representations the Secretary of State for Health has received since that meeting from the chairman of the Haemophilia Society; and whether the four commitments now sought by the society will be met. [HL3853]

A meeting on the roll-out of recombinant treatment for adult haemophilia patients was held on 5 July. Following this meeting the chairman of the Haemophilia Society wrote to the Secretary of State for Health on 6 July and 16 July about the funding for the recombinant roll-out programme. A reply was sent on 29 July.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action is being taken to train wide groups of healthcare professionals who come into contact with large areas of patients' skin to check for signs of skin cancer and for lesions. [HL4012]

It is for the independent regulatory and professional bodies to determine the content of both undergraduate and postgraduate training for health professionals. All National Health Service organisations are expected to ensure their staff are trained in all the necessary areas to deliver effective patient care.However, Cancer Research UK has printed 40,000 posters designed to assist general practitioners and practice nurses in the identification of suspicious skin lesions. The poster, which contains photographs and explanations of various lesions, has been distributed to all UK doctors' surgeries.The Department of Health has also published referral guidelines for suspected cancer to assist GPs in determining those patients with suspected skin cancer who need to be referred urgently to see a specialist within two weeks, those patients that can be referred for a routine appointment and those who can be safely watched at a primary care level. The guidelines include a section on skin cancer.The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is updating these guidelines and is currently consulting on the first draft of the reviewed guidance.The revised guidelines are expected to be published in March 2005.

asked her Majesty's Government:How much of the new Higher Education Funding Council funds for the expansion of healthcare studies in universities is being retained in universities as overheads to meet central costs; and whether any of these funds are being diverted to support other departments. [HL4061]

The information requested is not centrally collected. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocates resources to institutions not to specific subject departments within them. It is up to higher education institutions, as autonomous bodies, to manage the resources they receive from the funding council, and other stakeholders, and to decide how the funding is distributed internally to meet central overheads and to support individual departments and schools.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they support the principle that students, as key stakeholders in higher education, should be represented on the governing bodies of universities. [HL4069]

In our response to the "report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education" (the Dearing Report) in 1998 we supported the recommendation that students should be represented on the governing bodies of all higher education institutions. We continue to support this principle.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the land where orchards have been grubbed up at any stage after the commencement of the single farm payment scheme will become eligible for the single farm payment. [HL4020]

Single payment scheme (SPS) entitlements will be allocated on the basis of eligible land, which excludes orchards unless they are also grazed within the terms we are discussing with the European Commission. Where orchards are subsequently grubbed up, no additional SPS entitlements will be allocated, but the land could be used in support of a claim for payment against an existing entitlement as long as it remained an agricultural area of the farmer's holding taken up by arable land or permanent pasture and was kept in good agricultural and environmental condition.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have raised with the European Commission the question that top fruit could be included in the single farm payment regime following the review of 2007; and, if so, what was the outcome. [HL4022]

To date, discussions with the European Commission have focussed on the introduction of the single payment scheme in 2005. Discussions on the 2007 review of the horticultural "authorisations" system are likely to take place once experience has been gained in running the scheme. That review may cover the future eligibility of land under orchards to attract single payment entitlements but this can not be guaranteed at this stage.