asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the answer by Lord West of Spithead on 28 February (Official Report, col. 751), whether they will publish in full the most recent information available on queues at passport control at London's major airports. [HL2512]

The UK Border Agency recognises that it has a responsibility to process genuine passengers without delay but the safety and security of the public remains a priority.

There are arrangements in place at most ports to benchmark performance. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and London City are among those airports that are currently using a 45-minutes (non-EEA) and 25-minutes (EEA) queuing time as such a benchmark. This is the maximum wait time in which we aim to process passengers and, in turn, it informs staff deployment as well as informing considerations on further investment.

We are clear that the averages are well within these benchmarks but we will continue to work on reducing the occasions where those figures are exceeded.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Following the ruling of the Information Commissioner’s Office on 23 June, why they did not release data about a second runway at Stansted; and when they will release this information. [HL4395]

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations, the Department for Transport applied exemptions regarding the formulation of government policy and ministerial communications as grounds for not releasing the information in question. Following a decision notice from the Information Commissioner, this information will be released to the complainant and simultaneously published on the department’s website by Friday 4 July.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action the Army proposes to take against the officers who perpetrated acts of racially motivated bullying against Private Kerry Hylton. [HL4389]

The two individuals named as perpetrators of acts of racially motivated bullying against Private Kerry Hylton were both non-commissioned officers.

One of those individuals has left the Army, so is beyond military jurisdiction. The evidence against the other will be considered and an investigation conducted under Army General and Administrative Instruction 67 with a view to taking administrative action against him. Consideration will also be given to taking administrative action against a third individual, who, although not named as a perpetrator, was criticised by the tribunal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether a timescale to automate authority to carry for carriers has been set out; and, if so, what it is. [HL4142]

Capability for authority to carry will be available over a phased period from October 2008, with a manual response process to inform carriers. Once the first manual phase has been implemented, there will be an opportunity to assess the impact and costs before fully automating responses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether Dr Sabeel Ahmed's deportation to India on 8 May was in compliance with the recommendation of the Central Criminal Court; and if not, why he was deported. [HL3883]

It is the general policy of the UK Border Agency not to disclose to a third party personal information about another person, including information concerning their immigration status, as well as personal details, mainly for reasons of privacy and data protection.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether any modelling of delays which the implementation of e-Borders might create at United Kingdom airports has taken place; and if so, what was the outcome. [HL4141]

e-Borders will collect data from carriers in advance of travel and provide the functionality to pre-screen and risk-assess passengers before they arrive at the ports. It will also assist in the identification of higher risk passengers, enabling local management to target their resources more effectively.

In developing its impact assessment of the provision of passenger, service and crew data by carriers to the UK border agencies, the Border and Immigration Agency (now the UKBA) considered the potential for delays at check-in that may be caused by the requirement to capture passenger data for transmission to the e-Borders system.

Although the assessment recognised that there was potential for increased check-in times, it concluded that the overall impact would be negligible.

The e-Borders programme team is working with port operators and carriers to ensure that the impact of data collection requirements is identified and mitigated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 28 February (Official Report, WA 135), how the level of NHS fertility provision has increased since publication of the February 2004 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines; and how that compares with the level of government financial support for abortion services in the NHS and privately over the same period. [HL4381]

Copies of the primary care trust survey on the provision of IVF in England 2007 carried out by the department are available in the Library. It shows that 30 per cent of primary care trusts (PCTs) are offering one fresh cycle of IVF for eligible patients, 36 per cent are offering one full cycle, 27 per cent are offering two cycles and 5 per cent three cycles. Current information is that three PCTs are not providing IVF. We have no direct comparison with provision in each PCT in previous years, although a survey in 2006 indicated that 14 PCTs were providing no IVF.

In 2004, 82 per cent of abortions were funded by the National Health Service; of these, 51 per cent took place in the independent sector under NHS contract. In 2007, 89 per cent of abortions were funded by the NHS; of these, 57 per cent took place in the independent sector under NHS contract.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What effect their proposals to remove the right of migrant domestic workers to change employers would have on the likelihood of their being subjected to forced labour and other forms of exploitation; and [HL4178]

Whether they will ensure that the existing safeguards for migrant domestic workers will be retained under the new points-based migration system. [HL4179]

On 25 June we published the Government’s response to the consultation on short-term visit visas. In this we set out our commitment to ensuring that future arrangements concerning overseas domestic workers minimise any risk of abuse or exploitation. In addition, the current route will be preserved and then reviewed as appropriate after the first two years’ operation of the reformed immigration system, when we will have properly road-tested our anti-trafficking strategy. The results of the research and analysis will inform the development of any future arrangements and we will work closely with stakeholders to develop a package of reform.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will ask the chief inspector of the UK Border Agency to monitor the agency's detection rates; and, if so, whether they will publish the results. [HL4346]

In 2005, the UK Border Agency developed the national operations database to enable it to monitor its enforcement operations, including detection rates. This information is used by the agency as internal management information only and there are currently no plans formally to publish data from it.

Management information is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional as it may be subject to change.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What representations they have received concerning visa facilities at the United Kingdom consulate in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. [HL4447]

The Foreign Secretary recently received a letter from the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding visa facilities in Iraq. Home Office Minister Meg Hillier replied on 23 June, explaining that, given the current security situation, there was limited prospect of expanding the limited visa service currently available in Iraq in the foreseeable future (see my reply to PQ HL4448).

Ministers and officials have also recently met representatives of the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments, have taken careful note of their representations on this issue and will consider these further.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will introduce visa-issuing facilities at the United Kingdom consulate in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. [HL4448]

Our embassies in Amman and Beirut have been designated as the visa-issuing posts for Iraqi nationals (although visit visa applications may be lodged at any UK visa-issuing post around the world). Given the current security situation, there is limited prospect of expanding the limited visa service currently available in Iraq in the foreseeable future.

We will, however, continue to keep the matter under review as the security situation develops.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures are being implemented by the European Union to discourage economic migrants travelling through Mauritania to the Canary Islands; and how many economic migrants are estimated to be along the Mauritanian coast waiting for passage to the Canary Islands. [HL4411]

In response to the growing number of economic migrants leaving Mauritania for the Canary Islands, the European Commission (EC) allocated €2.4 million in 2006-07 to establish and implement a rapid reaction mechanism to tackle illegal migration. This programme assisted migrants stranded at sea and increased the number of coastal patrols made. It largely focused on Mauritania's second city, Nouadhibou, and the surrounding waters. Spain has also provided assistance to the Mauritanian authorities through the EU's border security agency, FRONTEX. Bilateral agreements between Spain and Mauritania include measures to assist repatriation and legal organised migration.

The EC's activities in Mauritania have until now largely focused on development work. However, €8 million has been allocated from the 10th European Development Fund, which covers the period 2008-13, specifically to tackle migration issues. In addition, the Commission has recently allocated €1.2 million to the International Organisation for Migration to assist it in its valuable work to tackle illegal migration and protect economic migrants and refugees.

Estimates for the number of economic migrants in Mauritania vary considerably from 150,000 up to 700,000. Several hundred people, at any one time, are thought to be along the coast waiting for passage to the Canary Islands.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What assistance is given, and in what form, by the European Union to Mauritania to assist in detecting, and to limit the flow of, economic migrants to the Canary Islands. [HL4412]

I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave to his Question HL 4411.

In addition to those EU programmes that I have described, a delegation from EU external relations visited Mauritania in June 2008 to examine the possibility of enhancing co-operation between Mauritania and the EU on a range of issues, including migration and integrated border management.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

On what dates, beyond any accreditation process, Her Majesty’s ambassador to Mauritania has visited the country on official business over the past four years; whom he visited; and what was the agenda of any meetings held. [HL4414]

Haydon Warren-Gash, our then ambassador accredited to Mauritania and resident in Rabat, visited Mauritania in 2004.

Charles Gray, our present ambassador, accredited to Mauritania and resident in Rabat, visited Mauritania in 2006 to present his credentials to the then President. He also called on the then Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Finance Minister and the governor of the Central Bank. During these calls, he covered the full range of international, regional and bilateral political and economic issues and expressed the Government's strong support for a rapid return to democratic civilian government.

He returned in April 2007 to attend the inauguration of President Abdellahi, and called on the new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. The agenda was similar except that, on this occasion, the ambassador congratulated Mauritania on the successful holding of free and fair elections.

In May 2008, our deputy head of mission, accredited to Mauritania and resident in Rabat, visited Mauritania and called on the Foreign Minister, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Presidential Palace and held meetings with the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the European Commission and several foreign embassies. The aim of this visit was to foster greater co-operation between Mauritania and the UK in a range of areas of mutual importance.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What percentage of earnings would retirement income represent at (1) £10,000 per annum; (2) £15,000 per annum; (3) £20,000 per annum; and (4) £25,000 per annum, on the assumption that the individual retires with (a) a full basic state pension (BSP) plus a full state second pension (S2P) plus 40 years of a personal account (PA); (b) a full BSP plus a full S2P plus 30 years of PA; (c) a full BSP plus 30 years of S2P plus 20 years of PA; (d) a full BSP plus 20 years of S2P plus 10 years of PA; and what would be the percentage for (a), (b), (c) and (d) if the individual opted out of auto-enrolment. [HL4150]

The figures requested are in the following table. These are based on a range of factors, including those around investment returns and other factors.

Rates in the table are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Note: In all cases, the results are based on a male who starts work aged 22 in 2012, with savings at the default level, phased in over a three-year period. The figures may therefore represent only a few years of saving at the 4 per cent individual contribution level. For example (d), this means that the hypothetical individual will have saved at the full level only for eight years. Those with small pension savings, resulting from few years of saving, would be able to trivially commute their pension pot.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the average number of weekday passengers using Elsenham railway station in each of the past 10 years; and what are the estimated equivalent figures for each of the next 10 years if (a) an eco-town is constructed in the area, and (b) no eco-town is constructed in the area. [HL4452]

The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of rail passenger journeys made at Elsenham station.

This information may be available by contacting the Association of Train Operating Companies directly at the following address: ATOC Ltd, 3rd Floor, 40 Bernard Street, London, WC1N 1BY.

The planning application for any eco-town location will need to be supported by a comprehensive transport assessment. Until this has been completed, the impact of an eco-town development on train services cannot be determined.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are their plans for the future of Post Office card accounts; what recent discussions they have had with Post Office Ltd regarding the future of card accounts; and when they plan to make an announcement on the future of the contract. [HL4398]

I refer the noble Lord to my Written Answer of 24 June 2008, volume 702, col. WA 237.

Officials have regular discussions with Post Office Ltd about the day-to-day management of the existing Post Office card account contract. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on discussions that may have taken place as part of the procurement for the Post Office card account successor.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many requests they have received in the past 18 months from train operating companies for redeployment of rolling stock between those companies. [HL4361]

The deployment of fleets between train operators is an operational issue for the operators to manage.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will encourage local authorities and local transport executives to co-operate with a view to enabling school pupils, in particular pupils at sixth-form and further education colleges, to benefit from concessionary travel arrangements when travelling to schools and colleges in their local area. [HL4356]

We do encourage local authorities and passenger transport executives to work together to ensure that children and young people can get to school or college. Outside London, local authorities and passenger transport authorities have discretionary powers under Section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 to offer concessionary travel to young people in full-time education.

It is for local authorities and passenger transport executives to determine locally what arrangements, including concessionary travel arrangements, might be made available to young people in their area.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Bolton on 18 June (Official Report, WA 173–74), whether the implementation team working on details relating to the new scroll and emblem to be awarded to families of personnel who die on operations or as a result of terrorist action will receive representations from Northern Ireland; whether anyone on the team is familiar with local Northern Ireland circumstances between 1970 and 1998; and whether they will provide further information about the implementation team. [HL4366]

As part of its consultation process, the implementation team welcomes any representations. In order that they can be fully considered, representations should be made by 31 July 2008. The team can be contacted directly at the following address: Died on Operations Recognition Implementation Team, Ministry of Defence, Level 7 Zone J, Main Building, London, SW1A 2HB.

The implementation team is led by Brigadier Stephen Gledhill and supported by a military staff officer and a civil servant. The team has had extensive operational and policy experience of Operation Banner, the military operation in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007. The sensitivities relating to operations in Northern Ireland will be fully considered by the implementation team, although how far back the recognition should go and who will receive it are still being considered as part of the team's deliberations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Environment Agency or the Environment Agency Wales sought the written authority of the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to allow GCHQ to intercept communications of Mr Douglas Gowan; and whether this authority was ever given. [HL4478]

Part I of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 governs the application and approval of interception warrants. Neither the Environment Agency nor the Environment Agency Wales is permitted to make an application for an interception of communications warrant by virtue of Section 6 of the Act. It is the established policy of successive Governments, and in accordance with the duties imposed by Section 19 of the Act, to neither confirm nor deny in response to questions as to whether or not interception has taken place in a particular case.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will release Zimbabwean asylum seekers currently held in immigration detention pending removal, as there is no prospect of their imminent return to Zimbabwe. [HL4460]

Detention is an essential element in the effective enforcement of immigration control, in particular in support of our removals strategy. Continued detention of individuals is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In what circumstances they would support a United Nations-sponsored military intervention in Zimbabwe. [HL4425]

We do not believe military intervention is the best way in the current circumstances to bring change and reform to Zimbabwe. African regional organisations and neighbouring countries continue to lead political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.