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Electronic Civil Disobedience
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the steps which the group Electronic Civil Disobedience propose to take to pursue a denial of service attack against the fur industry from their website on 14 February are legal in the United Kingdom. [HL1053]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I understand that this question relates to assertions purportedly made by a group known as Electronic Civil Disobedience that for several days after 14 February they will seek to co-ordinate the international flooding of e-mail systems of organisations in the fur industry, and hence disable these systems.
As a government Minister I am unable to comment on the specific case to which the noble Lord refers.
Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 criminalises denial of service attacks where either the offender or the system under attack is located in the UK.
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Intercept Material
Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Statement by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 26 January (Official Report, col. WS 52), what are the circumstances in which intercept material may be used in evidence in criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom. [HL1073]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) Section 18(12) provides that the prohibition on evidential use of intercept shall not apply to instances where intercept would be a crucial factor in the nature of the offence,
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and where not to use it would seriously undermine the criminal law in areas of important public policy. This includes offences under current and previous interception legislation and the Official Secrets Acts, perjury and contempt of court relating to interception. Normal rules of evidence apply to all other intercept material.
Government Departments: 0870 Numbers
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 11 January (WA 55), how many 0870 telephone numbers were being operated by the Home Office on 10 January. [HL1187]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Home Office had 18 0870 numbers on 10 January 2005.
Crime Data
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many crimes were reported within the constabulary area on the day that Sarah McCaffrey was apprehended and charged with driving a car while holding an apple; what were the nature of those crimes; and how many have been resolved in each category. [HL1211]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The information requested is not collected centrally. The police only provide recorded crime data to the Home Office on a monthly basis.
British Citizenship
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a child would be a British overseas citizen by virtue of Article 6(2) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 in either of the following circumstances:
(a) he is born outside the United Kingdom and outside Indonesia after 1 January 2005,
(b) at the time of his birth, the father is solely a British overseas citizen (by virtue of Article 6(1) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986), and the mother is solely a citizen of Indonesia, and
(c) he has not acquired the citizenship of any third country (including the country of birth);
(a) he is born outside the United Kingdom and outside Pakistan after 1 January 2005,
(b) at the time of his birth, the father is solely a British national (overseas) and the mother is solely a citizen of Pakistan by birth,
(c) the birth has not been registered at a Pakistani Consulate or High Commission, and
(d) he has not acquired the citizenship of any third country (including the country of birth). [HL1393]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In these examples, and assuming the parents were married at the time of the birth, the child would acquire British overseas citizenship under Article 6(2) providing confirmation were obtained from relevant authorities that he or she had not acquired any other citizenship at birth, either through a parent or through the place of birth.
Prostitution
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they, or health or local authorities, provide funds to help individuals wanting to leave prostitution; and, if not, whether they will consider doing so. [HL1432]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Home Office has funded 11 projects to establish good practice in terms of support for individuals who want to leave prostitution. These projects have shown that such support needs to address a range of difficulties, including homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and health needs. Support projects often have a number of funding sources which can include primary care trusts, local authorities and grants administered by central government. The issue of funding such services will be considered as part of the current review of prostitution.
Gulf War Illnesses
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
How much of the estimated £8.5 million spent by the Ministry of Defence on research into Gulf War illnesses has been spent on the effects on British troops of fall out, including sarin and cyclosarin, from the destruction by United States forces of Iraq's chemical arms stored at Khamisiyah in southern Iraq in March 1991; and what information they have on expenditure in the United States on the effects on American troops. [HL1379]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): The Ministry of Defence experts have assessed the US Khamisiyah models and concluded that UK troops may have been exposed to extremely low levels of sarin and cyclosarin. There is no scientific evidence that such low levels of nerve agent would have any detectable human health effects. Therefore, the MoD has not commissioned any research into the effects of nerve agents on troops potentially exposed as a consequence of the demolitions at Khamisiyah.
The cost of US research in this area is a matter for the US authorities.
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Royal Navy: Submarines
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Royal Navy submarines will have a dry dock hangar capability after the decommissioning of HMS "Spartan" and before the introduction of the astute class submarines. [HL1411]
Lord Bach: I am withholding information about this capability on grounds that disclosure would prejudice the defence of the United Kingdom and the capability and effectiveness of the Armed Forces.
Local Authorities: Budgets
Lord Hanningfield asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the letter from the Minister of State for Local Government and the Regions (Mr Nick Raynsford) to local authority leaders of 8 December 2004, which stated that "we expect all local authorities to budget prudently, and that the average council tax increase in England will be less than five per cent next year", whether they will cap the Greater London Authority following its decision on 14 February to set a precept of 5.5 per cent. [HL1422]
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): Legislation requires that capping decisions are based on principles determined by my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister as Secretary of State. In reaching his decisions, he must make a comparison between an authority's budget requirement with that of a previous year. He can also determine other principles, such as increases in council tax.
No decisions on capping principles have been taken. My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister will take decisions on capping after authorities have informed the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of their budget information for 2005-06 which they must do by 18 March 2005.
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