Sitting of 3 April 2002

Preamble
The House met at half-past Eleven o'clock
PRAYERS
[MR. SPEAKER in the Chair]

Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
11.34 am
Mr. Speaker: I invite the House to rise and observe a minute's silence in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The House observed a minute's silence.
11.35 am
The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair): I beg to move,
That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty expressing the deep sympathies and condolences of this House on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, whose life was given unstintingly in devoted public service to the Country and the Commonwealth; who with his late Majesty King George VI rallied the nation in the darkest days of war and who in times of peace was a unifying figure for Britain, inspiring love and affection in all she met.
On Friday, the Queen Mother's coffin will be carried in a ceremonial procession to Westminster Hall, where it will lie in state until the evening of Monday 8 April. Members of the public will be able to pay their respects there prior to the funeral, which will then take place at 11.30 am on Tuesday 9 April in Westminster Abbey.
I know that the whole House will join me in paying tribute to the Queen Mother who, for almost a century, was part of our lives, inspired our country, aroused its respect and affection, and for whose service and life we give our most profound thanks.
Part of the fascination with the Queen Mother was undoubtedly the sheer span of history that she encompassed, not just the great events of the 20th century—its wars, the ideologies that came and went—but its technological and scientific discoveries and its vastly changing culture. No doubt 1801 was very different from 1701, but 2001, compared with 1901, seems an historic age apart, and yet she saw and experienced it all.
The Queen Mother was born during the Boer war in an era virtually free from the motor car, a time when, she once remembered, a dairy man still often stood with his cow, selling milk near the gates of Buckingham palace. Yet at the end of her life, thousands of people sent e-mails of condolence to the royal website.
During that long life, the Titanic sailed and sank when she was 11; the first world war broke out on her 14th birthday and her first child was born in 1926, the year that television was invented; she was the last Empress of India; in 1986, she became the oldest person to bear the title of Queen in the history of the British monarchy; and, in all, she saw 20 different Prime
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Ministers pass through Downing street. One of my best memories of her is sitting with her at Balmoral as she told me of her personal recollections not just of Churchill and Attlee but of Asquith, Lloyd George and Baldwin.
Undoubtedly this long perspective brought stability to the monarchy and to the country, but the respect that the Queen Mother received and the outpouring of affection accorded her death are not the result simply, or even principally, of her long life. She could have lived for more than 100 years and made little mark. The tributes could have been a ritual, but they were not. They were genuine and heartfelt, from young and old, all classes, all backgrounds and all walks of life. That was because of the person that she was, not the rank that she held. The Queen Mother came to embody what was best about our past and makes us most optimistic about our future.
The Queen Mother never expected to become Queen, despite, as a child, being told by a fortune teller that she would be. It was only after the abdication of King Edward VIII that her husband became King George VI. In 1936, during the abdication crisis, she wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury:
"I can hardly believe that we have been called to the tremendous task … the curious thing is that we are not afraid."
The Queen Mother's husband had seen active service in the Navy. She had never anticipated the role of Queen. Both had led lives reasonably broad in experience and in meeting people.
The second world war was to prove that fate had chosen well for Britain. Hitler, it is said, watching a newsreel clip of Queen Elizabeth laying a poppy at a first world war memorial and noticing her poise and spirit, dubbed her the most dangerous woman in Europe—at least for him. King George and Queen Elizabeth rallied the nation magnificently during the second world war's worst hours and days. Her refusal to leave London is now legendary. A clue to why she refused can be found in what she wrote after visiting the east end:
"I feel quite exhausted after seeing and hearing so much sadness, sorrow, heroism and magnificent spirit. The destruction is so awful and the people so wonderful they deserve a better world."
She spent nights in air raid shelters and took revolver shooting lessons in the grounds of the palace. Her spirit and the British spirit became inseparably intertwined.
The Queen Mother was a unifying figure because she personified the diversity and unity of Britain and the Commonwealth. She considered herself a Scot, and was proud of it. A descendant of Scottish royalty, she spent a lot of time from an early age at her family's estates in Scotland. She was never happier than when at her home, the Castle of Mey in Caithness, or fly fishing in Scotland's rivers. During a visit to South Africa in 1946, she met an old Boer veteran who told her bitterly:
"I can never forgive what the English did to my people."
Not at all put out, she replied:
"Oh, I do so understand. We in Scotland often feel just the same."
In all her work, the Queen Mother was motivated by the most powerful sense of duty and service. She believed that the royal family's duty was to serve the nation. She carried out that role with total and selfless devotion, even after she had suffered the loss of her beloved husband.

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She was still carrying out 130 engagements a year at the age of 80, and more than 50 at the age of 100. She was involved, often as patron or president, in considerably more than 300 charities, voluntary bodies and other organisations. She served the British Legion, for example, throughout almost its whole existence over nearly 80 years.
We should remember the Queen Mother for her great sense of fun and her zest for life. Her enthusiasm and humour shone through in all that she did, whether it was handing out shamrocks to the Irish Guards on St. Patrick's day, inspecting the Chelsea pensioners or indulging her lifelong and very serious passion for horse racing. Her infectious sense of fun could charm even opponents. The veteran anti-monarchist and former Member of Parliament, Willie Hamilton, said, on her 80th birthday:
"I am glad to salute a remarkable old lady. Long may she live to be the pride of her family. And may God understand and forgive me if I have been ensnared and corrupted—if only briefly—by this superb old trouper."
The Queen Mother not only enjoyed life to the full, but helped others to do so. Her longevity and her vitality in old age gave hope to older people everywhere. Commenting on her extraordinary vigour and gaiety—she was still dancing well into her 90s—she once said:
"I love life, that's my secret."
As His Royal Highness Prince Charles has said, she was
"the original life enhancer—gloriously unstoppable."
Today, our thoughts and prayers are with all the royal family, and especially with Her Majesty the Queen, who in the space of a few weeks has so cruelly suffered the loss of her sister and her mother. The Queen has borne that with her customary dignity, continuing to serve the nation even while she grieves.
We have seen in the many moving and memorable tributes paid to the Queen Mother the recurring themes of her love of life, her warmth and humour, her love of country and, above all, her devotion to duty. It is the belief in duty that best captures her spirit, yet it was not duty in an arid or formal sense. She enjoyed life, lived it and loved it to the full. She showed, however, how it could be lived and loved while not for one moment compromising her commitment to duty. It is that combination of high integrity and simple humanity that made her not just respected but loved. There is nothing false or complicated about the public response to her death. It is the simplest of equations: she loved her country and in turn her country loved her. For that, and for her long life of service and devotion, we earnestly give our thanks and praise.
11.45 am
Mr. Iain Duncan Smith: In supporting the Humble Address, all Opposition Members concur entirely with the tribute that the Prime Minister paid to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. As he said, our thoughts and prayers are with her Majesty the Queen and the royal family, particularly because in this, her golden jubilee year, Her Majesty has had to suffer the death of her sister and now her mother within a matter of weeks—a personal tragedy.
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Fifty years ago, Sir Winston Churchill stood in the Prime Minister's place as the House gathered to mourn the death of the King. He said of the King during the last war:
"the fate and fortunes of the whole nation and of his realms were centred not only in his office but in his soul, that was the ordeal which he could not have endured without the strong, loving support of his devoted and untiring wife and Consort."—[Official Report, 11 February 1952; Vol. 495, c. 961]
Sir Winston Churchill was more aware than anyone of the service that the Queen Mother gave our nation. All of us owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the woman who played such a vital part in defending our liberty and democracy.
We often tend to think of great figures in our history as being victorious generals, influential thinkers or inspiring national leaders. The Queen Mother's great contribution to our nation was different and special. She did not lead military campaigns, inspire through speeches or transform the nation directly, but by standing resolute in the face of danger beside her husband the King and her country, and by providing a loving family in which her children and grandchildren could grow up, she made a contribution that was no less enduring. In this, the Queen Mother shared the attitude of millions of British soldiers, public servants and private citizens whose service to future generations is given through individual lives of courage, love and devotion. When her country needed it most, she gave her inner strength and her wonderful personality. In doing so, she embodied what is good and noble about the people of our country.
As the Prince of Wales said in his moving tribute to his grandmother,
"She understood the British character and her heart belonged to this ancient land and its equally indomitable and humorous inhabitants."
Queen Elizabeth's life embraced a century of tumultuous change, as the Prime Minister said. When she was born, the motor car was still an uncommon sight on our streets and, by the time she died, people thought nothing of flying to the other side of the world. It was a century of enormous technological advance, from communications to medicine—a century that produced penicillin and the internet, but also two world wars and the atomic bomb. It was a century in which democracy flourished, but it was also regularly threatened by regimes of monstrous depravity, such as those of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
During that century, the Queen Mother personally also had to suffer the early loss of a much-loved brother and of a husband worn down, perhaps, by responsibilities that were unexpected. From the Queen Mother we learn that character and inner strength can be a formidable anchor during times of change and upheaval. She felt no need to trim to the prevailing winds of fad and fashion; instead she stayed true to herself. Yet she never seemed anachronistic or, less still, out of touch—our memory of her has a timeless quality.
The Queen Mother's strength was that she brought to her public duties the same enjoyment with which she practised her private enthusiasms. She rejoiced in the company of young people. She was devoted to her regiments, passionate about her sporting interests—from fishing to racing—and brought energy to all the causes with which she was associated.

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I first heard of the death of the Queen Mother when I was fishing on a Scottish loch on Saturday. It struck me at the time that she might well have approved of such a way of spending a Saturday afternoon. My first reaction was sadness, but as I thought more it turned to gratitude, for the Queen Mother's life was long, well lived and for the benefit of many. She was, frankly, the best of us.
Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family should know that all of us in the House and in the country share their sadness, but that our sadness is balanced with pride. We are proud to have shared in the life of this deeply loved and remarkable lady.
11.51 am
Mr. Charles Kennedy: On behalf of my right hon. and hon. Friends, may I say that it is our privilege to give our support to the Humble Address moved by the Prime Minister?
Her Majesty's passing marks, without doubt, the end of a very long and, indeed, seminal chapter in our country's history. Without doubt, hers was the story of the 20th century, and what an extraordinary story it has been.
As the leader of the Conservative party rightly acknowledged, Her Majesty's passing follows, after only a few short weeks, the untimely passing of Princess Margaret. For the Queen, of course, the whole House will wish to express its profound sympathy for the loss of both her only sister and now her mother in such a short space of time. Let us not forget Princess Margaret's children who, during the same period, have lost both their mother and their grandmother. Coming as it does in jubilee year, it must be very hard indeed for that family to have to live out those setbacks in such a public way.
The Queen Mother came from an era that seems very distant for us today, yet for all of us who had the opportunity to meet and talk with her it was obvious that she belonged very much here in the present. She had a fantastic knowledge of and interest in contemporary events and people. She had the gift of being absorbed completely in whatever she was doing at any given time. Her achievements went beyond mere incredible statistical longevity. She was the key bond between the monarchy and the people of our country.
Over the weekend, my parents were reflecting on their wartime experiences: my mother's in Glasgow—your home city, Mr. Speaker—and my father's in the west highlands of Scotland. The signal sent by the King and Queen in terms of their personal commitment was vast, especially to the people of London and the other cities in the south that suffered so much during the blitz; but that message resonated every bit as much in remote places such as the north of Scotland, which would never have caught a glimpse of the monarchy at that stage of the country's development. It was psychologically very important.
I want to say a word about the special place that the Queen Mother always had in the hearts of people in Scotland. She was raised at Glamis castle. Scotland was where she really belonged: whether it was the bracing air of Balmoral, salmon fishing on the River Dee or the River Thurso, or indeed her most immediate legacy, which has been discussed, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso), who, as a trustee of the Castle of Mey, hopes to catch your eye later, Mr. Speaker—the
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far-sighted renovation of the Castle of Mey and the way in which she has bequeathed it for future generations. That is a cause of great pride and celebration in our area.
Scots do not always give of their affection lightly. I think that the Prime Minister might agree with that in other contexts from time to time. As a people they are not over-impressed by grandeur, but all generations of Scots took the Queen Mother absolutely to their hearts, because of her warmth and because she identified so strongly with us.
We all have our Queen Mother anecdotes; one of my favourites concerns a friend of mine, the late Mark Bonham Carter. The Queen Mother used to visit Mark's house once a year for a private lunch or dinner, and he would invite friends of his from a cross-section of age groups and walks of life. On this occasion I was asked along, and it was very pleasant. There were a couple of dozen of us and the Queen Mother was holding forth on subjects ranging from agriculture to Europe, and even proportional representation—she was not very sound on that one, Mr. Speaker. [Interruption.] I do not think that we want to divide the House on that issue.
The Queen Mother arrived with her private detective, slightly late, and he was shown into an adjacent room. We all sat down and ate and argued our way through a splendid lunch. At the end, when it was time for the Queen Mother to leave, someone went off to raise the private detective—and "raise" proved to be the operative word. The private detective—her protection—was sound asleep in an armchair. He looked a bit embarrassed by this discovery, and I said a word of condolence to him for having been caught out in that way. He said, "The problem is, I am exhausted; I just can't keep up with her."
On the Queen Mother's 100th birthday, a number of us had to present the loyal petitions on behalf of both Houses of Parliament at Clarence house, and she held court, in every sense of the word, in the garden; a beautiful afternoon it was, too. I got a real earbashing about the state of fishing in the north of Scotland, and what I was going to do about it. That seemed to me to be rather a tall order, to say the least.
This matriarch for the country as a whole, who will be so greatly missed, perhaps teaches all of us an important truth. We get obsessed with institutions and structures, but people really respond to people. She responded to people, she liked people, and as a result they liked her and she helped save and preserve a great institution. We wish her well.
11.57 am
Mr. Tam Dalyell: On 14 February 1990, Speaker Jack Weatherill had the happy idea of inviting a cross-section of 15 Members of Parliament to meet the Queen Mother in Speaker's House. The hon. Member for North Antrim (Rev. Ian Paisley), the leader of the Democratic Unionist party, and—smiling on the Front Bench—my right hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng), will remember the occasion.
After a very nice dinner, and a beautiful speech from the Queen Mother, we were sat down, one by one, by the Speaker for three or four minutes each, next to her on that Speaker's couch that you know so well, Mr. Speaker. When my turn came, I had just sat down and she turned to me and said, "Mr. Dalyell, tell me about Scotland and Scottish devolution." I will spare the House what I said,

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but then she added, with a twinkle in her eye and a slightly malicious smile, "Of course you know that I can't tell you what I think." She had a real and very sharp sense of humour. But, as the leader of the Liberal party said, she was profoundly concerned about Scotland.
I had the good fortune to have something to do with her, as I was a member of the council of the Scottish National Trust in the 1960s and 1970s. The Scottish National Trust never had a more active patron—in fact, no organisation had a more active patron—than the Queen Mother. It was the view of the late director, Sir Jamie Stormonth Darling, confirmed by the former deputy director, Findlay McQuarrie, that it was the Queen Mother who drove through a number of schemes with her personal interest. In schemes such as the little houses at Dunkeld and Culross, and the good work of the Crown Estate Commissioners in Fife, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer knows very well, at Dysart, her personal interest made all the difference.
The officials of the Scottish National Trust said, "Not only is she patron, she actually reads the minutes and asks us sharp questions about them. So I suspect that for a number of organisations she was far more than a titular head.
The right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Inverness, West (Mr. Kennedy) referred to the Castle of Mey, which ought to be her memorial because it was personal to her. I had the opportunity to go there with the Ancient Monuments Board of Historic Scotland. At the end of my visit, I asked the experts who took us around, "Who had the good taste to advise the Queen Mother on this beautiful interior?", because she had rescued a castle that was almost irredeemable. They said, "Look, no one advised her; she oversaw and did a lot of this herself." I extend all good wishes to the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (John Thurso)—one of the four trustees, with John Stobo and Lord Caithness, and the chair, Ashe Windham—in their opening for the summer of the Queen Mother's castle, because it is very different from the royal palaces: it is hers and in her taste.
I end on the matter of taste—I realise that I am on delicate ground—but having known the Queen Mother not well, but sufficiently, I just wonder whether the sister of Fergus Bowes Lyon, who, as the Leader of the Opposition said, died tragically in the first world war, would object if, after we have paid tribute and after a quarter of an hour or so, there was a discussion of the urgent situations, because I think that she would have been deeply concerned about events, for example, in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
12.2 pm
Mr. Alex Salmond: On behalf of the Scottish National party and Plaid Cymru, I want to express our condolences to the Queen Mother's friends and family and offer our support for the Humble Address. When a grand old lady dies in her 102nd year, it is not a tragedy. There is sadness certainly, but it is more a time to reflect on a remarkable life. It was highly appropriate yesterday that the Queen Mother's coffin was accompanied by Pipe Major Motherwell, playing "The Dark Island"—a lament, as you will know from your own
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experience Mr. Speaker, written not in the mists of antiquity but rather more than halfway through the Queen Mother's remarkable century.
Those hon. Members who have spoken so far have referred to the momentous events that the Queen Mother has lived through, but I prefer to offer a few recollections and reflections on that life. I very much liked the Prime Minister's story about the Queen Mother's encounter with the disgruntled Afrikaner. It has been said that the Queen Mother bore her Scottish identity with pride. That is certainly true, but what I found remarkable is that each of the four hon. Members who have spoken thus far on their personal experience with the Queen Mother emerged totally convinced that she was on their side. That indicates a remarkable political talent, not to say a certain tolerance on the Queen Mother's part.
The Queen Mother bore her Scottish identity with pride, and looking back, as I have done in the past few days, at the newspaper front pages at the time of the accession, there was an early love relationship between the Queen Mother and the Scottish people because she was greeted then as the first Scottish queen for 400 years. The Queen Mother's Scottish upbringing at Glamis probably gave her her greatest talent and gift of all, which stood her in greatest stead: not so much a common touch as an ease and facility with people.
I suspect that there is no greater challenge for anyone in public life than dealing with people in a state of bereavement, in finding that mix of compassion and humour that allows people to feel that bit better in their times of greatest extremity. Ten years ago, I witnessed how that should be done when the Queen Mother unveiled the Piper Alpha memorial in Hazelhead park in Aberdeen. It was an extraordinarily hot day, nearly 90 deg, and the Queen Mother herself was 90, yet for a matter of hours that afternoon, she behaved towards 167 bereaved families in an absolutely impeccable fashion—an example for all in public life that is much aspired to, but not always followed. I know from the recollections of others who encountered her in similar situations that that experience has been shared by us all.
I shared with the Queen Mother an interest in horse racing. Indeed, we shared that interest with the Leader of the House, although I suspect that neither the right hon. Gentleman nor myself conferred the same respectability on the sport as the Queen Mother did. Over the past few days, the mysterious collapse of the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch, has been written and reminisced about. It belly-flopped 50 yards from the finish line just as it was about to win the grand national in 1956. The remarkable thing about the story is not the event—unprecedented and remarkable though that was—but the Queen Mother's reaction to the defeat. First, there was a philosophical "That's racing"; secondly, a concern for the jockey, the horse and the trainer; and thirdly, and most important, full and public congratulations for the owners and connections of the winning horse. There was something irresistible in the way that the Queen Mother reacted to adversity in both large and small events. As the Queen Mother goes on her final journey next Tuesday, it is highly appropriate to wish her, as the Racing Post did yesterday, a sunny day with the going good.
12.6 pm
Mr. David Trimble: I support the Humble Address in its expression of condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family on the death

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of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. In expressing sympathy on behalf of my colleagues, I am conscious of the fact that I am also expressing sympathy on behalf of very many people in Northern Ireland who are drawn from right across the political spectrum and who feel a sense of loss and sadness at the death of the Queen Mother.
A number of people have spoken about the Queen Mother's character, her sense of humour and the way in which she could conduct herself to put almost anyone she met at ease. She expressed and carried herself with extraordinary grace without in any way losing a sense of her majesty or position. She had such an effect on the people of Northern Ireland from the first time that she visited it in 1924 as the Duchess of York right through until her comparatively recent visits.
One remembers the Queen Mother not so much because of her character, longevity and the events that she lived through, but more because of the contribution that she made towards this nation over time. Reference has been made to her courage and to her sense of duty Inevitably, one thinks of how she and His Majesty King George VI conducted themselves during the second world war. However, I rather suspect that, when the full story is told, we will realise that she made an even greater contribution in the mid to late 1930s. With her husband, she provided stability at a time when our society was under great stress. That active contribution then and during the war years will be seen not as her only contribution to our nation's life, but the most significant.
The Queen Mother's courage did not diminish either. I recall that the plans and details of her visit to Northern Ireland in 1983 were stolen from a press cameraman's car in Dublin a few days before the visit was to take place. However, she carried on with the visit and, to the consternation of those responsible for her security, she departed from her itinerary to mingle with the crowd. That emphasised her courage and her ready rapport with the people.
As we have all acknowledged, the Queen Mother made a tremendous contribution over a long period. Underneath it all was her sense of duty and her sense of having a job to discharge and a service to give to our nation. That will be remembered.
12.9 pm
Mr. Stuart Bell: I want to say a few words as Second Church Estates Commissioner on behalf of the Church of England as the established Church, although my remarks will cover all faiths and religions.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother lived the life of a true Christian, finding her deep spirituality in the worship of God, in the stories of the Bible and in the singing of hymns. She enjoyed going to church. It was a part of her life. As the Archbishop of Canterbury has said:
"Christian love shone through her character … it was the great depth and simplicity of her own Christian faith that saw her through one hundred and one years."
Her faith would see her through the troubled days of the abdication of Edward VIII, which saw her husband come to the throne; the dark days of the blitz and the years of the war; the anxieties of state; the tragedy of losing her husband when only half of her life had been lived; and numerous operations and health scares that have tended to be forgotten as she lived to see out the fullness of her
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days. Her faith, her family and her sense of public duty—she was steadfast in them all. They were a joy and comfort to her.
We saw goodness and love in her life, and what that love and goodness has meant to each one of us. She might have been born in a world of privilege, but she subordinated that privilege to a sense of public duty. Her motto seemed to be the greater the privilege, the greater the public duty. She had a vision—a clear view of her world. She might have walked with kings and archbishops, but she never lost Kipling's common touch. In her love of racing, she would have seen the likes of the famous tipster Prince Monolulu on the race course and she might have read and enjoyed the racing novels of Sir Dick Francis, her ex-jockey, but she also introduced the royal walkabout with the King.
Faith, it is said, can move mountains. The Queen Mother did not need to move mountains, but she was able to show that faith can be an inspiration to us all to lead a good life, a useful life, a dedicated life. She showed that goodness, like mercy, can touch the lives of others, as she did walking around the east end in the blitz. She showed that even the memory, the recollection, the remembrance of things past, can create goodness in others and make better persons of thousands—possibly millions—who had never met or spoken to her, but who had felt her presence and been motivated by her example. The Queen Mother has left us not a footprint in the sands of time, but a monument to decency—a beacon that shall shine as a guiding light unto a perfect day.
The Church shall rejoice in her life because her faith has nourished the faith of others. Christians and others of all religions the world over can be inspired by her example in what, for many of them in different parts of the world, are troubled times. She believed in the faith that, like love, passeth all understanding. We must mourn her passing but think of her in our prayers, and think too of those she has left behind, not only members of the royal family, who clearly loved her dearly, but the people of our nation who equally loved her.
12.13 pm
Rev. Ian Paisley: May I identify myself with the remarks that others have made, and express the sympathy of those whom I represent in this House and the people of Northern Ireland whom I represent here on this sad occasion?
Our words are but breath: they are like life itself—they appear for a little time and then vanish away. Our tributes today are but tiny tributaries that can never fill the great ocean of what we would like to express at a time of national sorrow and at the end of a very important historic era in this nation's history.
I remember listening to King George VI speaking on the radio when he put a stamp of immortality on some words written by Miss Harkins. The words were these:
"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!' So I went forth and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And he led me towards the hills and the breaking of day".
The faith of the Queen Mother could be summed up in those words. She had evidently done what was said by her husband on that occasion.

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We might well pose a question to ourselves in the House today. What was the secret of her love, her courage, her steadfastness, her loyalty, her determination, her sparkle and her zest for living throughout her life? No doubt vast numbers of people who listened to the tributes paid on a very good BBC programme on Sunday evening will have been struck by two very important incidents, one in the days of sunrise for the Queen Mother and one in the days of sunset for her.
From the days of sunrise was the recollection of the fact that for her church confirmation the Queen Mother picked for her hymn a very well known hymn, "I'm not ashamed to own my Lord or to defend His Cause, Maintain the honour of His Word and the Glory of His Cross." In the days when sunset was coming, two trees in her castle grounds had to be felled and her staff worried what her reaction would be. However, when she came out and looked on the felled trees, she said, "I am glad now that they are gone for we now can see the mountains." She then recited the magnificent Psalm of David:
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my strength.
My strength cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth".
She continued until the final verse:
"The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."
As I sat here watching the Members gather for this special sitting of the House, I asked myself what the Queen Mother would have said to us if she were here. I thought that she would probably have quoted those great lines by Browning:

"Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made

Our times are in His Hand

Who said—A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God

See all. Be not afraid."

In her very long life, the Queen Mother saw all.
I believe that if we can learn the lessons of the Queen Mother's life, this nation can renew its strength. I salute the memory of a great Queen and a great Queen Mother. I salute the memory of a job that was well done, of a race that was well run and of a battle that was well won. John Bunyan, the author of "The Immortal Dream", said of the pilgrim:
"They laid the pilgrim in a large upper chamber, facing the sun rising. The name of that chamber was peace."
We can say the same about the Queen Mother.
12.19 pm
Ms Oona King: I speak in this debate to represent the people of the east end who, as the whole country knows, held the Queen Mother in great affection. I shall speak not about what the Queen Mother inherited or passed on, but what the Queen Mother merited. She merited respect, and nowhere is that respect greater than in my constituency—land of the pearly kings and queens who were inspired by the sparkling monarch who picked her way through the rubble.
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As I drove to Parliament this morning, I passed the plaque at the bottom of my road that reads:
"here fell the first flying bomb on London."
Sixty thousand British civilians died during the war, 30,000 of them in east London. Indeed, the first early-day motion I ever tabled was on a memorial for civilians who died during that war. Earlier, the Prime Minister quoted the Queen Mother saying of the east end carnage:
"the destruction is so awful, and the people so wonderful, they deserve a better world."
The Queen Mother inspired the east end during the blitz. One eastender recalls that
"There was still an air raid on when she walked through the rubble. I always thought the world of her. She doesn't sit back pompous-like. I remember her putting her arm around people covered in blood and grime, and consoling them. I feel she knows what our lives were like."
As my neighbour Mary Isaacs said:
"She came down Bow road slowly, and oh what a lovely smile."
As another cockney woman put it:
"Ain't she lovely! Oh ain't she just bloody lovely!"
The century the Queen Mother spanned has closed. She was the last Empress. Although the world in which she was born and in which she moved has vanished, the characteristics with which she is associated endure, and we in the east end give thanks for them.
12.21 pm
Mr. Michael Howard: On 1 August 1979, Her Majesty the Queen Mother was installed as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, in succession to Sir Robert Menzies. As I have the honour to represent the constituency that contains two of the original cinque ports—Hythe and Romney—I am grateful for the opportunity to say a few words about the enormous contribution that the Queen Mother made to our part of the realm in her capacity as Lord Warden.
The origin of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports goes back at least to the reign of King Edward the Confessor, and the office of Lord Warden is almost as ancient. The Lord Warden has many privileges: as the letters patent record, the Lord Warden is entitled, among other things, to
"all manner of wrecks of the sea, jetsam, flotsam and lagen goods merchandises and effects whatsoever which at any time or times … shall be cast away, wrecked or lost."
I have no knowledge of the extent, if any, to which the Queen Mother claimed the right to any of those privileges during her long term of office as Lord Warden, but she certainly took her duties most seriously.
Those duties were many and various. They included the responsibility of ensuring that beached whales were given a proper burial, and that at least one tooth from each beached whale was extracted and sent to the natural history museum, so that the whale could be properly identified. The House will understand that the duty was not one that the Lord Warden was required to carry out personally, but I know that the Queen Mother always took a keen interest in the results of the researches of the natural history museum.
The Queen Mother came every year to Walmer castle, and she always took the opportunities offered by her visits to east Kent to visit schools and carry out all sorts of other responsibilities and duties. Those included the opening of

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community halls, such as the one in Lydd in my constituency, which she opened in her 94th year. On every occasion, she lit up with her presence the whole of the gathering involved. As many of my constituents have said, she was just as much at home with children as with people of her own age.
My abiding memory of the Queen Mother is of her officiating at the unveiling of the battle of Britain memorial. That took place on the top of the cliffs at Capel on the boundary of my constituency. It was a dreadful day. The rain came down in sheets and most of us felt that the wind was hurricane force at least. We all huddled in the rather precarious protection of tents but the Queen Mother, apparently oblivious to the weather, went from one tent to another, radiating charm, making sure that she met everyone and illuminating the greyest of days with the magic of her personality. She will be much missed throughout the realm, and especially in east Kent. She will always be remembered.
12.25 pm
John Thurso: All those who have spoken today have expressed more eloquently than I can Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's immense contribution to our national life and to the national stage. She showed courage, zest for life, a sense of duty and devotion, and, above all, gentle leadership for almost a century. She was an exemplary human being.
I should like to pay a parochial, partisan tribute to her on behalf of myself and my constituents. It is hard to put into words the affection that she felt for Caithness and that the people of Caithness felt for her. It was partly based on her obvious commitment to duties in the constituency, which were small when judged on a national scale—opening the harbourmaster's office in Scrabster or visiting Caithness Glass—but none the less greatly appreciated. It was partly based on the evident joy that she took in attending local events, such as her annual visit to the Society of Caithness Artists or the Mey games. I once witnessed her consoling a team of German motor cyclists who had been beaten in the tug of war by the motley crew of footmen and equerries from the Castle of Mey.
Above all, the fact that, once a year, she came among us in Caithness and was our very special royal engendered great affection. Her Majesty warmly reciprocated the feelings of the people of Caithness. That was partly because the Castle of Mey was the only home that she owned herself. She first saw it in 1952 when it was about to fall down. Indeed, she told me that the occupants were in one room and the sheep were in the other. She bought it, took it over and restored it over a period of three or four years. She did it all herself.
Her Majesty made many happy visits with the late Hetty Munro to the Ship's Wheel in Thurso. That antique shop no longer exists but she bought several antiques there. It may be coincidence but my family home was demolished at roughly that time. I like to imagine that I might recognise the odd piece in the Castle of Mey. She enjoyed it enormously and later added Longoe farm where she became a tremendous connoisseur of stock. She understood Aberdeen Angus cattle and north country Cheviot sheep. The societies for those breeds were immensely grateful for and encouraged by her patronage over the years. She was a keen stockman and I am told
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that she read the agricultural pages of The Press and Journal every day to keep abreast. That practicality was typical of her and meant that in 1996. she put the castle into a trust of which I have the honour to be one of the four trustees. She has left us with a marvellous legacy, but with a challenge too. She wished the Castle of Mey to be open and available to the public, and as soon as the current building works are complete some time in July, we will be opening it to receive the public, as was her wish.
The castle was her home, She brought a warmth and friendliness to that house, which all those who ever went into it will never forget. The other part of our challenge is to meet her vision of keeping the house in good order and of retaining the feeling of warmth and friendliness in it.
Queen Elizabeth brought a special warmth and light to everyone she ever met; it was her great gift. We in Caithness will particularly miss her; I will miss her. She touched all our lives, but above all today, we thank God for her life, for her tremendous service to her country and for her great sense of humour. Whatever journey she is on, we wish her well.
12.31 pm
Mr. Iain Luke: I should like to make a humble contribution to this Humble Address on behalf of the citizens of Dundee and my constituents.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was a freeman of the city of Dundee on two counts—as the Queen and Empress of India, and as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch, which is the home regiment of Dundee, Tayside, Angus and Fife. Indeed, the castle of Glamis lies across the Sidlaws in the beautiful vale of Strathmore. The valley and the whole area was connected by her affiliation and association with the regiment, which played its part in all of Britain's campaigns, especially during the first world war when she lost family, and while others in her family were closely associated with it. As Colonelin-Chief, she was well received in Dundee during her many visits in that guise.
I also pay tribute to her time as chancellor of the university of Dundee. As a graduate of the city of Dundee's university, I was proud and very aware of her prime role during her three decades as chancellor, and of the way in which she handled events at the university, presiding over graduation ceremonies and the subsequent garden parties, at which I had the opportunity to meet her.
During her long association with Dundee, she played a vital part in an organisation that is probably not well known in this Chamber: the Lord Roberts workshop. The workshop was created after the first world war to employ disabled people and disabled service men in building furniture, giving them a useful life following the suffering of the great war. The Queen Mother kept up that connection over a span of five decades and was involved in its joining the Royal National Institute for the Blind in the 1990s to create Dovetail Ltd.
One of the major events in the changing life of the city with which the Queen Mother was involved was the opening of the Tay bridge in 1965, over which she presided. The bridge made an immense difference to the centre of the city of Dundee. As a consequence, I was again able to meet her briefly when I was chair of a

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committee to restore a bandstand in Magdalen Green. Her involvement in such matters was perhaps the mark of the woman.
In response to a letter from our committee asking her to make a donation or to become involved in the restoration of the Victorian bandstand, we received a personally written letter from her saying that she had seen the bandstand on many occasions while crossing the Tay rail bridge, was very aware of its poor state and would be happy to make a contribution and be involved in the restoration. One of her ladies-in-waiting presented a small gift for the raffle, and we received pictures by people such as one of her favourite artists, Mackintosh Patrick, helping us to raise the £100,000 needed to restore the bandstand to its Victorian grandeur.
As a sign of respect, we invited the Queen Mother during one of her visits to the area to preside over the dedication of the bandstand in 1991. It was a very wet day, and as she was not as young as she had been, we created an indoor event around the rededication of the bandstand, with a small band, flowers and children. At the end, as the Queen Mother was being moved away by her personal detective and her ladies-in-waiting, she insisted on spending time with the children who made up the band, to say a little word of thanks for their efforts on behalf of the restoration. That reflects the way in which she looked at things, the detail with which she tackled projects and her personal touch.
It was no mistake that the Queen Mother was called the Rose of Glamis. Although she came from a rural area, her smiling face was able to conquer the hearts of the rough diamonds of the east end and tame the rough spirits in Dundee. I am glad to have the opportunity to pay my respects. I know that the Lord Provost of the city of Dundee has been invited and will attend the funeral next week. I pay my respects on behalf of the citizens of Dundee to one of the longest-serving freemen on two counts.
12.35 pm
Sir Patrick Cormack: It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. Luke). I also have a fond memory of 1991. I went to Clarence house as chairman of the William Morris Craft Fellowship, along with a brilliant young woodcarver and some members of the committee. Our task was to present Her Majesty with a wonderful carved head of William Morris. She received it with great delight, looked at it, stroked the wood and said, "What a noble head. It reminds me of one of your colleagues in the House—Mr. Faulds." The resemblance was indeed striking.
That is just one of a number of memories that I have, but my fondest is of receiving the Queen Mother when I was warden of St. Margaret's across the road—the House of Commons church. Every year she came to the field of remembrance in November for the dedication of that field, and every year after the short service she would go round and speak to as many as she could of the assembled veterans and the bereaved, taking, as it were, a personal interest in each one. Then, when the tour was complete, she would come into St. Margaret's and sign the book. She had a great love for our church and contributed to its restoration when we had the great appeal some years ago.
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I remember that in 1990, when the Queen Mother had turned 90, she came in and said, "I'm terribly sorry. I think I've been too long this year." She had spent about an hour and three quarters going round. She said, "You know, there are an awful lot of old people out there." That was typical of her.
The Prime Minister spoke very movingly of all that the Queen Mother did and all that she meant during the second world war. It would be appropriate for us commemorate in a tangible and proper way all that she did and all that she stood for. There is nobody in the Chamber for whom she was not a central figure in the nation's life throughout our lives. I wonder whether we ought to take the Monday nearest 11 November and make that an annual holiday, remembering the veterans and the fallen, and also remembering her. I hope that that idea will commend itself to the Prime Minister and colleagues in all parts of the House.
I hope, too, that further thought will be given to making next Tuesday a public holiday. The House will not sit, as a mark of respect. That is right and proper. Others should have a similar opportunity. We are commemorating the life of the most remarkable woman of the 20th century, who has touched all our lives, directly or indirectly, and who will never be forgotten. Her memory should not be forgotten, either.
12.39 pm
Mr. Michael Jabez Foster: On behalf of my constituents in Hastings and Rye, I express our heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family at this time of personal loss. Families, whether royal or not, suffer the same sense of bereavement, and for those in the public eye, the hurt is no less. During last year's general election, my own dear mother, Dolly Foster, died. I appreciate, therefore, how much more difficult it is for those who must grieve in the public gaze.
I want to refer in my brief contribution, however, to the enormous affection and respect in which the Queen Mother was held by so many of my constituents. Because of the age profile of those living in Hastings and Rye, many recall her sense of duty and commitment during the war years about which many other right hon. and hon. Members have also spoken.
I recall the wonderful celebrations that we held in our town centre on the occasion of her 100th birthday. It was Tesco champagne and 1066 birthday cake, and I am pretty sure that she would have welcomed the knees-up that all our elderly folk enjoyed.
The special affection in which Her Majesty was held by so many of my constituents arose in part because of two special relationships. The first may seem trivial, but she was an honorary member of Hastings Old Town Winkle Club. Its members had presented her with a special gold winkle brooch, which she wore on her 100th birthday, to the pride and satisfaction of all we Hastingsers. "I'm a winkler too", she was heard to say as the winkle club contingent passed in the birthday parade.
The more significant connection was Her Majesty's role as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, to which the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) referred. I hope that he will not mind my saying this, but Hastings, as the senior cinque port, as well as Rye and Winchelsea, are all members of the

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confederation. When the mayors from my constituency of Hastings and Rye, as barons of the cinque ports, attend the funeral next Tuesday of our beloved Lord Warden, it will be a further link with the Crown that goes back, it is believed, more than 1,000 years to Edward the Confessor.
Older generations remember Her Majesty setting out at 8 am each morning to visit the communities that had been bombed the night before. On that basis, Her Majesty was a worthy holder of the office of Lord Warden, a position that Winston Churchill assumed in the 1940s. The cinque ports were historically the front line in the defence of the realm, and for Her Majesty to be our Lord Warden was a great honour for us.
Our links in Hastings and Rye and in the whole of the confederation go back much further than that. It is 65 years since the barons of the cinque ports attended Her Majesty's coronation. The ritual of carrying a canopy over the king's head at the coronation was abandoned in the 19th century and the privilege granted to the barons of the cinque ports to carry it was lost, but Edward VII directed that the barons should always be invited to such celebrations and, I fear, such events as next Tuesday's.
Thus it was that our links with Her Majesty started early. It was entirely appropriate, none the less, that her inspiration in the war was why she was appointed Lord Warden. Many of her friends have said that within her sense of fun, there was a ring of steel. So it was with her association with us. In her enjoyment of her annual cinque ports picnic, there was a sterner association. We have always been the front line in a purpose to which she gave vital years of her life—the defence of our realm.
The next duties of the barons will be a sad one, but in attending the funeral service next Tuesday, they will represent the affections of the people of the cinque ports towns and their pride in their association with this woman of duty.
12.43 pm
Mr. Nicholas Soames: I want to speak only briefly as the House this day records its tributes to Queen Elizabeth. To my eternal good fortune, I had the great privilege and joy of knowing Her Majesty for a little over 40 years.
I want to testify to the oneness of Her Majesty's character. Whoever people were, whatever their age, whatever they did or wherever they came from, the Queen Mother was always the same to everyone. Her completely natural personality and her sparkling wit and charm truly put all who met her at their ease.
As the Prince of Wales said two nights ago in his most moving tribute to his grandmother, she was indeed indomitable, tireless, wise and loving, with a unique natural grace and understanding of the British character. She had, as well, an infectious optimism—just as well, given her love of national hunt racing—and was one of those rare people able to span the generations.
What a life it was—born in the reign of Queen Victoria, the Queen Mother was married to the last King Emperor and was the first non-royal Queen Consort since Catherine Parr in the 16th century. She lived in two centuries and through two fearful wars, in the first of which she lost her brother, Fergus Bowes Lyon, an officer of the Black Watch, at the battle of Loos in 1915. That event marked her for the rest of her life.
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It was the telescope of history that gave the Queen Mother such perception, wisdom and experience. She lived in the reigns of six monarchs and through a period of the most profound social, technological and economic change. Yet she never lost her bearings, fortified and sustained as she was by the discipline of her Christian faith and by her strong principles. She wrote, in the foreword to "An Anthology of Assurance", a book by Lady Elizabeth Basset, one of her ladies in waiting:
"We can, at one and the same time, he truly contemporary men and women and yet have our thoughts and lives rooted in truths that do not change."
That was the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother's affection, admiration and respect for the armed forces, and her robust defence of all military traditions, bound her closely to all three services, particularly to their old comrades. She caused me some testing moments when I was Minister of State for the Armed Forces when she kindly, but very firmly, let me know, in no uncertain manner, of her concern about or even disapproval of some cut or amalgamation proposed by the wicked Government.
The Queen Mother's loyalty towards and support for all her regiments, and her naval and air force affiliations, were, and will remain, of the most profound importance and encouragement to all who deeply value and cherish an historic connection of which they will for ever be extremely proud.
Queen Elizabeth loved life, but she was also a symbol, for all generations, of courage and endurance in peace and war, of truth and gentleness and constancy to duty. In Kipling's words, she did indeed walk with Kings, but yet retained the common touch. With her passing, someone very special, splendid and unique has gone out of all our lives for ever. Truly, it can be said of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother that we shall never see her like again.
Rest eternal grant her, and may light perpetual shine upon her.
12.47 pm
Simon Hughes: It is a privilege to follow that personal tribute from the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames). I also compliment the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Ms King).
When I had the privilege nearly 20 years ago of being elected to Parliament, I was already aware that the war and the blitz had been among the most life-affecting experiences in the docklands communities of London. The two people who personified the resilience of those communities, among which many families paid the ultimate price, were the King and the Queen. It was not as though there was much in common between the backgrounds of those communities and the King and Queen. Nor was it that the electors of the docklands would have naturally voted Conservative—indeed, the eminent MP for Bermondsey was a republican but was elected again and again during the 1920s and 1930s, until the second world war.
Within days of the start of the war, the King and Queen came to inspect the civil defence forces in Bermondsey. They came again the following year to support the Women's Royal Voluntary Service. The Queen came again the following year to go down into the air raid

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shelters. On each of those occasions, she encouraged and inspired everybody, and won their respect. Whether people were monarchist or republican, they thought that she was a star: whatever political views people hold, everyone is now generous enough to say so.
After the war, the Queen Mother kept up that amazing service. She had not chosen to be born an aristocrat, she had not chosen to become the Queen and she had not chosen to be widowed so early in life, but she did choose to make of each of those opportunities a life of service. For 50 years from her widowhood, she continued that life of service.
Only a few years ago, the Queen Mother made her last visit to the docklands to see how they had been rebuilt after the war. She visited the new housing and opened a housing estate at the Surrey docks. Then, she asked to go into the pub. I think that she was the first monarch who had ever asked to go where normal people go pretty regularly. She went into the pub, had a half-pint of beer and chatted to the people. They said then that she was a star and what a power of good she had done for their community over the years.
On behalf of those communities and the people from all over the world who have come to settle in the docklands—many of whom fought on the home front or abroad—I want to say that we are very grateful for her life of service. She did a power of good to her family, a power of good to her faith, a power of good to the monarchy, a power of good to her people and a power of good to this country at home and overseas. We are very grateful and we give thanks for her very much.
12.51 pm
Mr. Henry Bellingham: The first time that the Queen Mother visited my constituency was in January 1923, shortly after she became engaged to the Duke of York. The last time that she left my constituency was by helicopter in February of this year on her way to the funeral of her daughter, Princess Margaret. In between, there were 79 years of countless visits and deep involvement in the local community.
As my right hon. Friend the Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard) knows only too well, the Queen Mother was very proud to become the first female to receive the freedom of the borough of Lynn in 1954. At the time, she said:
"I can assure you that nothing pleases me so much as the knowledge that you think of me as a neighbour. When the King first brought me to Norfolk I fell in love with the place and its people and this love has only grown over the years. There is a very big part of my heart in Norfolk"—
quite something from a Scots lass.
That love manifested itself through the patronage of numerous organisations. The King's Lynn festival and the Sandringham flower show featured very much as a focus for her annual summer visits. When she came to the constituency over Christmas and new year, she was involved with the local women's institutes and schools. She even instituted her own personal awards for pupils at local secondary schools for academic excellence and she invited them every year to Sandringham to talk about their careers and ambitions for the future.
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All of that was interspersed with many other official visits and, whenever there was a natural disaster locally, such as the floods in 1953, the Queen Mother was on hand to give comfort to people. Her knowledge of west Norfolk and its people was awesome, as I discovered shortly after being elected. The King's Lynn custom house, its great historic building, was threatened with closure and had an uncertain future, and I was summoned—it was hardly a summons, as I was contacted by her private secretary, who said, "If you can get away from the Whips, Her Majesty would be delighted if you would come and join her for dinner." The Whips would not believe that for a start and I could not believe it either, as she made it look as though I was doing her a favour by going to talk to her about the custom house. She told me to "rattle some cages"—what a great turn of phrase that was—and to use my position as Member of Parliament quietly to get a few things done. So, I received advice early on as an MP from a very wise person and the King's Lynn custom house was saved. Then, the Queen Mother wrote a letter to the local paper to thank everyone locally for being involved in the campaign.
Shortly afterwards, the Queen Mother took a great interest in the local railway line. She was always very concerned about it and had used it many times in the past. She wanted to be kept informed about the campaign to electrify the line. She let it be known that she would like to attend the opening of the King's Lynn electrification. I thought, hang on, something has gone wrong. Queens do not come to openings, they do not turn up in a taxi to watch some junior Minister unveil a plaque—they actually do the opening; but that was her modesty. Can you imagine, Mr. Speaker, any Minister wanting to come to an opening? They want to do the opening themselves.
The Queen Mother came to that opening and met five or six grades of British Rail management. Obviously she was charming to them, but I could tell that she wanted to get on and meet real people. She then met the drivers, conductors and local station staff and spent a long time talking to them and she really made their day. She probably gave them the best day of their careers. She was indeed a life enhancer and had the ability to make the people she met feel fantastic.
The Queen Mother's hospitality and generosity was limitless. She never said no to a request for a prize or present for a raffle for local charity in west Norfolk. That kindness touched the lives of thousands of people. I have a personal debt of gratitude to her, as on several occasions she invited my wife and me to stay with her.
As long as the Queen Mother lived, a bright light shone on my constituency. It was a light based on the best human qualities, those encapsulated by her: compassion, sympathy and concern for others. Now that light has been extinguished my constituency will be the poorer, but I will go to the service on Tuesday to represent my constituency and to give thanks for a remarkable life.
12.56 pm
Mr. Michael Trend: For 70 years, the Queen Mother made a family home at Windsor. Affection, gratitude and respect for her life of service are keenly felt in and around our town—as are sorrow and loss at her death at Royal Lodge.
That was clear when I took my two youngest children up to the castle gates on Saturday evening. Already, people from the town and visitors from throughout the

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country and the world were gathering. They were drawn together to share their sense of shock. It was quiet and dignified. However much one may anticipate death, it always comes as a great blow. Windsor was no more prepared for that than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. The people outside the castle—scene of so many memories in the life of the Queen Mother and where she will be laid to rest—were, in their private ways, trying to come to terms with their sadness.
Over the Easter weekend the crowds grew. Windsor is accustomed to large numbers of visitors on bank holiday weekends, but those gathering at the castle were not drawn by mere curiosity. I was hugely impressed by the reaction of my 11-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. They and the other young people shared the same emotions as the older generations.
I was struck by the remarks of the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition about the sheer span of the Queen Mother's life. She was a hugely familiar figure to us all. She had become a symbol of continuity in our society, and continuity brings with it a sense of security, which we all—old and young people alike—need in our lives.
In Windsor, we are very aware of the royal family. I think that we try hard to live together in a neighbourly way, letting them get on with their lives as human beings, but the deep affection that local people hold for the royal family should be no surprise. That feeling is warmly reciprocated.
Over many years, the Queen Mother undertook countless visits and appearances in the royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. Many of our shops now have photographs of her in their windows. During the past few days I have met dozens of local people who have particular memories of her. Many speak of a sense of personal loss.
I should also like to tell the House of the special place held by the Queen Mother in the hearts of those who live within the Great Park, especially in the Village with its York Club. Many hon. Members know Cumberland Lodge, whose foundation and development owed so much to her vision and commitment. She would frequently greet its guests from all parts of the country and the Commonwealth at Sunday services in the Chapel of All Saints—the chapel where she lay after her death.
The Queen Mother made a home for her family at Royal Lodge. We have all read or heard accounts of the happy informal atmosphere of that house, but most people know the Queen Mother best from the times when she was out in the world—on parade, as it were. She knew that people would turn out dressed in their finest and be on their best behaviour to meet her, and she always did the same. On state occasions and Garter day she showed star qualities. At Royal Ascot and at the Windsor race course, she clearly joined in the fun. She showed a lively interest in and real concern for the many voluntary groups and public organisations in Windsor.
The royal borough, although in mourning, is therefore giving grateful thanks for the interest and affection that Queen Elizabeth had for us. Tributes more eloquent than mine will be paid to the Queen Mother, but today, with humility, I speak for my constituents in expressing our love, our respect and our deep sympathy for the Queen and her family.
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1 pm
Sir Robert Smith: I rise to support the Humble Address, given the strong contacts between my constituency and Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and her long association with it since her honeymoon as Duchess of York in Birkhall, part of the royal estate of Balmoral. The association spans much of her life and many of her summers. When she was not at the Castle of Mey she would move south to Birkhall and join the rest of the royal family in Deeside. In the north-east of Scotland, we almost take it for granted that the royal family are part of the fabric of our society, and as a result their time at Balmoral is free of intrusion. It is a chance for them to get away from the glare of publicity and enjoy a true family life.
The Queen Mother in particular will be much missed. It was welcome news when it was announced today that shops and businesses that had received warrants as a result of her patronage over the years could keep them for the next five years to maintain her connection with the community.
The Queen Mother's last official public engagement in Scotland was to another part of my constituency. In Alford, which has a long association with the Aberdeen Angus breed, the Queen Mother—who, as has been said, was a keen breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle—joined her grandson at the unveiling of a statue to mark that connection. It was a time when the rural community was under much stress as a result of foot and mouth disease, and she spent over 40 minutes on her feet, mingling with several hundred people, making it something of a joyous occasion and bringing some light into a very dark year in the farming and rural communities.
A few days later, the Queen Mother's last public appearance in Scotland was at the Craithie Opportunity Holidays site, opposite Balmoral, where holiday homes are being built for people with mobility difficulties. She quipped that she hoped to return this year and enjoy one of the homes. Obviously she will not be able to do so in person, but I am sure that she will in spirit.
Her Majesty made a great contribution to the century. We can pay one of the most lasting tributes to her, and in a way keep her alive, by acknowledging that she symbolises for us, in the public policy sphere and as individuals, the fact that no one is ever too old to make a public contribution. If we can remember that, no matter what age someone is, they are an individual who has something still to contribute, and if individuals can remember that, whatever age they are, they have something to contribute, she will have left a lasting legacy for us all.
1.2 pm
Mr. Ian Taylor: In supporting the Humble Address, I share the solemnity that has fallen on the House. As I listened to all the tributes, however, I found that the vitality of Her Majesty the Queen Mother came through. The twinkle in her eye came through in every anecdote.
My own experience with the Queen Mother came during two different aspects of my life. First, as a governor for a while of Research into Ageing, a charity that tried to extend the quality of active life, I once remarked that if we could bottle up the elixir of life represented by Queen Elizabeth we would have solved

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some of our research problems. I never did have the courage to ask her what it might have been in the bottle that she carried with her, but she served the charity—and so many of the other charities with which she was involved—in a remarkable way.
However, my principal reason for intervening in this debate on the Humble Address is that I am the Member of Parliament for Sandown Park—or, at least, I think that the Queen Mother thought that I was, given the number of times that we met there. Sandown Park, in her own words, was her favourite race course, and Sandown Park really loved the Queen Mother. When she moved from the president's box to award the trophy to the winning jockey and owners, she always made time to speak to everyone and regularly received spontaneous applause. Quite often, the Leader of the House, who may not have had as many winners at Sandown Park as the Queen Mother, although I am sure that he tipped as many, joined in that applause. She was spontaneously popular with everyone, from all walks of life, who attended Sandown Park. It was the race course on which she had 79 winners over the years. She won the Whitbread gold cup with Special Cargo in 1984 and another big race two years later. There was a special relationship between the two, but she could be quite a hard taskmaster.
On one occasion, we were lunching at a Whitbread gold cup meeting. Anyone who knows Sandown Park will know that the wind whips across from the reservoirs into the stands, and it can be very cold, even though the meeting takes place on the last weekend in April. On that occasion I had enjoyed a hearty lunch and the first race was about to start. I was told that I would have the honour of sitting first with the Queen Mother out in the open, so I started to reach for my very heavy overcoat when the lady-in-waiting looked at me with one of those looks that ladies-in-waiting give when someone is about to do something that is not right. I noticed that the Queen Mother was dressed in a summer frock and was on her way out. We sat through that race and every jockey, every horse and every bit of history was recounted with an absolutely crisp memory and precision. I must have increasingly sounded as though I was dumb, not just because I did not have as much knowledge of racing as the Queen Mother, but because I was absolutely frozen to the marrow. She showed no signs of that at all. I do not know whether that was because of the Castle of Mey or the other Scottish houses that she inhabited. However, standing up to go back inside was quite an effort on my part, but it seemed to have no effect on the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother's character was such that no one was immobile or too worried to do things when she was present. She sparked a vitality into the company that she kept; that was very much part of her own character, which she shared with others. Those at Sandown Park will long remember her. There is a wonderful equestrian statue of Special Cargo at Sandown Park—the Queen Mother's spirit will always be beside it.
1.7 pm
Mrs. Cheryl Gillan: There can be no greater or more fitting tribute to the brilliant life of Her Majesty the Queen Mother than we have heard in the House today. In adding my support for the Humble Address, I speak not just for myself and my constituents,
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but proudly as the United Kingdom member of the executive of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, on behalf of its chairman, the right hon. Pius Msekwa, the secretariat and all our members throughout the Commonwealth's 172 Parliaments and legislatures.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association would like to express its most profound sympathies on the death of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. She did not just belong to this country, but was loved and respected throughout the entire Commonwealth, where she travelled extensively. She represented the finest traditions of the monarchy and was noted for her extraordinary warmth and affection by peoples of all nations. She is especially remembered by Commonwealth parliamentarians for her official opening of the 30th parliamentary conference, held in 1984 on the Isle of Man. The warmth with which she greeted members of the association made a lasting impression on all who attended, and she brought to the conference an air of grace, majesty and gentleness that was an inspiration to the parliamentarians who came to the Isle of Man and all the Manx people who lined the route to see her. The association was honoured by her presence and is deeply saddened by her passing.
The Queen Mother is, in death as she was in life, an abiding symbol of all that is good in our world. Her unselfish devotion to duty and country, the depth of her love for her family and her unfailing sense of humour are her legacy to us all.
It is hard to find words that are truly fitting, but Milton wrote many of his beautiful poems in my constituency, so it is to his words that I turn to pay my tribute. They come not as hon. Members may imagine from "Paradise Lost", but from "Arcades"—a verse of which she could so easily have been the subject. He wrote:

Mark what radiant state she spreds,

In circle round her shining throne,

Shooting her beams like silver threads,

This, this is she alone,

Sitting like a Goddess bright,

In the center of her light.

Throughout the Commonwealth. we mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, but her radiance will never be forgotten.
1.10 pm
David Burnside: In supporting the Humble Address, I wish to recall a day in 1985 that I will never forget. It was always easy to remember the Queen Mother's age, so Sir John King, the then chairman of British Airways, wondered in late 1984 what could be done for her 85th birthday. A message was sent to Clarence house to ask her what she would like for her birthday and the reply came back that she would like to fly on Concorde, because she wanted a bit of excitement.
A flight on Concorde was arranged and the Queen Mother came to Heathrow dressed in her normal pastel shades. She was wearing, I think, light blue, four-inch heels—I am told that they cannot go much higher—and a large hat. She sat in seat 1A, and she had been asked whether she had any special requirements for the flight. A copy of the Sporting Life was ordered, and not for a casual read on the flight but to make contact with the ground so that she could invest in the horse racing business. She did that from the flight deck.

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The Queen Mother had a very fine lunch, and was invited to the flight deck. Concorde is very small, with a three-man flight deck for the captain, first officer and engineer and with a little jump seat behind the captain. She sat on the jump seat still wearing her hat, which was about half the width of the flight deck, and we flew over the Irish sea. The route had been worked out with the Queen Mother, and we flew over the Castle of Mey. That is what she wanted for her 85th birthday.
The 100-seater aircraft was filled with representatives of civic and business life from all round the United Kingdom and it flew back south to Heathrow. The Queen Mother had been briefed beforehand on who was who so that they could be introduced to her. As a director of the company, I lucky enough to be sitting in about row 8 and Sir John King introduced me as David Burnside, the director of public affairs. She said, "From Northern Ireland. I pray for Northern Ireland every night." I have never said that publicly before but the House and the people of Northern Ireland would appreciate knowing what she said. We have lost a great lady.
1.12 pm
Mr. Peter Pike: I wish to say a few words as the Member for a constituency that had no specific connection with the Queen Mother. However, she was just as well loved and respected there as in those constituencies that had a more direct connection with her.
My constituency is in Lancashire, and the Queen Mother was the mother of the present Duke of Lancaster and the wife of the previous Duke of Lancaster, her much-loved husband King George VI. My first memory of the Queen Mother is of the time that I saw her when all the schools in Burnley went to see the King and the Queen, as she then was, when they visited the town at the end of the second world war. The royal family played a great part in the war and certainly boosted the morale of the country. Indeed, the present Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, gave a special speech on the radio to the children of the nation, and every child at school received a certificate at the end of the war from the King.
It was the simple things that made the Queen Mother much respected and loved. I recall her visit to Manchester in the late 1960s or early 1970s when she attended a banquet. I was in a group of about a dozen people when I was introduced to her and each person in that group thought that she was speaking to them alone and to no one else. She had the knack of being able to speak in that way.
One man was introduced to the Queen Mother and she told him that she had met him before. He said yes, but just as he was about to tell her where and when, she said, "Don't tell me." She carried on chatting to him for three or four minutes, and then suddenly said, "Did I meet you in Manchester during the blitz?" He said, "Yes, you spoke to me when I was helping to clear up Manchester cathedral after it had been bombed the night before. I was in the ARP." She had that knack of remembering people. I have an appalling memory for names and people, but she remembered many years later that she had spoken to that man.
The Queen Mother also made a most simple gesture at that banquet. It was attended by 500 people, a large number of whom were not especially pro-monarchy—indeed, some were clearly republican. We had the toasts
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and the function was drawing to a conclusion when she suddenly and unexpectedly pushed back her chair and proposed a toast to the city and people of Manchester. That hall of 500 people was electric at that moment, with everyone standing and cheering. Such simple gestures, so warmly and genuinely meant, made her the most respected and loved of all the royal family. We pay tribute to her. She will be a sad loss to the nation.
1.16 pm
Mr. Roger Gale: In supporting the Humble Address, I hope that I speak on behalf of many when I express my thanks for the work that the Queen Mother did for so many charities. I could not go through a litany of them all, but it is a source of great astonishment for those of us associated with any of them that she managed, in her busy and committed life, to become so personally involved in so many organisations to which she gave a great deal.
Much has been made of the Queen Mother's commitment to children. When she visited the Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate, she quickly put her young hosts at ease when others, more shamefully, found it difficult to communicate with them. She immediately struck a chord with them all.
The Queen Mother was patron of the Children's Country Holidays fund and took a passionate interest in the work that that little organisation does to provide holidays for the underprivileged children of east London. In this, the final year of her life, she allowed her name to be given to a rose bred specially for her called "Queen's London Child". When hon. Members on both sides of the House visit the Chelsea flower show this year, they will see that rose twinkling in the sun as a living memorial to someone whom the children of the east end of London believe to be a very great lady. They will miss her dreadfully.
1.17 pm
Peter Bottomley: Lest it is thought to be an individual quirk of the Father of the House or a one-sided comment, and although we cannot debate other things today, the House and the people of this country expect the usual channels to arrange a debate at the earliest possible opportunity on the matters to which he delicately referred.
We cannot list all the 300 organisations with which the Queen Mother was associated, but she was supported in all of them by her personal and household staff. In particular, I want to mention Sir Martin Gilliat, her devoted supporter for many decades.
I saw the Queen Mother in military, civilian and voluntary service. People do not fully understand or articulate how thousands of ordinary people doing ordinary things use the inspiration of someone in her position—whether as patron, colonel or a supporter of an organisation—to achieve extraordinary results.
It is not just about what she alone did for the east end, but about the inspiration that she gave to people to put up with hardship or to do that extra bit for those around them.
The best tribute that we can give is to ask whether we can do more of what she did and what she inspired others to do.

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1.18 pm
Andrew Selous: Like many hon. Members and our constituents, I did not have the privilege of meeting the Queen Mother. Many of our colleagues have contributed to this debate on the Humble Address. Indeed, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) made a most moving speech on how he knew her for more than 40 years. Yet to me, all hon. Members and all my constituents, the Queen Mother was a very special lady: she was, indeed, the nation's favourite granny. One of her unique gifts was to take the love, the support and the delight that she so clearly took and gave to her own family to everyone that she met and came across. If we, as we go about our business, can just follow her example in some small way and make everyone we meet feel as special as she did, and if we can continue those small acts of kindness that she performed for all those she knew, we will have served her memory well.
1.20 pm
Mr. Jeffrey M. Donaldson: I rise to support the Humble Address, and on behalf of my constituents I should like to extend my sincere sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and the royal family.
March 2002 will long be remembered by my constituents as a month of mixed emotions. Early in March, the honour of city status was conferred on the borough of Lisburn by Her Majesty the Queen, in this her golden jubilee year. We celebrated the new city of Lisburn, especially in light of our close association with the royal family, with the village of Hillsborough being the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen and having played host, on many occasions, to Her Majesty the Queen Mother. We remember those visits with affection.
As my friends and colleagues have said, those visits came at times when the people of Northern Ireland were facing great uncertainty and adversity, with the shadow of violence hanging over our part of the United Kingdom. When the Queen Mother and other members of the royal family came to visit Northern Ireland, we took hope from their interest and the time that they spent among us, and not least among the royal family was the Queen Mother who gave her time and showed her affection for Northern Ireland.
As my hon. Friend the Member for South Antrim (David Burnside) said, we were inspired by the Queen Mother's Christian faith and by the fact that she prayed for the people of Northern Ireland. We very much appreciate that, and we appreciate the contribution that she made to the life of Northern Ireland and to the life of our nation. We will greatly mourn her passing. It is at times like this that we are reminded of the contribution that the royal family make to the life of our nation. It is a contribution that many of us in Northern Ireland deeply appreciate, and we will miss the Queen Mother. She was a very special lady, and she meant much to my constituents.
1.22 pm
Mr. Mark Francois: I cannot hope to match the eloquence of a number of those who have already contributed. Nevertheless, as a recently elected Member of the House, I should like to pay a brief tribute to Her Majesty the Queen Mother. She served as the
826
Colonel-in-Chief of a number of regiments in the Army, including the University of London officer training corps and the Royal Anglian Regiment, in both of which I had the privilege to serve. All the people who served in those regiments, and indeed in all the armed forces, including those who served in two world wars and who still survive, will greatly mourn her passing.
I met the Queen Mother only once when she paid a formal visit to the London OTC several years ago. As a young second lieutenant I was deputed to have the honour of introducing her to some of the cadets in the regiment. I freely admit that when I came to this place I was slightly nervous on the day of my maiden speech, but that was as nothing to the butterflies that I experienced when the Queen Mother visited the London OTC. I pay tribute to her great skill, which others have mentioned, of putting people at ease. When she met me she immediately put me at my ease and made it very simple for me to perform my duty. On a personal level, I will always be thankful to her for that.
I conclude with a very gentle story. Some hon. Members may have heard this before, so I crave their indulgence. Several years ago, when she was in her 90s, the Queen Mother was asked by a journalist, "Your Majesty, you have travelled the world, you have met so many people and done so many wonderful things. Is there anything at all to which you still aspire?" She is reputed to have replied, "Yes—I would very much like to receive a telegram from my daughter." Of course, she did receive that telegram, and we are all very grateful that she did.
I think that Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother was something of an institution in her own right. We are all the poorer for her passing, and as a House and as a nation we will miss her tremendously.
1.25 pm
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: I rise to make a brief contribution to what has been a most amazing and moving sitting of the House.
Yesterday afternoon, I attended a reception at the town hall in Macclesfield where I met the under-18 schoolboys who are to play for England against the under-18 schoolboys of Wales. In fact, I should be there to watch the match, which will start in a few moments' time, but I felt it appropriate to be here. I am pleased to be in the Chamber to share the occasion with Members of Parliament of all political parties. During that visit to Macclesfield town hall, the mayor, the leader of the council and I signed the book of condolence. It was a moving occasion not because we signed the book of condolence, but because of the many dozens of people, young and old, who were there to do the same thing, and the simple messages that they entered in the book.
The Queen Mother has held a special place in the life of our country. She loved its people. She loved this country. She fought for this country—metaphorically speaking—during the war, when she refused to leave London. As we all know, she said, "I cannot leave without the children. I cannot leave without my husband the King, and he will not leave." Her indomitable spirit shone forth then and continued to do so until last Saturday. Her life was full to the brim with service, duty and love, of family, and of her country. She will pass to her place of perpetual peace and rest on a wave of love and affection which will be remembered for ever.

827
1.27 pm
Sir Michael Spicer: I have listened with growing awe to the wonderful tributes that have been paid today. Because of them, I cannot understand why the Queen Mother's funeral is not to be designated a state occasion. She was arguably the greatest female British citizen of the 20th century, and I hope that those who are responsible for such decisions will reconsider the status of her funeral.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved, nemine contradicente,
That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty expressing the deep sympathies and condolences of this House on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, whose life was given unstintingly in devoted public service to the Country and the Commonwealth; who with his late Majesty King George VI rallied
828
the nation in the darkest days of war and who in times of peace was a unifying figure for Britain, inspiring love and affection in all she met.

SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 25 (Periodic adjournments),
That this House, at its rising this day, do adjourn till Wednesday 10th April.—[Mr. Sutcliffe.]
Question agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT
Resolved,
That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Sutcliffe.]
Adjourned at twenty-eight minutes past One o'clock.

DEFENCE

  Training Expenditure
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expenditure is on training in the(a) Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (b) the Army and (c) the RAF in (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland. [32459]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 1 February 2002]: The latest best estimates for the amounts spent by the Services' Training Agencies on individual training for the Royal Navy, Army and RAF in the last 12 months are respectively: £403.6 million; £894 million and £404.5 million. These figures are approximate and are in accordance with Resources Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) procedures which incorporate consumption figures not included in a cash budget.

  For the Royal Navy, a small proportion of trainee days are spent in Scotland, but separate costs are not recorded for these activities by the Naval Training and Recruiting Agency. The Army Training and Recruiting Agency estimates that its total expenditure in Scotland in the current Financial Year will be £22 million. The majority of the RAF Training Group Defence Agency's training establishments are based either in England or Wales, but the in-year cost of their Outdoor Activity Centre in Scotland for the current financial year is £675,000.

  The cash costs of Royal Marines individual training for financial year 2001–02 are projected to be £39.9 million. It is not possible to identify separately Royal Marines training expenditure in Scotland.

  Training costs falling to the Service Commands are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Deployment
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) army personnel, (b) navy personnel and (c) RAF personnel are deployed on operations; and what percentage is deployed on operations in each case. [45684]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The number of personnel deployed on operations is as follows:

  Service

  Number

  Percentage

  Naval Service

  3,938

  11

  Army

  19,895

  20

  RAF

  4,480

  9

  1016W
  These figures include both joint and single service deployments and are shown as a percentage of trained strength.

  Naval Service figures are as at 25 March 2002.

  Army and RAF figures are as at 1 March 2002.

  Helicopters
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the serviceability rate is of(a) Gazelle, (b) Lynx, (c) Sea King, (d) Chinook and (e) Puma helicopters. [44660]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 19 March 2002]: The serviceability rate for the month of February for (a) Gazelle, (b) Lynx, (c) Sea King, (d) Chinook, and (e) Puma helicopters is shown in the following table:

  Aircraft type

  Average serviceability rate

  Aircraft numbers (actual operating fleet)

  Gazelle

  55%

  116

  Lynx

  57%

  131

  Sea King

  61%

  84

  Chinook

  56%

  27

  Puma

  64%

  35

  The hon. Member should note that these figures represent an average taken over the whole month of February. Serviceability figures are influenced by a number of factors and fluctuate daily.

  Chinook Crash
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his policy only to review the findings of the air marshals on the reasons for the crash of the ZD 576 Chinook helicopter on 2 June 1994 if there is new evidence in this case; and if he will make a statement. [45860]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 26 March 2002]: As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence made clear in the House on 19 March 2002, it is necessary to look very carefully at the report published by the Select Committee in the other place. We are conducting a detailed study of its analysis of the facts and the interesting technical views expressed. Were new evidence to be determined, this would of course, be fully evaluated.

  Anti-aircraft Defences
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether anti-aircraft defences in the United Kingdom have combat identification of friend and foe facilities; and what steps he is taking to ensure that all anti-aircraft defences can use information from air traffic control systems. [46612]

  Mr. Ingram
  I can confirm that all Ministry of Defence Rapier Ground Based Air Defence assets are equipped with combat identification friend or foe facilities. These assets would be integrated within the military Airspace Surveillance and Control System and communicate, co-ordinate and integrate with military air traffic control services as necessary. A joint operating instruction combining civil and military air
  1017W
  traffic control and air defence actions within United Kingdom flight information regions has recently been published which enhances co-ordination of airspace activity. It is planned that Royal Marine and Army man portable air defence systems will have friend or foe identification facilities by 2008 and 2004–05 respectively.

  West Freugh Airfield
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will retain external consultants to investigate the potential for future commercial development at West Freugh airfield. [45915]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The position has not changed since I answered a similar question from the hon. Member on 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 558W.

  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria were used by the Airfield Regulator in assessing the safety of future operations at West Freugh airfield. [45916]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The criteria used by the Regulator to assess the safety of future operations at West Freugh airfield were the adequacy of safety infrastructure and the number of aircraft movements. Regulatory minima are set for both the overall number of movements and the number of fast jet movements in order to maintain the currency of air traffic controllers. The numbers of aircraft movements at West Freugh had fallen below these regulatory minima, leading to the decision to cease full-time airfield operations.

  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air traffic movements were handled at West Freugh airfield in each of the last five years; how many were(a) civilian and (b) military; and of the military movements, from which countries they were from. [45918]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The following aircraft movements took place at West Freugh between 1997 and 2001:

  Date

  Military

  Civilian

  Total

  1997

  5,946

  5,694

  11,640

  1998

  4,636

  7,208

  11,844

  1999

  7,236

  1,152

  8,388

  2000

  5,976

  —

  5,976

  2001

  3,186

  —

  3,186

  The figures shown do not include overflights. The bulk of military movements shown are in support of the United Kingdom armed forces activities. Foreign aircraft movements are not identified separately in our records.

  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when, prior to the announcement of 20 March on closure of the airfield, the next scheduled re-surfacing of the West Freugh airstrip was due to be completed; and at what projected cost. [45975]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Two programmes of re-surfacing work were recommended for 2002 and 2003 at an estimated cost of about £1.6
  1018W
  million and £0.19 million respectively. However, neither task was included in the maintenance plan and completion dates were not allocated.

  Property Managers
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which areas have no property managers in post; how the property in these areas is being managed; and if he will make a statement. [46438]

  Dr. Moonie
  There are no areas of the Defence Housing Executive which currently do not have Property Managers in post. There are vacancies for two Property Managers at the present time but the posts are currently occupied by other experienced staff from within the relevant property management office on temporary promotion, pending the recruitment of permanent replacements. Property Managers are assisted in their tasks by Assistant Property Managers and other staff.

  HMS Sheffield
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2002,Official Report, column 1179W (1) if he will list those who gave statements but were not called to give evidence; how many of those who made a statement expressed a wish to give evidence; and if he will make a statement; [45836]

  (2) on HMS Sheffield, whether Ministers have reviewed the information now available; and if he will make a statement; [45838]

  (3) whether the Board of Inquiry into the sinking of HMS Sheffield were given copies of all statements; whether all 98 people were offered as witnesses; who decided which of them were called to give evidence and be cross-examined; and if he will make a statement. [45837]

  Mr. Ingram
  As I informed the hon. Member in my reply to his previous questions on HMS Sheffield, I am satisfied that the Board of Inquiry was conducted in a professional and proper manner and no new information has become available that would warrant the re-opening of this tragic incident. We have no record of any individual who made a statement expressing a wish to give his evidence through being interviewed by the Board. The statements taken from the surviving crew members were available to the Board of Inquiry. The Board interviewed witnesses where it was believed that doing so could assist in its inquiries. The decision as to which witnesses were interviewed was the responsibility of the Board. To publish a list of those who provided statements to the Sheffield Board of Inquiry would be a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 and a breach of confidentiality, unless the permission of all the individuals involved was first obtained. This could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  HMS Invincible
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans to withdraw HMS Invincible from service before 2012. [46459]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 125W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle)

  Procurement
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account his Department takes of a firm's good practice in(a) training and (b) employment practice in awarding procurement contracts. [46484]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Ministry of Defence recognises that supplier training and employment practices are important for the timely delivery of the quality goods and services the MOD requires. The MOD will normally contract only with suppliers who have achieved an appropriate, certified quality management standard. Additionally, it will usually make use of qualification questionnaires and associated tools to help assess a potential supplier's suitability for a contract both before and after invitations to tender are issued. The MOD's standard contract terms also remind suppliers of their obligations under the Racial Discrimination and, where appropriate, Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Acts.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the target time will be in 2000–03 for(a) Ministers to reply to letters from hon. Members and (b) officials in his Department to reply to letters received directly from members of the public. [44955]

  Dr. Moonie
  In 2002–03, the Ministry of Defence target time for replies to both Ministerial and Treat Official correspondence is within 15 working days.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of time taken to answer letters to Ministers has been in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [43949]

  Dr. Moonie
  Information is published annually by the Cabinet Office on the volume of correspondence from Members of Parliament received by Ministers and Agency Chief Executives: Departments' and Agencies' handling targets; and their performance in meeting these targets. The Report for 2001 is due to be published shortly.

  New Deal
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many people have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years under(a) the New Deal for Young People, (b) the New Deal for the Over 50s and (c) the New Deal for Lone Parents; and at what cost, listed by category to public funds; [44921]

  (2) how many people employed by his Department under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseeker's allowance or other benefits. [44903]
  1020W
  Dr. Moonie
  Data on the number of New Deal appointments under the programme for Young People was recored from the beginning of the scheme until April 2001. From then, data also included the over 50s and lone parents programmes. Since October 2001 data has not been held centrally on the New Deal programmes. Available data are detailed in the following table:

  Financial year

  Lone parents

  Over 50s

  Young people aged 18–24

  Total numbers rectuited under New Deal (includes those aged 25 and over)

  1998–99

  n/a

  n/a

  11

  17

  1999–2000

  n/a

  n/a

  35

  58

  2000–01

  n/a

  n/a

  20

  43

  2001–02 (until October 2001)

  0

  2

  6

  10

  Forty-two New Deal recruits subsequently became permanent members of staff. Others who have left the scheme will have had the opportunity to acquire new skills and enhance their marketability for employment elsewhere, but information is not held on whether they returned to jobseekers allowance or other benefits. New Deal recruits take up existing vacancies so extra costs to public funds are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any training and development that may be needed. Details of costs are not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  CFCs
  Dr. Pugh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on the handling by the European Commission of the issue of CFCs in refrigerator insulating foam. [44929]

  Mr. Meacher
  My colleagues and I have not discussed the issue of the European Commission's handling of the clarification of the meaning of Article 16 of EC Regulation 2037/2000 with Environment Ministers from other Member States.

  We are taking urgent action to ensure recovery facilities are put in place in the UK as quickly as possible. A mobile plant is already operational in Lewes, and we expect that several static plants will be established at various sites around the UK by July, to ensure that the UK will be able to meet its obligations to recover and destroy CFCs from refrigeration insulating foam.

  Dangerous Substance Rules
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2002,Official Report, column 793W, on dangerous substance rules, if she will place in the Library copies of the correspondence between the Government and the Commission relating to the reasoned opinions referred to; and if she will make a statement on how the Government are dealing with these Reasoned Opinions. [44727]

  Mr. Meacher
  No, Reasoned Opinion infraction cases are confidential matters between Member States and the Commission.

  Environmental Impact Assessment
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the second draft of the Environmental Impact Statement on the Ashmoor disposal site will be completed; and if drafts will be placed in the Library. [45922]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The first draft of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the site at Ashmoor is being revised to take account of comments received from the various interested parties we consulted. There is further work to be done and I cannot yet say when it will be completed but we are progressing matters as quickly as possible.

  I see no reason to place copies of the draft Assessments in the Library but I will arrange for a copy of the final version to be placed there in due course.

  Pesticide Tax
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring there has been of the annual financial commitments given by the farming unions and the Crop Protection Association in respect of the voluntary measures in place of a pesticide tax; and if she will make a statement. [45923]

  Mr. Morley
  Some initial monitoring of costs has been carried out by the Steering Group for the voluntary package. The Steering Group are aiming to produce an Annual Report of progress in April/May 2002 which is expected to contain details of costs incurred during the first year of the programme. It is intended that this report will be made widely available and I will place copies in the Library of the House.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments have been received from(a) farming unions and (b) the Crop Protection Association since the introduction of the voluntary measures package. [45924]

  Mr. Morley
  No payments have been received in connection with the voluntary package of measures to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides nor will they be in the future. The farming unions and the Crop Protection Association have estimated the costs to themselves associated with implementing the voluntary package and they will be expected to show actual costs as the programme progresses.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's preparations for the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development. [46334]

  Mr. Meacher
  DEFRA, working closely with other departments, is leading on the UK's domestic and international preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The Department is represented on MISC18, the Cabinet Committee set up to co-ordinate, develop and deliver the Government's strategy for WSSD. DEFRA also chairs two official level groups which co-ordinate preparations across Government. My officials are fully involved in the international preparations for the Summit and are attending the third preparatory meeting in New York which started on 25 March.

  DEFRA also leads on the development of a cross Whitehall communications strategy to raise awareness of the Summit. We are working closely with local authorities, NGOs, business and other organisations to ensure that we engage a wide range of stakeholders in the Summit. DEFRA has also developed the government sustainable development website (www.sustainable-development.gov.uk) to include information on WSSD.

  Packaging Waste
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether the 2001 United Kingdom business package waste recovery and recycling targets for(a) recovery and (b) material-specific recycling were met; and whether the percentage levels of business packaging waste recovery and recycling in the United Kingdom in 2001 satisfied the stipulations of the EU Packaging Waste Directive 1994; [46357]

  (2) what the percentage levels of (a) business packaging waste recovery and (b) business packaging recycling were in the United Kingdom in 2001. [46358]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 26 March 2002]: The recovery and recycling targets in article 6(1) of the EC Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste—94/62EC—were implemented in Great Britain by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended).

  In order to comply with the requirements in the Directive, recovery and recycling targets for 2001 under the packaging regulations were 56 per cent. for recovery and 18 per cent. for material-specific recycling of packaging waste. Final figures for 2001 are not yet available, but data received to date suggest that, if all obligated parties met their obligations, these targets should be met. This would mean that the UK had recovered 4.6 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2001 ie 50 per cent. We would expect to recycle some 45 per cent. We also anticipate that all materials will meet the 15 per cent. material-specific recycling target in the Directive, with the possible exception of plastic.

  EU Fishing Rights
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her assessment is of the economic benefit to the United Kingdom of European Union fishing rights agreements(a) with third countries south of the EU and (b) with third countries north of the EU. [45514]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 26 March 2002]: The United Kingdom's fishing industry has a negligible interest in fisheries agreements south of the EU so no assessment has been carried out. Fisheries agreements with countries north of the EU are of considerable importance to UK fishermen. However, the economic benefit cannot be assessed precisely since it depends on availability of fishing opportunities which can vary year on year and actual catches taken.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the funding assigned to conservation within the money spent on the acquisition of EU fishing rights agreements with third countries is spent on the purpose for which it was intended in countries(a) north of the EU and (b) south of the EU; [45512]

  (2) what assessment the Government have made of the environmental impact of EU fishing rights agreements with third countries (a) north of the EU and (b) south of the EU. [45513]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 26 March 2002]: It is the responsibility of the European Commission on behalf of the EU to ensure value for money and to assess environmental impact in relation to international fisheries agreements to which the EU is party. It is the United Kingdom's view that, certainly in relation to many of the southern agreements, the Commission's performance of these tasks needs to be improved. We have expressed this view in the Council of Ministers and will be looking for the issue to be addressed in the forthcoming review of the Common Fisheries Policy.

  EU Directives
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many EU directives were received by her Department and its predecessor departments; and what the average time taken to implement such directives was from(a) 1990 to 1996 and (b) 1997 to 2002. [40698]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 5 March 2002]: The Department does not hold information in the form requested. This information could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.

  Catering Services
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of(a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by her Department in each of the last four years. [38932]

  Mr. Morley
  The Department has only been in existence since June 2001. To collect this information retrospectively from the component parts that now make up DEFRA would involve disproportionate cost.

  Golden Jubilee
  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department has spent on the Queen's Jubilee in each of the past three years; how the money was allocated; and if she will make a statement. [44595]

  Mr. Morley
  Any such expenditure has not been separately identified by the Department.

  Worldwide Web
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of farming businesses which are connected to the worldwide web. [38828]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 28 February 2002]: Internet access is becoming an essential business tool for agriculture and information on computer and internet usage by farmers was collected in the December 2001 Survey of Agriculture. The results are due to be published in early April.

  Farming and Food
  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to respond to the report of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food; and if she will make a statement. [39399]

  Mr. Morley
  The Commission's report will make a substantial contribution to a new strategy for sustainable food and farming, which we aim to launch in the autumn. This will be a response to the report but will go further than that. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders to determine how best to take forward the Commission's ideas and deliver positive changes on the ground. As responsibility for addressing the Commission's recommendations rests with industry and other organisations as well as Government, we will be looking for their active involvement.

  Countryside Agency
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria are being applied to determine applications for appointments to the Countryside Agency after 1 April; on what date the advertisements for applicants was placed in the national press; what timescale was anticipated for drawing up the list for applicants for interview at the time the advert was first placed; when it is expected that such interviews will now take place; what measures were taken to encourage applicants in addition to the national advertising campaign and on what dates those measures were taken; what the political balance is of board members; what the political balance is intended to be after the appointments are made; and if she will make a statement. [45271]

  Alun Michael
  The criteria applied to determine the applications for the appointments to the Countryside Agency were that applicants should have a general interest and experience of countryside issues, and preferably have specific expertise in the areas of rural business/rural enterprise, rural development or the
  1025W
  voluntary sector. In addition we made clear that we were particularly seeking applications from candidates based in the West Midlands or South West England.

  Advertisements were placed in the national press on 13 and 16 September 2001, with a closing date of 11 October 2001. Our intention was to appoint up to two candidates. In line with our normal timetable, a shortlist of candidates for possible interview was drawn up in November, four shortlisted candidates from South West England were interviewed in January and one has now been appointed. The deadline for applications from candidates based in the West Midlands was extended to 11 February 2002 and this was advertised on the DEFRA and Countryside Agency websites. We are now considering the applications from candidates based in the West Midlands, received both before and after the original deadline, and hope to interview a shortlist in May. However, there is no fixed number for the number of people on the Board, and only one member is leaving the Board in April; so we will not necessarily appoint a second person this year.

  In addition to the national advertising campaign, which included information being posted on the DEFRA and Countryside Agency websites, we approached 160 organisations with an interest in countryside issues in September 2001 asking them to suggest candidates. We also made a limited number of further approaches in the West Midlands for additional suggestions in January.

  Appointments to the Board of the Countryside Agency are not made on the basis of political affiliation.

  Badgers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is the present estimated number of badgers in England and Wales. [45248]

  Mr. Morley
  Based on two surveys, the first conducted in the mid-1980s and the second in the mid-1990s, the number of badgers in Great Britain is estimated to be between 300,000 and 400,000.

  Water-based Sport and Recreation
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many enclosed waters of one hectare or more in size there are in(a) South Tyneside, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) the North East; and how many of these are known to be used for sport and recreation. [45249]

  Alun Michael
  Our research report, "Water-Based Sport and Recreation: the Facts" was published in December 2001. The researchers found that 73 of the 169 enclosed water spaces of one hectare or more in the North are used for sport and recreation. The report does not provide separate figures for South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear and the North East.

  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many clubs are associated with inland water sport and recreation in(a) South Tyneside, (b) Tyne and Wear and (c) the North East. [45250]
  1026W
  Alun Michael
  Our research report, "Water-Based Sport and Recreation: the Facts" was published in December 2001. The researchers conducted interviews with 58 national stakeholder organisations in England and Wales and also undertook a questionnaire survey of 1,250 local clubs, associations and organisations. The report does not detail how many clubs are associated with inland water sport and recreation in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear and the North East.

  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will announce what action she plans to take on the research report "Water Based Sport and Recreation: the Facts". [45251]

  Alun Michael
  Officials recently met British Waterways, the Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency and Sport England as the other sponsors of the research along with other interested Government Departments. We are considering what action to take in the light of the report's findings.

  New Deal for Market Towns
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which market towns have received grants for regeneration under the New Deal for Market Towns, stating(a) the amount and (b) the purpose of each grant. [46600]

  Alun Michael
  The Market Town Initiative is being taken forward on DEFRA's behalf by the Regional Development Agencies, working with the Countryside Agency and local partners and using the £37 million of Government funding announced in the Rural White Paper. We hope that match funding will raise the figure to some £100 million. The Department does not plan to monitor the amount and purpose of individual grants made in each town. The process at a local level is important in itself. Most towns are still at the stage of community consultation prior to agreeing action plans, and few project grants have been approved. I understand the total grant allocation by RDAs to individual towns remain indicative. The table below lists the towns included in the programme to date.

  North East (12)

  Northumberland

  Alnwick

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  Haltswhistle

  Hexham

  Morpeth

  Seahouses

  Wooler

  County Durham

  Barnard Castle

  Crook

  Middleton-in-Teesdale

  Stanhope

  Cleveland

  Guisborough

  North West (14)

  Cumbria

  Cockermouth

  1027W

  Egremont

  Keswick

  Longton

  Millom

  Penrith

  Windermere with Arableside

  Ulverston

  Wigton

  Lancashire

  Barnoldswick

  Carnforth

  Clitheroe

  Garstang

  Padiham

  Cheshire

  Sandbach

  East Midlands (13)

  Derbyshire

  Belper

  Bolsover

  Chapel en le Frith

  Lincolnshire

  Market Rasen

  Spalding

  Louth

  Leicestershire

  Market Harborough

  Melton Mowbray

  Northamptonshire

  Desborough/Rothwell

  Thrapston

  Rutland

  Oakham

  Nottinghamshire

  Ollerton

  Retford

  Yorkshire & the Humber (12)

  North Yorks

  Bentham

  Malton & Norton

  Pateley Bridge

  Thirsk

  Whitby

  North Lincolnshire

  Brigg

  East Riding of Yorks

  Hornsea

  Market Weighton

  South Yorks

  Thorne

  Penistone

  West Yorks

  Todmorden

  Otley

  West Midlands (19)

  Shropshire

  Craven Arms

  Oswestry

  Wern

  Bridgnorth

  Highley

  Alveley

  Market Drayton

  Whitchurch

  Herefordshire

  Kington

  Ledbury

  Bromyard

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  Worcestershire

  Evesham

  Bewdley

  Pershore

  Staffordshire

  Leek

  Uttoxeter

  Warwickshire

  Alcester

  Atherstone

  Polesworth

  South East (5)

  Kent

  Hythe

  Cranbrook

  Minster

  East Sussex

  Battle

  Heathfield

  South West (16)

  Devon

  Okehampton

  Hatherleigh

  Holsworthy

  South Molton

  Crediton

  Gt Torrington

  Tavistock

  Cornwall

  Launceston

  Helston

  Dorset

  Bridport

  Somerset

  Minehead

  Langport

  Gloucester

  Lydney (Forest of Dean)

  Wiltshire

  Devises

  Melksham

  Bath and NE Somerset

  Norton/Radstock

  East of England (20)

  Cambridgeshire

  Wisbech

  March

  Chatteris

  Whittlesey

  Ely

  Essex

  Walton-on-the-Naze

  Manningtree

  Harwich

  Brightlingsea

  Norfolk

  Dereham

  Walton

  Downham Market

  Aylsham

  Harleston

  Diss

  Suffolk

  Beccles

  Brandon

  Wickham Market

  Debenham

  Woodbridge

  Total 112

  GM Crops
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the approved buffer zone is between GM crop trial plantations and non-GM crops; on what basis it was arrived at; and what equivalent buffer zone is in use in other EU countries where GM crop trials are taking place. [43036]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 14 March 2002]: There is no single approved buffer zone between GM crop trials and non-GM crops. The conditions governing each trial, including the separation distance between GM plants and other crops, are determined on a case-by-case basis and set out in each consent.

  The basis for the size and nature of the buffer zone on other conditions is to restrict the impact of the GM crop on the environment. The distances are dependent on the reproductive characteristics of the GM crop, the nature of the modification and whether any alternative form of risk management is in operation (eg flower removal, pollen barrier).

  These distances are set after consultation with the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), the Government's statutory advisory committee on matters relating to the release of GMOs to the environment, which examines all applications for GM trials. ACRE advises on the basis of the best scientific evidence available and experience gained from previous releases and, for example, by the seeds industry in the use of separation distances to secure specific levels of seed purity amongst conventionally bred plant varieties.

  The legislation governing GM crop trials derives from European Union directives, so similar principles are followed in other EU countries.

  Wild Animals
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many cases of illegal possession of wild animals there have been in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement; [45437]

  (2) what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of procedures for preventing unlicensed possession of wild animals; and if she will make a statement. [45436]

  Mr. Morley
  There are several pieces of legislation for which my Department is responsible that regulate the possession of wild animals (including wild birds), but details of illegal keeping are not readily available.

  The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which regulates the possession of some wild animals, was reviewed last year by independent consultants to examine its effectiveness. The Act is administered and enforced by local authorities and no records are held centrally. However, the consultants report, which has been put on the website, contains some information about prosecutions, though it is not limited to the last five years and is not necessarily comprehensive.
  1030W
  The review highlighted a number of shortcomings, including some relating to enforcement. We have sought views on the report's recommendations from stakeholders and shortly will be preparing our proposals on how we intend to address the shortcomings. The public will be invited to comment.

  Laying Hens
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the enriched cages to be permitted in England under the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 99/74/EC will need to provide more than 250 cubic centimetres of which shall be usable. [45316]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 26 March 2002]: Council Directive 99/74/EC lays down minimum requirements for enriched cages, including cage area per hen and usable area. It is intended that the Directive will be implemented in England without being added to in any way. If further changes are proposed, there will be a full public consultation.

  Parish Councils
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information supported the designation of(a) Gatcombe parish council and (b) Newchurch parish council. [44281]

  Alun Michael
  Neither Gatcombe parish council nor Newchurch parish council have been classified as "barely active". The work which is being undertaken by the Countryside Agency towards a national indicator of community vibrancy is not a categorisation of parish councils or their effectiveness. The National Indicator uses as a proxy for community vibrancy measures of the opportunities for members of a community to contribute to community activities.

  The information used was collected as part of the Agency's Rural Services Survey from parish clerks and comprised the presence of a village hall or similar local meeting place, the presence of a public house, incidence of local traditions and events and contested parish council elections. Full details are set out in the Countryside Agency's State of the Countryside Report 2001 where it was noted that there is a marked relationship between the indicator score and population size. The indicator was reported at the national level.

  Livestock Movements
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many drop-offs will be allowed by her Department from a single auction pick-up of cattle moving through market; what checks will be made by divisional veterinary managers on farms seeking qualification for multiple drop-offs; and when she intends to make an announcement. [46385]

  Mr. Morley
  At present, multiple drop offs are only permitted from a market if(a) stock are being dropped off at slaughterhouses only or (b) for cattle only, if they are moved to no more than five farms.
  1031W
  A Veterinary Inspector will check to ensure that anyone applying for their premises to be a drop off point understands the conditions linked to approval and to ensure that the premises are capable of meeting the standards set. For example, he must be satisfied that suitable cleansing and disinfection facilities are available and that there are sufficient gates and hurdles to prevent animals escaping during the unloading process.

  Further details of the conditions that apply to multiple pick-ups and drop offs are available at: www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/movementsitransport/index.htm.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the letter of appointment agreed between the Government and Dr. Anderson in relation to his duties as Chairman of the Lessons Learned Inquiry. [38841]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 28 February 2002]: No. It is not normal practice to publish such letters of appointment.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what action Her Majesty's Government have taken to prevent ill-treatment of Gibraltarians at the Gibraltar-Spain border; [43430]

  (2) what recent reports he has received about (a) the nature and (b) the extent of problems experienced by Gibraltarians resulting from Spanish border authorities. [43429]

  Peter Hain
  Ministers and officials have raised our concerns about border delays on numerous occasions with their Spanish counterparts, including during the Brussels Process talks. We have also raised our concerns with the European Commission on several occasions.

  The Commission announced on 19 March the closure of its investigation into restrictions at the border between Gibraltar and Spain, having concluded that
  "there was no evidence to legally support claims that the checks carried out by the Spanish authorities … are disproportionate and therefore incompatible with Community law".

  The Spanish Government also confirmed on 19 March that in response to requests made by the UK during the Brussels Process talks a new second channel would be opened, aimed at significantly speeding up the passage of private vehicles across the border between Spain and Gibraltar. The new channel became operational on 21 March. We welcome this.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department had with the European Commission on its recent investigation into Spanish/Gibraltarian border restrictions. [45472]
  1032W
  Peter Hain
  [holding answer of 26 March]: Ministers and officials have raised our concerns about border delays on numerous occasions with their Spanish counterparts, including during the Brussels Process talks. We have also raised our concerns with the European Commission on several occasions.

  The Commission announced on 19 March the closure of its investigation into restrictions at the border between Gibraltar and Spain, having concluded that
  "there was no evidence to legally support claims that the checks carried out by the Spanish authorities … are disproportionate and therefore incompatible with community law".

  The Spanish Government also confirmed on 19 March that in response to requests made by the UK during the Brussels Process talks a new second channel would be opened, aimed at significantly speeding up the passage of private vehicles across the border between Spain and Gibraltar. The new channel became operational on 21 March. We welcome this.

  Saville Inquiry
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs have been incurred since 24 January by his Department in connection with the Saville Inquiry; and what his estimate is of the final cost to his Department. [46025]

  Peter Hain
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 January 2002,Official Report, column 999W. This Department has incurred no costs since 24 January 2002.

  Departmental Visits
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates Ministers in his Department have visited United States Government military bases and establishments on United Kingdom territory since 1 January 1999; which Ministers were involved; and what facilities were visited. [43475]

  Mr. MacShane
  We have no record of any Foreign and Commonwealth Minister visiting a military base staffed by US personnel on British territory since 1 January 1999.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Public Guardianship Office
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she expects to introduce the planned fee increases at the Public Guardianship Office for new applications to the Court of Protection; and whether public consultation will take place beforehand. [45921]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  No date has yet been set for the introduction of changes to the fees charged by the Public Guardianship Office, although it is planned to lay statutory instruments before both Houses soon. Proposed changes have been discussed with members of the Public Guardianship Office's Consultative Forum. The Consultative Forum includes representatives from voluntary organisations with an interest in issues
  1033W
  affecting the Public Guardianship Office's clients and from the Law Society. Members of the Consultative Forum are working with my officials to recommend improved guidelines for remission of fees, so that those who would suffer real hardship as a result of having to pay fees will be able to have them remitted.

  Court Closures
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many courts he has closed since 7 June 2001. [46175]

  Mr. Wills
  No county court or Crown Court centre has been closed since this date.

  Magistrates' courts committees are not statutorily required to inform the Lord Chancellor's Department of proposed courthouse closures which are not subject to an appeal by its paying authority or authorities.

  It is the Government's policy that decisions concerning the number, location and future of magistrates' courts are for each magistrates' courts committee to determine, in consultation with its local paying authority or authorities. 11 magistrates' courthouses have been closed since 7 June 2001.

  Adoption Bill
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations she has received concerning the Adoption Bill. [46176]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Secretary of State for Health presented the Adoption and Children Bill to the House of Commons. However, I have received 50 representations on the Bill.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she expects to reply to the letter of 4 February from the hon. Member for Torbay, regarding Mrs. Skilton of Torquay. [43028]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  My Noble Friend, Baroness Scotland, has now replied. I am sorry we were not able to reply to the hon. Member's letter within departmental deadlines.

TREASURY

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the classification of motorbikes of over 600cc used by courier companies as leisure vehicles for vehicle excise duty. [45859]

  Mr. Boateng
  The consultation on reforming vehicle excise duty for motorcycles was published alongside the 2001 Pre-Budget Report. The consultation closed on 8 February, the Government are currently carefully considering the responses, which numbered over 12,000. Any changes to taxation policy will be announced in the context of the Chancellor's Budget judgment.

  Road Fuel
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make it his policy to encourage motorists through the tax system to change to use the cleanest available fuels; [45949]

  (2) if he will make it his policy to maintain the road fuel duty differential. [45948]

  Mr. Boateng
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The Government set duty differentials to encourage the production and use of cleaner fuels, and the development of alternative transport fuels. We announced in Budget 2001 that, to provide the stability needed for the merging road fuel gas market, duty on road fuel gases (such as liquefied petroleum gas) would not be increased in real terms until 2004 at the earliest.

  Financial Services Industry
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that fund manager and stockbroking firms do not levy unjustified charges on their clients. [45784]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The Myners review of institutional investment reported that the costs of broking commissions were subject to insufficiently clear scrutiny and control. The Government took forward the recommendations of the review, and following a period of consultation, issued a set of principles of investment for pension funds, and 10 questions for trustees to ask fund managers to ensure that they understand charges. A review of progress will start in March 2003 to decide how successful the principles have been in bringing about change.

  For retail investors, CAT standards and stakeholder pensions impose strict limits on charges by financial institutions.

  VAT Registration
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the annual lost revenue due to the illegal use of UK VAT registration numbers; [46112]

  (2) what his estimate is of the number of illegally obtained VAT registration numbers in each of the last three years. [46113]

  Mr. Boateng
  No such estimates exist.

  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he is giving to the tightening of VAT registration procedures for VAT numbers. [46114]

  Mr. Boateng
  Customs selectively apply extended checks aimed at identifying fraudulent applications, including making visits before registration is granted and applying conditions to the registration, where appropriate. Cases are monitored on an individual basis to ensure a balanced approach between facilitating business and protecting the revenue.

  In addition, Customs are working to automate their validation, verification and risk scoring system by September 2002.

  Smuggling
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the loss of revenue to the South East economy caused by the smuggling of(a) alcohol and (b) tobacco in the last three years. [46433]

  Mr. Boateng
  No such estimates are currently available. However, estimates of the tax revenue lost from smuggling of alcohol and tobacco into the UK were set out in "Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud" published by HM Customs and Excise alongside the Pre-Budget Report.

  Aggregates Levy
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of(a) the increase in recycling of construction and demolition waste and (b) the reduction in demand for virgin aggregates as a direct result of the aggregates levy. [45737]

  Mr. Boateng
  Research suggests that there is significant scope for increased use of recycled construction and demolition waste. The levy is designed to encourage use of this material as an alternative to virgin aggregate, thereby reducing demand for the latter.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the long term impact of the aggregates levy in Northern Ireland once the levy has been fully phased in. [45738]

  Mr. Boateng
  Phasing in the levy for aggregate used in processed products will allow the industry in Northern Ireland time to adjust, and to use greater amounts of recycled and alternative materials in their products.

  Sir Robert Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he will adopt for setting the rate for the aggregates levy in future years. [46406]

  Mr. Boateng
  As with all taxes, the aggregates levy will be reviewed at each Budget.

  Public Services
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department has commissioned external research into its paper on public services productivity; and if he will make a statement. [46573]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  No

  Press Office
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department's press office have received(a) termination and b) redundancy payments in each of the last four years. [41072]

  Ruth Kelly
  None.

HEALTH

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to reduce the number of adverse incidents involving wheelchairs. [45146]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 21 March]: The Medical Devices Agency (MDA) has specific responsibility on behalf of the Secretary of State to safeguard public health where medical devices are involved. Within this overall remit, MDA has a specific unit responsible for wheeled mobility devices where adverse incidents concerning the safety or quality of wheelchairs are considered.

  The MDA unit works with users, manufacturers, trade associations, professional groups, service providers, and other Government departments where appropriate to reduce safety problems for users both in the short and in the longer term. If the unit finds that there is a need for improvement in a wheelchair design, usage instructions or manufacturing process then appropriate action is taken with the manufacturer/supplier. When necessary Safety Warning notices are widely distributed which incorporate the actions required to reduce specific problems with wheelchairs that are already in use. Advice or written guidance on wider issues relating to the safety of wheelchair users is also given where root cause, or trend, analysis highlights a particular area of concern which requires improvement for the future. Also, if a shortcoming is revealed in an issued British Standard concerning wheelchairs or a need for a new standard the unit works with the British Standards Institute (BSI) to make any necessary revisions or assist with the drafting of any new standard.

  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the budgets for the provision of electric powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs to health trusts. [42525]

  Ms Blears
  Funding for wheelchair services is part of health authorities general allocations. It is for health authorities in partnership with Primary Care Groups/Trusts and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services. Health authority allocations for 2002–03 were announced on 6 December 2001.

  Primary Care Trust
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which PCTs have delayed planned initiatives and new services(a) in 2001–02 and (b) for 2002–03. [45934]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer issued 25 March 2002]: Decisions about local priorities and investment in local services are made by PCTs. The Department does not collect this information centrally.

  Delayed Discharges
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average delay for patients with delayed discharges was in the third quarter of 2001–02. [42702]
  1037W
  Jacqui Smith
  The Department does not collect information in the detail requested. I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow), on 18 March,Official Report, column 160W.

  It is not possible to calculate an accurate average length of delay from the information collected.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of all acute beds were occupied due to delayed discharges in each of the last five years. [37484]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 28 February 2002]: Information on the proportion of acute beds occupied due to delayed discharge is collected centrally once a quarter. The information which is available since June 1997 has been on the basis of the proportion of patients aged over 75 occupying an acute bed whose discharge has been delayed. The table below shows this proportion for each quarter since June 1997.

  Delayed Discharge—patients aged 75 and over

  Per cent.

  Collection

  Proportion of patients over 75 with a delayed discharge

  2001–02 Q3

  10.5

  2001–02 Q2

  12.0

  2001–02 Q1

  11.1

  2000–01 Q4

  11.9

  2000–01 Q3

  11.7

  2000–01 Q2

  13.0

  2000–01 Q1

  12.1

  1999–2000 Q4

  11.3

  1999–2000 Q3

  11.7

  1999–2000 Q2

  12.8

  1999–2000 Q1

  13.4

  1998–99 Q4

  12.4

  1998–99 Q3

  12.5

  1998–99 Q2

  14.3

  1998–99 Q1

  13.4

  1997–98 Q4

  13.2

  1997–98 Q3

  13.9

  1997–98 Q2

  15.7

  1997–98 Q1

  13.3

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from pharmacists on the global sum dispensing fee(a) on his original announcement of fee levels for 2002–03 and (b) consequent upon its revision; and if he will make a statement. [42944]

  Ms Blears
  I have not yet determined the overall level of fees for community pharmacy services for 2002–03. However, pending my decision, the basic dispensing fee from April 2002 will rise from the current level of 91.6p to 94.6p per prescription item.

  I agreed in February that officials should work with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) to explore ways of improving information about community pharmacy finances as part of a set of measures to inform our discussions on remuneration and on modernising the current NHS contractual framework. This work is under way.

  Osteoporosis
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Department has to investigate the use of(a) ultrasound and (b) biochemical tests in combination with Dexa scanning for identifying osteoporosis in (i) the population and (ii) a sub-set of the population. [42972]

  Jacqui Smith
  We maintain an interest in the development of all technologies for the investigation or monitoring of patients suspected of being at risk of osteoporosis. We work closely with the National Osteoporosis Society. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry is currently the preferred method for the assessment of bone mineral density in individuals selected to be at high risk of fracture based on clinical risk factor assessment.

  Social Services
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the circumstances in which responsibility for social services would be removed from a local authority; and if he will make a statement. [43235]

  Jacqui Smith
  It is for local councils with social services responsibilities to meet their statutory obligations and achieve best value for the people they serve. We have agreed a protocol on the use of intervention powers with the Local Government Association. This forms Annex D of the (former) Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions Circular 10/99, which has been placed in the Library. The protocol sets out the framework to discuss policy for the use of the intervention powers set out in the Local Government Act 1999. It states"Except in cases of serious service failure or unless there is a need for urgent intervention the authority will normally be given the opportunity to make the necessary improvements itself."
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health would only use the power
  "to transfer responsibility to another local authority or third party"
  when it was necessary to protect the lives of vulnerable children and adults.

  Boarding Schools
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to alter the charges proposed for the welfare inspections of boarding schools. [43817]

  Jacqui Smith
  The fees in respect of boarding schools are set out in the National Care Standards Commission (Fees and Frequency of Inspection) Regulation 2001 (SI 2001 No. 3980). In response to representations made during consultation, the fee levels are now set as a flat rate £250, £15 for the fourth to twenty-ninth pupil, and £7.50 for each subsequent pupil. These fees will not come into force until 1 September 2002. There are no plans to alter these fee levels at present.

  Psychiatric Patients
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the influence of outdoor open space on the health of psychiatric patients; and if he will make a statement. [43562]

  Jacqui Smith
  No assessment has been made on the influence of outdoor open space on the health of psychiatric patients.

  Medicinal Control
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2002, on Medicinal Control,Official Report, columns 130–32W, whether the (a) MCA and (b) CSM have plans to publish articles relating to the inappropriate or overuse of anti-psychotic medication in care settings. [42629]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) in conjunction with its independent scientific advisory committee, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) is responsible for monitoring the safety of all marketed medicines to ensure that medicines meet acceptable standards of safety and efficacy. The nature of the clinical setting is not within the scope of CSM advice. However, if the balance of risks and benefits for a medicine when used in a particular indication or population is considered to be unfavourable MCA/CSM will not hesitate to take action to modify its use and to inform prescribers of this action.

  For example the balance of risks and benefits for thioridazine in the following indications was considered unfavourable: anxiety, agitation and restlessness in the elderly, moderate to severe psychomotor agitation, violent and dangerously impulsive behaviour, mania/hypomania, and behavioural disorders and epilepsy in children. Upon advice from the CSM, in December 2000

  NHS hospital admissions where there was a primary diagnosis of selected alcohol related disease, by NHS Regional Office area of treatment

  England, 1996–97 to 2000–01

  Number of admissions

  Primary diagnosis (ICD10)

  England

  Northern & Yorkshire

  Trent

  Anglia & Oxford

  North Thames

  South Thames

  South West

  West Midlands

  North West

  1996–97

  F10

  Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol

  32,500

  5,600

  2,900

  1,900

  3,200

  4,200

  3,600

  4,300

  6,800

  K70

  Alcoholic liver disease

  7,900

  1,200

  700

  600

  1,100

  1,000

  800

  1,000

  1,500

  T51

  Toxic effect of alcohol

  2,300

  500

  200

  200

  200

  300

  200

  200

  500

  1997–98

  F10

  Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol

  34,400

  5,400

  3,700

  2,100

  4,100

  4,900

  3,500

  4,300

  6,500

  K70

  Alcoholic liver disease

  9,000

  1,300

  800

  700

  1,200

  1,100

  1,000

  1,200

  1,600

  T51

  Toxic effect of alcohol

  2,400

  500

  200

  200

  200

  300

  200

  300

  400

  1998–99

  F10

  Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol

  32,100

  5,100

  3,300

  2,000

  4,100

  4,500

  3,500

  3,700

  5,900

  K70

  Alcoholic liver disease

  9,200

  1,400

  800

  800

  1,100

  1,100

  1,100

  1,300

  1,600

  T51

  Toxic effect of alcohol

  2,000

  500

  200

  200

  200

  200

  300

  200

  300

  1999–00

  F10

  Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol

  32,300

  5,000

  3,100

  3,700

  6,000

  2,100

  5,900

  3,800

  2,700

  K70

  Alcoholic liver disease

  10,100

  1,400

  1,000

  1,300

  1,900

  800

  1,600

  1,200

  900

  T51

  Toxic effect of alcohol

  2,000

  500

  100

  200

  300

  200

  200

  400

  200

  1040W
  the use of thioridazine was restricted to the second line treatment of schizophrenia in adults. Health professionals were notified of this via a Dear Doctor letter and an article in the drug safety bulletin Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance. A copy of this article has been sent to the Library.

  Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the longest time is that a hospital consultant at Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust has been waiting for determination of an appeal against dismissal. [40017]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]: There is currently one consultant appealing against dismissal from Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust. He was dismissed on 22 March 2001.

  Road Accidents
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what duties the medical services have to carry out before an accident site can be cleared from(a) an A-road and (b) a motorway. [42786]

  Ms Blears
  The main duties of the emergency medical services would be to assess, treat and remove those patients who were injured in any accident on an A-road or motorway. A decision on when the site may be cleared is usually made by the police.

  Alcoholism
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients have been treated for(a) alcoholism and (b) alcohol-related disease in each region in the last five years. [42613]

  Ms Blears
  The information available is shown in the table.
  1041W

  NHS hospital admissions where there was a primary diagnosis of selected alcohol related disease, by NHS Regional Office area of treatment

  England, 1996–97 to 2000–01

  Number of admissions

  Primary diagnosis (ICD10)

  England

  Northern & Yorkshire

  Trent

  Anglia & Oxford

  North Thames

  South Thames

  South West

  West Midlands

  North West

  2000–01

  F10

  Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol

  27,300

  4,500

  2,700

  3,300

  5,600

  1,800

  3,800

  3,500

  2,100

  K70

  Alcoholic liver disease

  10,100

  1,500

  1,100

  1,200

  1,900

  900

  1,400

  1,100

  1,000

  T51

  Toxic effect of alcohol

  1,700

  400

  100

  100

  300

  200

  100

  300

  200

  Notes:

  1. The data include private patients in NHS hospitals.

  2. The data do not include patients admitted with a primary diagnosis not related to alcohol (eg an injury).

  3. Data in the table have been rounded to the nearest one hundred admissions. Data for 1996–97 to 1999–2000 have been grossed for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data.

  4. ICD10=International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision.

  Source:

  Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics.

  St. George's Hospital, Tooting
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of service provided to cancer and non-cancer lymphoedema patients at St. George's Hospital, Tooting. [42755]

  Mr. Hutton
  A clinic was established at St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust in 1997 to treat non-cancer lymphoedema patients (primary lymphoedema) and cancer patients. While there are other clinics in South West London where cancer patients and lymphoedema are treated, the St. George's service also meets the needs of patients with non-cancer lymphoedema. The St. George's service is a specialist service and receives referrals nationally. The Trust is also one of the few places where academic and epidemiological work is progressing related to lymphoedema. This work includes a recent local study run by the Lymphoedema Epidemiology Project Group.

  Asian Women
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics he collates on the rates of depression, self-harm and suicide amongst Asian women; and what services and resources have been made available to tackle this issue in the last three years. [42407]

  Jacqui Smith
  No national statistics are routinely collected centrally on suicide or self-harm of Asian women.

  We are developing a national suicide prevention strategy, which we will launch for public consultation in spring 2002. The strategy will consider the commissioning of further research into suicides amongst Asian women. We will also be looking at this issue further in the Black and Ethnic Minority Mental Health Strategy being developed this year.

  Rates of depression in people from black and minority ethnic groups are being established through a national survey of ethnic minority psychiatric illness rates in the community (EMPIRIC). The results of this survey will be published in April 2002.
  1042W
  The Department commissioned a study from the Institute of Psychiatry on "Deliberate self-harm in Asian women: An intervention study". The findings of which have been fed into information leaflets.

  There are several projects in England addressing suicide and self-harm amongst Asian women, such as the Newham Asian Women's Project highlighted in the national Service Framework for Mental Health.

  The Department has also provided the FPA with funding through the Section 64 scheme for their "JINNA" Sexuality and Self-harm project to identify the causes and develop effective preventative interventions for suicide and self-harm among young Asian women.

  Mental Health
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent Government research(a) has been planned and (b) has been conducted into (i) existing mental health services, (ii) take up of existing mental health services by members of Asian. black and ethnic minority communities in the UK and (iii) the future of mental health services. [42394]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department has undertaken a number of exercises to inform its future research programme in mental health, in particular to support the National Service Framework (NSF) in mental health. A "Scoping Review of the Effectiveness of Mental Health Services" was conducted by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at York University. A thematic review of the National Health Service Research and Development funded mental health research in relation to the NSF for Mental Health was undertaken by the Institute of Psychiatry. The outputs from these reviews will be considered alongside the Strategic Review of NHS R&D on mental health, which is looking at current research in the NHS on this area, to determine future research priorities in mental health.

  Further work on mental health services is being commissioned and includes: literature reviews and primary research concerning the effectiveness of post qualification mental health training; occupational outcomes (social inclusion); self help interventions; early intervention in psychosis; services for women;

  1043W
  assertive outreach (particularly for black and ethnic minority groups); suicide prevention; models of services to support carers; rehabilitation of people with severe personality disorder and delivery of forensic services.

  Future research priorities include: evaluation of alternative models for the introduction of primary care mental health workers; suicide prevention strategy; evidence based management of people with dual diagnosis; development of prison mental health services and a randomised controlled trial for effective management of sex offenders.

  Ongoing research on mental health services funded via the Department's Policy Research Programme includes:
  processes of disengagement with assertive outreach for African-Caribbean and white British men—St. Bartholomew's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry;
  National Survey of Links between Social Services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services—University of Manchester;
  a randomised controlled trial to detect benefit from training practice nurses in detection and management of psychiatric morbidity—Institute of Psychiatry (Kings College, London);
  expert topic papers in mental health (women only)—University of Birmingham;
  expert topic paper in mental health: early intervention—Victoria University, Manchester:
  expert topic papers in mental health: Self-help Interventions—University of Bristol;
  child and adolescent mental health services in primary care—University of Manchester;
  inequalities in mental health: a systematic review—University of Cambridge;
  pathways into care for the adult mentally ill from various ethnic communities—Institute of Psychiatry (Kings College London);
  development of culturally appropriate child mental health services: perceptions and use of services'—United Medical and Dental School (Kings College London).

  The Department's Health Technology Assessment and Service Delivery and Organisation Programmes are also funding a number of projects in mental health, including:
  cost utility of the latest anti-psychotics in severe schizophrenia (CUtLASS): a multi-centre, randomised controlled trial;
  long-term outcome of cognitive behaviour therapy clinical trials in central Scotland;
  a randomised controlled trial to compare the cost-effectiveness of trycyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and Iofepramine;
  measurement of health related quality of life in people with dementia: the development of a new instrument responsive to change and an evaluation of current methodology;
  randomised trial of fluoxetine and cognitive behavioural therapy versus fluoxetine alone in adolescents with persistent major depression;
  cognitive behavioural therapy in chronic fatigue syndrome: a randomised controlled trial of an outpatient group programme;
  a randomised controlled multi-centre treatment trial of adolescent anorexia nervosa, including assessment of cost effectiveness and patient acceptability;
  1044W
  problem solving by community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) for anxiety, depression and life difficulties among general practice patients;
  clinical effectiveness and cost of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation versus ECT in severe depression: a multi centre randomised controlled trial and economic analysis;
  the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of SSRIs in the treatment of sex offenders;
  the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of electro-convulsive therapy;
  services to support carers for people with mental health problems;
  effectiveness of counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and GP care for depression in general practice;
  a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of counselling with patients with chronic depression and anxiety;
  a systematic review of randomised and non-randomised intervention studies to examine which of the brief psychological treatments used in primary care lead to improved outcomes; and
  continuity of care for people with severe mental illness whose needs span primary, secondary and social care.

  In July 2001 the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) was launched and presents a unique opportunity to reshape services and practice in line with the evidence base. The Institute will bring together the research, development and dissemination functions of the full range of mental health services. NIMHE will be concerned with primary, specialist and tertiary care organisations in both health and social care and recognise the need to integrate service development and mental health legislation. One of the standing programmes of NIMHE will be a mental health research network designed to increase the number of multi-centre research projects in mental health.

  The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC are funding a number of research projects looking at mental health services and one project looking specifically at people of Asian origin.

  Yellow Card Scheme
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department has given to Mind in the promotion, operation and analysis of its yellow card scheme. [42393]

  Ms Blears
  In 1997, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) performed a detailed analysis of reports received through the Mind patient reporting scheme. Expert advice on this analysis was sought from the Committee on Safety of Medicines. No new drug safety signals were identified, although the results highlighted that patients considered that insufficient information was available to them about their medicines. There was an ongoing programme at that time to ensure that Patient Information Leaflets were authorised for all products and this programme was completed by January 1999.
  1045W
  In March 2001 officials at the MCA met with representatives from Mind to discuss the relaunch of their reporting scheme. MCA will be reviewing the results of Mind's analysis of the reports received through this scheme.

  NICE
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drugs are being assessed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; what the timescale is for publishing these assessments; and if he will make a statement. [41599]

  Ms Blears
  The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has completed 32 technology appraisals (covering drugs, devices and treatments) and NICE has a further 43 technology appraisals on its work programme. Where NICE has established timescales for individual appraisals, details are given on its website at www.nice.nhs.uk.

  Consultants
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the expenditure on external consultants for each year since 1997. in 2001 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what the quantified annual cost savings are which such expenditure has resulted in. [41701]

  Ms Blears
  Expenditure by the Department and its Agencies on external consultants, for each year since 1997 and at 2001 prices, is shown in the table.

  FY 1997–98 £million

  FY 1998–99 £million

  FY 1999–2000 £million

  FY 2000–01 £million

  FY 2001–02* £million

  Department

  12.694

  7.332

  8.132

  6.531

  4.400

  Agencies

  1.634

  1.575

  3.190

  4.047

  0.411

  * Reported spend as of February 2002, based on information currently available.

  The Department does not centrally report or record the quantified annual cost savings resulting from expenditure on consultants therefore the final part of this question could only be answered at disproportionate cost.

  Medical Negligence
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the outstanding liabilities of the NHS in respect of medical negligence claims. [41703]

  Ms Blears
  According to the National Audit Office in their report entitled "Handling Clinical Negligence Claims in England", which was published on 3 May 2001, it was estimated that a total of £3.9 billion represents the outstanding liabilities of the NHS for clinical negligence claims.
  1046W
  This figure includes £2.6 billion for all outstanding claims if they were settled straight away, and £1.3 billion for all incidents that have been incurred but not reported.

  Women's Hospitals
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the proposals to re-locate the maternity services located at Aintree University Hospital to the Liverpool Women's Hospital; and if he will list them. [41407]

  Yvette Cooper
  Ministers have received one letter in October 2001 about maternity services in Liverpool and Sefton from another hon. Member, as well as this representation from my hon. Friend.

  Variant-CJD
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to produce a new risk model to predict the number of potential exposures to v-CJD through poor decontamination practice before 2001; and if he will publicise the result using this model. [41806]

  Yvette Cooper
  "Risk Assessment for transmission of vCJD via Surgical Instruments: A Modelling Approach and Numerical Scenarios", published by the Department on 16 March 2001, set out a methodology for assessing the risk of transmission of vCJD through the re-use of surgical instruments. A new risk assessment model is unnecessary since there is no significantly new scientific evidence to warrant revising the structure or assumptions of the current model.

  Because of the multiple uncertainties surrounding this issue, it was not considered feasible to make a straightforward prediction of potential secondary infections from surgery. The Risk Assessment therefore did not predict the scale of any secondary epidemic of vCJD, instead, it developed different scenarios to address the various uncertainties-including the standard of decontamination-and gaps in our knowledge about vCJD.

  The advice we had from Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee was that good decontamination is key in reducing the risk of person to person transmission of vCJD via surgical instruments. This was confirmed by the Risk Assessment. As a result of the work we did last year on improving decontamination, all NHS hospitals in England have access to decontamination services of an acceptable standard.

  Pre-School Services
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been made available to provide services for under-fives in Liverpool in each year since 1997. [41123]

  Jacqui Smith
  Data on funding to provide services specifically for children under 5 who are resident in Liverpool is not available. However, the following table provides details of total recurrent contract income and additional cash increases received over the last four years by the Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust
  1047W
  from Liverpool Health Authority for the care and treatment of the authority's resident child population. Approximately 30 per cent of the child population in Liverpool are under 5 years old. The figures exclude paediatric intensive care and special assistance funding.

  Total Recurrent Contract

  Recurrent Increase

  Non- Recurrent Increase

  Total Increase

  1998–99

  21,587,170

  731,357

  817,360

  1,548,717

  1999–2000

  23,157,553

  1,570,383

  948,743

  2,519,126

  2000–01

  24,885,218

  1,727,665

  572,609

  2,300,274

  2001–02

  27,166,523

  2,281,305

  1,584,990

  3,866,295

  Teenage Magazines
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contact his Department has had with the publishers of magazines aimed at teenagers in the past two years. [40876]

  Ms Blears
  Routine contacts between press and magazines are not recorded centrally by the Department's press office.

  In the past two years my Department has worked in partnership with teenage magazines to highlight issues around teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and provide information about where young people may access further information and professional advice. Advertising has been placed in these magazines to enable those young people who are sexually active to have easy access to high quality contraceptive advice and to provide young people with information and advice to enable them to develop the skills to resist peer pressure to have early sex.

  Last autumn, an agency contracted by the Department also contacted journalists at magazines aimed at teenagers to generate coverage for "Smokescreen", the Department's peer to peer youth tobacco education project.

  In January, February and March 2001, as part of a campaign designed to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking during pregnancy amongst 16–24 year olds, advertising was placed in magazines aimed at a teenage audience.

  Medical Practices Committee
  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department issues to health authorities and primary care trusts on the arrangements to take effect after the abolition of the Medical Practices Committee on 31 March. [37940]

  Mr. Hutton
  Advice was issued to Primary Care Trusts and other interested parties on 13 March 2002.

  Dental Services
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used to decide whether to open dental access centres. [45464]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Dental access centres (DACs) are pilot schemes established as part of the Personal Dental Services initiative. They
  1048W
  provide access to National Health Service dentistry in areas where other sources of treatment do not meet demand. The location of DACs was determined by combining several sources of information on availability and access problems: statistical data, in particular registration figures and expenditure changes; self reporting by health authorities; and the local knowledge of regional offices.

  Orthodontists
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to tackle shortage of orthodontists in(a) Lincolnshire and (b) England; [42536]

  (2) what the shortfall of NHS orthodontists is in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) England. [42535]

  Ms Blears
  The number of orthodontists and the amount of orthodontic work in the General Dental Service has increased significantly since 1996–97 in both Lincolnshire and England as a whole. Additional clinics have been set up in Lincolnshire and by the end of March 2002, it is envisaged that there will be no over 26-week waits for orthodontic appointments in Lincolnshire. An additional consultant orthodontist post has been funded and concerted efforts are being made to recruit to this post.

  The number of principal dentists performing 100 or more orthodontic claims a year in (a) Lincolnshire Health Authority (HA) and (b) England is shown in the table for the years 1996–97 and 2000–01 together with the number per 100,000 population.

  The table also shows the number of orthodontic appliance claims in 1996–97 and 2000–01. These went up by 28 per cent. for Lincolnshire HA during the period shown, compared to an increase of 14 per cent. for England.

  General Dental Service: Number of orthodontists, orthodontists per 100,000 population and total number of orthodontic appliance claims in 1996–97 and 2000–01

  (a) Lincolnshire

  (b) England2

  Number of orthodontists

  1996–97

  7

  679

  2000–01

  10

  869

  Number of orthodontists1 per 100,000 population3

  1996–97

  1.1

  1.4

  2000–01

  1.6

  1.7

  Number of orthodontic appliance claims

  1996–97

  1,200

  217,000

  2000–01

  1,600

  247,100

  1 An orthodontist is defined as a principal dentist who submitted one hundred or more orthodontic claims in a year.

  2 Some dentists have contracts in more than one Health Authority. These dentists have been counted only once, in the HA which they hold their main contract.

  3 ONS 1996 and 2000 mid year population estimates based on the 1991 census.

  NHS Direct
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with GP bodies about the safety of advice offered by NHS Direct; [42352]

  (2) what representations he has received from general practitioners expressing concern about the standard of advice offered by NHS Direct; [42353]

  (3) what plans he has to achieve greater co-operation between NHS Direct and general practitioners. [42354]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]: During the implementation of NHS Direct, the Department had regular meetings with general practitioners bodies, including the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association and the National Association of GP Co-operatives, to discuss ways in which NHS Direct and GPs could work collaboratively to improve patient care. Bodies representing GPs are also represented on the NHS Clinical Assessment System Clinical Reference Group, a national group that ensures the system used by NHS Direct is safe and reflects evidence-based best practice.

  Independent evaluation by the National Audit Office and Sheffield University found evidence that NHS Direct has a good safety record, is as safe as other entry points into the NHS, and that serious adverse clinical outcomes associated with the service are likely to be rare.

  Cancer
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients of(a) Brighton Health Care NHS Trust and (b) Worthing and Southlands NHS Trust have received treatment for cancer of the (i) breast, (ii) uterus, (iii) cervix, (iv) bladder, (v) prostate, (vi) non Hodgkin's lymphoma, (vii) bowel, (viii) all leukaemias, (ix) ovary, (x) stomach, (xi) lung, (xii) pancreas, (xiii) oesophagus and (xiv) other cancers in each of the last five years; and how many patients are currently awaiting these operations; [42271]

  (2) how many patients are awaiting referrals to consultants in the oncology department in the Brighton Health Care NHS Trust. [42277]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]: Information on the number of patients awaiting referral to Brighton Health Care NHS Trust and the number awaiting operations is not collected centrally. The information collected centrally on cancer waiting times at Brighton Health Care NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust has been placed in the Library.

  Patient Complaints
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made about the cost to(a) individual NHS trusts and (b) his Department of requiring trusts to compile data about the ethnicity of patients making complaints; and how many staff are involved; [42210]
  1050W
  (2) what proportion of patients requested to give details about their ethnicity subsequent to making a complaint about treatment by an NHS trust have returned their survey form having ticked the decline to state box; [42206]

  (3) which NHS trusts have been instructed to compile data about the ethnicity of patients making complaints; [42209]

  (4) if he proposes to publish the findings of his Department's instructions to NHS trusts to compile data regarding the ethnicity of patients making complaints; [42204]

  (5) what the purpose is of the instructions from his Department to NHS trusts requiring complaint departments to compile data about the ethnicity of persons making a complaint since April 2001; [42208]

  (6) how he proposes to use the data collected from NHS trusts regarding the ethnicity of patients making complaints. [42205]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]: The cost of the implementation of ethnic category data has only been estimated in terms of staff-days. It is estimated that up to two staff-days will be needed in each health authority and trust to extract the information from their existing systems in order to complete the two returns KO41A and B. In addition, it is expected that each Primary Care Trust will require up to two staff-days in total to complete the new K041C central return.

  The collection of ethnic category data on written complaints will be valuable in gauging fair and equal access to health care across ethnic groups. Where monitoring shows unequal outcomes between different minority ethnic groups, public authorities will be required to take action to promote greater equality and to prevent discrimination whether direct or indirect. In the longer term, data collected on written complaints will be used to inform service improvements as well as give practice managers and the service as a whole more qualitative information around access to health care services.

  All trusts and health authorities have been asked to complete ethnic category details of complainants and staff complained against for the first time in the 2001–02 annual NHS Complaints Monitoring Collection.

  The Department publishes the results of its annual complaints monitoring exercise every year in "Handling complaints: monitoring the NHS complaints procedures". The 2001–02 data, which will include ethnic data, should be published in late autumn 2002.

  Stolen Equipment
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2002,Official Report, columns 1160–64W, on stolen equipment, what criminal proceedings have been undertaken for cases of theft against his Department, stating in each case (a) whether the proceedings (i) led to a criminal conviction and (ii) were unsuccessful, (b) the cost incurred by his Department in pursuing a conviction and (c) the value of items recovered; and if he will make a statement. [41508]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 18 March 2002]: All losses are investigated by the Department and stolen equipment has been recovered on some occasions to the value of about £5,000. Losses over £500 are reported to the police. It has not been possible to bring criminal proceedings in any one case mainly due to a lack of evidence. We have progressively put in place a series of measures to combat our losses from both organised and opportunistic theft. We take seriously the theft and loss of our assets. We recognise the importance of safeguarding our equipment both inside and outside the office.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many special advisers were employed by him(a) between 1 May and 31 December 1997 and (b) in each year from 1998 to 2001 inclusive; and what the total amount spent on special advisers by the Department was in each of those years. [41251]

  Ms Blears
  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  Year

  Numbers

  Cost (£)

  1997–98

  2

  see note1

  Year

  Numbers

  Cost (£)

  1998–99

  2

  see note1

  1999–2000

  2

  see note1

  2000–01

  2

  see note1

  1 Details of costs for Special Advisors within the individual departments are not given, in order to protect the privacy of the small number of individuals concerned.

  Press Office
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department's press office have received(a) termination and (b) redundancy payments in each of the last four years. [41078]

  Ms Blears
  No staff in the Department of Health Press Office have received(a) termination and (b) redundancy payments in each of the last four years.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual budget for communications activities, including press, public relations, marketing and internal communications, was for his Department for each financial year from 1997–98 to 2001–02. [39916]
  1052W
  Ms Blears
  Expenditure on Communications activities comes under two headings as shown in the table below:

  £000

  Year

  Running costs

  Programme

  1997–98

  4,661

  14,954

  1998–99

  4,806

  21,810

  1999–20001

  6,814

  28,995

  2000–012

  7,969

  45,746

  2001–023

  8,582

  49,737

  1 The Department's Press and Publicity Division and NHS Communication Unit amalgamated on 1 April 1999.

  2 The Department took on direct control for a number of public Health Campaigns with the closure of the Health Education Authority on 3 March 2000.

  3 2001–02 figures are latest estimates.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 9 January from the hon. Member for Fareham, concerning Claire Bayliss. [45803]

  Ms Blears
  A reply was sent on 27 March.

  Free Prescriptions
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of under-25 year olds residing in England receiving free prescriptions in Wales since 1 April 2001; [41621]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the savings made by his Department since 1 April 2001 in relation to under-25 year olds residing in England receiving free prescriptions in Wales. [41622]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]: Information about cross-border dispensing does not include information about the age of individual patients. The information available about cross-border dispensing is in the table.

  £

  Number of items1

  Net Ingredient Cost

  Written in England and dispensed in Wales2

  Quarter ended June 2000

  50,618

  744,721

  Quarter ended June 2001

  56,644

  848,914

  Written in Wales and dispensed in England3

  Quarter ended June 2000

  54,885

  1,508,928

  Quarter ended June 2001

  58,471

  1,753,489

  1 Dispensed by community pharmacies and appliance contractors.

  2 Source: Prescribing Services Unit of Health Solutions Wales, Bro Taf Health Authority.

  Source: Prescription Pricing Authority.

  Endometriosis
  Helen Southworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when national standards will be set for the treatment of endometriosis. [42670]
  1053W
  Yvette Cooper
  We have no plans to produce national standards for endometriosis. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has produced clinical guidelines on "The Investigation and Management of Endometriosis". These bring together the latest evidence-based knowledge and best practice on the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, and examine options for treatment in the light of the presenting symptoms. The guidelines have been distributed to all of the Royal College's Fellows and Members.

  Helen Southworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of women with endometriosis in(a) Warrington, South and (b) North Cheshire; and how many women have been diagnosed with endometriosis in those areas in the last five years. [42669]

  Yvette Cooper
  The information requested is not available centrally in the form requested. However, the table shows the number of consultant episodes for women resident in North Cheshire Health Authority area who were admitted to hospital with endometriosis recorded as their primary diagnosis, for each of the past five years:

  Number

  1996–97

  129

  1997–98

  127

  1998–99

  128

  1999–2000

  123

  2000–01

  136

  Drug Abuse Services
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of health authority spending was, per 1,000 of the population, on drug abuse services in(a) Lincolnshire Health Authority and (b) other health authorities in England in the last three years. [42550]

  Ms Blears
  The level of health authority spending in the last three years in Lincolnshire was, per 1,000 of the population:

  £

  Spending on drug abuse services per 1,000 of population

  Health Authority

  2001–02

  2000–01

  1999–2000

  Lincolnshire

  3,000

  2,500

  1,750

  The following tables provide information allocations to Lincolnshire Health Authority and other Health Authorities in England per 1,000 population in relation to drug treatment services. Information about expenditure by Health Authorities against these allocations is not collected centrally.

  (a) Lincolnshire Health Authority

  £

  Drugs misuse allocation per 1,000 of population

  Health Authority

  2001–02

  2000–01

  1999–2000

  Lincolnshire

  1,944

  928

  826

  1054W
  (b) Other health authorities in England:

  £

  Drugs misuse allocation per 1,000 of population

  Health Authority

  2001–02

  2000–01

  1999–2000

  Avon

  2,065

  988

  905

  Barking and Havering

  2,286

  1,088

  907

  Barnet2

  2,421

  1,215

  1,019

  Barnet, Enfield and Haringey2

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

  Barnsley

  2,628

  1,251

  1,081

  Bedfordshire

  2,093

  1,002

  951

  Berkshire

  2,284

  1,091

  986

  Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich2

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

  Bexley & Greenwich2

  2,956

  1,410

  1,258

  Birmingham

  2,971

  1,402

  1,269

  Bradford

  2,113

  1,004

  961

  Brent & Harrow

  2,648

  1,301

  1,107

  Bromley2

  1,875

  897

  920

  Buckinghamshire

  2,082

  993

  917

  Bury & Rochdale

  2,138

  1,022

  948

  Calderdale & Kirklees

  2,041

  967

  925

  Cambridgeshire

  2,608

  1,233

  1,248

  Camden & Islington

  8,030

  3,913

  3,224

  Cornwall & Isles of Stilly

  1,717

  823

  779

  County Durham

  2,546

  1,209

  1,051

  Coventry

  2,164

  1,018

  927

  Croydon

  2,282

  1,094

  964

  Doncaster

  2,355

  1,110

  998

  Dorset

  1,723

  822

  782

  Dudley

  2,197

  1,039

  946

  Ealing, Hammersmith & Hounslow

  3,814

  1,895

  1,605

  East & North Hertfordshire2

  2,487

  1,193

  1,041

  East Kent

  1,953

  939

  876

  East Lancashire

  1,737

  822

  784

  East London & The City

  6,197

  3,053

  2,483

  East Riding

  2,487

  1,168

  1,020

  East Surrey

  1,620

  778

  724

  East Sussex Brighton and Hove

  1,941

  935

  902

  Enfield & Haringey2

  2,954

  1,439

  1,182

  Gateshead & South Tyneside

  3,184

  1,498

  1,237

  Gloucestershire

  2,050

  971

  955

  Herefordshire

  2,058

  983

  915

  Hertfordshire2

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

  Hillingdon

  2,453

  1,175

  1,032

  Isle of Wight2

  1,397

  669

  692

  Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire2

  N/A

  N/A

  N/A

  Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster

  7,361

  3,783

  3,048

  Kingston & Richmond

  2,575

  1,264

  1,225

  Lambeth Southwark & Lewisham

  5,854

  2,883

  2,314

  1055W

  £

  Drugs misuse allocation per 1,000 of population

  Health Authority

  2001–02

  2000–01

  1999–2000

  Leeds

  2,863

  1,359

  1,211

  Leicestershire

  2,061

  975

  921

  Liverpool

  3,852

  1,810

  1,648

  Manchester

  5,205

  2,466

  2,387

  Merton Sutton & Wandsworth

  3,368

  1,602

  1,367

  Moercambe Bay

  1,691

  802

  733

  Newcastle & North Tyneside

  3,391

  1,594

  1,364

  Norfolk

  2,077

  1,011

  N/A

  North & East Devon

  1,859

  896

  871

  North & Mid Hampshire

  2,477

  1,182

  1,174

  North Cheshire

  2,325

  1,100

  1,011

  North Cumbria

  2,217

  1,056

  940

  North Derbyshire

  2,087

  987

  899

  North Essex

  1,816

  869

  761

  North Nottinghamshire

  2,066

  969

  905

  North Staffordshire

  2,116

  1,003

  926

  North West Lancashire

  1,614

  762

  730

  North Yorkshire

  1,969

  939

  871

  Northamptonshire

  2,245

  1,078

  1,057

  Northumberland

  2,465

  1,169

  1,029

  Nottingham

  2,562

  1,214

  1,125

  Oxfordshire

  2,552

  1,233

  1,090

  Portsmouth & South East Hampshire2

  2,130

  1,013

  934

  Redbridge & Waltham Forest

  2,315

  1,110

  955

  Rotherham

  2,888

  1,369

  1,324

  Salford & Trafford

  3,045

  1,441

  1,463

  Sandwell

  2,934

  1,399

  1,177

  Sefton

  2,423

  1,145

  1,330

  Sheffield

  3,076

  1,453

  1,261

  Shropshire

  2,145

  1,029

  952

  Solihull

  1,714

  816

  766

  Somerset

  1,865

  893

  832

  South & West Devon

  2,070

  978

  942

  South Cheshire

  1,777

  846

  785

  South Derbyshire

  1,925

  923

  863

  South Essex

  1,730

  827

  751

  South Humber

  2,023

  952

  974

  South Lancashire

  1,739

  832

  846

  South Staffordshire

  1,909

  915

  870

  Southampton & South West Hampshire

  1,979

  941

  843

  St Helen's & Knowsley

  2,666

  1,267

  1,053

  Stockport

  1,594

  764

  736

  Suffolk

  2,104

  1,012

  906

  Sunderland

  3,273

  1,546

  1,286

  Tees

  2,463

  1,168

  1,054

  Wakefield

  2,612

  1,248

  1,087

  Walsall

  2,798

  1,331

  1,144

  Warwickshire

  1,847

  884

  852

  West Hertfordshire2

  2,010

  968

  779

  West Kent

  1,923

  919

  898

  West Pennine

  2,267

  1,081

  946

  West Surrey

  1,834

  879

  784

  West Sussex

  1,683

  812

  749

  Wigan & Bolton

  2,066

  985

  884

  1056W

  £

  Drugs misuse allocation per 1,000 of population

  Health Authority

  2001–02

  2000–01

  1999–2000

  Wiltshire

  2,289

  1,103

  987

  Wirral

  2,026

  962

  1,001

  Wolverhampton

  2,872

  1,350

  1,191

  Worcestershire

  1,886

  902

  871

  England total

  2,488

  1,190

  1,073

  Notes:

  1. Figures for 2000–01 are not comparable with those for later years which are for pooled Department of Health and Home Office funding.

  2. N/A denotes data not available due to Health Authority merge.

  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure equal access to treatment and support for drug abusers in England. [42549]

  Ms Blears
  The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) is promoting models of service delivery, which will improve the quality of treatment and accessibility to treatment for everyone who wants treatment, irrespective of their background. This will ensure effective access to all services, particularly substitute prescribing and residential rehabilitation services. The NTA are working towards achieving the national target of:"Increasing the participation of problem drug users in drug treatment programme by 55 per cent. by 2004, 66 per cent. by 2005 and 100 per cent. by 2008."

  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that drug abusers can access help from general practitioners when necessary. [42548]

  Ms Blears
  Drug misusers are entitled to access general practitioners (GPs) in the same way that any other member of the population is.

  I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her today for information on the specific work that the Department is funding in order to equip GPs with the specialist skills required when working with drug misusers.

  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations he has made into the number of drug abusers refused treatment by general practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [42547]

  Ms Blears
  Information is not available on the numbers of drug misusers who have been refused treatment by general practitioners (GPs).

  However, we do recognise that GPs have a crucial role to play in our overall strategy of increasing the availability of treatment to drug users. The Department made available £1.8 million to the Royal College of General Practitioners for the development and implementation of an accredited training programme to give GPs the skills they need when working with drug misusers. Since its launch in October 2001 more than 400 GPs have taken part in the programme.

  Accountancy Contracts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the contracts agreed by his Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997; and what was the total value of contracts with each. [42102]

  Ms Blears
  The Department does not centrally hold a record of individual contracts. However our financial records, for the period April 1997 to date, show the Department (excluding Agencies) made highest payments for all professional services (including consultancy and accountancy services) to the following five companies and in the amounts shown:

  FY 1997–98 value £000

  FY 1998–99 Value £000

  FY 1999–2000 Value £000

  FY 2000–01 Value £000

  FY 2001–02 Value £000

  PWC

  143.7

  196.8

  244.6

  1,039.5

  308.3

  KPMG

  331.7

  166.9

  222.8

  33.0

  1,147.7

  D & T

  72.3

  45.4

  11.0

  55.6

  342.7

  E & Y

  26.2

  18.2

  0.0

  30.9

  66.6

  A Andersen

  51.5

  7.2

  0.0

  1.7

  0.0

  Flexible Working
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of the staff of his Department are(a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working. [42422]

  Ms Blears
  Employees working on job-share contracts or term-working are recorded as "part-time" workers. It is therefore not possible to identify the number of staff employed specifically on a job-share/term working contract. The Department currently has 496 staff (9.5 per cent.) working part time.

  As other forms of flexible working are arranged locally between staff and their managers, we do not centrally record this information.

  Staff Numbers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff have been employed by his Department in each of the last 10 years. [42469]

  Ms Blears
  I refer the hon. Member to the central answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.

  Energy Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on energy costs incurred by his Department in each of the last 10 years. [42449]

  Ms Blears
  The hon. Member is referred to the answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Minister for State at the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Alun Michael) on 19 March 2002,Official Report, column 268W, which includes information on energy costs incurred by the Department of Health.

  Job Sharing
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in his Department. [41040]

  Ms Blears
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Cable) on 28 February 2002.

  Gender Pay Gap
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap amongst staff in his Department. [40996]

  Ms Blears
  We are committed to review our pay systems in response to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Task Force "Just Pay" report, in which the Government has committed departments and agencies to review their pay systems by April 2003 and prepare action plans to close any equal pay gaps.

  Relocation Expenses
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in his Department. [41022]

  Ms Blears
  Payment of relocation expenses is made to staff when their transfer to another location is in the interests of the Department, for example, a compulsory transfer or bulk transfer of work or exceptionally for new recruits on appointment.

  Official Visits
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the official visits to(a) Paris and (b) Brussels made by each Minister in his Department in 2001 and the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on the choice of mode of travel for such visits; [38150]

  (2) if he will list the official visits within the UK outside London made by each Minister in his Department in 2001, giving for each (a) the origin and destination and b) the mode of travel used; and what guidance is provided to Ministers in his Department on choice of mode of travel for official visits. [38186]

  Ms Blears
  All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library.

  The additional detailed information requested in respect of UK travel is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Policing Costs (Commonwealth Games)
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Greater Manchester Police in respect of the policing costs of the 2002 Commonwealth Games; what estimate he has made of the costs of(a) policing and (b) other security measures related to the Commonwealth

  1059W
  Games; and what proposals he has made to ensure that the policing and other security costs are appropriately funded. [27126]

  Mr. Denham
  I have had discussions with the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (David Wilmot) about the policing costs of the games. On 30 January 2002, I announced that my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) had approved a special grant of £3 million. We have asked officials with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to look closely at the total additional costs estimated by the Chief Constable. On the basis of their further assessment we will consider whether any further grant would be justified.

  Other security costs fall to the organisers of the Commonwealth Games, who are confident that they can be met from existing budgets.

  Class A Drugs
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent analysis his Department has made of the number of offenders whose offences were related to their addiction to Class A drugs who had previously taken cannabis. [44976]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 21 March 2002]: On 23 October last year, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review the scientific literature on cannabis, including the so-called "gateway theory". Their analysis of this theory can be found in section 4.6 of their Report, "The classification of cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971", which was published on 14 March 2002. The Report says that it is not possible to state, with certainty, whether or not cannabis use predisposes users to dependence on Class A drugs. Nevertheless, the risks (if any) are small and less than those associated with the use of tobacco or alcohol.

  There is a link between Class A drugs and crime. Preliminary findings from the drug testing programme, currently being piloted in Staffordshire, Nottingham and Hackney, show that 55 per cent. of offenders arrested for trigger offences (property crime, robbery and Class A drugs offences) tested positive for heroin and/or cocaine (including crack cocaine). The number who previously used cannabis is not known.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department intends to reply to the letter of 6 December 2001 from the hon. Member for Aylesbury about case reference B 1087668. [45143]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 21 March 2002]: I wrote to the hon. Member on 26 March 2002. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

  Visas (Slovakia)
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will remove the visa requirement for residents visiting the UK from Slovakia. [45147]
  1060W
  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 21 March 2002]: I have no plans at present to lift the visa requirement for Slovakian nationals.

  Rami Mehsen
  Mr. Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on the case of Mr. Rami Mehsen (ref. GAT/37568), a constituent of the hon. Member for Putney. [45261]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 26 March 2002 about this matter.

  Human Rights Act Compliance
  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training has been provided by the Government to assist(a) charitable organisations and (b) Citizens Advice Bureaux in ensuring that their activities comply with the Human Rights Act 1998. [45385]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: No training has been provided by the Home Office to assist (a) charitable organisations and (b) Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) with the Human Rights Act 1998.

  Fair Trade
  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001,Official Report, column 970W, on fair trade goods, if he will review and increase the amount of fairly traded goods purchased by her Department during Fair Trade Fortnight. [35922]

  Angela Eagle
  We fully support ethical trading in mainstream business and fair trade products will be purchased where they meet the criteria on Procurement of Goods and Services.

  The Home Department will be raising awareness of fair trade products through:
  publishing an article in the department's purchasing periodical "Purchasing Matters";holding a purchasing symposium on fair trade on 15 April 2002.
  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what fairly traded products, other than tea and coffee, have been purchased by his Department in each of the last five years; and what was their value. [17563]

  Angela Eagle
  The Home Department is not aware of any other fairly traded products purchased in the past five years. The department fully supports ethical trading in mainstream business and Fair Trade products will be purchased where they meet the criteria of value for money principles, which includes quality, fitness for purpose and delivery against price.

  The Home Office will be publishing an article on fair trade in the next edition of "Purchasing Matters", an internal periodical for all procurement staff which will help raise awareness of fair trade products. In addition the Home Office will be holding a purchasing

  1061W
  symposium on the issue of Fair Trade in April 2002. I hope these measures will enable greater purchasing of fair trade products.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to take account, when deciding asylum claims, of(a) an applicant's treatment in detention abroad and (b) medical evidence of torture; and in what proportion of cases such information is actively sought at interview by interviewing officers. [44254]

  Angela Eagle
  All information provided by an asylum applicant is fully considered in light of the known country situation in the country from which the applicant is claiming asylum. Any claim to have been maltreated whilst in detention abroad is fully considered by the caseworker. Caseworkers have access to various sources of information, including country assessments prepared by the Country Information and Policy Unit (CIPU) of the Home Office which often provide information on the prison conditions in a particular country. CIPU have access to a wide variety of further information and have links with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as other organisations who are able to assist with specific requests.

  If, during the course of an interview or in other written representations, an applicant claims to have been tortured, caseworkers ask the applicant whether a medical examination has taken place. If so, the applicant is asked to submit a copy of the report. Where the applicant has raised torture and the caseworker feels it would be useful, the applicant may be invited to submit a medical report.

  However, it is for the applicant to decide whether they wish to undertake a medical examination to establish that torture has taken place. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate does not insist that a medical report is submitted when torture has been alleged. Not all forms of torture result in physical scars or injuries which could be identified during a medical examination.

  Any medical report provided is fully considered in the light of the country situation and alongside any other information provided by the applicant. Information on the number of medical reports sought is not routinely collected.

  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, when an applicant for asylum has provided evidence of torture, he will ensure that any letter of refusal states whether the evidence has been accepted. [44256]

  Angela Eagle
  The Immigration and Nationality Directorate's Asylum Policy Instructions state that where a caseworker has decided to refuse an application for which a medical report has been submitted, the Reasons for Refusal Letter (RFRL) should explain how the medical report has been considered, and whether this evidence has been accepted or not.

  Any other evidence of torture which might be provided by the applicant would be considered in accordance with guidance issued to caseworkers which states that, following the Court of Appeal case of
  1062W
  Karanakaran, caseworkers are generally expected to set out in any RFRL what they accept as true, what they reject as untrue and what elements of a persons claim they are uncertain about.

  These instructions were issued in July 2001 and are available on the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate website.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken from application to the final decision for asylum applications has been in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [44729]

  Angela Eagle
  The average time between application and initial decision was 13 months for initial decisions made in the 12 months to December 2001, compared with 20 months for April 1997. This has been calculated using all cases for which data are available, including older cases decided as part of the reduction of the backlog, as well as new cases (see table).

  Average time1 between application and initial decision, for cases decided in 2001

  Average time in months2

  Number of cases2 3

  All Applications

  13

  119,190

  of which

  Application pre 19964

  87

  1,835

  Application 1996

  59

  1,685

  Application 1997

  46

  3,015

  Application 1998

  32

  9,975

  Application 1999

  21

  21,715

  Application 2000

  9

  32,335

  Application 2001

  2

  48,630

  1 Calculated using all available data from the date the application is lodged to the date of the initial decision.

  2 These data are still subject to revision following quality checking.

  3 Figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest five. The number of cases quoted differs from published figures due to uncertainty concerning date of application in a small minority of cases.

  4 Cases decided as part of the backlog clearance exercise, as part of measures outlined in the July 1998 White Paper entitled "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum".

  Information on final decisions is not readily available and would only be obtained by examination of individual case files to obtain information on the outcomes of inital decisions, of subsequent appeals to the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Tribunal, and of cases which have been reconsidered, which would incur disproportionate cost.

  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the numbers of asylum-seeking families and children in detention; and if he will make a statement. [45476]

  Angela Eagle
  Our White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven" made it clear that there are occasions when it is necessary to hold families, including those with children, in removal centres. As part of our expansion programme for removal centres we shall consider what additional provision for family accommodation might be needed. No decisions have been taken as yet.
  1063W
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions about the suitability of siting an Accommodation Centre on the A631. [44640]

  Angela Eagle
  We have had no discussions with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions about the suitability of any potential accommodation centre sites. Site specific issues are local issues which we will take into account as part of the planning process. At every site a range of factors, including transport links, will be taken into account before final decisions are made.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations took place with the relevant local authorities, the Intervention Board the 1064W
  Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Defence before the announcement that Hemswell Cliff was a proposed site for an Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre. [44650]

  Angela Eagle
  No consultation took place with these bodies prior to the announcement of the potential sites for trial Accommodation Centres. A range of factors, including environmental, health and safety issues, will be taken into account at every site before final decisions are made.

  Yarl's Wood
  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Riot Act 1881 was read at Yarl's Wood Remand Centre on the evening of 14 February. [38780]

  Angela Eagle
  I understand that it was not read.

Preamble
The House met at half-past eleven of the clock, pursuant to Standing Order 16: The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)rose to move, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty as follows:
"Most Gracious Sovereign—We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to express our heartfelt sympathy in the great sorrow which Your Majesty has suffered by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; and to offer to Your Majesty our most sincere condolences.
"This year marks Your Majesty's Golden Jubilee but also the fiftieth anniversary of the death of His late Majesty King George VI, to whom Queen Elizabeth was a devoted Consort. Their Majesties' courage during the second world war inspired and strengthened the nation in a manner which will be remembered always by Your subjects at home and overseas. Queen Elizabeth's charm, dignity and steadfast service during His late Majesty's reign and throughout fifty years of widowhood won Her the boundless admiration of this House, as of all Your subjects. We were proud to celebrate Her late Majesty's centenary and to see Queen Elizabeth undertake and enjoy public duties even in Her 102nd year. Only seven weeks ago we saw again the courage typical of Her Majesty, on the sorrowful occasion of the death of Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret; but we rejoice that Her Majesty was able to witness the fiftieth anniversary of Your Accession as our Queen.
"We assure Your Majesty that, mindful of the great love which Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother inspired in us all, we shall ever hold dear Her memory. Our prayers for Queen Elizabeth, and for You and for Your Majesty's family, are joined with those of the entire nation"
The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords, this is an occasion for sadness and mourning, but I believe that it is also an occasion for full-hearted and grateful commemoration of a long life well lived in the service of this nation. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother brought smiles wherever she went. We remember the delight and happiness and, I think I may say, mischief, which seemed to accompany her everywhere.
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It is not long since we gathered together on another occasion to mark with great gladness and joy the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. The warmth, affection and regard in which she was held was plainly apparent to all that day, and in the days that followed as the nation celebrated.
On another more recent occasion we gathered here to send our heartfelt sympathy to her on the loss, so hard for any parent to bear, of her younger daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret.
In many ways for many of our people, the life of the Queen Mother seems from a very distant past, but there are resonances which echo still, and ought to do so. She was born in the year of the death of the great Queen. When she was still a young child of 14, at about this time of the year, the armies of unreason were massing. Young men, including her own brother, were ready to sacrifice themselves to bring down what they saw as tyranny. Then the old world shook and was fractured beyond all hope of repair. She was still a young woman of 17 when the Russian Revolution erupted.
When His Majesty King George VI came to the throne, the monarchy was an institution which had been shaken and also tested by the abdication of 1936. Their Majesties re-established the monarchy firmly in the loyalty and affections of the people. When crowned, Queen Elizabeth was crowned Empress of India. After the death of His late Majesty in 1952, the Queen Mother continued a full round of public duties long after she could have chosen an honourable retirement. She spent half her long life in widowhood.
Some of your Lordships will remember how Queen Elizabeth, with her husband, was an inspiration during the darkest days of the war by staying in London to face, with her family, the perils of the Blitz. Her courage at that time served as a beacon of encouragement which will for ever shine in the memory.
Her life of public service spanned the generations in a remarkable way. She embraced that life with grace and commitment. She was no less enthusiastic in her support for the Commonwealth and we know that the entire Commonwealth joins with us today. And yet though her life of service began so long ago, her presence and influence has continued to be felt in more recent times. She brought to all she did unique personal qualities. Her courage I have already mentioned. It was reinforced by boundless charm; perceptiveness enlivened with a bright and sparkling wit; and sympathetic consideration of the needs and feelings of others.
Above all, the Queen Mother retained a genuinely unaffected interest in the lives of her fellow countrymen. Her life was characterised by her charitable work and her support of the Armed Forces. She was involved with over 300 charities. She was Colonel-in-Chief of no fewer than 13 regular regiments, eight of them in the British Army and five in the forces of Commonwealth countries. All will escort the coffin to Westminster Hall on Friday. Through this absolute commitment to public duty, she enriched the life of this nation.

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Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother brought to her private life the same energy, charm, determination and steadfast strength. She had a great gift for family life. Her interests were many. She delighted in music and was a keen patron of the visual arts. Her love of National Hunt racing was matched only by her keen knowledge of the subject and the relevant odds. Her personal qualities were deeply rooted in her firm faith and love of God.
It is difficult to imagine this country without the Queen Mother. Born at the beginning of a difficult century, her experience and wisdom linked the decades. She won and retained the admiration and love of those in her own generation, but was equally an inspiration to those younger than herself. We all mourn her passing, as Duchess, Queen and Queen Mother.
To live to a great age brings respect almost automatically, but to inspire, maintain and sustain a loving and affectionate regard from so many is much more difficult. That was her very great achievement.
We have lost the Queen Mother. We need to remind ourselves that Her Majesty the Queen has lost the counsel of a Queen and a mother. It is in that spirit that we offer our truest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and to all members of the Royal Family. I beg to move.
Moved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty as follows:
"Most Gracious Sovereign—We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to express our heartfelt sympathy in the great sorrow which Your Majesty has suffered by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; and to offer to Your Majesty our most sincere condolences.
"This year marks Your Majesty's Golden Jubilee but also the fiftieth anniversary of the death of His late Majesty King George VI, to whom Queen Elizabeth was a devoted Consort. Their Majesties' courage during the second world war inspired and strengthened the nation in a manner which will be remembered always by Your subjects at home and overseas. Queen Elizabeth's charm, dignity and steadfast service during His late Majesty's reign and throughout fifty years of widowhood won Her the boundless admiration of this House, as of all Your subjects. We were proud to celebrate Her late Majesty's centenary and to see Queen Elizabeth undertake and enjoy public duties even in Her 102nd year. Only seven weeks ago we saw again the courage typical of Her Majesty, on the sorrowful occasion of the death of Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret; but we rejoice that Her Majesty was able to witness the fiftieth anniversary of Your Accession as our Queen.
"We assure Your Majesty that, mindful of the great love which Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother inspired in us all, we shall ever hold dear Her memory. Our prayers for Queen Elizabeth, and for
388
You and for Your Majesty's family, are joined with those of the entire nation"—(Lord Williams of Mostyn.)
11.45 a.m.
Lord Strathclyde: My Lords, on this occasion, I know that I speak for the whole House when I rise to support the Motion moved by the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House.
It is indeed a sad and sombre moment when this House is recalled to send such an humble Address to Her Majesty the Queen on the death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. It is even sadder that it should come so soon after the death of Princess Margaret and in the same year as the celebration of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee year. To Her Majesty the Queen and all members of the Royal Family go our sympathy and prayers.
I do not believe that I am the only one to have been moved by the many tributes that have been paid these last few days: by those who knew her so well; by those representatives of so many organisations, whose interests she cared about and nurtured so much, as the noble and learned Lord mentioned—especially those followers of the turf, a subject on which the Queen Mother was no mean expert; by members of the public, who wanted to express a sense of loss and an appreciation of a life that seemed so much to be part of our country's fixtures and fittings; and, most memorably of all, by her grandson, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who reflected the mood of the nation when he said, "She was an institution in her own right".
Her life personified all those who understood the true meaning of duty, service and sacrifice. No generation alive in Britain and the Commonwealth today will be unaffected by her death. Her life spanned a century of enormous change in the world and, more particularly, here in the United Kingdom. It is extraordinary to think that she was the last Empress of India and that her life witnessed the rise and fall of Communism, two terrible world wars, the growth of technology and communication and huge social changes that left no family unaffected. Yet, across all those years, she herself never changed. She remained a pillar of stability and good humour and was a joy to all those millions whose lives she touched and graced with her sparkle and charm.
Nearly two years ago, I formed part of a small group from this House that presented the Queen Mother with an humble Address on the occasion of her 100th birthday. The impression that she left was one of enormous vitality—a joie de vivre—and when we made to go, not wishing to impinge too much on her time or to weary her, she insisted that more drinks be brought and that we should tell her more about politics and in particular your Lordships' House, a place that she held in great affection.
In her long life she knew testing times, but she never wavered. She shared without hesitation the grief and the danger of the poorest during the Blitz. She devoted herself tirelessly and unstintingly to public duty to the

389
end. Fancy visiting an aircraft carrier at the age of 101! That public duty is a concept that this House has always honoured and recognised above all else.
The Queen Mother's achievements and her litany of service are written in the hearts of the British people. They, and all of us in this House—and, I know, many former Members of this House, too—give thanks for a life lived to the full. She made her mark on this nation and her memory will he warmly cherished.
Baroness Williams of Crosby: My Lords, from these Benches, we, too, thank the Leader of the House for reading the humble Address. We associate very closely with his words of sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and her family on the death of Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother.
We recognise that the Royal Family has recently suffered two very serious blows—first, the loss of Princess Margaret and now of the Queen Mother. We have every possible sympathy with Her Majesty the Queen, her son, the Prince of Wales, and her other children at this time. Among the many tributes about the Queen Mother—the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, mentioned one of them—one in particular reached me, as a grandparent. I refer to the wonderful phrase of the Prince of Wales, that, "She was a magical grandmother". I think that everyone in this House who is a grandfather or grandmother will feel that that tribute is one that they would wish to he paid to them by their grandchildren when they reach the end of their lives.
Many have rightly said that we mourn the Queen Mother's passing, but we would like to add that we also celebrate her life. The combination of mourning and celebration most aptly sums up the life of the Queen Mother.
We recognise that the Queen Mother brought a great deal of dedication to public service. There have been many tributes to that effect from this country and from around the world. However, there was another quality that made the Queen Mother special—she brought to her life of public service not only dedication but an extraordinary quality of enjoyment. She obviously got a huge amount of pleasure from the very work that she did. She reached out to people so that everyone she met felt that they were a special person in her eyes. One of the most remarkable things about her was her capacity to extend, in a sense, affection and love to all kinds of people. At the end of the day, when they had met her, no one any longer felt that they were an ordinary person, because in her eyes everyone seemed to be an extraordinary person.
I remember meeting the Queen Mother on one particular occasion when, back in the 1970s, I was Education Secretary. She and other members of the Royal Family regularly used to attend the annual meeting of the Commonwealth Scholars held at the Commonwealth Institute. It was an occasion in royal diaries. However, no member of the Royal Family attended with such enthusiasm as the Queen Mother, who insisted on meeting every single Commonwealth scholar. I remember one occasion when, although she
390
was scheduled to leave at a particular hour, at 5 p.m., she still had not met every Commonwealth scholar. So she stayed until almost 6 p.m., and there was not a single person whom she did not greet, welcome and make feel at home. It was a very special moment for each of those Commonwealth scholars which they would never forget.
The Queen Mother—if I may tell one other little anecdote—was of course also the Chancellor of the University of London. On one occasion, 30 years ago, my deputy leader Lord McNally became one of the many hundreds of people to have received at her hands as Chancellor a degree from the University of London. Afterwards, his mother said to him, "I noticed that she gave you a very special smile". I think that every single parent whose child met the Queen Mother has said exactly the same thing about her.
As the Leader of the House said, the Queen Mother also had an astonishing sense of wit and indeed of mischief. She was not only very quick on her feet—and not only at the Castle of Mey, where she was reputed to be a wonderful dancer of Scottish reels; on one occasion I saw her there twirling around the floor—but also very quick of mind. On one occasion, on one of her trips for the Commonwealth, she met an elderly African gentleman who waited a very long time in line to shake her hand. When he finally reached the Queen Mother, he said, "Ma'am, I hold against England what has been done to my people and will not easily forgive it". The Queen Mother smiled and said, "As a Scot, I have to say that I agree wholeheartedly".
As the Leader of the House has also said, the Queen Mother spanned a very long period in the history of these islands. However, she also spanned a period in which the monarchy moved from being the top of a very fixed social hierarchy. She was born into that hierarchy, but when she married the King, King George VI, she became a part of its top. However, throughout the war years and in the years immediately after the war, she moved elegantly from that aspect of the monarchy to one in which the monarchy was recognised as resting on popular support. I think that the greatest tribute we can pay to her is to say not only that she helped her husband King George VI, a shy and upright man, to meet with and contact his people, but that we owe her a truly great deal for the evolution of the monarchy to what it is today—a monarchy in which the Crown is very close to its people. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother played the single greatest part in that transformation. For that we as a country owe her a very great deal.
Lord Craig of Radley: My Lords, it is a great privilege to speak to the Motion on behalf of these Benches and to contribute to the most moving tributes already paid to a very gracious and remarkable lady. I doubt whether the death of anyone else one has known and been lucky enough to meet on a variety of different occasions could have enveloped my mind with such a multitude of disparate thoughts and reactions. We sense the great sadness of, and have great sympathy for, Her Majesty the Queen. To have lost two of her oldest, and very close, family members in a matter of

391
weeks is a tragedy of numbing proportions. Our sincerest condolences and deep sympathy go to her personally, and of course to all the other members of the Royal Family.
In my mixture of memories and emotions, I recall that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth had been at the heart of the nation for all of my lifetime and more. She was Queen Consort, and the last Queen Empress, when I was still at kindergarten in Dublin.
Along with many others, I cherish happy memories of our discussions sitting together over a lunch or dinner or meeting at a reception. To discover that she liked a compliment as much as anyone half her age and greatly enjoyed a joke was a delight. She entered wholeheartedly into everything she did. All recall her amazing spirit and vitality. She gave to everyone she met a sense of her personal interest and enthusiasm for them as individuals. Of her it could truly be said that she loved people.
As I stood at her side as she took the salute for a parade of thousands on Horse Guards on her 90th birthday—a parade not only of the three services but of all those who represented her wide interests and pleasures—her attention never flagged. She was just so excited, enthusiastic and taken over by it all. Her love of horses and racing gave her another wide following. She was Colonel in Chief of many regiments and battalions, both regular and reserve. Her yearly distribution of shamrock to the Irish Guards on St Patrick's Day was a time-honoured tradition.
She had a soft spot for the Royal Air Force and was frequently involved in support for it. She was Commandant-in-Chief of the Central Flying School of the Royal Air Force for more than 40 years.
Seventy years ago, when Duchess of York, she and the Duke were attending a lunch at Trent Park hosted by Sir Philip Sassoon, then Under Secretary of State for Air. Sir Philip had his own aircraft and had arranged that, after lunch, the Duchess would be taken for a flight piloted by Dermot Boyle, who in 1956 was to become Chief of the Air Staff. Dermot Boyle's account of their experiences was typically droll. The private airstrip at Trent Park was small and surrounded by high trees. It was appalling as an airfield, but Sir Philip liked his trees. He would never allow any to be chopped down.
So, after lunch, the Duchess and Dermot walked together through the woods to the landing strip, and got airborne safely. They flew around, watched the Duke playing golf on the golf course, had a look over parts of London and then landed back, not without some difficulty, at Trent Park. About a week later, an Air Council instruction emerged. It had come to the notice of the Air Council, it said, that members of the Royal Family were being flown by officers of the Royal Air Force in conditions quite unbecoming to their station. In future, all flights for members of the Royal Family had to be from approved airfields and cleared beforehand by the Air Council.
392
Evidently, at an Air Council meeting after lunch at Trent Park, Sir Philip had reported how much Her Royal Highness had enjoyed the flight and that she was devoted to the Royal Air Force. However, uniformed Air Council members were most unhappy about the risk that had been taken, using such an unsuitable airstrip. A couple of years ago, I asked Her Majesty whether she remembered her flight from Trent Park with Dermot Boyle. She said that she did indeed. I was impressed.
She took in her stride the unpleasant interruptions while she spoke before unveiling the statue to Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris which stands outside the Royal Air Force Church of St Clement Danes in the Strand. Once again, her backing for the Royal Air Force and the services shone through.
We shall all wish to remember her in our own particular way. She must have sat for many, many portraits. Some do her greater justice than others. The one that I most like—it hangs in the officers' mess at RAF Bentley Priory—has her in white court dress, with a glittering tiara and a treasure trove of ever more diamonds and pearls in necklace and brooches, looking as regal and impressive as is possible, but with the light of laughter and amusement in her eyes.
She will always be remembered for the unique brightness and pleasure she brought to so many of her countrymen and women, to old and young alike, and to the whole wide world of her contacts. Truly could we all feel, without any reserve, that we were her most loyal and devoted admirers.
Her passing after a momentous and admirable life deprives us of her presence, but leaves us all blessed and privileged to have known one who always put duty before self; one who for all of her adult life dedicated herself to the whole nation, the empire and then the Commonwealth; and who loved, and just as much was adored by, her family and a world of friends. We all grieve for her greatly.
Noon
The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, it is with great sadness that I convey from these Benches the support of the Lords Spiritual for the Motion. I hope, too, that my few words may reflect some of the feelings of the wider Church.
As we reflect on and pay tribute to a life well lived, our hearts go out to all those who will miss her most; the Queen and the Royal Family. As has already been mentioned, their bereavement is the greatest and the hardest to bear. Yet so greatly has the Queen Mother been loved that we all recognise a sense of real loss. That great love and the respect she has inspired across the generations arose from her marvellous example of service and duty. Yet to this she has added her own very special grace and charm, so that every family, here in Britain and across the Commonwealth, found a place for her in their hearts.
We appreciated the way she took up uncomplaining the unexpected burden of service to her country and we remember a Queen Mother who carried this burden with unfailing courage, supported by the great joy that

393
she took in her family. Let us not forget that she faced with courage, as has already been mentioned, the private sadness of the loss of her husband, a widowhood of 51 years, and very recently the death of her younger daughter.
One source of this courage was her deep and straightforward faith in Almighty God. Her devotion to the truths of the Christian gospel was a rich source of strength. It helped to sustain her throughout her long life, lived with such grace, elegance and, most of all, with a deep and enduring joy.
I want to add to the anecdotes that have already been mentioned. I remember her saying with a laugh that I was her eighth archbishop. She had known Randall Davidson, who was appointed Dean at Windsor by Queen Victoria. I may have been one of eight archbishops but the Queen Mother was unique. On another occasion I recall mentioning the name of John Henry Newman, who was vicar of St Mary's, Oxford as long ago as the 1820s. Her reply stunned me. "Oh yes,", she replied with enthusiasm, "my grandfather was profoundly influenced by him". Suddenly we had travelled back the best part of 180 years.
We cannot do better than to pause today, as we are doing, to say a heartfelt thank you for a long life, one nurtured by a direct and deep faith in Almighty God, a faith expressed in those wonderful words of St Paul:
"whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things".
We think on them, too, and we thank God for all she has meant to us and all she has given to us. In this Easter season, we thank Him too that she has passed into that fullness of life which Easter promises through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Lord Carrington: My Lords, so much has been very rightly and properly written and said about the Queen Mother in the past few days that there is very little to add and certainly nothing new. I venture to say only a very few words because, like so many of your Lordships, I was privileged to know Queen Elizabeth and was the recipient of many kindnesses. I would feel both ungracious and ungrateful if I remained silent on this very special occasion.
I remember vividly on one occasion when it was quite clear how she held the fascination of the people of this country. I was travelling in a car behind her when she was going on an engagement in London through the crowded pavements and streets. People on those pavements who, in the nature of things, could not have known her, suddenly recognised the car and its occupant and their whole demeanour changed. They smiled, they laughed and they cheered. That is a remarkable tribute to someone who, in their view, was a very special person.
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Dignity and a stern sense of duty, a never failing interest in people and things, warmth, charm and a magical personality, are the surest way to people's hearts. Queen Elizabeth had all those in every measure. How lucky over the years we have all been.
The Earl of Caithness: My Lords, I should like to add my voice to those of other noble Lords, having been very fortunate to have known Her Majesty all my life. In 1952, she bought Borrogill Castle in Caithness, which once had been our family home. Without the careful restoration and the work that she did at Borrogill, it would have become another Caithness ruin. She renamed it the Castle of Mey, which had been its original name. She did an enormous amount for the county of Caithness. Her involvement in local activities, with the artists, with the local games and with people from all walks of life was so appreciated and will be very much missed by those up there.
In 1996, she looked to the future of the Castle of Mey and put it into a trust. I had the honour and privilege of being asked to be one of the trustees. Her Majesty set us quite a challenge—to keep the house as a lived-in house, with that wonderful atmosphere that she created, as well as making public access available at the same time. The trustees are spending quite a lot of money on updating the castle. We hope to be able to fulfil Her Majesty's aims in the not too distant future.
The noble and learned Lord, Lord Williams, mentioned Her Majesty's knowledge of and interest in horse racing. It would be quite wrong to forget that she had a wide and detailed knowledge of her Aberdeen Angus and North Country Cheviot pedigree flocks, which are now the responsibility of the trustees. She knew those bloodlines extremely well. She won championship after championship. It will be a hard act to follow. As someone from Caithness said to me at the weekend, we will not see her like again.
Lord Kingsdown: My Lords, to the great good fortune of the people of my native county of Kent, Her Majesty was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle from 1978, a historic office whose origins, as everyone will know, lay in the need to reorganise the defence of the south-east coast of England against raiders or even invaders from the Continent. Among her predecessors were the first Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Sir Robert Menzies. Her Majesty's war years surely made her a worthy successor in that role.
The official residence of the Lord Warden is Walmer Castle, which is not normally inhabited. But year after year, Her Majesty and her indomitable household moved into the castle in July bringing with them from London everything necessary for life and comfort. I was told that it included a field cooker.
The castle came to life. Her Majesty entertained the mayors and officials of the cinque ports and a wide range of people from East Kent and Sussex. Those receptions and dinner parties were, as may be imagined, marvellous occasions, flowing in a continuous sequence and enlivened by Her Majesty's

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charm and enthusiasm and indefatigability. In addition to that entertaining, she fitted in visits in the neighbourhood, all of them a resounding success and much welcomed.
Fortunately, there are two potentially lasting things to commemorate those happy years and visits. The first is the garden at Walmer Castle, into the creation of which Queen Elizabeth put much time and thought. The second is to be found on the top of the cliffs between Folkestone and Dover; the Battle of Britain Memorial. That was established under Her Majesty's patronage and is much due to Her Majesty's support and generosity. She attended the opening ceremony and it was very moving to see her walking among and talking to the representatives of the few. They were men in their twenties in 1940—and that gracious lady then just 40 years old herself carrying the responsibility of being with the King, the head of our nation at that critical time.
Her Majesty's example never failed. She was a true Lord Warden of our coastline, of our country and of our people.
Baroness Carnegy of Lour: My Lords, on 5th November 1916 at St John's Episcopal Church in Forfar, the then Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, along with 11 other local young people, was confirmed as a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church. This Easter morning, 86 years later, as we prayed for the Queen Mother and gave thanks for her life, I am sure I was not the only person who was wondering how it was that that 16 year-old came to be the possessor of such star quality talents as her role in life developed.
What was the clue, I wonder, to that person who seemed from the beginning to be entirely at ease with herself; a secure and resolved personality; free to use her talents to the full without inhibitions; and to be her own self, whatever and whoever came along. And what talents they were. We have read about them in the press and we have heard about them today.
I believe that it is not fanciful to suggest that part of the clue to that wondrously free person lay in the fact that she had deep roots in the Angus countryside, in the community of Angus and in the history of Angus. Those security-giving roots were never left behind. Queen Elizabeth maintained and deepened them all her life. She felt, I believe, that she belonged to us. Everyone in our part of the country felt she belonged, too. I was for eight years the elected chancellor for the area called Strathmore and I know that.
By the time Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon took her confirmation vows, she was already putting them into action, helping the war-wounded soldiers at her home at Glamis. It was at Glamis that she become engaged to be married. Her second daughter was born there and named after Margaret, the 11th century Queen of Scotland who, with her husband Malcolm Canmore, had a palace at Forfar.
Princess Margaret's birthday fell in August and at Glamis the Duchess of York gave annual birthday parties for her younger daughter and her sister and for
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local children. A wonderful children's theatre was put on by Miss Waddell of Arbroath. Lord Roberts' Workshops in Dundee, where ex-servicemen found employment, were visited annually. The local regiment, the Black Watch, became Her Majesty's regiment. She was its Colonel in Chief. She became the first Chancellor of the University of Dundee when in the late 1960s it separated from St Andrew's.
When the Glamis Brownies celebrated their 70th birthday, the Queen Mother was at the Glamis Hotel with the founder members, whose Guide Commissioner she had been. She visited her home town of Forfar frequently and was at St John's Church for its centenary celebrations. And so it went on.
The signs are that the Queen Mother's Angus roots were an important part of her wonderful personality. They clearly mattered very much to her and they matter to us. Angus, in its quiet way, is a sad but proud community today.
12.15 p.m.
Lord Eatwell: My Lords, it is as the President of Queens' College, Cambridge, that I rise to add my tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
In 1948, the governing body of Queens' College invited Queen Elizabeth to become patroness of the college on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the foundation. She graciously accepted. She was our fourth patroness. The first two were the founders of the college; Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, and Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV. Our third patroness was Anne Neville, wife of Richard III. But then from the Battle of Bosworth to 1948, Queens' College had no patroness.
Our new patroness more than made up for that hiatus. She visited the college regularly. As an undergraduate, I first met her in Queens' in the summer of 1965. I like to think that she enjoyed her frequent visits—indeed, I am sure she did—but of course it must be remembered that Cambridge is conveniently close to Newmarket.
On the occasion of her 101st birthday, just last August, I had the honour to present the college's birthday present. It consisted of a framed double photograph, two pictures taken from exactly the same position, showing Queen Elizabeth entering the college in June 1948 and then again in June 1998. In the photographs the buildings are, of course, exactly the same. The assembled undergraduates look very different. In the centre of each photograph is the figure of the Queen Mother, radiating warmth and enthusiasm.
During that visit in June 1998, as on all previous occasions, she spent a long time chatting to fellows, students and staff and even to children from the college nursery. At lunch, the lively conversation was peppered with a number of forceful, often indiscreet, observations on topics ranging from modern youth (of whom she greatly approved) to the Royal Ballet. She

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was very fond of the company and Sir Frederick Ashton had been a close friend. Throughout the visit, the college was filled by her ever-present sense of fun.
And that is how we will remember her. Queens' College was immensely proud of our patroness. We will miss her very much.
Lord St John of Fawsley: My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to speak after the most reverend Primate, in order to thank him, not only for what he has said today, but for his wonderful sermon on Easter Day at Canterbury, when he held in such harmonious balance the sorrow and joy of this occasion and spoke for the entire nation. On Sunday evening, at Westminster Cathedral, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster will be offering mass for Her Majesty and will be speaking for the Catholic community. As we are here as a community—indeed, the House of Lords is more than a community; it is a kind of family—perhaps I may be allowed to add my farthing dip at this point.
Her Majesty played a crucial part in our history. It was she and the King, and Sir Winston—that providential triumvirate—who managed to turn our darkest hour into our finest hour. Sixty years later, looking back, I shudder to think what might have been the fate of the world had that struggle been otherwise determined. Darkness would have spread over the earth. I shiver at the thought of what would have happened to our beloved Jewish brethren in this country if evil had triumphed.
It is not about Her Majesty's place in history that I wish to speak, but rather about her as a person and as a member of a family. We send our deepest sympathy and love to the Queen and to Prince Charles. The best thing that we can do to help the Queen, who must be very lonely, is to give her our loving support throughout this year of her Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth had wisdom. She was the wise woman for the nation, the wise woman of Jung's archetypes. So, the sayings that she had—although on the surface they seemed so simple—had a resonance and reverberation which remained with everyone who heard them: "Don't cross your bridges before you come to them"; "A smile costs nothing"; and above all, "If you stop, you're done".
She carried the lasting values of the nation—not the froth of fashion that comes and goes, but loyalty, fidelity, love of family and friends and generosity. She was, as the most reverend Primate said, religious; but she was not in the least "churchy" She was brought up amidst clouds of incense: as the most reverend Primate indicated, her grandparents and parents were leaders of the Tractarian movement in Scotland. No wonder she was so familiar with the name of John Henry Newman.
Queen Elizabeth's piety was rooted in the Prayer Book. It was the Prayer Book that she loved. She did not like the kiss of peace. When she saw it winging its way towards her, she stiffened and took evasive action. Her religion was the British religion—loving kindness.
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It is a jolly good religion too. At the Parousia—the Second Coming—theology will not be on the menu, but love will be.
I am very glad that the Prince of Wales paid that most moving tribute to Her Majesty, and that he drew attention to the fun side of her character, as a number of noble Lords have done today. Therefore, I am emboldened to add two little stories of my own. One is a story that she loved to tell, of when she was at the Church of St Clement, in Rome—that historic church dating back to the time of the early Christians. It is run by Irish Dominicans. The wonderful prior there took her up to the high altar and said: "Madam, this is our greatest treasure, a relic of the true cross. Have you got a tip for the Grand National?" She loved that story. Another story which is told of her, is that on her 100th birthday, going up steep stairs, against the advice of all her doctors and her courtiers, there was twittering from her lady-in-waiting. Queen Elizabeth turned and said: "Don't worry, dear, if you fall, I'll catch you".
Queen Elizabeth embodied the great theological virtue of hope—the neglected virtue. To be human is to hope. Life is difficult for everyone, however auspicious our external circumstances may be. It is little known that Queen Elizabeth loved poetry. Poetry, as Bagehot said, is a deep thing, a profound thing—the most wise and humanly elevating thing. It has the searching power of the scriptures. Some of her greatest friends were poets. She was friends with all the poet laureates, and was particularly fond of Ted Hughes. She went back to the great Romantic poets: Shelley, Byron and Keats. Keats' poem, Hope, in an extraordinary way, seems to encapsulate Her Majesty:
"O let me see our land retain her soul,
Her pride, her freedom; and not freedom's shade.
From thy bright eyes unusual brightness shed—
Beneath thy pinions canopy my head! …
"And as, in sparkling majesty, a star
Gilds the bright summit of some gloomy cloud;
Brightening the half-veil'd face of heaven afar:
So, when dark thoughts my boding spirit shroud,
Sweet Hope, celestial influence round me shed,
Waving thy silver pinions o'er my head."
Lord Quirk: My Lords, of the many offices graced by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, there is one of special importance to a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. She presided over the affairs of the federal university as Chancellor from 1955 until, 26 years later, she was succeeded—to her personal delight and in no small measure through her discreet influence—by the Princess Anne, now the Princes Royal.
During that quarter-century, Her Majesty chaired the ceremonies (usually in the Albert Hall) for the award of first degrees to tens of thousands of young men and women—well over 25,000 doctors of medicine alone. At the annual Foundation Day ceremony in the Senate House, she listened to a series of public orators almost as long as the series of Archbishops that she experienced. She listened to them proclaim the merits of honorary graduands as various as Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Cardinal Basil Hume, Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud, Ernst

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Gombrich and Dorothy Hodgkin, Isaiah Berlin and Jean Roche, Lord Denning and Lord Todd, Isaac Wolfson and Lady Plowden, Noam Chomsky and Jacqueline due Pré. And none of them did she hood without engaging in lively conversation.
But of course it was more than just ceremonial occasions. Her tenure as Chancellor saw some perilous moments and she was always ready with a quiet word of guidance. Moreover, the University of London is a vast and exceptionally complex institution, with dozens of colleges and institutes not only from Egham in the west to Mile End in the east, but also from the very capital of France to the Scottish Isle of Cumbrae. She regularly visited all these institutions, repeatedly, once indeed steaming up the Clyde to the Marine Biological Station on the "Britannia", no less. And I recall her gracious presence in Paris when, in October 1976, she opened the new premises of the Institut Britannique in the rue de Constantine.
It goes without saying that, whether with young undergraduates, nervous dons, or self-confident foreign dignitaries, she brought her unique magic of dignity, charm, and warmth. And she took delight, I recall, when, having opened the new Australian Studies Centre in Russell Square, she heard Bob Hawke confess that this magic always made him start to question his long-held republican convictions.
One final anecdote came to my mind when I heard the Prince of Wales a day or so ago speak of his grandmother's deliciously mischievous sense of humour. We all remember, no doubt, the rumours that circulated about Lady Churchill's reaction to Graham Sutherland's interpretation of Sir Winston in 1955. Well, at about the same time we commissioned a similarly eminent artist, Pietro Annigoni, to paint our Chancellor, and I regret to say that it had a rather similar outcome, inasmuch as the Queen Mother was less than overjoyed by a picture that gave her, she felt, an enigmatic Mona Lisa look. So after her retirement she was persuaded to sit in all the splendour of the Chancellor's robes for a full-length portrait by Michael Noakes.
When she unveiled it her pleasure was obvious and immediate, as was her ever-youthful sense of fun. Despite the encircling press and national television crews, and risking any over-intrusive microphones, she turned to me, those beautiful eyes sparkling, and whispered, "Now let's go and do a Lady Churchill on the Annigoni".
In the event, of course, both pictures are treasured and on permanent view on the first floor of the Senate House in Bloomsbury, reminding all who see them of an ever beloved Chancellor.
12.30 p.m.
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, among the many tributes to her late Majesty have been those which pointed to her versatility with peoples and institutions. I should like to speak for a few moments on behalf of Portsmouth—"Dear Portsmouth" as she was wont to call the city.
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First, as a compassionate Queen Consort she visited Portsmouth with the late King during the Blitz and took time to comfort stricken and bereaved families and give encouragement to those who were working so hard to make the devastated city habitable after successive air raids. Portsmouth is a tightly-knit community, a vast urban village on an island, and those people who came in direct contact with her in their time of need never forgot what she became for them during those visits. The word got around very quickly that she came and she cared.
Secondly, she retained right to the end a deep interest in the Royal Navy. No one will forget the determination with which she visited the "Ark Royal" last November, as the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, mentioned earlier, for the rededication ceremony following the recent re-fit. It was a vessel she herself had launched. She took an active interest in the captain and the whole of the crew. But she had come to Portsmouth many times before then to unveil the naval memorial in 1953; she had toured HMS "Dolphin" submarine base in Gosport; and she opened the D-Day Museum in 1984. She made countless visits and the Royal Navy owes her a deep debt of gratitude.
Thirdly, as a faithful daughter of the Church, she took an active interest in the completion of St Thomas's Cathedral, not a straightforward business by any means. When the diocese was founded in 1927 the old parish church near the dockyard was made the cathedral and it was given an inadequate extension—inadequate for the cathedral's growing needs and it was also becoming increasingly unsafe. By November 1991 the new west end was completed and she herself attended the thanksgiving service, well into her 92nd year, a gesture that was hugely appreciated. It is locally reported that she actually tripped over on her way down the nave. She was rapidly found a seat. But it was obvious that she sat on the seat to compose the vast congregation rather than herself.
No era or person has a monopoly on public virtues, and although many have rightly remarked that her death marks the end of an era, in the Easter faith—how wonderful to die on Easter eve—there are new eras yet to be born. But we rightly mourn her passing and thank God for every remembrance of her.
Baroness Strange: My Lords, I should like to speak briefly, humbly and with love. For all of us, always, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother has been a shining star, someone who cared about all her people, who helped us all at some point in our lives to get through difficulties, dangers and distresses, with her own steadfast sense of duty, her love and her sense of fun. Even in your Lordships' House there is no one here now who remembers before she was born, though my father who was three months older than her, was in love with her all his life, and I suspect many of your Lordships' fathers and grandfathers were also.
Everyone who ever met her has had their lives brightened by her sparkle and vivacity. This year, at the funeral address for my son-in-law, Philippe de Magenta, in the village church of Sully in France, old Chanoine Grivot of the Cathedral in Autun,

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reminisced about her visit to Sully many years ago now. Philippe had organised some special British car to meet her at the airport at Dijon, which unfortunately had not turned up in time, so there was no one there to greet her on her arrival. Undeterred, Queen Elizabeth jumped into the waiting police car, and with sirens blazing drove smartly to Sully, where the rather shy Chanoine was left to greet her on his own. Finally Philippe and the family turned up panting and late. When they arrived, they found that she had totally charmed the waiting Chanoine, and put him at his ease. She had also quite forgiven Philippe.
We all have so many personal memories of her, of her charm, her humour and her sparkle. But beneath it all she had a steely sense of duty and a love for her family, and for her people, which have sustained us all our lives. Those things we shall remember in our hearts with joy as we remember her.
Lord Rix: My Lords, it is my privilege as president of the Royal Mencap Society to pay tribute to our late royal patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and to support the Motion so splendidly moved by the noble and learned Lord, the Lord Privy Seal. This privilege could have been claimed by my predecessors as president, the noble Lord, Lord Renton, who is in his place, and my noble friend Lord Allen of Abbeydale who is not. Both graciously deferred to me as the current incumbent, and I am most grateful.
Her Majesty became our patron in 1960. As I wrote in a letter to The Times, published this morning, 42 years ago our sons and daughters were considered by many misguided souls to be both unpleasant and unwanted. If they had to exist at all, it was best that they did so out of sight and out of mind. For the Queen Mother to undertake the patronage of a society such as ours was, therefore, a considerable compliment—and possibly a risk—and it added immeasurably to our reputation. Her first action was to open an industrial workshop for the society at Slough. It was one of the earliest attempts in the country to provide meaningful training and employment for those for whom we cared.
Over the years our royal patron was both interested and involved in most of our work, with her delightful private secretary, the late Sir Martin Gilliatt, acting as an excellent conduit. There was nothing he liked more than discussing possible future plans in the convivial atmosphere of the Garrick. This is what I wrote after one of those meetings:
"In July 1986, at the time of Mencap's 40th anniversary, we had a splendid reception at St. James's Palace in the presence of our Royal Patron, HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who was twice forty and then some. She was absolutely marvellous. It was the hottest day of the year, being in the nineties, but she walked around four large rooms, holding over 700 people, and seemed to find time to chat to at least 350 of them. Sir Martin had promised 45 minutes of her time. She stayed for two hours and 45 minutes".
Even though that was written some 16 years ago, I still recall with pleasure the Queen Mother's delighted reaction when she was able to see for herself the progress winch could be made by people with a
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learning disability if they were given proper training. In 1981, when the noble Lord, Lord Renton was chairman, Her Majesty opened Mencap's new headquarters in Golden Lane and also a workshop next door where people with a learning disability could learn the art of dried flower arranging and, eventually, run the business and the shop themselves with the necessary gentle guidance.
In 1981 the new trainees were overawed and overwhelmed by the presence of the Queen Mother. But five years later came the dramatic moment when one of our former trainees, almost incapable of communication when he started to work for us, presented Her Majesty with a splendid painting of Balmoral, which he had done especially for the occasion. Another former trainee presented a beautiful bouquet of dried flowers, designed by herself, to a Queen Mother who was clearly moved and impressed by the quality of the work and the progress made. So much for those who were once deemed ineducable.
Her Majesty was equally impressed when our current chairman, Brian Baldock, was able to present to her two of our learning disabled members at the reception following her 100th birthday celebrations on Horse Guards Parade. She seemed to pick them out especially for a warm-hearted and lengthy conversation, showing her continuing and deep concern for people with a learning disability.
Right up to last autumn, the Queen Mother's officials continued to be most helpful and considerate, engaging Her Majesty's attention on our behalf whenever it was considered necessary or appropriate. Indeed, her approval was sought just before Christmas for our proposed change of name to reflect the inclusive nature of our society's new constitution, which enables people with a learning disability to take an active part in all our counsels and activities as fully-fledged members. It was our royal patron herself who suggested the name on which we finally agreed, as I mentioned earlier: the Royal Mencap Society.
The 42 years of her patronage have seen people with a learning disability arise from the slough of despond to somewhat firmer ground—a marked degree of progress, encouragement and understanding which was only dreamt about four decades ago and which delighted our royal patron. We are saddened that she will not be around to see our ultimate aim achieved—absolute acceptance and integration into society with all the necessary support services in attendance. Her Majesty would have enjoyed that and we shall miss her very much.
Lord Elton: My Lords, your Lordships have rightly evoked a brave, loving, courageous, wise and unforgettable spirit. But the Motion is addressed to the daughter. Your Lordships will all have experienced the death of one parent and possibly of the surviving parent.

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Her Majesty the Queen, whom we address today, is left in an extraordinarily lonely position with extraordinarily grave responsibilities. I should like to remind your Lordships of the terms of the Motion and say that our hearts not only rejoice in the life of her mother but go out to her in loyalty and love in the lonely position which she now holds.
12.45 p.m.
Lord Rogan: My Lords, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother first visited Ulster in 1924 as the then Duchess of York. Following the accession to the throne in 1937, she made a further 14 state visits to Northern Ireland. Her radiant presence and her obvious interest in our affairs was always a source of great comfort to us from the dark days of the Second World War to the Enniskillen massacre and to happier times, such as distributing shamrock to the Irish Guards on St Patrick's Day.
Not only Ulster but the whole country and the Commonwealth owe a debt to Her Majesty which can never be repaid. I never had the privilege or honour of meeting her, but I have been told often by those who did that, "She was a true lady and, what is more, she was great fun" The prayers of Ulster this day and in the days ahead are with her daughter and with other members of the Royal Family.
Lord Mackay of Clashfern: My Lords, on this occasion I want to thank in particular the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House for the eloquent way in which he encapsulated all our thoughts in his address. I want to say how much my wife and I appreciated the great kindnesses that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother showed to us when I had the honour of holding office.
I also want to support very much what my noble friend Lord Caithness said about her home in Caithness. When I was a very young law student, I found myself involved in the preparation of the title which she took to the land at the Castle of Mey. I only hope that it turns out to be a good one. As has been said, she did a great deal of work there, restoring the castle, creating a wonderful garden and looking after north country sheep and Aberdeen Angus cattle. I believe that anyone who knows Caithness will know that that was not done without a certain degree of challenge. We are also grateful for another thing. Caithness is now nearer London than it used to be because there are bridges which Her Majesty the Queen Mother opened for us.
Finally, as has been said, her Christian faith was very evident in all her works. It was not simply a case of words; the faith was manifest in her works. In no place was it more manifest than in the small Canisbay parish Church of Scotland near to the Castle of Mey.
Lord Patel: My Lords, I am pleased to be able to speak on behalf of the president and fellows and
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members world-wide of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, of which I am a past president. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had a long association with the college going back to 1932. Then, as Duchess of York, she officially opened the college house in Queen Anne Street, the college having been founded in 1929.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother, then Queen Elizabeth, became the college's patron on 28th June 1946. An appeal was launched to raise funds for a new home in 1947, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, patron of the college, was the first to subscribe with a generous donation of £1,000. In 1949 the college bestowed its highest honour—that of an honorary fellowship—on Her Majesty. I believe that what Her Majesty had to say in accepting that honour typifies some aspect and values in life that she held dear and a message that my specialty should cherish.
Her Majesty said,
"I believe that it is on the happiness of home and family life that the true worth and strength of a nation depend"
In the context of the work of the college, she went on to say,
"But what has been so well described as the miracle of life and the source of all tenderness and love in humanity demands more than technical attention. It demands a spiritual approach; as well as a warm, human understanding and a deep sense of moral values".
If those words were true then, they are even more so today. Over the years her gracious Majesty continued to support the college on many occasions, the most notable being the silver jubilee celebrations of the college in 1954; the laying of the foundation stone of the present college building in Regent's Park in 1957; and chairing the inaugural meeting of the Court of Patrons in 1982. Only a few days before that occasion, Her Majesty had undergone surgery to remove an impacted fishbone from her throat. Not only did she attend the Court of Patrons meeting, but she also insisted on speaking to each and every person in the large gathering present to celebrate the event.
In all the years as a patron she was keenly interested in the work of the college and the well-being and health of women and their children. Not only did Her Majesty attend many formal and social occasions, but she also kept in regular touch. All who had an opportunity to meet her will remember Her Majesty as extremely gracious, kind, friendly, easy to talk to and willing to crack a joke. I consider myself enormously privileged to have met her.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has lost a great patron, but has been enriched by Her Majesty's association and patronage over the past 70 years. Thousands of fellows and members of the college worldwide will always associate the college with her. The college wishes to extend its sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and to the members of the Royal Family.
On Question, Motion agreed to nemine dissentiente; and it was ordered that the Address be presented to Her Majesty by the Lord Chamberlain.

Business of the House
Lord Carter: My Lords, before moving the adjournment of the House it may be helpful if I mention some practical arrangements. A book of condolence for your Lordships to sign has been placed in the Princes' Chamber.
I also confirm that the House will not sit on Monday 8th or Tuesday 9th April. The business that was to have been taken on those days will be rearranged and
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announced in due course. The rules for topical questions for Wednesday and Thursday next week are unchanged. Questions should be tabled on Monday and Tuesday for Wednesday and Thursday in the usual way. The House will sit on Wednesday 10th April at 2.30 p.m. The business for Wednesday 10th and for Thursday 11th April is unchanged.
House adjourned at four minutes before one o'clock until Wednesday next.

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