asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the reply by the Lord President (Baroness Amos) on 29 January (Official Report, col. 10), on what basis they estimate that the costs of producing morphine in Afghanistan would be eight times higher than comparable costs in Australia. [HL1749]

The production costs for the equivalent of 1 kilogram of morphine in 1999 in Australia was $56, compared to $450 in Afghanistan. Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is extremely labour-intensive; in Australia, cultivation is a largely mechanised process. The production costs for Afghanistan include fertiliser (estimated at 250 kilograms of urea and 250 kilograms of diammonium phosphate per hectare at a cost of $200), oxen, at a rate of 10 days per hectare at a cost of $2 per day; and 350 labour days, including 200 days for harvesting, at an estimated wage rate of $6 per day); and 150 days for land preparation, sowing, weeding, field clearance and seed collection, at an estimated rate of $2.5 per day). It assumes opium production of around 40 kilograms per hectare and that 10 kilograms of opium are required to produce 1 kilogram of morphine equivalent. These figures are drawn from a variety of sources, including the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and consultancy work commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The 1999 figures are the most up to date published by the INCB due to the commercially sensitive nature of the data.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

When the shortage of enhanced body armour was first identified in the preparations for the invasion of Iraq in 2002; and when the Secretary of State for Defence was first advised of the need to supplement the available stock. [HL1060]

On 13 September 2002, the then Secretary of State for Defence was asked to approve a request to approach industry so that timelines and cost of a potential order for additional enhanced combat body armour (ECBA) could be identified. This was part of an extensive package of equipment request put to the Secretary of State as part of the overall preparation for operations. He was advised at the time that there were some 13,000 existing sets of ECBA in stock, which was judged sufficient to equip the fighting echelon, based on plans at the time. In the light of that advice, he indicated to the Ministry of Defence on 17 September 2002 that he would be willing to consider further advice in due course. In the light of planning changes, on 15 October the Defence Secretary agreed that a business case should be developed for ECBA. On 12 November, following further planning, a request was submitted to explore with industry the possible procurement of an additional 30,000 ballistic plates for ECBA. Approval was provided by the Defence Secretary on 13 November 2002, and contracts were let on 13 December 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect airlines to pay the increased air passenger duty in respect of flights in (a) February, and (b) March 2007; and [HL1817]

What assumptions they made about the way in which increased air passenger duty would be paid to HM Revenue and Customs in arriving at the £165 million for 2006-07 shown in table B4 of the December 2006 Pre-Budget Report (Cm 6984). [HL1818]

Air passenger duty liability is normally payable to HMRC for each calendar month on the 22nd of the month following. However, Ministers have confirmed that payment of the extra APD for February will be deferred by one month. This means that for the February return, due to be rendered in March, airlines are to declare and pay the duty at the old rate. The balance of the payment for February, covering the increase, will be payable alongside the March return. Further information on this can be found in paragraph 9.1 of Public Notice 550, Air Passenger Duty, a copy of which is available on the HMRC website.

The March return is to be completed with the new increased rates and rendered with full payment, to include the February adjustment, in April.

The PBR announced an increase in APD rates with effect from 1 February 2007. The £165 million represents the additional revenue owing to this increase, which is accounted for in 2006-07, as with all scorecard costings, on a national accounts basis. This means revenues for APD received up to and including 22 April 2007 are included in the £165 million score for 2006-07. An explanation of the national accounts can be found on page 288, Chapter C, of Budget 2006, a copy of which is available on the HM Treasury website.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the implications of climate change for the biodiversity of the United Kingdom’s overseas territories. [HL1869]

In 2001, the Department for International Development (DfID) commissioned a study by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia and the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich, The Impacts of Global Climate Change on the UK Overseas Territories.

In 2005 the Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP), a jointly funded programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and DfID, supported a project managed by the Tyndall Centre to help build capacity in the Caribbean British Overseas Territories (OTs) to assess their vulnerability to climate change and to plan adaptation measures. The Tyndall Centre and the territory stakeholders produced a guidebook, Surviving climate change in small islands, which was distributed widely and is available at www.tyndall.ac.uk. This report has recently been used as a guidance document for the latest bidding round for new projects under OTEP.

Both projects included consideration of the implications of climate change for biodiversity but did not focus on this aspect exclusively.

DfID's OTs department is taking steps to facilitate the participation of the five Caribbean UK OTs in regional climate change adaptation programmes, funded through the Global Environment Facility and managed by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, based in Belize. Among other things, this will enable the territories to draw on regional expertise in undertaking more detailed assessments of the potential impacts of climate change on their biodiversity and on ecosystem services more generally.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What assessment they have made of the biodiversity values of the United Kingdom’s Overseas Territories; and what actions they propose to ensure that the 2010 target to halt biodiversity loss is met in these territories. [HL1870]

We are aware of the importance of biodiversity within the UK Overseas Territories (OTs). The Government, working through their scientific advisers, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, undertook assessments of the biodiversity values in the OTs. A report in 1999, Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories, commented on the state of biodiversity in each territory. In September 2001, the Government signed environment charters with most of the OTs, listing commitments for the UK and the OTs. These charters form the basis for our relationship with the territories on environmental issues.

In 2003, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DfID) established the overseas territories environment programme to assist the territories with the implementation of the charters. Initial funding was £1.5 million per department over three years. DfID has since approved £1.5 million for the financial years 2007-08 to 2009-10. The FCO has approved £469,000 for the financial year 2007-08. Future allocations will depend upon the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

In addition, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), through its Darwin initiative, has contributed over £1.5 million on biodiversity projects in the UK OTs since 1993. Further support has been channelled through international biodiversity agreements, in particular the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP). The South Atlantic territories are important breeding sites for some very rare albatrosses and petrels, which benefit from the international collaboration that stems from ACAP and from the additional voluntary funding that Defra provides to it. Later this year, Defra also plans to contribute to the costs of an officer who will co-ordinate ACAP activities in the South Atlantic territories.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have undertaken an assessment of any potential gaps in the Final Declaration of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the possibility that they might limit the effectiveness of its stated intentions. [HL1712]

The Government believe that the final declaration and the agreed decisions and recommendations of the sixth review conference were all very positive steps which will help strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and met the Government’s key objectives for the conference. We would have liked the conference to agree an action plan to pursue national implementation of the convention, but in the event this was not possible. Nevertheless the issue will be addressed this year in the annual meetings of states parties.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether Article III of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention will prohibit the direct or indirect transfer by states of agents specified in Article I of the convention to non-state actors. [HL1713]

At the Sixth Biological and Toxin Weapons Review Conference, state parties reaffirmed that Article III of the convention is sufficiently comprehensive to cover any recipient whatever at international, national or sub-national levels and called on states parties to ensure that direct and indirect transfers of materials relevant to the convention are authorised only when the intended use is for purposes not prohibited under the convention.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of the suggested inclusion within the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention of provisions for the verification and monitoring of compliance of signatories. [HL1714]

Negotiations on the draft text of the verification protocol for the convention failed to reach a consensus conclusion in 2001 and have not been resurrected. The UK and EU remain ready to support a verification mechanism, but at present there are no signs that the international climate has changed enough to permit universal agreement on verification.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What working arrangements are in place to allow the Health Protection Agency and British biological protection facilities to interface with the United Nations and other intergovernmental organisations in accordance with Article VII of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and paragraph 34 of the draft Final Document of the Sixth Review Conference; and whether NATO will have a role in any such circumstances. [HL1715]

Any such interface between UK facilities, the United Nations and other organisations would depend on the circumstances of the time, including decisions taken by the relevant authorities. NATO is not a party to the convention, and its potential role will also depend on decisions by its members.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What procedures are in place for the United Kingdom to report suspected biological events within this country to parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. [HL1756]

The UK submits annual confidence-building measure returns to the UN, which includes information on UK outbreaks of notifiable infectious diseases and similar occurrences caused by toxins and on such events that deviate from the normal pattern. The UN forwards these returns to all states parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. Any other reporting procedures would depend on the nature of any “suspected biological event”.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they will take to develop further co-operation amongst signatories to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, both directly and through international institutions, in areas under the convention's remit. [HL1757]

The Government will continue to promote universalisation of the convention through bilateral contacts with signatory and non-signatory states and in regional and multilateral fora. The UK will also continue to promote effective implementation of the convention by all states parties by the same means and will participate actively at the annual meetings of states parties.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many requests were received by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong between 1 February and 31 December 2006 inclusive, requesting reconsideration of British citizenship applications which had been refused in the past on the basis of incorrect information on Indian citizenship law, and in relation to those requests, how many British citizenship certificates have been received by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong for onward transmission to the applicants. [HL1697]

Our consulate-general in Hong Kong received 404 requests for reassessment of British citizenship applications that had been refused on the basis of incorrect information on Indian citizenship law between 1 February and 31 December 2006. The consulate-general has received 217 certificates for onward transmission to the applicants.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether they have carried out or commissioned any research into the amount of heat received by the Earth from the Sun in the past 20 years; whether this research revealed any change in the amount of heat received; and, if so, what that change has been. [HL1723]

In 2004, the Hadley Centre at the UK Met Office commissioned a review from Reading University and Imperial College on The Influence of Solar Changes on the Earth's Climate. This review concluded that the amount of heat received by the Earth from the Sun varies by about 0.2 watts per square metre (which is the rate at which energy from the Sun reaches the Earth’s surface) over an 11-year cycle. There has been little or no underlying change over the past 25 years.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether, in relation to the accuser in the Leslie Warren case, the non-disclosure by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of the offences of (a) obtaining pecuniary gain by deception; (b) perjury to an employment tribunal; (c) a false allegation of assault in 1997; and (d) a false allegation of aggravated burglary with intent to rape was in line with (i) special CPS policy circulated in October 1999 dealing with disclosure to the defence in rape trials; and (ii) the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996. [HL1658]

I am advised that no specific guidance was issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 1999 in relation to disclosure in rape cases but that national policy guidance was issued in September 1999 concerning the disclosure of previous convictions of prosecution witnesses.

The accuser in the Leslie Warren case did not have any convictions recorded against her and consequently there was no disclosure to be made in accordance with that policy guidance.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has considered this case, and the CPS accepts its finding that the disclosure made by the prosecutor did not comply with the duties imposed by the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Attorney-General on 24 January (WA 239-40), whether they have brought to the attention of the appropriate Bar disciplinary authorities the actions of Mr David Farrell QC in the prosecution and appeal in the Warren Blackwell case; and whether Mr Farrell will be instructed in future to appear for the Crown in either trials or appeals. [HL1659]

The conduct of prosecution counsel was considered in the light of the Criminal Cases Review Commission report and the Court of Appeal judgment in the Warren Blackwell case.

The complexities surrounding the interpretation of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 at the time this case was dealt with were acknowledged. This area of law was not as settled as it is now, with more legal authorities available as to its application.

There was no malice or impropriety involved in the decision-making process in this case; consequently, disciplinary action was considered inappropriate and the matter was not referred to the Bar Council.

David Farrell QC will continue to be instructed to appear for the Crown in trials and appeals.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What transitional arrangements are in place to deal with the problems faced by young people with complex and profound disabilities when they leave special educational establishments and move into adult social care. [HL1889]

Under the Education Act 1996 and associated regulations and statutory guidance, a transition plan must be drawn up for all young people with statements of special educational needs, including those with complex and profound disabilities attending special schools, following the annual review of their statement in year 9 of their schooling onwards. The transition plan draws together information from a range of individuals, including the young person themselves, their school, and other professionals who are working with them. It is designed to plan ahead for the provision and services they may need to make a smooth transition from school to adult life. Schools or local authorities must draw up the plan, and the Connexions service must oversee its implementation. The school must invite a representative of the local social services to the annual review meeting so that they can contribute to the planning, including the transition to adult services. The health services should also be invited where that is appropriate.

The Department for Education and Skills is developing good practice guidance on multi-agency transition planning, which will be made available early in 2007. A series of regional seminars on transition later in the year will help to spread local good practice and raise awareness of available regional support and expertise.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What progress has been made on the European Union’s proposal to review the decision to promote active European citizenship. [HL1768]

The European Union’s proposal to renew the decision to promote active European citizenship, the Europe for Citizens programme, was adopted on 11 December 2006. The programme entered into force on 1 January 2007.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In the light of the call by the Minister for Europe, Geoff Hoon, speaking at the Fabian Society on 24 January, for Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan to be considered for European Union membership, whether they have made an assessment of how far east and south the boundaries of the European Union should extend. [HL1827]

Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union states that any European country may apply for membership if it respects the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. The Government believe that enlargement has proved our strongest tool for spreading stability and prosperity in Europe and that it is right to keep open the possibility of eventual membership for the European countries to the east and south of the EU, provided that they meet the membership conditions. My right honourable friend the Minister for Europe, Geoff Hoon, did not say that those countries should be “considered for EU membership”.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, under international treaties presently in force, the United Kingdom would have the legal power to withdraw from the European Union if Her Majesty's Government or Parliament so resolved. [HL1863]

Parliament may amend or repeal any existing Act of Parliament, including the European Communities Act 1972. There is no formal procedure for withdrawal in the EU treaties, nor are there any provisions in the treaties or any other international obligations which affect the ultimate ability of the UK to withdraw from the EU. However, given that the UK has been a member of the EU for more than 25 years, and its laws and economy are intricately bound up with those of the EU, the Government would in practice have to negotiate the terms of any departure over a lengthy period.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether they will publish in the Official Report the anonymised text of the following requests for information submitted to the Information Management Group of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office—(a) 1027-06; (b) 0004-07; (c) 0036-07; (d) 0039-07; and (e) 0049-07; and whether they will provide an explanation of the basis on which those requests were said to constitute requests for the “same or similar information”. [HL1698]

The following are the texts of the five requests made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

1027-06

I am writing to request information under the FOI Act 2000.

On 14 December 2006, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the FCO, Lord Triesman, said that: the British consulate-general in Hong Kong spoke to the Nepalese consul-general on 6 December explaining fully the criteria for applications (for British nationality) and he will be informing the Nepalese community what essential documentation is required to accompany applications (Official Report, col. WA 217).

I would like to be provided with the details provided to the Nepalese consul in Hong Kong, including what essential documentation is required to accompany applications for British nationality.

The requested information can be sent to me by post as follows.

0004-07

I am writing to request information under the FOI Act 2000. The information that I am requesting is likely to be held by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong or centrally by the FCO.

Since February 2006, the British consulate-general in Hong Kong has been receiving requests for reconsideration of British citizenship applications, made under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997, which were in the past refused because of an incorrect interpretation of Indian citizenship law.

I would like to be provided with the following statistical information for the period February 2006 to December 2006:

(a) the number of reconsiderations requests received in the period, and

(b) of the reconsideration requests received in the period, the number of applications where the British citizenship certificate of the applicant has been received by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong for onward transmission to the applicant.

I would further like to be provided with details for February 2006 to December 2006:

(a) how many British citizenship certificates were received by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong which were defective in some way—for example, the personal particulars were recorded incorrectly—which made it necessary for the citizenship certificates to be returned to the Home Office to be corrected and reissued, and

(b) of the certificates returned to the Home Office to be corrected and reissued in the relevant month, how many have been received by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong for onward transmission to the applicant.

The information can be provided to me, in Excel or Word format, to this e-mail address or by post to:

0036-07

I am writing to request information under the FOI Act 2000.

On 18 October 2006, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the FCO, Lord Triesman, said that a file search for documents pertaining to the discussions between the United Kingdom and the Government of India, referred to by the Indian Minister of External Affairs in the Lok Sabha on 25 July 1991, concerning the future of British passport holders of Indian origin in Hong Kong had been initiated (Official Report, col. WA 187).

I would like to be provided with all information held pertaining to the file search, including the results of the file search and any documents that were found.

The requested information can be sent to me by post as follows:

0039-07

I am writing to request information under the FOI Act 2000.

On 18 October 2006, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the FCO, Lord Triesman, said that a file search for documents pertaining to representations received between 4 August 1995 and 4 February 1997 from the former governor of Hong Kong and Hong Kong legislative councillors concerning the future of the solely British ethnic minorities of Hong Kong had been initiated (Official Report, col. WA 187).

I would like to be provided with all information held pertaining to the file search, including the results of the file search and any documents that were found.

The requested information can be sent to me by post as follows:

0049-07

I am writing to request information under the FOI Act 2000. The requested information is likely to be held by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong.

I would like to know how many British Overseas citizen passports have been issued by the British consulate-general in Hong Kong between 1 December 2006 and 15 January 2007.

Additionally, out of the British Overseas citizen passports that have been issued in Hong Kong between 1 December 2006 and 15 January 2007, I would like to know: (i) how many were renewals, and (ii) how many were first-time applications.

The requested information can be sent to me by post as follows:

Section 5 of the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 states:

5(1) In circumstances in which this regulation applies, where two or more requests for information to which Section 1(1) of the 2000 Act would, apart from the appropriate limit, to any extent apply, are made to a public authority—

(a) by one person, or

(b) by different persons who appear to the public authority to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign,

the estimated cost of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to be the total costs which may be taken into account by the authority, under Regulation 4, of complying with all of them.

(2) This regulation applies in circumstances in which—

(a) the two or more requests referred to in paragraph (1) relate, to any extent, to the same or similar information, and

(b) those requests are received by the public authority within any period of 60 consecutive working days.

The five FOI requests were received from the same applicant within a period of 25 consecutive days and are considered to be requests for similar information as defined in subsection (2)(a) above, as they all closely refer to British nationality and passport-issuing matters relating to Hong Kong. The FCO believes that the aggregated cost of responding to all five requests, two of which consisted of more than one specific request for information, would have greatly exceeded the appropriate limit as set out in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

The applicant has exercised his right under the provisions of the FOI Act to seek an internal review of the FCO’s decision to aggregate the costs of these requests. The FCO is currently reviewing its decision accordingly.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether they intend to change the rules on advertising by casinos. [HL1801]

Yes. The existing law contains some anomalies; for example, British-based casino operators are subject to much more stringent rules on where and how they can advertise than are overseas online gaming operators.

From September 2007, we are replacing the current piecemeal approach with one that is consistent, fair and includes a requirement on all operators to advertise responsibly.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 8 January (WA 21) about the case of Wing Commander Dr Derek Hall, what representations they have now received from Dr Hall about the Written Answer; what reply they are sending; whether, in light of Dr Hall’s willingness for the correspondence to be made public, they will place a copy in the Library of the House; and whether they will be taking any action as a result of Dr Hall’s representations to them. [HL1502]

I can confirm that Dr Hall has written to me. Other than replying to his letter shortly, we are not planning to take any other action as a result of his letter. I will place copies of Dr Hall’s letter and our reply in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Truscott on 17 January (WA 157), what precedents there are for a Minister of the Crown to inform the Royal British Legion (RBL) by way of an Answer to a Parliamentary Question of an error in the minutes of a meeting of the RBL, or that of another voluntary organisation, without having consulted the organisation, when the minutes were confirmed as a correct record by those who attended; and whether they will apologise to the Royal British Legion in this instance.[HL1600]

The Answer on 17 January 2007 (Official Report, col. WA 157), which was provided by me, not my noble friend Lord Truscott, made clear that the misunderstanding regarding the record of the Gulf War Group meeting of 5 September 2006 was resolved at the subsequent meeting of 7 December. It is our understanding that that closed the issue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 8 January (WA 21), what benefits British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War, including those with illnesses which remain medically unexplained, have derived from (a) government monitoring; and (b) monitoring by the Medical Research Council of United States government-funded and other research in the United States into Gulf War illnesses; and from which specific projects, on what dates and with what practical effects such benefits were derived.[HL1601]

I can add nothing to the Answer that I gave my noble friend Lord Morris of Manchester on 8 January 2007 (Official Report, col. WA 21).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 23 January (WA 222), what study they have made of the health effects of not complying, when vaccinating troops deployed to the 1990-91 Gulf War, with the guidance given to doctors on the product licence summary that the anthrax vaccine licensed by the Secretary of State for Health should be used alone; and what estimate they have made of the number of troops affected. [HL1647]

The Answer given on 9 October 2003 (Official Report, col. WA 67-79) by my noble friend Lord Bach made clear that the guidance, both in 1990-91 and now, does not require that the anthrax vaccine be used alone. The overwhelming evidence from independent research into the combination of vaccines and tablets administered to UK forces at the time of the 1990-91 Gulf conflict is that they would not have had an adverse health effect.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the homelessness directorate of the Home Office informs those being offered food and drink in Howick Place, SW1, opposite New Scotland Yard, about available hostel and other overnight accommodation; and [HL1563]

Whether the homelessness directorate of the Home Office is encouraging the appropriate health and social services professionals to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the nightly distribution of food and drink in Howick Place, SW1, to offer help to those who sleep on the streets in the Victoria area; and [HL1604]

Whether the homelessness directorate of the Home Office has conducted any investigation into whether the nightly offering of food and drink in Howick Place, SW1, has led to an increase or a decrease in the number of those sleeping on the streets in the Victoria area; and, if so, whether they will publish the results.[HL1652]

The Government provide support and £6.5 million homelessness grant funding to Westminster City Council, which has responsibility for reducing rough sleeping in its area. The local authority and its partners believe that the proliferation of soup runs across the borough, such as those provided at Howick Place, is damaging to its rough sleeping strategy. The Government support the authority's strategy to provide the most effective help possible to reduce the number of rough sleepers in the borough.

Westminster operates building-based services (BBS) for rough sleepers inside buildings rather than on the streets to remove the incentive for people to appear on the streets as rough sleepers in order to access services. Outreach workers encourage people on the streets into BBS.

In Victoria, services are provided at the Passage day centre. These services address support needs, reconnect people to their home area and refer individuals to appropriate hostel accommodation. There are practical facilities, including food, showers and laundry; healthcare, including mental health and substance misuse services; training and employment services.

The Government’s success in tackling rough sleeping is based on interventions to change people’s lives for the better. Soup runs provide food to a wide range of people, only some of whom are homeless or in any form of housing need, and often contribute to street culture and draw new people into homelessness.

We are committed to sustaining reductions in the number of rough sleepers and to further reduce numbers in London. In 1998 there were 1,850 rough sleepers on the streets of England on any single night; in 2006 there were just over 500. The 2007 annual estimate of rough sleeping will be published in September.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many homes were bought on the basis of shared ownership in (a) 1997; (b) 2001; and (c) the last year for which figures are available.[HL1439]

The number of shared ownership completions in England through the Housing Corporation’s affordable housing programme and local authority social housing grant for 1996-97, 2000-01 and 2005-06 is as follows.

In addition, 1,487 homes were purchased in 2000-01 and 7,561 in 2005-06 under the Homebuy equity loan scheme which started in 1999. (Source: Housing Corporation)

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they have made to the Government of Iraq and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the protection of 3,500 Iranian exiles in Camp Ashraf. [HL1678]

We have encouraged the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights to ensure that any action taken with regard to Camp Ashraf respects the rights of the individuals involved and is in line with international standards. We understand that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been working with the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights to assist the voluntary return of approximately 300 residents of Camp Ashraf.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What has been the response in Israel and Palestine to the Prime Minister’s recent visit; and whether they will send an alternative United Kingdom emissary to effect a further visit to promote the road map negotiations.[HL1674]

My right honourable friend the Prime Minister visited Israel and the Occupied Territories between 17 and 19 December 2006 to look at ways to relaunch the political process leading to a two-state solution. He discussed key issues with Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas. Reaction in Israel and the Occupied Territories was positive. Since his visit, Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas have met, and my right honourable friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have met US Secretary Rice to discuss next steps. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary visited the region between 5 and 7 February.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What detailed items they expect to be incorporated in the new Code for Sustainable Buildings when a revised text is agreed between the various consultees. [HL1845]

The Code for Sustainable Homes was published on 13 December 2006. It is intended to be the single national standard for sustainability in the design and construction of new homes. It covers the following items: energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials, surface water run-off, waste, pollution, health and well-being, management issues and ecology.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Which substances will not be covered by reporting requirements following the decision not to include the requirement to report releases from “land treatment resulting in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement” in the Environment Agency’s pollution inventory. [HL1745]

In March 2005, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service jointly consulted with external interested parties over possible changes to their respective Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs). The consultation presented three options for reporting releases from “land treatment resulting in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement”. These were:

Option 1: report against the substance list for water from the proposed European PRTR regulation (which subsequently became the list for land in the published European regulation);

Option 2: report against a reduced but unspecified substance list (for example, metals only);

Option 3: report against the full proposed UK PRTR substance list for water.

Following comments received during the consultation, it was decided that reporting of the quantity of individual substances released to land following “land treatment resulting in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement” would not be a requirement for all the UK PRTRs (this includes the Environment Agency’s pollution inventory). Operators are, instead, only required to report the quantity of material transferred off-site from an industrial site for “land treatment resulting in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement” where this exceeds five tonnes per year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 31 January (WA 65), to what does the percentage figure in the Answer relate, and what is the maximum time in minutes for which passengers are expected to stand on (a) London commuter; (b) other regional; and (c) intercity services. [HL1864]

The percentage figure of 4.5 given in WA 65 relates to the number of passengers which may be carried in excess of the available capacity in either the morning or evening peak. This applies across all services and not individual services provided by an individual London commuter train operating company.

Train operating companies are expected to make reasonable endeavours to prevent passengers having to stand on London commuter services for longer than 20 minutes. There are no separate standards set for other regional and inter-city services.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether they will discuss with the Russian Federation the alleged barring of a significant national political party from running in the St Petersburg city elections. [HL1747]

The Government continue to be committed to a frank and ongoing dialogue with Russia on human rights and democratic freedoms. On 22 and 23 January, my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, led the UK delegation during the latest bilateral human rights consultation with the Russian Government. We raised a wide range of concerns. We complement our structured dialogue on human rights with ongoing bilateral lobbying and EU initiatives, including EU/Russia human rights consultations twice a year.

Reinforcing the importance that we attach to respecting democratic values is a key element of our dialogue with Russia. Our embassy in Moscow and our consulate in St Petersburg follow closely federal and regional elections in Russia. We are concerned by any restriction on democratic norms in Russia, including the fair participation of political parties in elections, and we will continue to discuss with the Russian Government and relevant electoral officials questions, such as this, that arise from their conduct of elections.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What assessment they have made of the estimate by University of Cambridge scientists, reported in Nature on 25 January, that moving the clocks forward to give an extra hour of daylight in the evening could save around £485 million per year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 170,000 tonnes. [HL1679]

The saving in carbon dioxide emissions reported in Nature is equivalent to about 0.03 per cent of UK carbon dioxide emissions in 2005. However, research undertaken in 2005 by the Building Research Establishment on behalf of Defra found that, while moving the clock forward one hour throughout the year to align the UK with Central European Time would realise some savings in carbon dioxide emissions from domestic lighting and non-domestic cooling, those savings would be more than offset by increases in non-domestic lighting and cooling. The BRE estimates do not take account of any additional savings from reductions in peak demand leading to greater electricity generating efficiency. We have not analysed the overall financial costs and benefits that could result from the change. Work by the Transport Research Laboratory, commissioned by the Department for Transport and published in 1998, suggested that there could be a net saving of over 400 people killed or seriously injured per year, although as the total number of road accident casualties has fallen significantly since 1998, any casualty reductions arising from the change are also likely to have fallen. All those estimates are subject to considerable uncertainty, as the Nature article points out. Any changes to the UK time-zone would need to take full account of the effect on society as a whole.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

How many people were employed by UK Sport on 1 January for each year since 2004. [HL1721]

UK Sport has employed the following number of people on 1 January of each year since 2004:

2004: 71 employees

2005: 64 employees

2006: 76 employees

2007: 81 employees

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What processes are in place for monitoring (a) disease outbreaks, and (b) biological weapons release on food and animals in the United Kingdom; and how the United Kingdom is supporting similar capacity-building in other state signatories to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. [HL1717]

To prevent the introduction of a biological disease, the Animal Health Act 1981 and other legislation provide wide-ranging powers to implement and enforce a variety of robust control measures. These include the imposition of quarantine and movement controls on animals and premises, which provide an effective means of protecting the public and other animals while investigations are carried out.

Defra also commissions scanning surveillance to identify new and emerging diseases. There is an established network of experts who meet regularly to share information on newly identified conditions. Where necessary, work is commissioned to investigate further, prepare risk assessments and consider possible public health implications.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed “indices of suspicion” to help identify food contamination threats at an early stage. These include maintaining close contact with the Health Protection Agency, which will alert us to any information from its routine surveillance of human illness which might indicate a biological threat involving food. Similar arrangements exist through the health services in the devolved Administrations. The FSA also has an agreement with the State Veterinary Service and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to alert the FSA immediately on finding any on-farm incident that may have implications for food safety and public health.

States party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention agreed at their sixth review conference in 2006 to address the issue of capacity-building, including in the field of disease surveillance, as a part of their inter-session work programme between 2007 and 2010.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many (a) executive, and (b) administrative posts are held by non-British European Union nationals in HM Treasury; how they were selected; and when the first non-British European Union national was recruited by the department. [HL1823]

The number of posts held by non-British European Union nationals can be found in the table below. HM Treasury's records date back as far as 1982, and I can confirm that a non-British European national was employed at that date.