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Arbil, Iraq: Destruction of Books and MSS

Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will call the attention of their partners in the European Union, and of the United States, to the account given by the Kurdish scholar Dr. Nouri Talabany of the burning of his collection of more than 3,000 books and manuscripts in Arbil after the Kurdish Democratic Party took the city with the aid of Iraqi forces.

Lord Chesham: We were not aware of the event described. It appears to have been a highly regrettable act of vandalism. We have no plans to raise it in the EU or with the US.

23 Jan 1997 : Column WA65

Prisoners Returning from Abroad: Habitual Residence Test

Lord Beaumont of Whitley asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to see that British nationals returning from abroad after a period in a foreign prison have sufficient funds to live on before they are deemed to be "habitually resident in the United Kingdom".

The Minister of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish): The Government cannot exempt British nationals from the habitual residence test because of anti-discriminatory terms in EC law and the European Convention for Social and Medical Assistance. To support British nationals who fail the habitual residence test through the social security system whilst they establish habitual residence would be deemed discriminatory for the same reasons.

Petrol Stations: Sale of Alcohol

Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether it is now their opinion that the selling of alcohol is an ancillary activity to the selling of petrol at petrol stations and whether this is expected to contribute to, or to discourage, drinking and driving.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch): Section 9 of the Licensing Act 1964 prohibits the sale of alcohol from petrol stations. The aim is to discourage drinking and driving arising from casual purchases by drivers.

The courts have ruled that premises are not petrol stations for the purposes of this legislation if petrol sales do not constitute the majority of their business. If they apply for liquor licences, the licensing justices would wish to be satisfied amongst other things that there was a need for licensed premises there.

Charity Lotteries

Lord Mancroft asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any plans to amend the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976, and whether they will give an assurance that they will not further limit charities' abilities to promote lotteries.

Baroness Blatch: The restrictions on promoting society lotteries were relaxed in May 1994.

We laid an order on 20th January to increase local and society lottery prizes and expenses limits from 50 per cent. and 30 per cent. to 55 per cent. and 35 per cent. respectively from 10th February 1997. There will be a combined prizes and expenses limit of 80 per cent. These changes will benefit charities which use lotteries to raise funds.

We have no plans to introduce greater restrictions.

23 Jan 1997 : Column WA66

Asylum Seekers Married to UK Citizens

The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many asylum seekers, out of the total number held in immigration detention centres on 1st January 1997 or an equivalent recent date, were married to United Kingdom citizens, and how many of those are still awaiting decisions from the immigration authorities.

Baroness Blatch: As at 11th December 1996, the most recent date for which information is available, a total of 426 persons who had sought asylum at some stage were recorded as being detained solely under Immigration Act powers in immigration detention centres. Of these, 81 were awaiting an initial decision on their asylum application.

Information on the number of detained asylum seekers married to United Kingdom citizens can only be obtained by examination of individual case records. The information requested is, therefore, only available at disproportionate costs.

Asylum Seekers: Hunger Strikes

The Earl of Sandwich asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many asylum seekers held in immigration detention centres during the past two years have been on full hunger strike for more than three days continuously, for what periods of time, and with what results.

Baroness Blatch: Central records of immigration detainees refusing food or fluids do not distinguish between those who have applied for asylum and others, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The available information for the past two complete years is given below:

1995

Number of persons refusing food	Duration of refusal under 20 days	Duration of refusal 20-40 days	Duration of refusal 40-55 days
55	30	21	4

Removed from the United Kingdom: 6

Granted temporary admission/release: 7

Granted bail: 1

Resumed eating voluntarily: 41
1996

Number of persons refusing food	Duration of refusal under 20 days	Duration of refusal 20-40 days	Duration of refusal 40-55 days
42	34	7	1




Removed from the United Kingdom: 1

Granted temporary admission/release: 1

Granted bail: 0

Resumed eating voluntarily: 18

23 Jan 1997 : Column WA67

A number of immigration detainees in the Detainee Centre, Rochester Prison, have been refusing food since 6th January 1997. The total fluctuates daily but on the evening of 19th January 31 detainees refused food.

Message Handling Review

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked the Chairman of Committees:

What was the cost of the Palace of Westminster Message Handling Review undertaken by Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group in 1996.

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham): The total cost of the message handling review was £144,667.18 including VAT. The House of Lords share of this was £23,725.41 (16.4 per cent. of the total).

Agriculture Council, 20th and 21st January

Lord Holmpatrick asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 20th and 21st January 1997.

Lord Lucas: The Council held a first discussion of the Commission's report on the future of the tobacco regime. My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food asked for the possibility of phasing out support for tobacco to be examined along with other options identified by the Commission.

The Council unanimously adopted a proposal strengthening the controls over eligibility for aid for growing flax. It adopted by qualified majority (Germany opposing) a proposal providing for the EC to contribute to member states' costs in dealing with serious plant pests.

During an informal discussion on follow-up to the Cork declaration on rural development, Commissioner Fischler outlined his view that EU rural support policy needed to be simpler, more comprehensible and better integrated, taking greater account of subsidiarity. My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food broadly welcomed these principles, stressing the need for budget neutrality and the importance of considering these issues in the context of the CAP reforms which will be required to take account of EU enlargement.

BSE

Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of cases of BSE that have been confirmed during each week of 1995 and 1996, together with the moving annual total cases reported in each 52-week period for each week in the two years.

23 Jan 1997 : Column WA68

Lord Lucas: The following table shows the number of cases confirmed during each week in 1995 and 1996 with a moving annual total of cases reported in each 52-week period in the two years:

Week	52-week total reported	Number confirmed each week
1995
1	29,903	285
2	29,575	364
3	29,140	318
4	28,747	576
5	28,348	474
6	27,943	538
7	27,635	516
8	27,264	533
9	26,977	387
10	26,691	300
11	26,303	299
12	25,937	411
13	25,599	381
14	25,367	328
15	25,062	305
16	24,757	344
17	24,395	196
18	24,136	485
19	23,842	249
20	23,662	281
21	23,420	353
22	23,218	121
23	22,979	225
24	22,826	302
25	22,579	235
26	22,363	384
27	22,192	243
28	21,985	361
29	21,803	358
30	21,593	252
31	21,384	244
32	21,276	246
33	21,128	250
34	20,946	276
35	20,732	141
36	20,596	229
37	20,383	328
38	20,180	187
39	19,987	201
40	19,806	259
41	19,603	184
42	19,370	292
43	19,154	217
44	18,970	225
45	18,830	242
46	18,714	314
47	18,639	274
48	18,493	199
49	18,349	211
50	18,183	282
51	18,086	150
52	17,951	96
1996
1	17,815	141
2	17,629	211
3	17,488	191
4	17,378	216
5	17,216	240
6	17,115	335
7	17,025	312
8	16,927	270
9	16,806	235
10	16,667	186
11	16,576	184
12	16,512	240
13	16,500	198
14	16,315	117
15	16,142	36
16	15,993	252
17	15,893	111
18	15,757	196
19	15,608	58
20	15,470	124
21	15,408	264
22	15,319	63
23	15,152	330
24	14,998	177
25	14,873	314
26	14,780	205
27	14,651	144
28	14,566	181
29	14,444	194
30	14,279	171
31	14,184	181
32	13,989	96
33	13,791	132
34	13,651	130
35	13,533	113
36	13,358	162
37	13,213	63
38	13,091	199
39	12,964	211
40	12,838	77
41	12,712	151
42	12,606	170
43	12,493	151
44	12,351	165
45	12,150	183
46	11,888	107
47	11,649	157
48	11,442	126
49	11,232	93
50	11,027	73
51	10,768	30
52	10,656	42

Note: Week 1 is the week ending on the first Friday of the year.

23 Jan 1997 : Column WA70

23 Jan 1997 : Column WA69

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