asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will remove the security barriers at the Royal Courts of Justice in Chichester Street, Belfast and make the street passable to ordinary vehicular traffic, including buses. [HL3540]

Security arrangements at Lower Chichester Street are currently being reviewed and as yet no firm conclusions have been reached.

asked the Leader of the House:Given that on 8 September five Questions for Written Answer tabled in June and 53 Questions tabled in July awaited Answers, what action she intends to take to honour the convention that Answers should be within two weeks. [HL4204]

All government departments endeavour to answer Questions for Written Answer within the fourteen-day deadline. I regret, however, that it has taken so long to answer these Questions.I continue to review the outstanding questions with my ministerial colleagues on a weekly basis and remind them of the importance of prompt and accurate answers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportions of general (that is, non-life) insurance premiums were underwritten by United Kingdom-owned insurance companies in 1982, 1992 and 2002 (a) worldwide; and (b) in the United Kingdom. [HL4316]

The Government do not collect these data.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 2 July (

The quantity of depleted uranium (DU) held as a waste, as at 1 April 2001, was 1,600 tonnes. This figure is taken from the 2002 Radioactive Waste Inventory and is the most recent figure available. Total quantities of DU held as a national resource as of 31 December 2003, as contained in the annual UK Civil Plutonium and Uranium Figures for 2003, was 59,860 tonnes.DU is declared a waste, if, following processing, no further nuclear use can be forseen, or where, based on current technology, it is deemed economically irrecoverable. This is based on definitions contained in the 1973 Euratom Safeguards Regulation 3227/76. This decision, however, ultimately rests with the owner of the waste in question.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish the figures for each year since 1992 for United Kingdom emissions for (a) carbon dioxide; (b) nitrogen oxide; (c) PM10s; (d) carbon monoxide; (e) volatile organics compounds; and (f) benzene, broken down by those originating from (i) industry; (ii) electrical generation; (iii) transport; and (iv) United Kingdom households. [HL4278]

Defra compiles and publishes information on annual emissions to the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NO_x), PM 10, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and benzene in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI). The information is available at http://www.naei.org.uk. The tables below provide information on emissions from 1992 to 2002 (the latest year available) for each pollutant, broken down between industry, electrical generation, transport and UK households.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish for each year since 1992 United Kingdom emissions, broken down by those originating from (a) cars; (b) light vans; (c) heavy goods vehicles; (d) buses; (e) coaches; (f) taxis; and (g) aircraft, for (i) carbon dioxide; (ii) nitrogen oxide; (iii) PM 10s; (iv) carbon monoxide; (v) volatile organics compounds; and (vi) benzene. [HL4279]

Defra compiles and publishes information on annual emissions to the atmosphere of air pollutants including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides (No^x), PM 10, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and benzene in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI). The information is available at http://www.naei.org.uk.Tables which will be made available in the Library of the House provide a break down of emissions from 1992 to 2002 (the latest year available) within the transport sector by cars, light vans, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches and aircraft for the above pollutants. Separate data are not collected on emissions from taxis nor on emissions from buses and coaches separately.