asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many abortions on the grounds of rectifiable disabilities have occurred after 24 weeks' gestation in the past 10 years. [HL5697]

Tables on the number of abortions that are performed at 24 weeks gestation and over by principal medical condition if performed under Section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 have been placed in the Library. Abortions performed under this section are those where there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped. Medical conditions recorded under Section 1(1)(d) are coded using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th edition) published by the World Health Organisation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the deployment of all Mastiff and Vector vehicles to Afghanistan is on schedule to be completed by autumn 2007; and how many Mastiff and Vector vehicles are available to service personnel for training purposes prior to deployment to Afghanistan. [HL5343]

We continue to deliver Mastiff and Vector vehicles to Afghanistan and it is anticipated that delivery of initial orders of Mastiff will indeed be completed this autumn. We expect to receive all of the initial orders of Vector by the end of the year and we will continue to deploy them to Afghanistan and the UK training fleet. The noble Lord will be aware that we are seeking to order further Mastiff vehicles, although a delivery schedule is not yet agreed. There are currently 18 Mastiff and 23 Vector vehicles in the training fleet.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many immigration officers were employed at Heathrow airport on (a) 1 January 2006, and (b) 16 October 2007; and what arrangements are in place to ensure that border control staffing levels at Heathrow are responsive to the expected numbers of passengers passing through the airport at any time. [HL5620]

It has not proved possible to respond to the noble Baroness in the time available before Prorogation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to monitor queues at passport control at United Kingdom airports; and whether they will publish the most recent information. [HL5619]

It has not proved possible to respond to the noble Baroness in the time available before Prorogation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are planning specific new detailed measures to improve the hospital care and treatment of military personnel injured in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts. [HL5590]

Since 2001, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM), based at the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT), has been the main receiving unit for military casualties evacuated from operational theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Military patients benefit from the concentration of five specialist hospitals in the Birmingham area, and receive first-class clinical care appropriate to their injuries.

Military patients have benefited enormously from the advances in medicine, including the treatment of serious wounds, over recent years. Selly Oak Hospital, part of UHBFT, is at the leading edge in the UK in the care of the most common types of injuries (such as polytrauma) that our casualties sustain. Working together, UHBFT and RCDM strive to improve on the very high standards of care already provided to military patients. A military-managed ward was created at Selly Oak at the end of 2006. Military patients are nursed together on this ward when clinically appropriate. Some 39 military nurses and healthcare assistants now work there alongside NHS civilian colleagues.

We shall carry this concept forward into the Birmingham New Hospitals project that is planned to start admitting patients in 2010. We are working closely with the NHS hospital authorities to create a military ward occupying one floor of the new hospital. The new hospital's layout offers increased opportunities for nursing military patients together on such a ward when clinically appropriate, with a nursing team that will be predominantly military. The military ward is therefore planned to offer a distinct military environment, including dedicated space for the reception of family members and other visitors to the ward, while benefiting from the clinical facilities and skills of what will be Europe's largest and most modern critical care teaching hospital.

The UK has field hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan which provide deployed hospitalisation and associated support elements, including consultant-led emergency medicine, general, trauma and orthopaedic surgery, intensive care, medium and low dependency nursing care beds and diagnostic support (including computerised tomography), as well as relevant clinical subspecialties. Specific recent or planned measures include the introduction of novel procedures and equipment for improving protocols for haemorrhage, transfusion and resuscitation; improved methods of tracking and managing wounds and associated infections, and improving telemedicine support. These improvements have been developed in conjunction with continuing research in the UK and with allied nations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What statistics the general staff use to ensure that sufficient group A direct entry junior officers are being commissioned. [HL5641]

The commissioning target for direct entry type A officers is revised each year and is based on the annual requirements for junior officers articulated by the Army's corps and regiments. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is required to achieve within plus or minus 20 of this target and has generally succeeded in doing so since 2002.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the funded strength of (a) the Royal Navy; (b) the Army; and (c) the Royal Air Force for each financial year from 1997-98 to 2007-08; and [HL5451]

What is the planned funded strength of (a) the Royal Navy; (b) the Army; and (c) the Royal Air Force for each financial year from 2008-09 to 2010-11; and [HL5452]

What is the planned trained manpower for (a) the Royal Navy; (b) the Army; and (c) the Royal Air Force for each financial year from 2008-09 to 2010-11; and [HL5453]

What is their current forecast of the numbers of (a) Ministry of Defence civilian level 1; (b) locally engaged civilians (non-operational); (c) locally engaged civilians (operational); (d) Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and (e) trading fund civilians for each financial year from 2008-09 to 2010-11. [HL5454]

Historical manpower statistics for each service, including the trained requirement and strength (both trained and untrained) back to 1998 are published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency and are available online at http://www.dasa.mod.uk/.

For future years, the defence budget includes provision for the full planned regular trained service manpower requirements. Our requirement for 1 April 2008 was set out in MoD Defence Plan 2007, and is shown in the table below.

Forecast levels for MoD civilian personnel on 1 April 2008 were published in the Government's expenditure plans 2007-08. These (together with a separate figure for Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel) are set out below.

The requirement for Armed Forces and civilian manpower beyond 2008 is kept under constant review and has not yet been set formally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there is a Territorial Army unit on the Isle of Man; and, if so, how many members it has. [HL5557]

There are no Territorial Army units on the Isle of Man.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 8 October (WA 2) and the reported tracking by the Ministry of Defence of medically discharged service personnel, for the first time under its six-month pilot scheme, what health effects were tracked and why; when the scheme was concluded; what were the results; whether they have been published; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House. [HL5444]

It is not clear to which tracking pilot the noble Lord refers. Following the MoD welfare conference in April 2007 it was agreed that there should be regular monitoring of the welfare needs of seriously injured personnel, regular and reservist, and veterans by designated service welfare staff and the Veterans Welfare Service. This would begin in service and continue to service termination and for at least two years after discharge, with an option to carry on beyond that date as required. Protocols to support seamless transition from service to civilian life setting out actions, time course and lead welfare service have been developed and agreed and the aftercare service has now been implemented. The service is being documented and will be fully evaluated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What has been the average time taken to process war pension claims from Gulf War veterans in each of the last seven years. [HL5612]

The Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) has confirmed the average clearance times for Gulf War veterans considered under the war pension scheme over the last six years are as follows:

All average clearance times are rounded to a whole day and include both Gulf War 1 and 2 claims. Data are not available for 2000-01.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What plans they have to improve the support given to (a) adult carers, and (b) child carers. [HL5728]

The Government’s new deal for carers involves a number of strands which will improve the support given to all carers, including young carers.

We have committed to continuing the carers’ grant throughout the next spending review period as part of the area based grant. Since 1999, the carers’ grant has given councils over £1 billion to help them support carers.

In addition, in the report Aiming high for disabled children: better support for families, the Government set out plans for improving outcomes for disabled children supported by £340 million of new investment over the next three years. This includes £280 million which has been set aside for the transformation of short break provision for disabled children and their families.

The Department of Health is currently leading on a cross-government review of the 1999 Prime Minister’s Strategy for Carers. As part of this review, we have sought the views of carers of all ages, including young carers. The revised strategy will be published in spring 2008 and will set out our vision to support carers in the short, medium and longer term.

The Government are also championing the establishment of a carers’ advice line to give carers the information they need. We are making up to £3 million a year available to support this service. In addition, we are developing an expert carers’ programme which will provide vital training for carers. We are making up to £5 million per year available to fund the programme.

Finally, we have already made £25 million available to enable councils to provide short-term cover for carers in emergencies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many children were reported missing in England in each police authority area in each of the past five years. [HL5729]

It has not proved possible to respond to my noble friend in the time available before Prorogation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Jonathan Shaw MP, on 3 September (Official Report, 1785W), what were the constituent parts of the cost of administering the single payment scheme in 2005 and in 2006; and what were the information technology investment costs. [HL5499]

Total costs for the implementation of the single payment scheme involving mainly information technology investment costs from the beginning of the programme to 31 March 2006 were £122 million.

The full information in relation to costs of administering the scheme is not currently available as the analysis required to provide the breakdown into constituent parts is taking longer than expected. When the data have been collated I will reply directly to the noble Baroness and copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many adults, young adults and juveniles have been made subject to conditional cautions under Sections 22 to 27 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. [HL5613]

Data for 2006 are currently being compiled and quality-assured by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, and national figures should be available for publication soon. However, information from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), made available to practitioners, shows that up until the end of September 2007 almost 4,000 conditional cautions had been issued.

The data indicate that approximately 50 per cent of conditional cautions are administered to those aged 18 to 24. There is, however, no breakdown of the data for the age range 18 to 21, which corresponds with the young adult definition. The scheme does not apply to those aged under 18, although there are proposals in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill to extend the disposal to 16 and 17 year-olds.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many cases of murder remain unsolved in Northern Ireland for each year since 1970. [HL5632]

For the period 1970 to 2004 the number of cases of murder which remain open and under investigation is 3,951 deaths. Of these HET is looking at 3,249 deaths and RMRU is examining 702 deaths. The function of each unit is:

Historical Enquiries Team (HET)

To try to bring a measure of resolution to those families affected by deaths attributable to “the Troubles” in the years 1968 to 1998, by answering their questions;

To re-examine all deaths attributable to “the Troubles” and ensure that all investigative and evidential opportunities are subject to a thorough professional examination in a manner that satisfies the PSNI's obligation of an “Effective Investigation” Article 2, Code of Ethics for PSNI.

Retrospective Murder Review Unit (RMRU)

To re-examine unsolved murders that occurred between the signing of the Good Friday agreement on l0 April 1998 and the establishment of PSNI's Crime Operations Branch on 1 March 2004;

To re-examine unsolved murders not attributable to “the Troubles” that occurred between 1968 and the signing of the Good Friday agreement on 10 April 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many 18 year-olds serving custodial sentences have been transferred from juvenile secure establishments into young offender institutions in each of the past five years. [HL5614]

Data are not held centrally on the numbers of 18 year-olds who are transferred from juvenile secure establishments into young offender institutions. Offenders who reach their 18th birthday towards the end of their sentences normally remain in the under-18 estate. Those who have a substantial time still to serve are normally transferred to the young adult estate soon after reaching 18. Careful guidelines are observed on the management of such transfers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps are being taken to enable youth offending teams and the Probation Service to share information about how to address the needs of young people in transition between the youth justice and adult criminal justice scheme. [HL5615]

Work is underway to implement an improved NOMS/YJB protocol to ensure that effective transition arrangements are put in place between the youth and adult justice systems. Alongside this, national standards for youth justice are currently being revised to strengthen and clarify expectations with regard to transfer of information between youth offending teams and probation.

Guidance has been provided through regional implementation mechanisms on how to deal with the transfer of information between the ASSET and OASY’s risk assessment tools used by youth and adult systems respectively.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people were charged under Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835, as amended by Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1888, in London from 1 January to 30 June 2007. [HL5711]

Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835, as amended by Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1888, makes it an offence to cycle on the pavement.

The information requested is not collected centrally and is not readily available from the Metropolitan Police.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Prime Minister's statement at the Labour Party conference that “any newcomer to Britain who is caught selling drugs or using guns will be thrown out” will apply to citizens of European Union member states. [HL5515]

I shall write to the noble Lord.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In what cases in the past five years the Secretary of State for Justice, or the Home Secretary before the creation of the Ministry of Justice, has been named as a defendant in a law suit alleging discrimination in any of Her Majesty's Prisons on the grounds of (a) race, (b) sex, and (c) disability; and what were the outcomes of those cases. [HL5682]

The Prison Service does not record cases in the form required. Many claimants will claim under one or more of the headings, but not necessarily as the primary cause of action. To provide the information would involve a manual search through thousands of files.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the summer 2007 floods review by the Environment Agency, which has found that nearly 5,000 sites of critical infrastructure are built on flood plains and that most have little or no protection. [HL5440]

The Environment Agency had identified nearly 5,000 sites which are located in areas in England and Wales assessed by the agency as having an annual probability of flooding of one in 75 or greater. These include 2,215 power stations and sub-stations, 737 sewage and water treatment works, 680 health centres and surgeries and 401 schools. However, it does not follow that each site is at this level of risk as the agency list does not take account of, for example, the ground elevation of individual sites or construction details including site-specific flood resilience measures.

The operators of this infrastructure are responsible for contingency planning to ensure continuity of service in the event of hazards such as flooding. The independent government review into the recent flooding, led by Sir Michael Pitt, will focus specifically on the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, including its ability to withstand flooding and what improvements might be made. My honourable friend the Minister of State for Energy has commissioned a review of the resilience of electricity substations to flooding and the measures that might be needed to improve this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they intend to take to outlaw the trade in bush meat. [HL5672]

Internationally, many animals hunted and traded as bush meat are listed in the appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Where this is the case, any international trade in these animals, their parts or derivatives is therefore either banned completely or controlled by means of a permitting system.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether there is any conflict between World Health Assembly resolutions on infant and young child feeding and European Union directives; and [HL5690]

Whether they have assessed the accuracy of the statement by the Food Standards Agency in its draft regulatory impact assessment on the draft Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (England) Regulations 2007 that “it is no longer open to [European Union] member states to introduce national rules in this area except in so far as they are specifically authorised by the directives (eg Article 14(1) of Directive 2006/141)”; and [HL5691]

What reasons they are giving to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child for their failure to implement the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes; and [HL5692]

What responses were received by the Food Standards Agency to their consultation on the draft Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (England) Regulations 2007; and whether they will amend the regulations so as to comply fully with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. [HL5693]

The Government support the International Code for Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and the subsequent amending World Health Assembly resolutions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) code is a set of recommendations and, as such, countries are expected to adopt the principles of the code but may do so in ways other than those specifically set out in the code. The European Union (EU) directive 2006/141/EC on infant formula and follow-on formula is the mechanism by which the EU has reflected the provisions on labelling and advertising as appropriate.

The WHO recommendations are very wide-ranging in their scope, with some relating to detailed labelling provisions, others to the functioning of the healthcare system and others still to the corporate responsibilities of manufacturers. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is acting in relation to the recommendations as they relate to the composition, labelling and advertising of formula. In addition, the department has implemented various initiatives including a national network of breastfeeding co-ordinators, and an infant feeding best practice manager to work with the strategic health authorities to help primary care trusts and local strategic partnerships to deliver improved breastfeeding rates across England.

The FSA has consulted stakeholders on both the new draft regulations which will implement EU Directive 2006/141/EC, and the accompanying draft regulatory impact assessment. The regulations will lay down rules about the composition, labelling and advertising of formulae. In total 1,341 responses from formula manufacturers, non-governmental organisations, enforcement bodies, parliamentarians and individuals were received from stakeholders. The comments are now being collated and evaluated by the FSA to inform the final decision. These include comments on the statement referred to in HL5691. The FSA also intends to consult in the near future on accompanying draft guidance notes which will advise on the interpretation of the regulations. The directive requires that regulations come into force on 1 January 2008.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What public functions the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has attended in Northern Ireland since appointment. [HL5727]

It has not proved possible to respond to the noble Lord in the time available before Prorogation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 1 October (WA 221) about Gulf War syndrome, what representations have been forwarded to them from Dr Malcolm Hooper, emeritus professor of medical chemistry at the University of Sunderland, about the Answer; what response they will be making; and whether they will take any action consequent upon his comments; and [HL5409]

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 1 October (WA 222) on the prevalence of motor neurone disease among veterans of the Gulf conflict, what response they have had from Dr Malcolm Hooper, emeritus professor of medical chemistry at the University of Sunderland and chief scientific adviser to the Gulf War Veterans and Families Association, to the Written Answer; what reply they are sending; and whether they will place copies of both Dr Hooper's letter and their reply in the Library of the House. [HL5445]

The noble Lord wrote to me on 1 October 2007, providing copies of two letters from Professor Hooper.

In a letter dated 26 September, Professor Hooper indicated that he felt there had been prevarication over the implementation of individual appeals that had been determined by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. He suggested, too, that the use of “Gulf War syndrome” as an umbrella term to cover any recognised medical condition caused by service and connected to the 1990-91 Gulf conflict was an attempt to evade our responsibility to Gulf veterans described as suffering signs and symptoms of ill-defined conditions (SSIDC).

The Government do not accept these points. The Ministry of Defence provides compensation for all accepted injuries or illnesses due to service. The department acts in good faith to give effect to the individual decisions of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. As has been made clear on many previous occasions, the Government accept that some people are ill due to their service in the Gulf and compensate wherever there is disablement attributed to or aggravated by service, and this may include SSIDC. Our responsibility for Gulf veterans whose SSIDC is accepted as due to service is recognised by the award of a war pension; this is unaffected by any specific use of the term “Gulf War syndrome”.

Professor Hooper also suggested that MoD-sponsored research into cancers among Gulf veterans was flawed because it would not have picked up early diagnosis. This is incorrect; the study*, which found no excess of cancer among veterans, employed the records of the NHS central register and analysed data from 1 April 1991.

In a letter dated 24 September, Professor Hooper referred to my Answer of 1 October 2007 (Official Report, col. WA 222) on motor neurone disease. A written reply will be sent in due course. A copy of Professor Hooper's letter and the department's reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

* Macfarlane G et al. “Incidence of cancer among UK Gulf war veterans: cohort study”. British Medical Journal, 13 December 2003, Vol 327, p1373.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Answers by Lord Drayson on 11 October (Official Report, cols. 341–3), whether they will confirm that Gulf War syndrome is now fully recognised by the Ministry of Defence, both publicly and when making assessment decisions as a meaningful condition, not merely an umbrella label, as it is already so recognised by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. [HL5577]

Under the war pensions scheme, where disablement is accepted as due to service this should be, as far as possible, in terms of the underlying pathological process, as described in the World Health Organisation's international classification of diseases.

The Government accept that some Gulf veterans have become ill due to service and this has been fully reflected in the level of disablement under the scheme. The term “Gulf War syndrome” can be applied as an umbrella term to conditions that are connected with an individual's service in the 1990-91 Gulf conflict. This is the Government's general policy on the matter.

The Government do accept, however, that once a decision of the Ministry of Defence has properly been referred to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal and the tribunal has decided that case, the decision in that case is final and conclusive and must be implemented, unless the Secretary of State for Defence has appealed it. Recent decisions by the tribunal regarding the use of the term “Gulf War syndrome” have therefore either been, or are being, implemented accordingly.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the award recently made by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal in the case of Barrington (ref ASS/00483/2007) where the appellant had only one accepted disablement, Gulf War syndrome (GWS), indicates that GWS is recognised by the tribunal as a meaningful condition and not an umbrella label. [HL5600]

It is not appropriate to comment publicly on the details of individual cases. However, the case quoted is an assessment appeal heard by the Pensions Appeal Tribunal (PAT). In an assessment appeal the PAT has the power to uphold, increase or reduce the assessment of the degree of disablement. In the particular assessment identified, the PAT merely upheld an assessment made by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency under the war pensions scheme.

In a previous entitlement appeal in the same case, where the PAT had the power to allow or disallow an appeal in respect of a condition rejected for war pensions purposes, the tribunal made clear that it approached the issue of Gulf War syndrome on the basis of a formal written concession made by the MoD in the case of Martin. In that case, the MoD conceded that where appropriate the term Gulf War syndrome should be used as an umbrella term covering accepted disablements caused by service and connected to service in the 1990-91 Gulf conflict.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many strategic health authorities have agreed activity plans for 2007-08 with their respective primary care trusts; and whether they will publish these plans. [HL5746]

All strategic health authorities will have agreed activity plans for 2007-08 with their respective primary care trusts. These plans are agreed and held locally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many strategic health authorities have advertised tenders for contracts with the independent sector for the provision of audiology services for delivery between April 2007 and December 2008; how many contracts have been agreed; and how many are in the process of being negotiated. [HL5747]

The department does not keep a record of Official Journal of the European Union notices released by strategic health authorities in relation to local procurements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many general practitioner surgeries are operating version 4.0 of the Choose and Book system enabling patients to select from a range of audiology providers, as detailed in Improving Access to Audiology Services in England, published in March 2007. [HL5748]

Choose and Book software release 4.0 is not now due to go live until spring 2008. However, as a result of earlier software releases, Choose and Book already provides functionality to enable patients to select from a range of audiology providers, and has supported direct first out-patient referrals into audiology services since release 1.0 in June 2004.

Choose and Book is now available to 98 per cent of all general practitioner practices, more than 7,000 of which used the technology in the last week for which information is available. Release 4.0 will deliver the first phase of enhancements to support diagnostic referrals through Choose and Book, enabling patients to choose from an even wider range of providers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Following the publication of an indicative adult audiology tariff for 2008-09, when they intend to publish a national tariff for adult audiology services; and from what date it will become effective. [HL5749]

The department published an indicative tariff for adult hearing services as part of the road-testing exercise for the national tariff for 2008-09. The road-testing period ends on 9 November 2007. The final tariff for 2008-09 will be published in December 2007, to become effective from 1 April 2008. There are no immediate plans to develop a national tariff for adult audiology services. The commissioning and funding of adult audiology services will continue to be agreed locally.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assessment they have made of recent changes in manufacturing costs for urology and stoma products; and whether they will place the relevant studies in the Library of the House. [HL5703]

Information on changes in manufacturing costs for urology and stoma products has been supplied by manufacturers of stoma and incontinence appliances to the department in confidence by way of the consultation process relating to the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff. The department is still in a period of consultation regarding the Part IX review, and views are currently being sought on any changes in the manufacturing costs for urology and stoma products. As this information has been provided in confidence, it cannot be placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking to implement the “exporting the borders” policy. [HL5645]

I refer the noble Lord to our document Securing the UK Border which I have placed in the House Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the names, ages and, where appropriate, regiments, of all military and civilian United Kingdom nationals who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 1 May 2007. [HL5383]

The figures requested concerning UK military and civilian fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan between 1 May 2007 and 7 October 2007 are as follows:

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the process of selection and training for military drivers in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. [HL5504]

All Armed Forces personnel who are selected to drive motor vehicles on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan must hold the appropriate UK driving licence and have undergone the appropriate conversion/familiarisation training for each vehicle that they are required to drive.

Once selected for operational deployment, an individual's licence qualifications are checked against the vehicles that he/she would be required to drive. If necessary, vehicle-specific conversion and familiarisation training is given prior to deployment.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How defence support for the Isle of Man manifests itself; and when. [HL5533]

Defence support to the Isle of Man is provided in the same way as it is to the United Kingdom and other Crown Dependencies for both defence against external military threats, and in times of civil crisis.

Defence support to the civil authorities in times of civil crisis is provided under the auspices of Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA). The civil authorities are responsible for the management of a civil crisis and recovery. They must request MACA, either through the lead government department for that particular crisis, as defined by the Cabinet Office, or through the Isle of Man Constabulary direct to the Ministry of Defence.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the armed services actively recruit in the Isle of Man. [HL5534]

Yes. The island is included in all national media recruitment marketing and campaigns.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the rates of payment for jury service in Northern Ireland; when they were last reviewed; by whom; and with what result. [HL5724]

Jury allowances in Northern Ireland mirror those in England and Wales. The allowances were last increased by the Ministry of Justice in England and Wales in 2007-08 and represent an uplift of 2.7 per cent on the allowances payable in 2006-07. The current allowances are as follows:

Daily Travelling Allowance

For the journey from place of residence or work to the court and back a juror is entitled to receive:

basic rate per mile—motor cycles and motor cars 29p;

higher rate per mile—motor cycles 29p and motor cars 43.6p.

The higher rate may apply if a juror is able to return to work in the afternoon but travel by public transport would not make this feasible.

Meal Allowance

A juror is entitled to a meal allowance where a meal is not provided at public expense. The amount of this allowance varies according to the length of time the juror is away from home or place of business as follows:

not exceeding 10 hours—£5.27

over 10 hours—£1l.24.

Financial Loss Allowance

A juror is entitled to claim for loss of earnings or benefits or for expenses as the result of attendance for jury service. The maximum amounts which may be claimed per day are:

for a period not exceeding four hours—£29.98

for a period of more than four hours—£59.96.

If a juror serves more than 10 days, a daily fee of up to £119.96 is payable.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What method is used to call persons for jury service in Northern Ireland. [HL5725]

The procedure for calling persons for jury service in Northern Ireland is set out in Articles 4 to 12 of the Juries (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

Under this procedure, the Chief Electoral Officer provides the Northern Ireland Court Service with a randomly selected list of potential jurors from the register of electors, from which the Court Service summonses a sufficient number to serve as jurors.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people are currently employed in the Northern Ireland Office; and what is the cost of current salaries. [HL5681]

The Northern Ireland Office currently employs 1,998 staff and the cost of current salaries is £7.9 million per annum.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

On what dates from 21 October 2003 to 27 June 2007 the then Prime Minister either (a) met Mr Rupert Murdoch, or (b) spoke to him on the telephone. [HL5016]

Information for the period May 1997 to December 2005 is already in the public domain and is available on the Cabinet Office website www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/foi/reading_room.aspx.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which European Union countries check electronically the passports of persons departing from or arriving into the European Union. [HL5648]

The UK does not participate in EU measures on harmonised border controls. To undertake a detailed study would involve disproportionate cost. We refer the noble Lord to the European Commission and to the approximated rules of procedures to be carried out at the external border [Regulation (EC) No. 562/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 establishing a Community code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code)].

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre has reached conclusions about the current level of trafficking adults and children into the United Kingdom for illegal exploitation; and whether their views will be published, including any provisional conclusions and proposals for preventing trafficking in countries of origin and transit. [HL5594]

Due to the covert nature of trafficking it is extremely difficult to gain a clear picture of the extent of the problem. The UK Human Trafficking Centre is working to produce the strategic assessment on trafficking for the Serious Organised Crime Agency's UK Threat Assessment. A public copy of this report is published every year. Pentameter two launched on 3 October will also provide valuable intelligence as to the current level of trafficking in the UK. This operation will be reviewed and conclusions on the operation will be made available.

The UK Human Trafficking Centre holds a sub-group on prevention work for trafficking in source and transit countries and also in the UK. The sub-group is delivering some of the prevention actions within the UK Action Plan and will suggest further actions to be included in the action plan.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether sufficient, securely funded, safe accommodation exists to protect known victims of trafficking; and, if not, what proposals they have for such accommodation. [HL5596]

The Government currently core fund the Poppy project to provide adult women trafficked into sexual exploitation with secure accommodation, one-to-one intensive crisis support, outreach support and a resettlement service. This year, an additional £100,000 was invested to top up the £2.4 million annual grant, to increase the capacity of the project during the national enforcement campaign Operation Pentameter 2. Victims who choose to claim asylum are eligible for asylum support and may benefit from the Poppy project outreach service. Additionally, some victims are accommodated through other local voluntary and community sector organisations or, where eligible, through local authorities.

The United Kingdom was a signatory to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings in March 2007, which sets out minimum obligations in relation to the protection and support of all identified victims of trafficking. The Government are committed to implementing these measures which will enhance existing support arrangements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will review the extent to which referenda on major national constitutional issues are compatible with the role of the elected representatives of the people in the House of Commons. [HL5591]

The Government have no plans to do so. Parliament is sovereign in the UK political system. This means that it is for the Government to take a view and for Parliament to decide whether or not to hold a referendum on any particular issue—and what the terms of that referendum should be. Detailed provision for the conduct of elections is contained in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What funding was allocated to (a) the Central Science Laboratory at York; (b) the Veterinary Laboratories Agency at Weybridge; and (c) the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science at Lowestoft and Weymouth for maintenance purposes over the years 2000 to 2007 respectively. [HL5502]

The following amounts were spent on maintenance.

The maintenance is for buildings only.

* For CSL the information is archived and not immediately available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are their future plans for HMS “Caroline” which is currently in the Port of Belfast. [HL5726]

HMS “Caroline” is planned to continue in her current role as a static Royal Naval Reserve headquarters and training ship at Alexandra Dock in Belfast, subject to agreement to a new lease of the dock and jetty from Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The current lease expires in April 2008. An application for a new lease is with the commissioners.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the St Andrews agreement is legally binding; and, if so, on whom; on what decisions; and how it is monitored. [HL5559]

As set out in my earlier Written Answer of 25 June 2007, the practical changes to the 1998 Belfast agreement institutions as envisaged by the St Andrews agreement were formalised by the intergovernmental agreement between the Irish Government and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Cm 7078) which came into force on 9 May 2007 following the restoration of devolution. The two Governments, as parties to this agreement, hold each other to account for its implementation.

These and other provisions of the St Andrews agreement were given domestic statutory force by the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006. Implementation is monitored through the usual constitutional scrutiny mechanisms. These include scrutiny within each Administration and with the relevant legislature holding the Executive to account.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of first year undergraduate students, excluding those from other European Union member states and overseas, applied from schools or colleges in the maintained sector this year and in each of the past five years to: the University of Birmingham, Bristol University, the University of Cambridge, Durham University, the University of Exeter, Imperial College London, King's College London, the London School of Economics, the University of Manchester, the University of Nottingham, the University of Oxford, University College London, the University of Warwick and the University of York. [HL5713]

The latest available information is shown in the accompanying table. This shows the proportion of UK-domiciled young (aged under 21) entrants to full-time first degree courses at each higher education institution, who are from state schools. The figures cover the period 2000-01 to 2005-06 inclusive. Figures for 2006-07 will become available in 2008. This information is taken from the annual performance indicators in higher education, which are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

For each institution, the state school proportion is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry. The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities.

The majority of entrants to each of these institutions come from the state sector, although in some cases the proportion is not at the benchmark. The Government remain committed to widening participation in higher education and that within that people are encouraged and are able to attend the institutions or courses which best suit their merit and potential. The Government therefore support interventions such as Gifted and Talented Education, which seeks to enable young people from a wide range of backgrounds to access higher education at the more selective institutions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of first year undergraduate students, excluding those from other European Union member states and overseas, are from black and ethnic minority backgrounds this year and in each of the last five years to: the University of Birmingham, Bristol University, the University of Cambridge, Durham University, the University of Exeter, Imperial College London, King's College London, the London School of Economics, the University of Manchester, the University of Nottingham, the University of Oxford, University College London, the University of Warwick and the University of York. [HL5714]

The latest available information is shown in the table. Figures for the 2006-07 academic year will be available in January 2008.

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Notes: Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and have been rounded to the nearest five.

(1) Covers students on all modes of study.

(2) In 2004-05 the Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology merged to become the University of Manchester.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many prisoners were injured in the disturbance at Stoke Heath young offender institution on 29 September; and how many of those were aged under 18; and [HL5616]

How many officers involved in dealing with the disturbance at Stoke Heath young offender institution on 29 September were from other prisons; and [HL5617]

Whether PAVA incapacitant spray was used in the disturbance at Stoke Heath young offender institution on 29 September. [HL5618]

One prisoner was injured by other prisoners for refusing to join in the disturbance. He was under 18. A total of 42 staff from other establishments were involved in resolving the disturbance. Incapacitant spray was not used.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many persons known as young offenders were in custody in Northern Ireland on 1 January of each of the past five years. [HL5653]

The following table provides the numbers of those aged 21 and under in custody for the past five years on the date closest to 1 January, for which they are available. Figures exclude offenders on temporary release as they are not deemed to be in custody.