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Marianna Hildyard

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, when Marianna Hildyard was invited to become a QC. [152181]

Mr. Leslie: Marianna Hildyard applied for appointment as a QC in the 2002 Silk round and was appointed on 9 April 2002.

National Land Information System

Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his answer of 19 May, Official Report, column 653W, on the National Land Information System (NLIS), what steps the Government have taken to resolve vires and
 
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governance issues; when the review of governance and CGSG is expected to be completed; what sources outside government deliver relevant third party land and property information via NLIS; and what steps the Government have taken in the past four years to facilitate negotiations with sources outside Government for the delivery of relevant third party information. [126637]

Mr. Lammy: As stated in the answer of 19 May, the governance of NLIS is not a matter for government. National Land Information Service (NLIS) is a non-statutory service operated by private companies, the Government is not aware of any vires issues affecting NLIS. The review of the CGSG is expected to be completed by October 2003. In relation to the delivery of relevant third party land and property information, it is for the relevant NLIS companies (Local Government Information House and the NLIS hub provider) to enter into agreements with data providers on such terms and conditions as they consider appropriate. Central government is not directly involved. However, the NLIS website (www.nlis.org.uk) states that NLIS obtains land and property data from Land Registry, Coal Authority, Environment Agency, local authorities, Ordnance Survey and the National Land and Property Gazetteer. Further information can also be found on the websites of the individual channel providers.

Overseas Electors

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how a UK citizen who lives abroad may register to vote as an overseas elector. [126767]

Mr. Leslie: A UK citizen living abroad should apply to the electoral registration officer (ERO) for the area in the UK in which (s)he was most recently registered if (s)he wishes to be included on the overseas electors' list. An application must include certain prescribed information and initially be witnessed by another UK citizen, and thereafter be renewed annually with the ERO. Once on the overseas electors' list, the elector is   entitled to vote in any general or European parliamentary election that takes place in the UK for a period of 15 years from the time the elector was last included on a UK electoral register.

Pension Data Protection

Mr. Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to remove the data protection controls which restrict pension information being released to company administrators. [125209]

Mr. Lammy: Disclosures of personal information may be made consistently with the Data Protection Act 1998, provided that they comply with the Act's eight general principles of good information handling, or meet the terms of a "non-disclosure" exemption. The Act gives effect in UK law to the 1995 EC Data Protection Directive, which is binding on all member states of the European Union. I understand that my hon. Friend has recently written to the Department about this matter and that my noble Friend Lord Filkin, who has responsibility for this policy area, has written to him to clarify the nature of the particular problem to which he refers.
 
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Public Participation in Politics

Mr. Allen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps the   Government has taken to encourage public participation in politics. [125179]

Mr. Leslie: This Government introduced legislation to set up the independent Electoral Commission, which has a duty to educate and inform the public about the

importance of participation in the democratic process.

The Government has also introduced, from 2002, citizenship education into the national curriculum. The programme of study includes teaching pupils about the importance of voting and participation in the democratic process which is intended to give young people sufficient knowledge to engage with the political process.

Solicitors (Regulation)

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to change the regulatory system used in relation to solicitors in the UK. [126242]

Mr. Lammy: We announced in July 2002 that we will undertake a review of the regulatory framework for legal services in England and Wales. Details of the independent review will be announced soon.

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the case for making the regulatory system used in relation to solicitors in the UK a fully independent body. [126243]

Mr. Lammy: I have made no such assessment. However, we are aware of concerns surrounding the regulation of legal services and will be announcing details soon of a review of the regulatory framework in England and Wales.

Supreme Court

Mr. Cash: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs who will be responsible for the rules of procedure of the new Supreme Court. [126745]

Mr. Leslie: That is a matter we will wish to consider in consultation with the present Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, who will form the initial members of the new Court.

Telecommunications Masts

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many planning applications have been made to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department. [124805]

Mr. Lammy: Since August 2001, when the current planning regulations on mobile telecommunication masts came into force, there have been no planning applications and no applications for prior approval to site telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department.
 
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Written Ministerial Statements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department and its predecessors since 29 October 2002. [126614]

Mr. Lammy: 25 written ministerial statements have been made by my Department and its predecessor since 29 October 2002.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on United Kingdom support for a national Afghan army. [125706]

Mr. Ingram: While the United States is the G8 lead nation for creating the Afghan National Army (ANA), since March 2003 the United Kingdom has provided assistance by training the ANA's Junior Non-Commissioned Officers. The UK has also contributed £5 million to pay for ANA salaries. Finally, the UK trained and supported the First Battalion of the Afghan National Guard until it was merged into the wider ANA training programme in January 2003.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence   whether the United Kingdom Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Mazar-e-Sharif region of Afghanistan will liaise with Afghan military forces acting under direct authority of the Afghan Interim Administration. [125707]

Mr. Ingram: Two of the roles of the Provincial Reconstruction Team are to extend the capacity of the Afghan Transitional Authority and facilitate Security Sector Reform. The Team will therefore liaise as appropriate with units of the Afghan National Army that deploy within the Team's Area of Responsibility.

Armed Forces (Health Care)

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of personnel not fit for employment and awaiting NHS treatment in   (a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Army and (c) the RAF. [118800]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 12 June 2003]: The information requested is not available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. As at    January 2003, 18,338 Service personnel were medically downgraded. Some 40 per cent. of medically downgraded personnel are deployable on military operations although not at the front line, and most of the others are able to undertake some form of military duties. Only a small proportion were not employable in any capacity. The only information held centrally on the numbers of Service personnel awaiting medical treatment relates to those awaiting treatment at NHS Hospital Trusts which host the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the Ministry of Defence Hospital Units. As of 31 March 2003, the latest date for which figures are available, 967 Service personnel were
 
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awaiting in-patient treatment, 1332 were awaiting day-case treatment and 3349 were awaiting out-patient appointments.

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