House of Lords

Session 2005 - 06
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Minutes and Order Papers

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).

TUESDAY 31ST OCTOBER

At half-past two o’clock

*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.

*The Baroness Noakes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take following the European Court of Auditors’ report on the implementation of the European Union’s budget for the 2005 financial year.

London Local Authorities Bill [HL]—The Chairman of Committees to move, That this House resolves that the promoters of the London Local Authorities Bill [HL] which was originally introduced in this House in the previous session on 24th January 2005 should have leave to suspend any further proceedings on the bill in order to proceed with it, if they think fit, in the next session of Parliament according to the provisions of Private Business Standing Order 150A (Suspension of bills).

Transport for London Bill [HL]—The Chairman of Committees to move, That this House resolves that the promoters of the Transport for London Bill [HL] which was originally introduced in this House in this session on 23rd January 2006 should have leave to suspend any further proceedings on the bill in order to proceed with it, if they think fit, in the next session of Parliament according to the provisions of Private Business Standing Order 150A (Suspension of bills).

Whitehaven Harbour Bill [HL]—The Chairman of Committees to move, That this House resolves that the promoters of the Whitehaven Harbour Bill [HL] which was originally introduced in this House in this session on 23rd January 2006 should have leave to suspend any further proceedings on the bill in order to proceed with it, if they think fit, in the next session of Parliament according to the provisions of Private Business Standing Order 150A (Suspension of bills).

London Local Authorities and Transport for London Bill—The Chairman of Committees to move, That this House resolves that the promoters of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Bill which was originally introduced in the House of Commons in the previous session on 25th January 2005 should have leave to suspend any further proceedings on the bill in order to proceed with it, if they think fit, in the next session of Parliament according to the provisions of Private Business Standing Order 150A (Suspension of bills).

†Violent Crime Reduction Bill—Consideration of Commons Reason [The Baroness Scotland of Asthal]

†Armed Forces Bill—Report [The Lord Drayson]

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.

†*The Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation has taken place with the government of the United States about the strategy for the future deployment of British and American forces in Iraq.

Police and Justice Bill—Consideration of Commons Amendment and Reason [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.

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

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]

†The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To move, That the Grand Committee do consider the England Rural Development Programme (Closure of Project-Based Schemes) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2298). [45th Report from the Merits Committee]

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.

†[The Lord Rooker intends to move the following two motions en bloc: but if any Lord objects the motions must be moved separately]

†Victims and Survivors (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—The Lord Rooker to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 9th October be approved. [Considered in Grand Committee on 25th October]

†Electricity Consents (Planning) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—The Lord Rooker to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 9th October be approved. [Considered in Grand Committee on 25th October]

†Rates (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006—The Lord Rooker to move, That the draft Order laid before the House on 9th October be approved. [Considered in Grand Committee on 25th October]

†The Lord Smith of Clifton—To move, as an amendment to the above motion, to leave out all the words after “That” and insert, “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, as an amendment to the motion in the name of the Lord Rooker, at end to insert “but 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.”

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 Carlile of Berriew—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy on the use of physical restraints, including seclusion and strip searching, on children in custody.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

[Tabled on 30th 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 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 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)

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 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 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 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)

30th October

The Lord Elton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish in draft the Annex to Planning Policy Statement 23 (Planning and Light Pollution) giving a clear policy statement on light pollution, on which an undertaking to consult was made in 2004. (HL8019)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that public authorities do not use the application of a public interest test to delay disclosure of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 beyond the time that is required to perform such a test. (HL8020)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the Note Verbale (ref no: Con LA/1956) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of Nepal to the British Embassy in Kathmandu. (HL8021)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide the dates and projected cost of the proposed trip by Home Office officials to Nepal. (HL8022)

The Lord Lester of Herne Hill—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in view of the judgment of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in Kyprianou v. Cyprus, they have any proposals to change the common law on contempt in the face of the court. (HL8023)

The Baroness Barker—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the National Health Service has spent on redundancy costs in each of the last ten financial years. (HL8024)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what formula they are using to calculate contributions to their carbon offsetting fund. (HL8025)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to the Written Answer by Nick Harvey MP representing the House of Commons Commission on 22nd March (HC Deb, 398W), whether there is now a carbon offsetting policy for the Parliamentary Estate. (HL8026)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the quality of the study on electric shock collars by Matthijs B H Schilder and Joanne A M van der Borg; if so, what is that assessment; and whether further research on electric shock collars is necessary. (HL8027)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish their response to the European Union’s Maritime Green Paper. (HL8028)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations they are undertaking with interested parties and groups on their response to the European Union’s Maritime Green Paper. (HL8029)

The Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the concept of Marine Spatial Planning; and whether they envisage involving regional and local authorities in such a system. (HL8030)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Drayson on 19th October (WS 87-8), when the findings on the Vaccines Interactions Research Programme, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, will be made available in full to the Royal British Legion and placed in the Library of the House. (HL8031)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost to public funds of the Vaccines Interactions Research Programme at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, Porton Down. (HL8032)

The Lord Morris of Manchester—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by the Lord Drayson on 19th October (WS 87-8), for how long possible adverse effects on the health of staff at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, Porton Down, alleged to have received the combination of vaccines and tablets administered to United Kingdom forces deployed to the 1990-91 Gulf conflict, will be monitored. (HL8033)

The Lord Tyler—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16th October (WA 174), what study the Medical Research Council has made of the research on immune abnormalities associated with chronic fatigue syndrome at the University of Miami School of Medicine and its possible relevance to illnesses among British veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf war. (HL8034)

The Lord Carlile of Berriew—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much public money was spent on the funding of the British Pavilion at the current Venice Architectural Biennale; and what is their assessment of its effectiveness as a showcase for contemporary British architecture. (HL8035)

The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the remuneration and allowances of foster parents working for local authorities has increased over the past 12 months by more than the rate of inflation; and whether there is now a national minimum allowance. (HL8036)

The Lord Hylton—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the shortage of foster parents, estimated at 8,000 in 2005, has been reduced; whether social services, in conjunction with the British Association for Adoption and Fostering and the Fostering Network, have been successful in (a) improving recruitment, and (b) developing training and support for foster-parents. (HL8037)

The Lord Ramsbotham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many young offenders in each young offender institution and secure training centre have been referred to a speech and language therapist over the previous 12 months. (HL8038)

The Lord Dykes—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the capacity of United Kingdom military forces to contribute sufficient numbers of combat troops for peacekeeping duties in both Iraq and Afghanistan. (HL8039)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what files were lost by the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses will have on the Institute; whether any work or projects will be affected, delayed or abandoned as a result of the fire; and what costs were incurred. (HL8040)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many successful prosecutions were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last ten years against individuals for crimes committed whilst detained or sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983. (HL8041)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether statistics on crimes committed by individuals whilst detained or sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 are collected by individual police forces. (HL8042)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government by how much the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has been underspent in each of the last five years. (HL8043)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what cutbacks they envisage in the budget of the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure as a result of the creation of the Transitional Fund for Festivals in 2006. (HL8044)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what debts to the government of the United States as a result of the First World War remain outstanding. (HL8045)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 27th October (WA 265) concerning the Social Security (Contributions) (Northern Ireland) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/597), they will answer the question asked by the Lord Laird in Question for Written Answer (HL7831). (HL8046)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to offer training to those in Northern Ireland who organise community festivals. (HL8047)

The Baroness Tonge—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any proposals relating to the cultivation and uses of hemp in the United Kingdom. (HL8048)

The Baroness Tonge—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits and disadvantages of the cultivation of hemp as a cash crop in developing countries. (HL8049)

The Lord Stevens of Ludgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Lord Triesman on 29th June (HL Deb, cols. 1439-40) that around half of all United Kingdom legislation with an impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector stems from legislation agreed by Ministers in Brussels, on what basis the figure for all United Kingdom legislation was calculated. (HL8050)

The Lord Stevens of Ludgate—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Lord Triesman on 29th June (HL Deb, cols. 1439-40) that nine per cent of all statutory instruments originate in Brussels, what is the total number of statutory instruments issued in the United Kingdom in each of the last two years which originate from (a) Brussels, and (b) the United Kingdom. (HL8051)

The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in calculating the contribution which each class of heavy lorry should make to Vehicle Excise Duty, what account they took of the latest calculations of the damage factors relating to axle weights; and whether any allowances are made in these calculations for vehicles which are overloaded. (HL8052)

The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham (WA 259), why they do not offer substantial prizes in the annual Community Rail Awards to encourage voluntary efforts being made throughout the network. (HL8053)

The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 24th October (WA 234), whether the Burns Inquiry has addressed the question of whether heavy goods vehicles as a whole meet the costs attributed to their operation. (HL8054)

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER AWAITING ANSWER

30th 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 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)

16th October

17th October

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 giving through their development programme to the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of children under arms in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [DfID] (HL7794)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Sea King helicopters are held in long-term storage at HMS Sultan; and what steps are being taken to make them deployable. [MoD] (HL7796)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what helicopter activity they are funding in their international development programme; and through which agencies. [DfID] (HL7797)

The Baroness Byford—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to paragraph 8.52 of their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report, Water Management (8th Report, HL Paper 191-I), whether the consultation on the United Kingdom Technical Advisory Group’s proposals has been completed; and when they will respond to the consultation. [DEFRA] (HL7800)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they use to evaluate the success of immigration removal centres; and whether the initial acceptance rate of one per cent for new detained asylum seekers in the fast track process at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre is an indicator of success. [HO] (HL7803)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average length of detention of asylum seekers subject to the fast track process at immigration removal centres; and how this compares with the figures before the process was introduced. [HO] (HL7804)

The Earl of Sandwich—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long victims of torture, rape and sexual violence have under the fast track process at immigration removal centres to obtain independent legal and professional advice in time for both their initial claims and their appeals; and what priority their cases receive. [HO] (HL7805)

19th October

The Countess of Mar—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many primary food producers are members of the board of the Food Standards Agency; how many vacancies there are on the board; and whether it is intended that any of these vacancies should be filled by primary food producers. [DoH] (HL7811)

The Lord Lucas—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they would support the formation of a separate professional body by organisations solely representing the interpreting profession. [DTI] (HL7813)

The Lord Lucas—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the interpreting profession’s initiative to bring forward proposals for a national call centre for interpreters, similar to that used by police for duty solicitors. [HO] (HL7814)

The Lord Lucas—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidelines have been or are being established to ensure that, as far as possible, only qualified interpreters are used within the criminal justice system; what percentage usage of qualified interpreters would be regarded as good practice; and how the guidelines set up in the new Interpreter’s Working Agreement will be monitored. [HO] (HL7815)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect of Part 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 on the planning system in terms of speed, transparency, the level of bureaucracy and general effectiveness; and what actions they are taking to review the operation of the Act. [DCLG] (HL7816)

The Lord Greaves—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, if separate elections are held for more than one vacancy on the same day in the same ward or division of the same local authority or parish council, it is possible for a person to stand in each separate election; and what are the consequences if such a candidate tops the poll in more than one of the elections. [DCA] (HL7818)

The Lord Hanningfield—To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Home Office has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the last ten years. [HO] (HL7820)

The Lord Whitty—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance is given by the Department of Health in relation to the suitability of companies tendering for contracts for the provision of residential care. [DoH] (HL7821)

The Baroness Hanham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the publication of the Summary of responses to the consultation paper on security tenure for residential boats in May 2006, what progress they have made on their commitment to take forward, in consultation with stakeholders, best practice guidance and a model written agreement. [DCLG] (HL7822)

The Baroness Hanham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the publication of the Summary of responses to the consultation paper on security tenure for residential boats in May 2006, what progress they have made on their commitment to undertake ongoing planning reform so that suitable moorings can be developed and include planning in the best practice guidance. [DCLG] (HL7823)

The Baroness Hanham—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the publication of the Summary of responses to the consultation paper on security tenure for residential boats in May 2006, what progress they have made on their commitment to encourage sponsoring departments to write to the main navigation authorities outlining the Government’s expectations of the role of the authorities with respect to residential boating. [DCLG] (HL7824)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 9th October (WA 104), how the three public relations firms who quoted for the account of Rally Ireland were selected; and by whom this selection was made. [NIO] (HL7828)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any proposals to recognise the work of the voluntary ambulance services throughout the civil unrest in Northern Ireland. [NIO] (HL7829)

The Lord Laird—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote the concept of Fair Trade in Northern Ireland. [NIO] (HL7830)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to appointing a dedicated family liaison officer for members of the Armed Forces deployed to Basra. [MoD] (HL7832)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a recent review of procedures for family members and colleagues to report concerns about the health of serving Armed Forces personnel has been undertaken. [MoD] (HL7833)

The Lord Astor of Hever—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Ministry of Defence will put in place structured support services, and in particular an independent and confidential self-referral counselling service, for Special Investigation Branch staff in high-risk operational areas. [MoD] (HL7834)

The Lord Bradshaw—To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they decided to reduce the funding available for the canal system. [DEFRA] (HL7835)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18th October (WA 186-7), what is the basis for their assertion that a person who acquired British Overseas citizenship under Article 6(1) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 as a result of being a Hong Kong British Dependent Territories citizen under section 16 of the British Nationality Act 1981 did so by birth; and whether they will make the relevant updates to the B(OS) application form and guidance notes. [HO] (HL7837)

The Lord Avebury—To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 18th October (WA 186-7), whether