asked Her Majesty's Government:

What rules apply to serving Royal Air Force officers flying Ministry of Defence helicopters for private purposes.[HL3837]

Serving Royal Air Force officers are not permitted to fly Ministry of Defence helicopters for private purposes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will take action to prevent the recurrence of the loss of communication by "the other Hercules" as described in the military aircraft accident summary in respect of the RAF Hercules ZH876. [HL3675]

Following the outcome of the ZH876 board of inquiry, tactical air traffic control procedures have been revised to allow better handling of incidents on tactical landing zones in operational theatres. This should prevent any recurrence of the circumstances that led to the loss of communication noted by the board of inquiry.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What tasks HMS “Endurance” will perform while deployed to west African waters; and for how long this deployment will be. [HL3816]

While deployed to west African waters, HMS “Endurance” is scheduled to support wider MoD and FCO objectives in the region including providing capacity building and peace support operations training and contributing to maritime security and defence diplomacy initiatives. This tasking is currently scheduled to last around six weeks.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many of the following types of armoured vehicle are (a) in service, (b) currently available, and (c) on order, and what is the expected out-of-service date for each type: Warrior, Saxon, Sabre, Spartan, Scimitar, Samson, Samaritan, Sultan, FV430, Mastiff, Ridgback, M-WMIK, Vector. [HL3784]

The information requested is set out in the following table.

For the purposes of MoD reporting, the definition used for “currently available” is that the vehicle and everything on it is working and operationally effective. This includes vehicles awaiting minor repairs, or currently in transit to theatres worldwide, but excludes any vehicles undergoing major repair or planned refit. Vehicles known to have been destroyed on operations have also been accounted for. Nine hundred FV430 vehicles are undergoing a major armour upgrade programme to become Bulldog vehicles, 500 of which have now been completed. Twenty-six per cent of unavailable Spartan, Scimitar and Sultan vehicles are currently either undergoing major overhaul or scheduled for refit. The remainder are awaiting a decision on disposal. The out-of-service dates for the Mastiff, Ridgback and Jackal vehicles have yet to be decided.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information they have about the level of fatalities and casualties following the Burmese cyclone; and what humanitarian aid they are sending to survivors and victims. [HL3502]

The current estimate of the number of dead and missing following Cyclone Nargis is rising to in excess of 200,000 people. At least 1.5 million people are in need of immediate assistance.

The UK made an initial pledge of £5 million for the immediate relief effort following Cyclone Nargis and stands ready to contribute much more. These funds will be used to help meet urgent humanitarian needs and will be channelled through UN agencies, the Red Cross and NGOs delivering assistance on the ground. This contribution will be in addition to the UK's long-term humanitarian programme inside Burma.

We have readied our stockpile of emergency supplies including tents, water containers, blankets, and plastics sheets, and we have sourced additional logistic equipment and other relief items. The first airlift of these materials departed on 12 May.

A Department for International Development (DfID) team of emergency response experts arrived in Burma on the weekend of 10 and 11 May, to support the DfID Burma office and help to maximise the impact of DfID emergency funding.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What funds have been made available for the concessionary bus travel scheme; and whether representations on the level of funding have been made by (a) local authorities and (b) bus operators. [HL3790]

An extra £212 million has been made available to local authorities from 2008-09, through a special grant, to fund the increased cost of the new statutory minimum bus concession. This brings our estimate of total government funding of concessionary travel to around £1 billion per annum.

Representations have been received from both authorities and operators on the issue. However, discussions have tended to focus on the distribution of funding rather than the total amount available.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What actions they propose regarding the quality of rural bus services. [HL3810]

The measures in the Local Transport Bill, now before Parliament, give local authorities the tools to raise the quality of bus services in rural and urban areas alike. These measures include strengthened arrangements for partnerships between local authorities and bus operators, expanding the role of community transport, extending the existing taxi-bus provisions to the private-hire vehicle sector for the first time and the establishment of a statutory bus passengers' champion.

In addition, we are continuing to provide significant funding to local authorities to assist their support of rural bus services in the form of rural bus subsidy grant, which amounts to £57 million this financial year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they ensure that children and young people are involved in the planning of services provided for them by local authorities. [HL3718]

The Children and Young People's Plan (England) Regulations 2005 require that during the preparation of its Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) the local authority shall consult such children, relevant young persons and families in the area of the authority as the authority considers appropriate. Guidance published in 2005 recommends that views on services should be sought from a representative group of children and young people, including hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups. It also advises local authorities to consider making summaries of the plan available to children and young people.

Multi-inspectorate joint area reviews of children's services seek evidence that ambitions and priorities take account of the views of parents, carers, children and young people.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give effect to the recommendations of the Law Commission report Claims for Wrongful Death, published in 1999 (Law Com 263), so that bereavement damages are able to be claimed for the death of a partner; and, if not, for what reasons. [HL3561]

The Government consulted on the recommendations in the Law Commission's report Claims for Wrongful Death in 2007. The consultation paper proposed to accept the commission's recommendation that the statutory list of those eligible to claim bereavement damages should be extended to include people who, although not married to the deceased, have lived with the deceased as husband and wife (or if of the same sex in an equivalent relationship) for not less than two years immediately prior to the accident causing the death. We aim to publish the Government's response to the consultation before the Summer Recess.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7 May (WA 67), whether the new hate-crime report will include all available information about the religion or belief of the defendants and victims; and what further steps they will take to ensure that police forces provide the Crown Prosecution Service with details of the religion or belief of defendants and victims. [HL3560]

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will produce publishable information about the religion or belief of defendants and victims, following the necessary validation and auditing process. The CPS will not be in a position to indicate the nature and extent of this information until autumn 2008, when the report is published. In the mean time, the CPS is in contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and is discussing the next steps regarding the provision of these data to the CPS.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the final report on restorative justice will be published; and what plans they have for it to be considered by Parliament. [HL3785]

The fourth, and final, research report from the Crime Reduction Programme Restorative Justice Pilots, which is examining the impact of restorative justice on reoffending, is expected to be published later this month. Members of the House will have the opportunity to raise the report for debate in the normal ways.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the cost of changing the name of the Department for Trade and Industry to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. [HL3646]

I refer the noble Lord to the Written Answer to Mark Hoban MP of 18 February (Official Report, col. 381W) and the letter from Gareth Thomas MP to Susan Kramer MP of 26 November 2007 which has been placed in the House Library. These stated that the overall costs were £218,063. Extract from the letter to Susan Kramer MP:

“Costs incurred in setting up BERR total £218,063 as detailed below. These costs reflect the position at 21 November 2007. It is not anticipated that significant further costs will be incurred in relation to the transition from DTI to BERR”.

Subsequently, we have confirmed the actual costs of producing the branding guidelines as £20,000. This therefore brings the overall total to £214,063.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Malloch-Brown on 10 March (WA 199), whether they have made representations to the Government of Egypt about the reasons why Mr Mohammed Hegazy's conversion application was unsuccessful; and if so, whether those representations included representations about the ability to convert from Islam under Egyptian law. [HL3814]

The Government regularly raise religious freedom issues with the Egyptian Government and will continue to do so. Most recently our ambassador in Cairo raised the Hegazy case, and wider human rights concerns, with the Egyptian Minister of Interior on 22 April. We acknowledge the steps the Egyptian Government have taken to engage with us on these issues and welcome further human rights dialogue they have demonstrated a willingness to hold.

We recognise the difficulties Mr Hegazy and others have faced in their attempts to have religious conversion recognised under Egyptian law. We continue to urge the Government of Egypt to implement transparent and effective procedures in this respect.

We look forward to these issues being discussed at the June EU-Egypt political sub-committee established under the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 246-47) regarding disclosure of the identity of clinics at which adverse incidents have occurred, which centres licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority removed 30 or more eggs per cycle from 3,952 women between 1991 and 2005; which removed 40 or more eggs per cycle from 645 women; which removed 50 or more eggs per cycle from 127 women; which removed 60 or more eggs per cycle from 24 women; and which removed 70 or more eggs per cycle from five women. [HL3225]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Northern Ireland Office received in 2007; from whom; about what; and how much, if anything, was charged. [HL3739]

In 2007 the NIO processed 166 FOI requests. A further seven were transferred to other authorities. No fees were paid during 2007.

The table below shows the subject matter of the 166 requests. The names of those who made the requests have not been provided as to do so would be in breach of the Data Protection Act.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has any plans to visit the United States; if so, when; for what purpose; for how long; and at what cost. [HL3741]

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 29 January 2008 (Official Report, col. WA 106).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland next plans to visit Northern Ireland. [HL3800]

The Secretary of State is in Northern Ireland on a regular basis. However, it is not the practice, not least for security reasons, to discuss future engagements of government Ministers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they have made to the new Government of the Republic of Guinea and what assessment they have made of the effects of the recent dismissal of the Prime Minister on the internal stability of the country.[HL3851]

Ahmed Tidiane Souare, the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Guinea, was invested on 23 May. Our ambassador in Conakry met Souare on 26 May with a group of other diplomatic missions represented in Guinea. We expect the Prime Minister to announce his ministerial team shortly. While civil society groups and the trade unions have indicated their concerns about the dismissal of former Prime Minister Kouyate, they have so far taken a measured approach. We are monitoring reports of continuing disturbances caused by elements of the military. We changed our travel advice on 29 May to advise against all but essential travel to Guinea.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What efforts are being made to help internally displaced people to find permanent dwellings in (a) Afghanistan, (b) Iraq, (c) Uganda, and (d) the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what measures they, the European Union and the Commonwealth are taking on this. [HL3429]

The Department for International Development (DfID) supports humanitarian agencies and Governments to find durable solutions, be they voluntary return, relocation or local integration, to the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs), on the premise that any type of durable solution must be voluntary and safe.

In Afghanistan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is working with the Government to assist IDPs who wish to return to their place of origin. Those who are unable or unwilling to return are being integrated into local communities where they are assisted in finding permanent dwellings. DfID has contributed £4 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross for IDPs and vulnerable groups.

In Iraq, the security situation does not yet allow for IDPs to return to their places of origin. In the mean time, humanitarian assistance is provided to IDPs in temporary dwellings. DfID has committed £9 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Food Programme to assist IDPs and other vulnerable groups.

In Uganda, DfID and other donors are in discussion with the Government on how best to support their peace, recovery and development plan for Northern Uganda, which includes assisting IDPs to return to their original communities or to relocate elsewhere. In 2007-08 DfID released £16.9 million to help IDPs meet basic needs and begin the process of return. The European Commission is providing £2 million this year to shelter projects in Northern Uganda.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Enlarged Returns Assistance Programme (ERAP), managed by UNICEF, is helping IDPs who wish to return to their places of origin with packages of assistance. DfID supports the ERAP through its contribution to the Common Humanitarian Fund for the DRC (£30 million in 2008). The EU humanitarian assistance to the DRC, worth €30 million in 2008, also funds the ERAP.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What discussions they have had with the Government of Israel concerning the future safety and security of projects undertaken by the United Kingdom for the benefit of Palestinians. [HL3342]

The UK Government continue to urge both sides to refrain from violence. We call on all parties to respect international law. As with all conflict-affected areas where the Department for International Development (DfID) works, there is a risk of physical damage to DfID investments. We use risk mitigation measures where possible, but continue to provide assistance despite difficult conditions.

The UK Government have raised the specific case of the destruction of the Mu'qata at Nablus (location of DfID-funded project) twice with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The UK embassy's defence section in Tel Aviv gained an undertaking from the IDF's chief of operations that none of the locations in which the UK had invested would be subject to IDF attacks. The destruction of the Mu'qata was the subject of a letter of complaint to the head of the IDF's Strategic Planning and International Co-operation Division. No satisfactory response has been received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in view of the serious violence and disorder that broke out in Manchester when a big screen showing the ITV broadcast of the UEFA cup failed on 14 May, it will review the exemption for broadcast entertainment in the Licensing Act 2003. [HL3715]

The screening in Manchester of the broadcast of the UEFA cup final in a public place on 14 May only took place with the consent of the local authority and under restrictions agreed with the police. It is therefore difficult to see what added control would have been available had the event been subject to the licensing controls under the Licensing Act 2003, or that such controls would have prevented the disorder that arose.

It remains the Government's position that big-screen television broadcasts in themselves do not cause disorder, but that it is the consumption of alcohol at such events that can lead to problems. Decisions on whether big-screen events should go ahead are the responsibility of the local authority in consultation with the local police, who are involved at an early stage, and event organisers. It is already possible under existing legislation to control consumption and drunkenness in public places. Under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, it is possible for a local authority to designate any area to which the public have access a place where alcohol may not be consumed. It is also an offence under the Licensing Act 1872 to be drunk in a public place. The Government are confident that the police and local authority in Manchester will ensure that safety and security arrangements provide a controlled environment at any future big-screen events.

The Government therefore have no current plans to review the licensing of any form of entertainment not currently covered by the existing licensing laws.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the reply by Baroness Vadera in Grand Committee on 6 March (GC 179) on motorsport, when they will respond to the questions raised, particularly those relating to Motorsport Development UK's performance and expenditure costs. [HL3581]

I wrote to the noble Lord on Friday 30 May to explain the delay in responding to his request during the motorsport debate on 6 March. I have sent the noble Lord a copy of the joint Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Motorsport Development UK (MDUK) report concerning MDUK's expenditure, work programme and evaluation of MDUK's performance. A copy of my letter and the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

I can confirm that arrangements have been made for me to meet the MDUK board on 18 June, and officials are in direct contact with the Motorsport Industry Association over future arrangements for me to meet the MIA, the world sport’s governing body (the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile—FIA) and the Formula 1 teams based in the UK.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 19 February (WA 44), what steps they have taken to reduce average annual sickness in the Northern Ireland Office to the national average. [HL3760]

The Northern Ireland Office takes absence very seriously and has robust policies and procedures in place to deal with inefficiency which results from poor attendance. The NIO has a target for 2008-09 of no more than 8.5 days lost per member of staff. The departmental board has agreed an action plan for 2008-09 to achieve that target. There will be more transparency of sick absence rates and more discussion about sick absence performance and trends through monthly updates from personnel services to all staff.

The health and safety of everyone in the department is of paramount importance; we have a duty of care to help prevent staff becoming ill and to support them when they are. The Northern Ireland Office already has a series of effective policies and procedures in place which help achieve these aims. These include a welfare service and an independent confidential counselling service that is available 24 hours a day. During 2008-09, the NIO will also arrange a series of well-being events for staff and a programme of health promotion is under way.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the position of chairman of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum was advertised; on what date; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the advertisement. [HL3355]

I refer the noble Lord to my Written Answers (Official Report, col. WA 171 of 5 February 2008 and Official Report, col. WA 158 of 3 March 2008) in which I stated that the post of chairman of the Bill of Rights Forum was not advertised.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 13 May (WA 129) concerning the appointment of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, how many people, other than Chris Sidoti, whose CVs they did not have were considered for the post. [HL3738]

I refer the noble Lord to my previous Answers of 3 March 2008 (Official Report, col. WA 158) to Questions HL2036 and HL2037.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 5 February (WA 171) concerning the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum and the appointment of its chairman, who drew up the selection criteria; and after what consultation. [HL3761]

I refer the noble Lord to my previous Answer of 3 March 2008 (Official Report, col. WA 158).

Details of the public consultation were set out in my Written Answer of 5 February 2008 (Official Report, col. WA 171).

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 12 May (WA 114), how many of the murders of Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Regiment members have been successfully cleared up and how many people were convicted as a result of the work completed in the 15 of 203 cases. [HL3730]

The Historical Enquiries Team has two main objectives—first, to seek any new or remaining evidential opportunities, and, secondly, to answer the personal questions which families bring about the death of their loved one.

Of the 15 cases referred to in my written response to the noble Lord on 12 May, there have been no convictions; eight families have engaged with the Historical Enquiries Team and have had their questions answered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many police and related jobs have been or are about to be moved from County Fermanagh. [HL3281]

The chief constable has provided the following Answer.

From March 2007 to March 2008 18.25 police and related jobs were moved from County Fermanagh.

The movement of police officers and staff in the F District (which covers Fermanagh, Dungannon, Cookstown and Omagh Area Command Units) is the subject of continuing review by the district commander.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals there are to restructure the police service in County Down and reduce the number of police stations; whether any decisions have been taken and by whom; whether a consultation period was involved; who was consulted; and what is the timetable for such a restructure. [HL3398]

The chief constable has provided the following Answer.

There are 16 police stations within the PSNI C District, which encompasses the areas of Ards, Castlereagh, Down and North Down.

There are current proposals to close Greyabbey police station and the district commander has commenced a process of community consultation with any action to be completed during 2008-9.

In addition, the district commander holds the view that Carryduff police station is not in a suitable location and is in a poor state of repair. A number of options are currently under consideration with a view to identifying an alternative facility in Carryduff Town.

There are no imminent plans to seek the closure of any other police stations within the PSNI C District, although future changes are likely in the longer term. PSNI will continue to ensure that the most effective and efficient policing service is provided to local communities commensurate with budgetary constraints and other necessary considerations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to reduce the number of district policing partnerships so as to be coterminous with the proposed number of councils recently announced by the Minister of Environment in the Northern Ireland Assembly. [HL3775]

The legislation requires each district council to establish a district policing partnership. The Northern Ireland Office will work closely with the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Policing Board to consider this requirement in light of the proposed arrangements and responsibilities envisaged for local government in Northern Ireland, as well as the important role of the DPPs at a local level.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the annual expenditure of each district policing partnership in Northern Ireland. [HL3776]

The following table shows figures for 2006-07 which are the latest audited figures available. The variation in the range of expenditure is due to the size of the DPP, the corresponding allowances and the range of activities undertaken by each DPP.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Over the last three years for which records are available, how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers recruited under the 50:50 process have resigned; and what is the religious balance of those who resigned.[HL3832]

I am advised by the chief constable that 128 officers recruited under the 50:50 process have resigned between 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2008. The religious balance of who resigned is shown in the following table.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland officer seriously injured in a recent car bomb has been replaced for day-to-day work purposes.[HL3833]

The chief constable has provided me with the following Answer.

The injured officer was attached to response policing within F District; the district commander will ensure that the agreed minimum strengths are maintained in this area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the target Police Service of Northern Ireland response time to incidents in County Fermanagh; and what is the current actual response time. [HL3834]

The chief constable has provided the following Answer.

Incidents are prioritised to ensure the most serious are dealt with first. Given the range of potential incidents, there is no target for response to non-emergency incidents. The PSNI has an internal target to increase the percentage of emergency calls responded to within 15 minutes by 2 per cent points. 88.5 per cent of emergency calls in the Fermanagh Area Command Unit meet this target; this represents an increase of 7 per cent points when compared with the same period last year.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether family man relationship skills courses and victim awareness courses are available at every prison or young offender institution where offenders are serving indeterminate sentences for public protection, and are required to undergo these courses as a condition of being considered for parole; and if not, whether they have arrangements in place for transferring such prisoners in time for them to undergo such courses elsewhere, so that parole can be considered on the date set by the court. [HL3743]

Family man relationship skills courses and victim awareness courses are not available in every establishment which holds offenders serving indeterminate sentences for public protection. Whether a prisoner requires a programme, and if so, which one, will depend on the assessment of their risks and need. If a course is needed and cannot be undertaken in an establishment, prison staff are under instructions to prioritise indeterminate sentence prisoners with short tariffs, and transfer them to establishments where their offending behaviour needs can be addressed. The Parole Board takes into account a range of factors when considering release, and attendance on a particular programme is just one factor.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will advise prison governors to arrange for a copy of the annual report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons to be lent to any prisoner or young offender who requests it. [HL3742]

Prisoners (including young offenders) may obtain publications, including the annual report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons, from the prison library. Prison libraries are contracted out to the relevant local authority library service provider, which will obtain publications not available from stock on request in the same way as public libraries in the community.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many legally qualified people were employed in each of the past three years by the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service; and how much was paid in salaries to such employees in the past three years. [HL3697]

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) commenced operation in June 2005. The rollout of the service was completed in October 2007 and it is now fully operational throughout Northern Ireland. The complement of legally qualified staff has increased as the rollout extended throughout Northern Ireland.

The number of legally qualified staff employed by the PPS and the corresponding salaries for each of the past three years is shown in the following table.

The director and deputy director are statutory appointments made by the Attorney-General. All other legally qualified staff are members of Northern Ireland Civil Service.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the most recent guidance that has been issued to civil servants by the Department for International Development on the drafting of Answers to Questions for Written Answer in the House of Lords. [HL3597]

Cabinet Office guidance for civil servants on drafting Answers to Parliamentary Questions was published in February 2005. A copy of the guidance can be found in the Library of the House. It can also be found on the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil_ service/pq_quidance.aspx.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether rising oil prices will affect plans to build a diesel version of the InterCity high-speed train. [HL3791]

The Department for Transport is currently considering the business case for further electrification, which makes use of an analysis of future oil prices.

The self-powered version of the InterCity Express Programme (IEP) is required to replace existing diesel high-speed trains on non-electrified routes and provide an operational flexibility which is not available in electric trains. We have also specified a bi-mode train, which will be capable of operating on both electrified and non-electrified routes.

Should further electrification be approved, self-powered IEP power cars can be cascaded on to alternative, non-electrified routes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 15 May (WA 152), on what legal basis a charge is levied when a railway franchise is taken over by another operator; and what is the legal status of the policy statement to which the Written Answer refers. [HL3788]

A franchise agreement may be terminated if a change of control occurs during the terms of the franchise without the consent of the Secretary of State. The franchise agreement does not fetter the Secretary of State’s power in this respect and, as a matter of private law, she is entitled to require a payment in return for her consent.

The policy statement referred to in my previous Answer is, like other such statements, intended to describe the approach which the Secretary of State will normally expect to take in particular circumstances. It may therefore amount to a material consideration to be taken into account where relevant but, beyond that, it has no specific legal status.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will take steps to deal with overcrowding on railway services between Cardiff and Portsmouth other than lending extra units during the summer. [HL3811]

The number of carriages operated by First Great Western (FGW) to meet its franchise commitments is a matter for FGW to manage.

The additional units acquired by FGW to enable Portsmouth to Cardiff services to be strengthened to three-car operation have been sub-leased from another train operating company and have not been lent to FGW by the Government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which persons and which institutions are able to visit schools without an invitation from head teachers. [HL3735]

Because schools are private places, no member of the public has an automatic right of access to a school. But it is customary for head teachers to allow parents of younger pupils on to designated parts of the premises around the start and end of the school day. Parents can meet school staff by appointment.

Persons conducting inspections on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector have a right to enter a maintained school without invitation. Officers of a local authority inspecting a school under Section 51 of the Education Act 2005 also have rights of entry to a maintained school.

Since 1996 police officers have had certain powers of entry to a school in order to search the premises and any person there for a suspected offensive weapon; the permission of the head teacher is not required but co-operation between the head and the police is advised in this and in other circumstances where the police seek access. Members of emergency and other organisations will usually enter schools by arrangement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are negotiating with the devolved Administrations about the operation of the concessionary fares scheme in cross-boundary areas; and, if so, with what result. [HL3813]

The Government are not currently negotiating with the devolved Administrations about reciprocal arrangements for cross-border concessionary travel between England, Scotland and Wales. Local authorities in border areas retain the flexibility to provide cross-border travel for their own residents at their discretion.

Discussions with the devolved Administrations took place at official level during the passage of the Concessionary Bus Travel Bill.

However, the complexity and cost associated with mutual recognition of bus concessionary travel passes in England, Scotland and Wales is likely to be considerable. There are issues around how operators will be properly reimbursed (given the differing arrangements in place), by whom, and whether the terms of the different concessions would have to be harmonised. These issues will be much easier to address once full smart ticketing is in place on all buses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proposals they have to require road vehicle manufacturers to limit the maximum speed of vehicles to 70 miles per hour. [HL3799]

There are no proposals to require road vehicle manufacturers to limit the maximum speed of vehicles to 70 mph. However, under current EU legislation, all new goods vehicles with a maximum mass of more than 3,500 kilograms are already limited to 90 km/h (56 mph) and all new passenger-carrying vehicles with more than eight passenger seats are already limited to 100 km/h (62.5 mph).