House of Lords

Session 2005 - 06
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Minutes and Order Paper - Order Paper and Future Business

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NOTICES AND ORDERS OF THE DAY

Items marked † are new or have been altered.Items expected to be taken during an adjournment are marked # (lunch) or ‡ (dinner).

FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER

At eleven o’clock

Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Bill—Committee [The Lord Anderson of Swansea]

†The Lord Anderson of Swansea—

The Lord Grenfell—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on EU Legislation—Public Awareness of the Scrutiny Role of the House of Lords (32nd Report, HL Paper 179).

The Lord Ramsbotham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce speech and language therapy into young offender institutions and secure training centres.

MONDAY 30TH OCTOBER

*The Baroness Stern—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in response to the report by H M Chief Inspector of Prisons on Pentonville Prison, dated 28th September.

*The Lord Taylor of Holbeach—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budget cuts are proposed for Natural England which was launched on 10th October.

*The Lord Livsey of Talgarth—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what cuts the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have had to make within the department as a result of deficits incurred by the Rural Payments Agency arising from the single farm payments information technology programme.

*The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken since 25th July to introduce more extensive air conditioning into the living and working accommodation of the United Kingdom armed forces in Iraq.

†Business of the House—The Lord President (Baroness Amos) to move, That the following motion be referred to a Grand Committee—

45th Report from the Merits Committee

†Standing Orders (Private Business)—The Chairman of Committees to move, That the Standing Orders relating to Private Business be amended as follows:

Standing Order 150A

Line 41, leave out paragraph (7) and insert—

“(7) These Standing Orders shall apply to the bill in the next session only in regard to any stage through which the bill has not passed in the current session.”

Education and Inspections Bill—Third Reading [The Lord Adonis]

Armed Forces Bill—Report [The Lord Drayson]

‡The Baroness Cumberlege—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards community hospitals and maternity units.

In the Moses Room

At 3.30 pm

Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2006—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Baroness Ashton of Upholland] [36th Report from the Joint Committee]

Service Voters’ Registration Period Order 2006—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Baroness Ashton of Upholland] [36th Report from the Joint Committee]

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places (Parliamentary Elections) Regulations 2006—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Baroness Ashton of Upholland] [36th Report from the Joint Committee]

Non-Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Baroness Andrews] [35th Report from the Joint Committee]

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (Juxtaposed Controls) (Amendment) Order 2006—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [36th Report from the Joint Committee]

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2006—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Bassam of Brighton] [35th Report from the Joint Committee]

The Lord Howarth of Newport—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve support for public museums and galleries to enable them to make new acquisitions for their collections.

TUESDAY 31ST OCTOBER

*The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, before the introduction of a Marine Bill, they will ensure that areas of the sea bed of special conservation value are protected.

*The Baroness Walmsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for speech and language professionals in Children’s Centres and primary and secondary schools.

*The Lord Selsdon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to reduce the level of urban pollution caused by the illegal depositing of used chewing gum on pavements and streets.

[It is expected that the Report stage of the Armed Forces Bill will conclude]

†[If the Violent Crime Reduction Bill is returned from the Commons, it is expected that it will be further considered this day]

WEDNESDAY 1ST NOVEMBER

[At three o’clock]

*The Lord Northbourne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to reduce the number of parents with children under five who are housed by local authorities in bed and breakfast accommodation.

*The Baroness Wilcox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will change the law so as to exempt from inheritance tax close blood relations who have shared a home for a long period, but who cannot marry or become civil partners.

*The Baroness Thomas of Winchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of English classes for non-English speaking migrant workers.

Police and Justice Bill—Consideration of Commons Amendments and Reasons [The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]

Animal Welfare Bill—Third Reading [The Lord Rooker]

Road Safety Bill [HL]—Consideration of Commons Amendments [The Lord Davies of Oldham]

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [HL]—Consideration of Commons Amendments [The Lord Adonis]

THURSDAY 2ND NOVEMBER

[At eleven o’clock]

*The Lord Roberts of Llandudno—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will sign the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

*The Lord Dubs—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the retail industry about reducing the number of plastic bags offered free of charge to customers.

*The Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that projected growth in the aviation industry, including airport expansion, remains compatible with their carbon emissions targets.

†Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill—Third Reading [The Lord Bassam of Brighton]

Companies Bill [HL] (formerly Company Law Reform Bill [HL])—Consideration of Commons Amendments [The Lord Sainsbury of Turville]

FRIDAY 3RD NOVEMBER

[At eleven o’clock]

The Lord Woolmer of Leeds—To move, That this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on The Seventh Framework Programme for Research (33rd Report, HL Paper 182).

Social Landlords (Permissible Additional Purposes) (England) Order 2006—The Lord Avebury to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the Order, laid before the House on 26th July, be annulled (S.I. 2006/1968).

The Baroness Anelay of St Johns—To move, That this House regrets the proposals set out in the Local Probation Boards (Appointment and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2664) and calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to withdraw the Statutory Instrument and to enable consideration of the proposals contained in it by each House of Parliament in the context of primary legislation on the Management of Offenders. [46th Report from the Merits Committee]

The Lord Rea—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of National Health Service finances are currently spent on the private sector; and what is their estimate of the likely rise or fall of this proportion in the future.

MONDAY 6TH NOVEMBER

*The Lord Trefgarne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of members of the Taliban who have been killed by United Kingdom forces and their allies in Afghanistan in the last three years; and how these numbers have been determined.

*The Baroness Neuberger—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve standards in hospital food.

*The Lord Ashley of Stoke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent changes have been made to the funding of the Access to Work programme.

*The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of current conflicts and human rights issues, they have authorised exports of military equipment to China, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Russia or Colombia.

†Crossrail Bill—The Lord Davies of Oldham to move, That, if a Crossrail Bill is brought from the House of Commons in the next Session of Parliament, the Standing Orders of the House applicable to the Bill, so far as complied with or dispensed with in this Session or in the Session 2004-05, shall be deemed to have been complied with or (as the case may be) dispensed with in the next Session.

In the Moses Room

At 3.30 pm

Report of the Economic Affairs Committee on Government Policy on the Management of Risk (5th Report, HL Paper 183)—Consideration in Grand Committee [The Lord Wakeham]

TUESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER

*The Lord Rotherwick—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the finding in the report by the Songbird Survival Trust that grey squirrels are one of the main predators of songbirds.

*The Baroness Masham of Ilton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to prevent the spread of clostridium difficile in hospitals and in the community.

*The Earl of Mar and Kellie—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have finalised their plans for the new cross-country rail franchise, in particular, the disconnection of West Central Scotland from that new franchise.

WEDNESDAY 8TH NOVEMBER

†[At eleven o’clock]

*The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar (Burma) about reports of continuing offensives against ethnic national groups.

*The Lord Faulkner of Worcester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect the wrecks of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse from the activities of foreign nationals undertaking penetration dives and disturbing the human remains which lie there.

*The Lord Sheldon—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are being made to allow special advisers to give evidence to select committees.

THURSDAY 9TH NOVEMBER

[At eleven o’clock]

*The Lord Russell-Johnston—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to introduce legislation making forced marriage illegal; and, if so, when.

*The Baroness O’Cathain—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the availability this winter of seasonal flu vaccines and avian flu vaccines.

*The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have proposals to cease using tribunals held in secret to handle terrorist suspect cases.

NO DAY NAMED

PART I

The Lord Northbourne—To call attention to the causes of family dysfunction and breakdown and to their cost to the nation; and to move for papers.

The Lord Northbourne—To call attention to the role and responsibilities of fathers; and to move for papers.

The Lord Pearson of Rannoch—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the First Report from the Committee for Privileges, Code of Conduct and Members’ Interests, (Session 2003-04, HL Paper 69) in particular its recommendation that Members of the House in receipt of pensions from the European Union do not normally need to declare such pensions as a financial interest when taking part in debates on European Union matters; and, if so, why.

The Lord Rotherwick—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their proposals for increasing charges for general aviation.

The Lord Willoughby de Broke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider continuing United Kingdom membership of the European Union to be in the national interest.

The Baroness Hooper—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what developments they envisage in policies on education and cultural heritage for the Overseas Territories.

The Baroness Cox—To call attention to the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in North Korea; and to move for papers.

The Lord Norton of Louth—To call attention to the case for establishing a fixed date for Easter; and to move for papers.

The Lord Hoyle—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to persuade the owners of sports stadiums to make those stadiums non-smoking areas.

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the administration and management of H M Revenue and Customs are satisfactory.

The Baroness Noakes—To call attention to the use of mixed sex wards in the National Health Service; and to move for papers.

The Baroness Shephard of Northwold—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the production of bio-fuels in the United Kingdom.

The Viscount Bridgeman—To call attention to the problem of hospital acquired infection; and to move for papers.

The Baroness Hooper—To call attention to the situation in Paraguay; and to move for papers.

The Lord Pearson of Rannoch—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to honour their commitment that family carers of people with lifelong severe intellectual impairment should be at the heart of decision-making about their relatives’ accommodation, health care and support.

The Lord Dholakia—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will bring forward legislation to reform the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The Lord Pearson of Rannoch—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of Botswana about its treatment of the bushmen of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

The Baroness Northover—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to combat AIDS across the world and its effect on children.

The Lord Dubs—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will now introduce legislation to grant pardons to the troops in the British Armed Forces who were shot for alleged cowardice and desertion during the First World War.

Renewable Energy Zone (Designation of Area) (Scottish Ministers) Order 2005—The Duke of Montrose to move to resolve, That this House calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to revoke the Order laid before the House on 14th November 2005 (S.I. 2005/3153).

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the environmental impacts of a second runway at Stansted airport.

The Lord Northbourne—To call attention to the report of the Commission on Families and the wellbeing of children entitled, Families and the State—Two way support and responsibilities; and to move for papers.

The Lord Lea of Crondall—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making towards introducing a national scheme of road pricing.

The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the situation in Sudan, with particular reference to Darfur and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

The Earl Howe—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme on small pharmaceutical companies.

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the justification for requiring civil justice costs to be recovered in their entirety from those who become suitors before the court.

The Lord Chidgey—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making in response to the situation in the Democratic Republic of Guinea, Conakry, having regard in particular to the impact on emerging democratic institutions in Sierra Leone.

The Baroness Scott of Needham Market—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making on housing market renewal pathfinder programmes.

The Baroness Williams of Crosby—To call attention to the reconstruction of Iraq; and to move for papers.

The Lord Giddens—To call attention to the future of the European social model; and to move for papers.

The Lord Dubs—To call attention to the case for affordable housing to accommodate families and those living in overcrowded conditions; and to move for papers.

The Lord Sheldon—To call attention to the case for a Civil Service Act; and to move for papers.

The Lord Lucas—To call attention to the consequences of decriminalised parking regimes; and to move for papers.

The Lord Beaumont of Whitley—To call attention to the disposal of allotment land in England in 2004 and 2005; and to move for papers.

The Lord Foulkes of Cumnock—To call attention to the progress of devolution in Scotland in light of issues raised in the Arbuthnot Report; and to move for papers.

The Lord Smith of Leigh—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to devolve more power to local authorities; and, if so, when they intend to do so.

The Baroness Morris of Yardley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to enhance the role of modern universities.

The Lord Campbell of Alloway—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider amending the Ministerial Code of Guidance to provide for an independent body to advise on non-financial ethical conduct.

The Lord Harrison—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the level of funding and support for the United Kingdom Film and Television Archives.

The Viscount Waverley—To call attention to initiatives for the resolution of global terrorism; and to move for papers.

The Lord Judd—To call attention to the reform of the United Nations; and to move for papers.

The Baroness Morgan of Drefelin—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of current cancer genetics services.

The Baroness Anelay of St Johns—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have applied the changes proposed in their Statement of Changes in the Immigration Rules retrospectively to those migrant workers who are already in employment in the United Kingdom.

The Lord Trefgarne—To move to resolve, That this House regrets the diminishing capacity of the House of Lords to hold Ministers to account.

The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the outcome of the recent Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Edinburgh.

The Baroness Rendell of Babergh—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether patients whose lifestyle choices endanger their health should be charged for National Health Service treatment.

The Lord Norton of Louth—To call attention to the case for establishing a Royal Commission on the constitution; and to move for papers.

The Baroness Northover—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they are putting forward to promote the peace process in Israel and Palestine.

The Lord Glenarthur—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of their diplomatic and development representation in and among the South Pacific island states and of the international bodies which work to support the region.

The Lord Howarth of Newport—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase support for the conservation of historic places of worship.

The Lord Turnberg—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they will seek in formulating their response to the Chief Medical Officer’s Report, Good Doctors, Safer Patients.

The Baroness Neuberger—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the British Medical Association’s report, Child and adolescent mental health—guide for healthcare professionals, published in June 2006.

The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to efforts to eradicate contemporary slavery.

The Lord Harrison—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the United Nations resolution on diabetes.

The Lord Tanlaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether statistics for the period of darker evenings after the end of British Summer Time on the last Sunday in October show any increase in road accidents, street crime and electricity consumption.

The Lord Rotherwick—To call attention to the Civil Aviation Authority’s strategic and regulative review of General Aviation; and to move for papers.

The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To call attention to the implications of North Korea’s decision to conduct its first nuclear test; and to move for papers.

The Lord Dykes—To call attention to the economic and social conditions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; and to move for papers.

The Lord Anderson of Swansea—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have for the future status of Kosovo.

Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006—The Lord Dixon-Smith to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the Regulations, laid before the House on 7th September, be annulled (S.I. 2006/2238). [44th Report from the Merits Committee]

The Lord Holme of Cheltenham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rising level of Chinese investment in Africa.

The Baroness Stern—To move, That this House takes note of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, Cm. 6901, presented to Parliament on 24th July; and requests that Her Majesty’s Government do not ratify it until the Joint Committee on Human Rights has reported on its implications.

England Rural Development Programme (Closure of Project-Based Schemes) Regulations 2006—The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the Regulations, laid before the House on 25th August, be annulled (S.I. 2006/2298). [45th Report from the Merits Committee]

†The Lord Smith of Clifton—To move, That this House declines to approve the draft Rates (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 until the Northern Ireland Assembly has taken a decision on the subject matter of this Order.

†The Lord Glentoran—To move, That this House calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to take no action to change the rating system in Northern Ireland before proposals are agreed by a devolved Parliament in Northern Ireland.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

[Tabled on 26th October, or unanswered after 14 days]

[The Government department responsible for answering each Question is shown in brackets]

5th June

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18th May (WA 65), where the information is held indicating on how many occasions since 1997 the Home Office has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman; and how members of the public may have access to that information. [HO] (HL6054)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18th May (WA 65), whether the Home Office will in future hold information about the department’s compliance with the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s recommendations in a way which permits public access to that information. [HO] (HL6055)

5th July

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House any documents, dated between 5th July 2002 and 9th October 2002, pertaining to making provision for certain British nationals without other citizenship to register as British citizens under Section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981. [HO] (HL6795)

6th July

The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether welfare benefits are paid in respect of more than one wife in a polygamous marriage in the case of (a) wives in this country; and (b) wives abroad; and, if so, how many recipients there are in each category. [DWP] (HL6862)

14th July

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 10th July (WA 89), how many assistants supported special advisers to Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; and what was the nature of their services. [DCLG] (HL7018)

[As amended on 17th July]

18th July

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the reason for the delay in answering the Question for Written Answer by the Lord Lester of Herne Hill (HL6054) on the information held regarding the number of occasions since 1997 when the Home Office has refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman. [HO] (HL7075)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the reason for the delay in answering the Question for Written Answer by the Lord Lester of Herne Hill (HL6055) on whether the Home Office will in future hold information about the department’s compliance with the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s recommendations in a way which permits public access to that information. [HO] (HL7076)

19th July

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in accordance with section 17 of the model contract for special advisers, those special advisers employed by the Deputy Prime Minister have notified their head of department of any other external employment they have undertaken in the last year; and, if so, what was the nature of any such external employment. [DCLG] (HL7100)

24th July

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the brochures and programmes for the Rally Ireland event in 2006, which they funded, were individually sold; and, if so, how much money was collected from their sale. [NIO] (HL7203)

The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many present and past members of the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate are currently being investigated for alleged impropriety in the performance of their official functions; and, of these, how many are suspended on full pay. [HO] (HL7209)

The Lord Marlesford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the staff of the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate have been (a) suspended; (b) prosecuted; and (c) dismissed for impropriety in each of the last five years. [HO] (HL7210)

25th July

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of people that are likely to enter the United Kingdom on the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union; and what criteria will be used in reaching this estimate. [FCO] (HL7254)

4th September

The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the last three years, what payments in total have been made to (a) ER Consultants, and (b) Praesta by the Department of Health; and for what services. [DoH] (HL7271)

2nd October

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they next expect to discuss European Union constitutional issues with the government of Germany prior to the latter’s Presidency period in January; and what main issues they will include in such discussions. [FCO] (HL7411)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many shooting incidents involving United Kingdom military personnel have been investigated by the Royal Military Police to date; and how many of these have been successfully prosecuted. [MoD] (HL7424)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7th January 2004 (HL Deb, col. 169-72), whether they are now in a position to seek the closure of websites which provide personal details of active opponents of fascist and racist parties. [HO] (HL7429)

The Earl Howe—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest estimate of the national annual cost of pathology testing carried out in National Health Service primary care trusts. [DoH] (HL7442)

The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which proposals for European Union legislation they gave agreement to were passed in 2005 and in 2006 to date on which the Scrutiny Reserve Resolution relating to the work of the House of Lords European Union Select Committee was still in place; and which of these were deemed to be confidential, routine or trivial. [FCO] (HL7486)

The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to their response (HC 1187) to recommendation 19 of the House of Commons Select Committee on Work and Pensions’ Second Report (HC 834-I), whether it is possible to calculate the net fiscal cost to the Exchequer of not moving a person off welfare and into employment, given that it is possible to calculate the net fiscal benefit of doing so. [DWP] (HL7487)

9th October

The Lord Dearing—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, before announcing the recent successive changes in methods of social security payment, they made any assessments of the potential effects of such changes on the post offices network and of the cost to the public purse in support of post offices; and whether they undertook any surveys of the attitude of pensioners towards the proposed changes in methods of social security payment. [DWP] (HL7491)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which statutory agencies have postponed or reduced grant aid to rural areas during the current financial year as a result of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ cuts and the creation of Natural England; and how those farmers and others affected will be compensated. [DEFRA] (HL7494)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord Drayson on 9th October (WA 47) and 22nd June (WA 99), what information the Ministry of Defence has received from its liaison officer in Washington DC on the range, scope and cost in the current financial year of federally funded research at the Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas into Gulf War veterans’ illnesses; when it was received; and what assessment the Department has made of its possible relevance among British veterans of the conflict. [MoD] (HL7500)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord Drayson on 9th October (WA 47) and 22nd June (WA 99), what information the Ministry of Defence has received from its liaison officer in Washington DC on the findings to date of the research at Wright State University in Ohio into autonomic dysfunction following low-level sarin exposure; and what assessment the Department has made of their relevance to illnesses among British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War. [MoD] (HL7501)

The Baroness Williams of Crosby—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the strip searching of children at H M Prison Huntercombe and other prison establishments will now be stopped. [HO] (HL7509)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the concerns raised in the letter “BN(O) limbo”, published in the South China Morning Post on 25th September, highlighting the continuing difficulties faced by British Nationals (Overseas) of Indian origin waiting for British citizenship certificates; and whether they will place a copy of the letter and their response in the Library of the House. [HO] (HL7531)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many military personnel serving in the present engagement in Iraq have lost a limb due to combat; and what were the circumstances in each case. [MoD] (HL7536)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many military personnel who have served or who are serving in the present engagement in Iraq have been treated for post traumatic stress disorder; and what is this figure as a proportion of the total number of service personnel who have served in the current operation. [MoD] (HL7537)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current estimate of the total number of fatalities and the number of displaced people in Darfur; and what is their assessment of any progress towards ending the conflict. [DfID] (HL7539)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessments they have made of the adequacy of the present number of Ministry of Defence hospital units located within National Health Service hospitals to meet current and projected patient volumes; and how these assessments might impact on the planned decision to close the remaining military hospital at Haslar. [MoD] (HL7541)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of the Managed Military Health System for Force Generation project, they will reaffirm the entitlement of all veterans to continue to receive, on discharge or retirement, care and rehabilitation at military units and Ministry of Defence hospital units, for injuries or illnesses incurred in the course of service. [MoD] (HL7542)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Tom Watson, on 4th September (HC Deb, 1693W), when they expect the new Defence Medical Staff manning requirement figures to be available; and whether these manning requirements will address current shortages in key medical officer and nursing specialities. [MoD] (HL7543)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Northern Ireland Office has arranged in each year since 1999; what form such consultations took; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7544)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by Northern Ireland Office responded to any consultation; if so, to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7545)

[As amended on 10th October]

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; and what groups the Office consulted. [NIO] (HL7546)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; if so, to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7547)

[As amended on 10th October]

10th October

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7558)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues, and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7559)

The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the armed forces were in-patients in National Health Service hospitals on 10th October. [MoD] (HL7567)

The Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the review by the Insolvency Service of the effectiveness of the Bankruptcy Restriction Order introduced by the Enterprise Act 2002 is expected to be completed. [DTI] (HL7572)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to offer the government of the Republic of Moldova additional support to develop new industries and commercial sectors during the next five years; and, if so, what support they are considering. [FCO] (HL7576)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many military personnel were treated for post traumatic stress disorder resulting from participation in engagements in (a) Bosnia; (b) the first Gulf War; and (c) the Falklands conflict, expressed as a proportion of the total number of military personnel taking part in each engagement. [MoD] (HL7577)

11th October

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7587)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7588)

The Lord Acton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 20th July (HC Deb, col. 473) that vulnerable women and those for whom mental health treatment would be more appropriate should not be in prison, what plans they have to achieve that result. [HO] (HL7595)

The Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Department for Work and Pensions has not yet published the 2006 Tax Benefit Model Tables, which were published in April in each of the last three years; and when they expect to do so. [DWP] (HL7600)

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Education and Skills has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements. [DfES] (HL7615)

The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 9th October (WA 101), whether they will now answer the original question asked by the Lord Jopling (HL7082). [HO] (HL7619)

12th October

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the increased amount that will enter the waste stream if the limit on junk mail is abolished. [DEFRA] (HL7627)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether guidance has been issued to teachers and other staff in state schools on the permissibility of covering their face when dealing with pupils or other persons in the school environment; and, if so, what are the circumstances in which it may be allowed. [DfES] (HL7630)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases there have been in each of the past five years of prosecutions relating to Japanese knotweed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991, or any other relevant legislation; and how many were successful. [HO] (HL7633)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7636)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7637)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the waiting times for the processing of British nationality applications made under section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981 and the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 respectively on the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate Applying for British Nationality website. [HO] (HL7642)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will instruct the Ethnic Minorities Citizenship Unit at the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong to acknowledge within two working days, and respond substantively within a time determined by published service targets to telephone calls, letters, emails and faxes; and whether they will publish reports on compliance with those service targets at monthly intervals. [FCO] (HL7643)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make inquiries into the reasons for any mistakes made in British citizenship certificates recently issued under the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997. [HO] (HL7645)

The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Asylum and Immigration Tribunal hearings concerning conducive deportation of foreign nationals have been conducted since April 2005; how many appeals were successful; and how many deportations have been successfully completed. [HO] (HL7649)

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements. [DEFRA] (HL7651)

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Home Office has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements. [HO] (HL7654)

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Northern Ireland Office has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements. [NIO] (HL7656)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many recorded crimes were committed in each of the last ten years by individuals whilst detained or sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983; and what was the category of each offence. [HO] (HL7662)

26th October

The Lord Judd—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made, or are making, to the government of Russia concerning alleged police violence against Yekaterina Sokiryanskaya at a recent memorial gathering for Anna Politkovskaya; and whether in those representations they emphasised, or are emphasising, that by invitation in September and October Ms Sokiryanskaya had attended a conference at Ditchley Park chaired by Sir Brian Fall on the Caucasus region. (HL7973)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the North West Regional Planning Assessment for the Railway rules out the reinstatement of the Colne to Skipton line and the reinstatement of passenger services on that line. (HL7974)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the report by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Authority of 26th October, Electoral offences in London following the local elections of May 2006, will lead to any further action on their part to safeguard the integrity of the system of postal voting. (HL7975)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people are currently detained in high security prisons for immigration offences. (HL7976)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether as part of the review of the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 they have made an assessment of the introduction in other countries of provisions in freedom of information fees regulations (a) to include reading time, consideration time and consultation time in the calculation of the appropriate limit above which requests could be refused on cost grounds; and (b) to aggregate requests made by any legal person, or persons apparently acting in cohort, to each public authority for the purposes of calculating the appropriate limit. (HL7977)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 25th October (WA 250) on support given to specialist advisers, whether there is any means of obtaining the information required which avoids having to ask a similar question of each Government department. (HL7978)

The Duke of Montrose—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many studies on the effects of organophosphates they are currently funding; and whether these studies have identified any aspects which require further investigation. (HL7979)

The Duke of Montrose—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the exclusion under the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 which applies to agricultural contractors who are providing an agricultural service and whose workers operate machinery would include an agency which supplies relief milkers to dairy farmers. (HL7980)

The Lord Roberts of Llandudno—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which European and United Nations Conventions still await signature or ratification by the United Kingdom. (HL7981)

The Lord Roberts of Llandudno—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will list all United Kingdom defence personnel who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 23rd June with their ages and regiments. (HL7982)

The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what change in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ budget of 2006-07 has been requested of the Central Science Laboratory; and what are the likely staffing implications. (HL7983)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask the Chairman of Committees whether the Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments has received correspondence regarding the Pensions Appeals Tribunals (Additional Rights of Appeal) (Amendment) Regulations 2006, the Pensions Appeals Tribunal (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006 and the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1438); and, if so, whether it will be made publicly available. (HL7984)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask the Chairman of Committees whether he will place in the Library of the House copies of the correspondence between the Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments and the Lord Morris of Manchester regarding the Pensions Appeals Tribunals (Additional Rights of Appeal) (Amendment) Regulations 2006, the Pensions Appeals Tribunal (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006 and the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1438). (HL7985)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they were satisfied with the accuracy of the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Pensions Appeals Tribunal (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006; and, if not, what action they have taken to correct it. (HL7986)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from the President of the Pensions Appeals Tribunals regarding the Pensions Appeals Tribunals (Additional Rights of Appeal) (Amendment) Regulations 2006, the Pensions Appeals Tribunal (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006 and the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1438); and what action they have taken. (HL7987)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from the Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments regarding the Pensions Appeals Tribunals (Additional Rights of Appeal) (Amendment) Regulations 2006, the Pensions Appeals Tribunal (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006 and the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1438); and what action they have taken. (HL7988)

The Lord Inglewood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a devolved administration in one part of the United Kingdom can veto the long-term storage of high level nuclear waste from another part of the United Kingdom if it decides to proceed with the long-term storage of high level nuclear waste generated within its own jurisdiction. (HL7989)

The Lord Inglewood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define the meaning of host communities when considering the long-term storage of nuclear waste; and what are the physical limits of a host community. (HL7990)

The Lord Inglewood—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when they are considering the long-term storage of nuclear waste, the availability of the community provision will be coterminous with the physical boundaries of the host community. (HL7991)

The Earl of Caithness—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the union of Parliaments between Scotland and England. (HL7992)

The Baroness Thomas of Winchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many work permits have been issued in the last two years to (a) Bulgarian, and (b) Romanian nationals. (HL7993)

The Baroness Thomas of Winchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following their announcement that they will only issue work permits to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals seeking certain categories of employment, what plans they have for those currently working in other categories of employment in the United Kingdom when their visas expire. (HL7994)

The Baroness Williams of Crosby—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current population of young offenders and other prisoners assessed on reception into prison as having literacy and numeracy skills below level one in (a) 2003-04; (b) 2004-05; and (c) 2005-06. (HL7995)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civilian casualties are known to have resulted directly from NATO activities in Afghanistan this year; how many incidents have been or are currently being investigated; and how these figures compare with those publicised by the Taliban. (HL7996)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are helping the interim government of Nepal (a) with the United Nations-monitored arms control programme, and (b) to establish an early date for elections to a Constituent Assembly. (HL7997)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning any high-level visits to the interim government of Nepal during the next three months; and what Ministerial contacts have already been made. (HL7998)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which cancelled or deferred Department for International Development programmes in Nepal have been resumed since April 2006; and what are the revised budgets under the country programmes for 2005-06 and 2006-07. (HL7999)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Bloody Sunday Inquiry has cost to date. (HL8000)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when, and in what form, they expect to announce the findings of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. (HL8001)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have the power to cap or change the rating system in the event that power is devolved to an administration in Northern Ireland. (HL8002)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any new arrangements for intervention in Northern Ireland’s affairs by the government of the Republic of Ireland would be subject to approval by the United Kingdom Parliament or a Northern Ireland Assembly. (HL8003)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to bring an Irish language bill before Parliament; and whether any such bill will include parity of treatment for the Ulster Scots language, as required by the Belfast Agreement of 1998. (HL8004)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether civil servants of the Republic of Ireland living and working in Northern Ireland pay United Kingdom income tax. (HL8005)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the prospect of Turkey acceding to the official European Union request to open its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and aircraft. (HL8006)

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER AWAITING ANSWER

26th OCTOBER 2006

[Tabled on the dates shown]

[The Government department responsible for answering each Question is shown in brackets]

5th June

5th July

6th July

14th July

[As amended on 17th July]

18th July

19th July

24th July

25th July

4th September

2nd October

9th October

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord Drayson on 9th October (WA 47) and 22nd June (WA 99), what information the Ministry of Defence has received from its liaison officer in Washington DC on the findings to date of the research at Wright State University in Ohio into autonomic dysfunction following low-level sarin exposure; and what assessment the Department has made of their relevance to illnesses among British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War. [MoD] (HL7501)

[As amended on 10th October]

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; and what groups the Office consulted. [NIO] (HL7546)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; if so, to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7547)

[As amended on 10th October]

10th October

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7558)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues, and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7559)

The Earl Attlee—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the armed forces were in-patients in National Health Service hospitals on 10th October. [MoD] (HL7567)

11th October

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7587)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7588)

12th October

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, how many consultations the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland has arranged in each year since 1999; what those consultations were; and what groups they consulted. [NIO] (HL7636)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, regarding section 75 groups recognised by paragraphs 4 and 5 of Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, whether the groups consulted by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland responded to any consultation; to what extent and in what form they addressed equality of opportunity issues; and whether any suggestions were made leading to a change in proposed policies. [NIO] (HL7637)

13th October

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for Trade and Industry has any arrangements to enable staff of that department to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements. [DTI] (HL7667)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent in Northern Ireland as a result of its support for 2005 and 2006 Rally Ireland. [NIO] (HL7673)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they propose to give to the world convention on the Titanic scheduled for Belfast in April 2007. [NIO] (HL7675)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each year since 1980, how many prisoners committed suicide while in prison in Northern Ireland. [NIO] (HL7676)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 9th October (WA 105) concerning Rally Ireland, when they expect that details of the expenses for the event during 2005 and 2006 will be completed; and whether they will be published. [NIO] (HL7677)

16th October

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation’s report Pneumonia: The Forgotten Killer of Children. [DfID] (HL7684)

The Lord Faulkner of Worcester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contributions they make to the governments of Wales and Scotland for spending exclusively on sport in each country; and how these figures compare with the situation before devolution. [HMT] (HL7685)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 9th October (WA 119), how they demonstrate their commitment to affording equal respect and recognition to the Irish and Ulster-Scots languages and cultures. [NIO] (HL7688)

The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether strategic health authorities or primary care trusts have any arrangements to enable their staff to raise, in confidence, concerns about matters of financial reporting, disclosure of other information or value for money; and, if so, whether they will give details of the arrangements. [DoH] (HL7693)

The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role they expect the United Kingdom to play in the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution on North Korea, especially in regard to naval capacity and the imposition of a naval blockade. [MoD] (HL7695)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contact Ministers have had with the Society for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities and their Families regarding its concern that the Draft Court of Protection Rules under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 do not include information, guidance or explanation on how to apply for appointment to the role of Deputy embodied within the Act for those who are without capacity from birth; and whether they will take steps to address this concern. [DCA] (HL7698)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which areas have applied to take part in the second wave of 101 non-emergency number schemes for reporting certain non-emergency crimes, policing and anti-social behaviour; and which areas have asked for more time to put in an application. [HO] (HL7699)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether areas that have been given more time to put in an application to take part in the second wave of 101 non-emergency number schemes for reporting certain non-emergency crimes, policing and anti-social behaviour will have their applications treated on the same basis as those areas that met the original deadline. [HO] (HL7700)

The Lord Lewis of Newnham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 9th October (WA 122-3), what are the percentages of the United Kingdom emissions of dioxins and furans from all sources. [DEFRA] (HL7702)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Triesman on 10th October (WA 138), whether United Kingdom officials experience the circumstances existing on the ground in Baghdad and Iraq if they undertake trips outside the Green Zone occasionally and when it is operationally essential for them to do so. [FCO] (HL7708)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for the Armed Forces, Mr Adam Ingram, on 9th October (HC Deb, 176W), how many Sea King, Lynx and Pumas helicopters are held undeployed in reserve; and what steps are required to make them deployable. [MoD] (HL7712)

The Lord Dixon-Smith—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Tom Watson, on 10th July (HC Deb, 1430W), for the purpose of the European Union Emission Trading Scheme, on what basis the additional permit costs of establishments are calculated. [MoD] (HL7713)

17th October

The Lord Barnett—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what would be the annual cost of raising the threshold for inheritance tax to (a) £350,000, or (b) £400,000. [HMT] (HL7714)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of the United States on the case for advancing proposals for the peace process between Israel and Palestine which will not be vetoed in the United Nations Security Council. [FCO] (HL7715)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the suggestion by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mark Malloch Brown, that at some point in the future the European Union Commission will have a permanent seat at the United Nations. [FCO] (HL7718)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the findings of the long-term military planning report approved by the European Union Defence Ministers on 3rd October in informal council, that military action not explicitly authorised by the United Nations may become controversial. [FCO] (HL7719)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to obtain a positive response from the government of Israel to the letter from the European Union monitoring chief, Pietro Pistolese, and the United States security coordinator, Lieutenant General Dayton, seeking Israeli agreement to a second border mission at Karni in the Gaza Strip. [FCO] (HL7720)

The Lord Craig of Radley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the United Kingdom is formally represented at all major Armistice Day services held in Commonwealth countries in November 2007. [FCO] (HL7725)

The Lord Jopling—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the reason for the delay of 19 weeks by the Home Office in answering the two Questions for Written Answer by the Lord Lester of Herne Hill tabled on 5th June, when the target time for answer is two weeks. [HO] (HL7726)

The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what attractions have been introduced on inland waterways in England and Wales in the last three years in order to attract more visitors. [DEFRA] (HL7728)

The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which areas of the English countryside and coastline are protected because they are red squirrel habitats. [DEFRA] (HL7729)

The Lord Fearn—To ask Her Majesty’s Government which areas of the English countryside and coastline are protected because they are Natterjack toad habitats. [DEFRA] (HL7730)

The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action has been taken against those running the Colnbrook Detention Centre after an inquest into the death of a detainee found that there had been a failure to ensure that the deceased was seen by a doctor with 24 hours of admission, as advised, and for nine days thereafter. [HO] (HL7732)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will now publish the outcome of the research for the Ministry of Defence by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, carried out five years ago into the possible vaccine interaction with and without pyridostigmine bromide relating to illnesses amongst veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War. [MoD] (HL7733)

The Lord Berkeley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will renegotiate the franchise agreement with Great North Eastern Railways if the company fails to comply with its franchise commitment to operate two trains per hour between London and Leeds. [DfT] (HL7735)

The Lord Mason of Barnsley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further consideration they have given to the possibility of recognising the conscripted Bevin Boy coal miners for their contribution to the war effort between 1939 and 1945. [MoD] (HL7736)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to mark the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union 1707. [DCMS] (HL7737)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation process was used for the changes to charging for water in Northern Ireland; when the process started and ended; and how the consultation was advertised. [NIO] (HL7738)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 was published; and how many working days there were between publication and the end of the consultation period. [NIO] (HL7739)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what groups and individuals responded to the consultation process for the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of all the consultations received. [NIO] (HL7740)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they commissioned the signage referring to an agreement which was used at the St Andrews Summit on 13th October. [NIO] (HL7741)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government who were the parties to the St Andrews Agreement of 13th October; and whether the oath for Executive Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly which pledges support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland is part of the agreement. [NIO] (HL7742)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many export credit guarantees have been granted to British firms involved in activities in North Korea in each of the last ten years; and, in each case, what was (a) the name of the company to which the export credit guarantee was granted; and (b) the nature of the company’s business. [DTI] (HL7743)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many export credit guarantees have been granted to British firms involved in activities in Zimbabwe in each of the last ten years; and, in each case, what was (a) the name of the company to which the export credit guarantee was granted; and (b) the nature of the company’s business. [DTI] (HL7744)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many export credit guarantees have been granted to British firms involved in activities in Syria in each of the last ten years; and, in each case, what was (a) the name of the company to which the export credit guarantee was granted; and (b) the nature of the company’s business. [DTI] (HL7745)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many export credit guarantees have been granted to British firms involved in activities in Iran in each of the last ten years; and, in each case, what was (a) the name of the company to which the export credit guarantee was granted; and (b) the nature of the company’s business. [DTI] (HL7746)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidelines they give to Department for International Development staff and human resources managers in India on caste-based discrimination; and how they ensure that there is no discrimination against Dalits in their employment policy. [DfID] (HL7753)

The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to paragraph 8.3 of their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report, Water Management (8th Report, HL Paper 191-I), with whom they will consult on the future of the Drinking Water Inspectorate; how long the consultation will last; and when the results of the consultation will be published. [DEFRA] (HL7756)

The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to paragraph 8.12 of their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report, Water Management (8th Report, HL Paper 191-I), whether they have powers that would enable them to declare payment for water bills to be more important than those for television, mobile phones, cars and credit cards to ensure that water companies are given a higher priority by the courts and advisers such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. [DEFRA] (HL7758)

18th October

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the medical advice about the health implications of trans fats has been updated since the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy published their research in 1994. [DoH] (HL7761)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the government of Denmark’s Executive Order No. 160 of 11th March 2003 on the content of trans fatty acids in oils and fats. [DoH] (HL7762)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what would be the economic cost of a national ban on the use of trans fatty acids in foods. [DoH] (HL7763)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British citizens consume more that the maximum intake of trans fatty acids recommended by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy in 1994; and what proportion of this number is made up of children. [DoH] (HL7764)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will commission further research into the relative consumption of trans fatty acids by (a) different age groups; and (b) different socio-economic groups. [DoH] (HL7765)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish the draft regulations to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in (a) the provisions of goods; (b) the provision of facilities and services; (c) in education; and (d) the exercise of public functions. [DCLG] (HL7766)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Commission for Racial Equality will join the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. [DCLG] (HL7767)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce the use of plastic bags by customers. [DEFRA] (HL7768)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 20th April (WA 252), what progress has been made towards preparation of guidance on the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. [HO] (HL7769)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 7th December 2005 (WA 100), when the Home Office will publish its evaluation of Anti-social Behaviour Orders. [HO] (HL7770)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the main elements of the estimated £130 million to £180 million costs arising from a delay of a year in the implementation of water charges, as outlined in a letter of 4th October to the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Consumer Council from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. [NIO] (HL7771)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the members of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulations were appointed; after what process they were appointed; when they were appointed; and how many of the members live in Northern Ireland. [NIO] (HL7772)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there will be a further consultation process for the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. [NIO] (HL7773)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have delayed consideration of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 by a Grand Committee; and when it will be debated. [CWOHL] (HL7774)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether land currently owned by the Water Service in Northern Ireland will be disposed of within the next ten years; if so, on what basis; and where the proceeds will go. [NIO] (HL7775)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role the Northern Ireland Consumer Council has in the future regulation of the provision of water. [NIO] (HL7776)

The Lord Ashley of Stoke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legislation has been enacted since 1970 to help disabled people. [DWP] (HL7777)

The Lord Ashley of Stoke—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what benefits are available to disabled people. [DWP] (HL7778)

The Lord Trefgarne—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the present strength of—

(a) the Royal Navy;

(b) the Army;

(d) the Royal Marines;

MoD

The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the government of the Russian Federation regarding the removal of Russian trade sanctions against Moldova and Georgia and the reinstatement of normal facilities for remittances by Georgians working in Russia. [FCO] (HL7780)

The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many operating security companies remain outside the approved contractors scheme; and when the Security Industry Authority expects to clear the backlog of security officer licence applications. [HO] (HL7781)

The Lord Ouseley—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Security Industry Authority is operating within planned budgets; how much overspending occurred in 2005-06; and how much is the estimated overspend for 2006-07. [HO] (HL7782)

The Lord Vinson—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will introduce de minimis levels of compliance with the Waste Disposal Directive to prevent the criminalisation of domestic burning of plastic waste such as window envelopes. [DEFRA] (HL7785)

The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what (a) income support, and (b) benefits, individuals subject to control orders may receive; and what legislation currently regulates this. [DWP] (HL7787)

The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (a) males, and (b) females subject to control orders, broken down by age group, received (i) income support, and (ii) benefits in each month since 2003. [DWP] (HL7788)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals in each of the last ten years have absconded from a secure unit whilst detained or sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983. [DoH] (HL7789)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the last 10 years. [FCO] (HL7790)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Department for Work and Pensions has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the last 10 years. [DWP] (HL7791)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Department for Health has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the last 10 years. [DoH] (HL7792)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Department for Trade and Industry has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the last 10 years. [DTI] (HL7793)

The Lord Alton of Liverpool—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the Amnesty International report, Children at War: Creating hope for their future; and what practical help they are gi