asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Jonathan Shaw, on 18 October (Official Report, Commons, col. 1190W), why the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB has not been peer reviewed. [HL429]

As stated in my honourable friend’s Answer (Official Report, Commons, col. 1190W), while the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) in its entirety has not been peer reviewed, most of the substance of the report and its scientific findings underwent peer review prior to publication in scientific journals.

It is not usual to subject material to additional peer review. However, my Defra ministerial colleagues and I asked the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, Sir David King, for an assessment of the scientific evidence in the ISG report and elsewhere that needs to be taken into account in reaching future policy decisions on bovine TB. Sir David’s assessment was published as evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee on 22 October 2007. I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House; it is also available on the Defra website.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Further to the publication of the annual report and accounts for 2006-07 for the Environment Agency (EA), how many farmers in total attended the 250 workshops run for them by the EA; and how many attended two, three, four or more workshops. [HL430]

The England catchment sensitive farming delivery initiative (ECSFDI) was launched in December 2005, to run initially from April 2006 to March 2008. It is delivered in partnership by the Environment Agency and Natural England. Natural England leads on the advice delivery and the Environment Agency leads on catchment appraisals, monitoring and evaluation.

Current figures collated by the Environment Agency, which cover approximately 90 per cent of catchment sensitive farming officer (CSFO) delivery between 2006 and 2007, indicate that the initiative held 324 workshops or similar events. These were attended by 2,130 individual farmers. CSFOs also delivered a total of 2,058 visits to individual farmers.

Further manual interrogation of the ECSFDI database, to analyse individual farmer entries and attendance, would incur disproportionate costs.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

How many people have been charged with rape and how many were convicted in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland. [HL218]

The information is not available in the form requested. Data are held by the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the number of recorded offences of rape and attempted rape that have been cleared by means of charge or summons. This information, for the calendar years 2001-02 to 2006-07, is set out in Table 1. Tables 2 and 3 detail the number of prosecutions and convictions for rape and attempted rape recorded in the calendar years 2001 to 2005 (the latest years for which such data are currently available).

It is not possible routinely to reconcile both sets of data. The PSNI data relate to the number of offences, whereas data on prosecutions and convictions relate to the number of offenders brought before the courts. Additionally, an offence that is initially recorded as rape or attempted rape may differ from the offence for which a suspect is subsequently prosecuted and convicted. Thus, for example, in 2005 there were four convictions for rape out of 21 prosecutions (19 per cent), while the number of persons directed for prosecution for rape or a related offence and whose trial concluded with a conviction for at least one of those offences was 17 out of 27 prosecutions (63 per cent).

The Government are committed to improving the rates of successful prosecution in rape cases. Specialist police units, staffed by highly skilled and trained personnel, are dedicated to enhancing the service to victims of rape and sexual assault, and both PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service are seeking to develop models of best investigative practice so that more offences can achieve the threshold for prosecution.

The Northern Ireland Office and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety have also jointly developed and consulted on a draft regional strategy for addressing sexual violence in Northern Ireland, which will specifically examine the factors that contribute to the attrition rate in relation to sexual offences. The strategy is scheduled to be published in early 2008.

As part of that process, we have already made significant progress, in partnership with the medical profession and voluntary sector, in developing proposals for a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) in Northern Ireland. The SARC will deliver a more co-ordinated response to the needs of victims by providing immediate medical aftercare and individual counselling and other support services, while also facilitating the preservation of forensic evidence to assist in the successful prosecution of offenders.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What are the Ministry of Defence’s extant joint service publications. [HL366]

A list of all known extant joint service publications is available in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of Joint Service Publication 373, Military Aid to the Civilian Community in the UK. [HL367]

Joint Service Publication 373, Military Aid to the Civilian Community in the UK, has been replaced by Joint Doctrine Publication 02. Doctrine publications articulate the principles that guide how our military forces conduct their activities. JDP 02 is available on the MoD website at www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/ DoctrineOperationsandDiplomacyPublications/JDP/Jdp02OperationsInTheUkTheDefenceContributionTo Resilience.htm.

I will arrange for a copy of JDP 02 to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Jonathan Shaw, on 22 October (Official Report, Commons, col. 78W), whether the increasing trend of expenditure in the core department on consultancy and professional services will continue through this financial year and next; and, in particular, what are the anticipated figures for information technology and telecommunication and for specialist consultancy. [HL434]

Defra has a responsibility to manage its budget with care and to provide best value to the taxpayer. The department takes this responsibility very seriously and strives to use the most cost-effective means to continue to deliver in its key business areas. Consultancy and professional services expenditure occurs where business units take an informed decision that the private sector represents better value for money than developing equivalent capacity in-house. Additionally, these decisions are taken in the context of meeting the Gershon target to reduce the number of Civil Service posts by 2,400 by the end of financial year 2007-08.

The core department has recently completed a root-and-branch review of its expenditure on consultancy and professional services, which has led to a new commissioning approvals process being implemented on 3 September 2007 and the competition of several new framework agreements for key segments of consultancy and professional services expenditure. The department is also an active supporter of and participant in the OGC’s consultancy value programme.

Additionally, the National Audit Office has recently completed an assessment of the core department’s expenditure on consultancy using the NAO’s assessment toolkit for the use of consultants. Recommendations made in its draft report are being considered by the department.

Further, the CSR07 business planning process is placing a major emphasis on reducing expenditure on consultancy and professional services. Until this process is complete, it is neither possible nor sensible to estimate expenditure on consultancy and professional services in future financial years. Where resource numbers or resource skills are not available internally, the department will consider consultancy and professional services provision subject to value-for-money considerations. The department will continue to publicise its expenditure on consultancy and professional services in its annual departmental report.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What consideration they have given to the report by the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability on disabled people’s views and experiences entitled Disability Review 2007; and whether they will take action in response to any of its findings.[HL292]

The findings and views expressed in Disability Review 2007 published by the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity span the interests of a number of government departments. As the report was published only very recently, departments are considering the report and its recommendations to see how it can inform their work.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What percentage of speeding offences are not prosecuted by the police because of inability to contact the perpetrator, due to the use of fraudulent registration plates or other reasons. [HL352]

This information is not collected centrally. We understand the main reason for failure to pursue a speeding offence is the failure of the registered keeper to identify the driver at the time of the offence. We have recently increased the penalty for this to six penalty points as well as a level 3 fine (£1,000).

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What consideration they are giving to the adaptation of the GB security and quality of supply standard to take account of the likelihood that some new electricity generating plants will be larger in future than those currently supplying power to the national grid. [HL260]

The GB security and quality of supply standard recognises two levels of electricity generation infeed to the power system, mainly for the purpose of determining the level of power system reserve that should be held. These are defined as the “infrequent infeed loss risk” and the “normal infeed loss risk” and they are set at 1,320 megawatts and 1,000 megawatts respectively. In the event that larger electricity generating plants become available in the future, the Government would expect that the implications for the standard would be considered through existing and well established governance arrangements.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

How much funding is currently available for grants under the low-carbon buildings programme. [HL267]

The low-carbon buildings programme is the Government’s £86 million capital grants programme for microgeneration technologies, launched in April 2006. The main objectives are to demonstrate the potential for microgeneration, encouraging both energy efficiency and microgeneration technologies in a range of buildings, driving down costs in the process and making the microgeneration market more sustainable.

Phase 1 of the programme has a £36 million budget, £13.7 million of which remains available for successful applicants.

Phase 2 has a £50 million budget, £43 million of which remains available to successful applicants.

Further information on programme spend going forward can be found at www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/info/stats/.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

In light of stated government objectives to reduce United Kingdom greenhouse gas emissions, what assessment they have made of their increase in emissions allocation in the second phase of the European Emissions Trading Scheme. [HL411]

The most significant factor contributing to increases in UK carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions seen in 2005 and 2006 is greater electricity generation from coal burning. The price of gas has been at a level that means that it has been more profitable to generate electricity through the increased use of coal.

The introduction of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) has put a price on CO₂ emissions. Power stations are covered by the scheme and must account for their emissions by surrendering allowances.

In phase I of the EU ETS, the price of allowances fell significantly due to oversupply in the market. It is still more profitable for electricity generation to come from increased use of coal even when factoring in additional carbon costs of burning coal compared to gas.

In phase II of the EU ETS, the European Commission’s decision to request significant reductions on several member states’ caps will help to ensure greater scarcity of allowances in the market. This should deliver a carbon price that incentivises cost-effective emission reductions and investment in clean technology.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether the aviation industry or a quota of flights within this industry will be included in the second phase of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, due to start in 2008. [HL413]

The details of the proposal to include aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are still being negotiated in the EU Environment Council and this includes the start date. The UK supports the inclusion of all arriving and departing flights as soon as possible, certainly within phase II of the existing scheme, and we have been negotiating on this basis.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

When they expect the United Kingdom to become a full member of the euro currency zone. [HL420]

The Government’s policy on membership of the single currency is unchanged. It remains as set out by the Chancellor in his Statement to the House of Commons in October 1997 and again in the Chancellor’s Statement on the five tests assessment in June 2003.

asked the Leader of the House:

Which Ministers will answer in the House of Lords on Questions that relate to the regional work of regional Ministers in England, on matters other than Communities and Local Government. [HL167]

There are no proposals to appoint regional Ministers in the Lords. I have arranged that Questions in the House of Lords relating to the work of the regional Ministers should be answered in each case by the most appropriate Lords Minister. I will keep these arrangements under review in the coming months.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether recent releases by the Government of Israel of detainees have included any Palestinian parliamentarians; and whether they and the quartet will continue to seek the release of all parliamentarians who have not been convicted by a duly constituted court. [HL384]

Since July 2006, Israel has released over 300 Palestinian prisoners and agreed to grant amnesties to 178 Palestinians, mainly from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. None of these prisoners included Palestinian Legislative Council members. On 19 November, the Israeli Government announced plans to release a further 441 Palestinian prisoners. We have not yet seen details of whether the planned release will include the Palestinian Legislative Council members.

We remain concerned by the arrest of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. We continue to call for all those detained to be either released or subject to the due legal process. The quartet statement of 30 May 2007 noted that, “the detention of elected members of the Palestinian Government and legislature raises particular concerns and called for them to be released”.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland passed to a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly confidential information about the Pride of the Raven band; and, if so, why. [HL360]

The PSNI has advised that due to an administrative error an officer did supply confidential information to a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The PSNI has formally apologised to the person whose details were disclosed and this apology has been accepted.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

In respect of private sector contribution to the Jubilee line extension, how much money was committed at the time of the announcement of the funding of the project, how much was actually paid, and whether the amount of such contributions was in any way dependent on achieving a particular completion date for the project. [HL322]

Approval to begin construction of the Jubilee line extension (JLE) was given to London Regional Transport in October 1993. The contributions paid by private companies towards the costs of the JLE were subject to the agreements between London Underground Limited (LUL) and those companies.

I am advised by LUL that agreement was reached between LUL and Olympia & York (later Canary Wharf Limited (CWL)) in 1993 that CWL would provide £398 million in total towards the JLE. This consisted of payments before and during the construction of the JLE and for 25 years after its opening. Payments totalling £145 million were made by CWL.

The 1993 agreement was renegotiated in 1999 so that CWL would make an earlier single payment in the order of £50 million in 2000, which sum had an equivalent value to the net amount outstanding under the 1993 agreement. It also provided that the extension would open at a specified time and with a certain capacity that would increase over time.

In 2003, a further agreement was reached between LUL and CWL that in satisfaction of rebates of £95 million due to CWL in respect of its contribution, LUL would deliver specified improvements to the Jubilee line or face penalties. These improvements include the additional capacity at Canary Wharf station provided in 2004, the seventh car for existing trains provided in 2005 and the introduction of new signalling and train control systems by 2009.

In 1990, an agreement was reached between LUL and British Gas regarding the JLE and in particular North Greenwich, which consisted of cash and benefits in kind that were estimated to have a value of around £25 million in 1989.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Why correspondence to the highways authority in Kent regarding abnormal loads to be moved in that county has to be sent to an address in Surrey. [HL452]

The system for managing the movement of abnormal loads on the local highway network in Kent is managed on behalf of Kent County Council by a contractor who is based at an address in Surrey.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What representations they have made to the Government of Russia concerning their belief that Russian restrictions on the international observation of Duma elections on 2 December will hamper the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Council of Europe in concluding an effective election and monitoring mission. [HL351]

The UK has raised the issue in the reinforced Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Permanent Council in Vienna.

The Government support the subsequent decision of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) not to observe the Russian Duma elections under the unprecedented restrictions concerning numbers of observers and preparations imposed by the Russian authorities. The Government remain deeply concerned by Russia’s actions, which undermine the principles of objective election observation.

The UK fully supports the EU presidency statement of 16 November, regretting that, due to unprecedented restrictions and a number of bureaucratic obstacles, ODIHR was unable to act on the invitation issued by the Russian Federation to observe the Duma elections, and reiterating full support to the election observation activities of ODIHR and efforts undertaken to ensure the deployment of an observation mission. The EU troika delivered this statement in Moscow to Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko on Monday 19 November.

The UK has raised this issue bilaterally at senior official level with the Russian ambassadors to the UK and to the OSCE in Vienna.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether teaching about the Holocaust is included in the national curriculum. [HL560]

The national curriculum in England requires pupils aged between 11 and 14 to study the Holocaust and this has not changed following the recent key stage 3 review, where the Holocaust remains one of the very few compulsory elements of the history curriculum.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether they have made representations to the Government of Sudan about the recent sentencing to death in Khartoum of 10 Darfuri men for the murder of Sudanese journalist Mohamed Taha; and, if not, whether they will raise this case with the Government of Sudan, including allegations of politicisation and torture. [HL286]

The UK agreed with EU partners that the local EU presidency will carry out a démarche on the Government of Sudan about this case. We are aware of the allegations of an unfair trial and the extraction of confessions under duress.

Our embassy in Khartoum is active in human rights lobbying and we have a frank, robust dialogue with the most senior levels of the Sudanese Government on these issues.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Whether, following the ruling of the European Court in 2006, they will remove the People’s Mujahideen organisation of Iran from their list of proscribed organisations. [HL385]

The Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) is currently considering the case of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI) in an appeal against the decision of the Secretary of State not to de-proscribe them.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Which member states of the European Union, other than the United Kingdom, have not accepted the first Optional Protocol to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [HL301]

As set out on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Kingdom is the only member state of the European Union not to have accepted the first Optional Protocol to the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

Which member states of the European Union, other than the United Kingdom, have not made a declaration under Article 14 of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination accepting the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive and consider individual communications. [HL302]

As set out on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the member states of the European Union, other than the United Kingdom, not to have made a declaration under Article 14 of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination are Estonia, Greece, Latvia and Lithuania.