asked Her Majesty's Government:How many senior responsible owners (SROs) have been appointed by the Ministry of Defence; what are the responsibilities and dates of appointment of such SROs; and whether they plan to appoint further SROs. [HL8]

Senior responsible owners (SROs) are appointed to oversee the delivery of complex business change or new military capability programmes and their benefits. These typically involve planning and ensuring coherence across a number of top level budget holder areas and/or lines of development.The MoD's major non-equipment acquisition and change programmes are brigaded into the Defence Change Programme (DCP). The principal twelve programmes within the DCP each have an SRO, as does the DCP itself and other programmes under the governance of the DCP. An SRO has also been appointed to each of six major new military capability programmes. There are other SROs outside these

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress is being made by the Ministry of Defence in bringing together more information on urgent operational requirements so that these may be better evaluated, as recommended by the National Audit Office. [HL209]

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many members of the British Armed Forces, and of what ranks, are stationed in Lithuania; and under what arrangements they are stationed there. [HL173]

As at 4 December, a total of 107 British Armed Forces personnel were stationed in Lithuania: a permanent Defence Section at the British Embassy, Vilnius and a temporary RAF detachment conducting NATO air policing duties over the Baltic states until 12 January 2005, based mainly at Siauliai Air Base with a small contingent at Vilnius international airport.The tables below provide a breakdown of the number and rank of all personnel.

The Ministry of Defence is considering options for post-operational reviews, and, where appropriate, outcome measures and performance indicators should be developed and implemented in the next six to 12 months. In the next 12 to 24 months we also aim to implement a more joined-up UOR database.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will announce the date on which the National Firearms Licensing Management System, as required by Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, will be in full operation. [HL77]

As my noble friend Lord Rooker explained in responding to the noble Lord on 4 November, a number of technical difficulties came to light during the piloting of this system and it has been necessary to suspend the roll-out programme until the New Year. I understand from the Police Information Technology Organisation that most of these technical issues have been resolved but it has been necessary to commission an audit of force communications networks. This will not be completed before the end of the year and the aim then is to analyse the report with a view to assessing the implications for individual police forces by the end of January. It is not possible to renegotiate a new roll-out schedule with forces until this information is available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On how many occasions in the most recent 12-month period were cheque books used fraudulently after failing to reach their intended recipients through the post. [HL191]

Statistics on fraudulently used cheque books arc not held centrally.The banking industry, represented by the Association of Payment Clearing Services, is working with the Royal Mail to tackle this type of fraud.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their best estimate of the number of: (a) motor cars without all-wheel braking; (b) privately owned light goods vehicles without all-wheel braking; (c) privately owned heavy goods vehicles without all-wheel braking; and (d) steam-driven vehicles without all-wheel braking. [HL237]

We are unable to make these estimates. On 31 December 1967 (just before the all-wheel braking requirement was implemented) there were 8,820,000 private cars licensed for the public road. Some 36 years later it is not possible to estimate reliably how many of them did not have all-wheel braking, although records show that 123,529 are still registered.At 31 December 1967, 1,358,000 light goods vehicles and 593,000 heavy goods vehicles were registered for the road. It is not possible to estimate reliably how many of these were or are privately owned or the numbers without all-wheel braking, although records show 7,560 of those light goods vehicles and 17,236 of those heavy goods vehicles are still registered.At 31 December 2003, 1,800 steam powered vehicles were licensed for the road. Many—if not all—of these are likely to be without all-wheel braking because if the engine of such a vehicle is capable of being reversed it is deemed to be a braking system and thus one of the two braking systems required.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What the impact of the proposed School Transport Bill will be on traffic flows and the levels of congestion. [HL109]

Our aim is for pilot authorities to achieve a reduction in the number of cars on the school run as well as providing improved services which cater for local needs and priorities. However, as it will be for authorities to devise their own pilot schemes, it is impossible to predict at this stage the impact that the School Transport Bill will have on future traffic flows and congestion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will consider introducing a "safe-house" scheme for children trafficked for the purpose of prostitution, similar to the pilot "safe-houses" for women. [HL252]

It is for local authorities to decide how best to provide support and services for children in need in its area, including those who are the victims of trafficking. When a child enters the country alone and claims asylum or there are concerns that he or she may have been trafficked, the immigration service should immediately refer the child to the relevant local authority's social services department. The social services department will undertake a needs assessment and will provide services in the light of the outcome of that assessment. These services should be tailored to the individual needs of the child, just as they should be for any child in need.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the small number of children identified as "Traveller of Irish Heritage" and "Gypsy Roma" in the Department for Education and Skills London Challenge Families of Schools survey, they will review the methodology of the Pupil Level Annual School Census to ensure that Gypsy and Irish Traveller pupils are accurately enumerated. [HL184]

The Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC) collects individual pupil information for all pupils in primary, secondary and special schools, city technology colleges and academies. This includes information on pupils' ethnicity. Categories for Romany Gypsies and Travellers of Irish Heritage were introduced to PLASC in 2003.Ethnic background is defined as sensitive personal data under data protection legislation. One of a number of conditions must be met before processing of sensitive personal data. The data subject (ie the pupil or their parent) can refuse to provide this information and cannot be pressed to provide it.In 2004 there were almost 98,000 (or 1.4 per cent) in PLASC where information on ethnic origin was refused.There are no current plans to review the methodology of the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census itself. However, the Department is planning to host discussion seminars with a selected number of LEAs and interested parties, including Traveller communites, to gain a more informed assessment of the reasons for the small number of children identified as Travellers of Irish Heritage or Gypsy/Roma. Additional good practice guidance on collecting ethnic background data from Traveller parents will be issued following these seminars.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish a table showing the number of children identified as "Traveller of Irish Heritage" and "Gypsy Roma" in the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census for 2003 and 2004 for each local education authority in England: [HL185]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What meetings they have had with the England and Wales Cricket Board, its chairman, manager or players regarding the current cricket tour of Zimbabwe; and what advice they have given. [HL267]

My right honourable friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport met the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to discuss the tour on 6 May 2004. Officials from the Department for Culture Media and Sport and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in both London and Harare have been in contact with the ECB since then.During these discussions, the Government made it clear that, while they would have preferred that the tour did not take place, it was for the ECB and not the Government to make the decision. The Government have no powers to instruct the ECB to tour or not to tour.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following the change in Section 2(9)(d) of the Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2351) whereby it is no longer a requirement to have regard to the representative's ability to pay, what guidance will be given to tribunals or chairmen on the exercise of their new discretionary powers. [HL89]

This change was a minor correction to achieve consistency between the provisions on "wasted costs" awards against representatives and those on costs and preparation time awards against parties. Guidance to tribunals and chairmen is a matter for the judicial presidents of the tribunals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Which Ministers of the Crown have powers to invoke the National Security Proceedings provisions under Section 54(1)—(4) of the Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1861). [HL92]

Any Minister of the Crown may invoke the procedures set out in this rule.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether a chairman can review his own judgment under Section 33(4) of the Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1861). [HL93]

Yes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their view that, following the address by Carla del Ponte, prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to the United Nations Security Council on 23 November, the Republic of Croatia is fulfilling its obligation towards the tribunal. [HL137]

The Government have noted the serious concerns about Croatian co-operation raised by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Chief Prosecutor in her recent report to the United Nations Security Council. We fully support the Chief Prosecutor's assessment that co-operation cannot be considered to be full until all necessary steps have been taken to locate and apprehend fugitive indictee Ante Gotovina. We have urged the Croatian Government to take immediate steps to address the concerns raised, and have underlined that full co-operation with the tribunal remains a prerequisite for further European Union and NATO integration.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will publish as a Command Paper or other document, setting down for each article, protocol, declaration, or other part of the final version of the text of the Constitution for the European Union signed in Rome on 29 October:

Following the commitment made to Parliament by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister on 4 May (Official Report, col. 1456W), we are preparing an analysis of the EU Constitution comparing it with the existing EU and Community treaties and indicating which parts of the constitution correspond to provisions in the existing treaties and which parts are new. We now intend to publish it early in 2005.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Following the entry into force in the United Kingdom of the European Union Constitutional Treaty, which body would have the final power of (a) interpreting the wording of the constitution; and (b) determining its application in the United Kingdom. [HL251]

The bodies which under existing law have power to interpret the EU and Community treaties and to determine their application in the United Kingdom will have a similar role in relation to the EU Constitutional Treaty, if it comes into force for the UK.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they support the recommendations made by the Ombudsperson in Kosovo, Marek Antoni Nowicki, in his letter of 22 November, to the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Soren Jessen-Peterson, drawing attention to the living conditions which internally displaced Roma are facing in Northern Kosovo, and recommending that the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo take immediate action to assist them. [HL170]

The UK welcomes the letter of the Ombudsperson Institution in Kosovo to draw attention to the living conditions of Roma internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kosovo. We are committed to supporting the efforts of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in building a democratic, tolerant and stable Kosovo, entrenching minority rights and security and improving living conditions for all inhabitants in Kosovo. A representative from the British Office in Pristina visited the ombudsperson's office on 3 December to express our concerns at, and reiterate our support for, improving the situation of all minority communities and IDPs in Kosovo. The UK is currently funding training for local citizens and public officials in human rights. In addition, it is pursuing other projects aimed at assisting minority communities, including in Northern Kosovo.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When and in what terms they communicated to the United Nations Security Council the decision to send British Armed Forces into Côte d'Ivoire. [HL177]

We had the consent of the Ivoirian authorities to send British Armed Forces into Côte d'Ivoire to assist in the evacuation of British nationals. We informed the Security Council on 9 November that a team of military experts was being deployed to Abidjan to assist with contingency planning on, and subsequently proposed an exemption to the United Nations arms embargo to allow the temporary supply of military equipment to the forces of a country facilitating the evacuation from Côte d'Ivoire of its nationals and those for whom it has consular responsibility. This exemption was agreed, but in the event the UK did not need recourse to it as the evacuation of British nationals took place prior to the adoption of resolution 1572, which imposed the arms embargo.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What discussions they have held with the President of Somalia; and whether he has indicated any date for his return and that of his government to the capital, Mogadishu. [HL186]

My honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (Chris Mullin) met the Somali Transitional Federal President in Nairobi on 20 October and had discussions on the future of the Transitional Federal Government and their relations with the authorities in Somaliland.He urged them to engage in early dialogue with Somaliland, reject military solutions to the resolution of differences and to demonstrate a commitment to mutual respect, reconciliation and peace.No date has been fixed for the return of the Government to Mogadishu. Dates in mid-December now seem unlikely. Recent statements by Somali politicians have mentioned January 2005.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will urge the Government of Somalia to instruct the Puntland militia to withdraw from the territory of Somaliland and to enter into discussions with the authorities of Somaliland on security and political issues. [HL187]

We continue to urge restraint on all sides involved in the recent clashes. We urge the parties to resolve their differences through peaceful negotiation without preconditions. We also welcome the recent initiative by traditional leaders in the disputed region to help resolve the conflict.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are discussing the freedom to function of the British Council and legitimate nongovernmental organisations, such as the Moscow Helsinki Group, Memorial and the Soldiers' Mothers Committee, with the Government of Russia; and what conclusions they hope to reach. [HL188]

We have been discussing the British Council's operation in Russia with the Russian authorities for some time with a view to resolving a number of tax and status issues. The unresolved issues have so far not prevented the British Council from continuing with its valuable work, but we continue to work for an early resolution nevertheless.We attach great importance to the development of civil society in Russia—a point we regularly make to interlocutors from the Russian Government and those from official human rights structures in Russia. We also maintain close contact and co-operation with the non-governmental organisation (NGO) community in Russia. This includes funding a range of human rights projects through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) global opportunities fund. In March this year the FCO organised a successful networking event in London for Russian and international NGOs. We will continue to support efforts towards the development of an independent and strengthened civil society in Russia through our contacts with NGOs operating there.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ask Russia to publish the confidential reports made by the European Committee for Prevention of Torture (under the convention ratified in 1998). [HL189]

During the UK/Russia bilateral human rights talks in March 2003 we asked the Russian delegation whether the Russian Government intended to publish the latest report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT).For the first time, on 30 June 2003, the Russian authorities requested that the CPT partially publish a report on the Russian Federation.The matter was raised again at the bilateral human rights talks held in September 2004 during which we encouraged the Russian delegation to share all reports produced by the CPT, as we have done, in the spirit of transparency. We will continue to raise this with them at suitable opportunities in the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will discuss with the Government of the Russian Federation and the international assemblies concerned the extent to which current political censorship of television and newspapers, combined with alleged attacks on and harassment of journalists, are compatible with Russia's obligations under international human rights conventions. [HL192]

Our annual human rights bilateral dialogue with Russia is specifically aimed at holding each other to account across a range of human rights issues against the background of our international obligations.Freedom of expression is recognised as a key human right in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. Russia and the UK have international obligations under each of these treaties.Although we acknowledge the plurality of views in Russia's national print media, we have concerns about the state's control over the national broadcast media and reports of attacks and harassment of journalists in Russia.We raised these concerns during our bilateral human rights discussions with the Russian Government in September 2004. In addition, staff at our embassy in Moscow continue to raise concerns about media freedoms in Russia at every suitable opportunity.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will raise with the International Labour Organisation the Russian Labour Code of 2002 and the current ability of trade union leaders to function in Russia. [HL193]

The UK delegation to the annual International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference participates fully in the various conference committees, including the Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, which discusses cases of compliance with ILO instruments; and has regularly joined the European Union in expressing criticism in cases of serious violations of workers' rights. The cases endorsed for discussion by the applications committee are traditionally selected by workers and employers' organisations, rather than member states. To date the 2002 Russian Labour Code has not been discussed. Neither are we aware that the issue of trade union leaders in Russia has been discussed at the ILO.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will call on the Government of Turkey to implement United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1062 (of 1996) and 1251 (of 1999) concerning the clearance of minefields in the United Nations buffer zone in Cyprus, by ensuring the co-operation of its armed forces and of the local administration in Cyprus. [HL194]

We welcome the fact that the Republic of Cyprus began de-mining activities in the buffer zone on 18 November this year and that, on the same day, Mr Talat, elected leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community, said that the Turkish Cypriots would soon sign an agreement with the United Nations to allow them to begin mine clearing operations.The UK Government welcome any action by both communities that will aid in the normalisation of the situation on the island. De-mining is an important step towards this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the annual cost of the Healthcare Commission; and whether they have made any estimate of the cost, in time and money, which compliance with the rules and requirements of the commission imposes on general practitioners. [HL266]

For 2004–05, its first full year of operation, we expect the Healthcare Commission to operate at a cost to the Department of Health of £63 million. It also anticipates receipt of £4.1 million in fees from the independent sector.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many special advisers are employed in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. [HL14]

Three.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why details of expenditure on professional advisers and private sector consultants are not held centrally by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, given that such information is available from other government departments, such as the Department of Health. [HL16]

The department is unable to speculate why details of expenditure on professional advisers and private sector consultants are not held centrally by Defra in comparison to other government departments.The department holds details of all its contractors sufficient and necessary to discharge its payment obligations under the terms of contracts agreed with those contractors. This enables the department to report annually to Parliament on its prompt payment performance. The department also has systems that enable it to report annually its value for money achievements with regard to departmental expenditure on goods, services and works. Its financial, accounting and budgeting systems are subject to annual review by the National Audit Office.Details of contracts held with professional services providers, of which expenditure on professional advisers and private sector consultants is a part, have not been held centrally to date, but are held within the areas that have been given the delegated budgetary authority and responsibility to let and manage those contracts. The resource costs of extracting information from all those areas is often hugely disproportionate to the nature of the information being sought.As part of its preparations for, and implementation of, the Gershon value for money agenda in Defra, Pareto or detailed expenditure distribution analysis of departmental expenditure on professional services is now being undertaken, and will be made available publicly in due course.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the answer by the Lord Whitty on 1 December (

On 1 December 2004 there were 3,699 people employed in the Rural Payments Agency. Of these, 308 staff have a qualification in agriculture or related sciences, including soil sciences.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What amount of funding was disbursed by the prison and probation services to voluntary sector organisations in each year from 1992 to 2003. [HL48]

Her Majesty's Government continue to support the work of the voluntary sector as a partner organisation with the disbursement of funds through the prison and probation services. There has been over £60 million a year invested since 2000 with this year's total being just short of £70 million. This has helped to create a voluntary sector that plays a crucial role alongside the private and public sectors in delivering high quality cost-effective services to offenders.