Sitting of 31 July 1998

Preamble
The House met at half-past Nine o'clock
PRAYERS
[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]
PETITIONS

  Moray Health Trust
  9.34 am
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing: I present a petition that has been signed by more than 16,000 of my constituents. It relates to the reconfiguration of health trusts in the Grampian area and the desire to retain a unitary trust in the Moray area. It reads:
  Wherefore your Petitioners pray that the honourable House will take notice of the wish of those served by the Moray Health Services Trust that the Trust be regarded as a special case, enabling the continuation of an integrated, locally-managed health service.
  And your Petitioners, as in duty bound will ever pray, etc.
  To lie upon the Table.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Mr. John Austin: I have a petition that has been signed by several of my constituents from Erith and Thamesmead, from Greenwich and Woolwich, from Eltham and elsewhere. It expresses mounting concern at the impact of genetically modified organisms on the environment and at the fact that the risks to public health from those organisms have not been clearly established, and expresses the belief that it is crucial to safeguard the British landscape and its diverse flora and fauna. The petition states:
  The humble petition of the Members of The Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society,
  pray that your honourable House determines that no further consents should be granted to grow genetically modified crops until a full public inquiry has been carried out.
  And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.
  To lie upon the Table.

  Hunting (Wild Mammals)
  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster: It is perhaps an opportune moment, on the last day before the summer recess, to present this petition, which calls for the abolition of hunting with dogs, an issue which will not go away simply because the Bill of my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster), my namesake, has not been successful this Session. The petition states:
  The Petition of the Residents of Hastings and District
  Declares That the hunting of wild mammals with dogs is a cruel and unnecessary activity which has no place in modem Britain And having supported the Wild Mammals (Hunting With Dogs) Bill
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  which sought to outlaw the practice but which Bill had insufficient time to pass through Parliament albeit attracting the free support of the overwhelming majority of Members in the House.
  The Petitioners hereby request that the House of Commons in recognising the widespread public support for the measure shall call upon the Government to allocate sufficient time in the next session of Parliament for such measures to pass through the House.
  Nearly 10,000 residents in or around my constituency have signed the petition, and it has my full support.
  To lie upon the Table.

  Xenotransplantation
  Mr. Simon Hughes: It is obviously a week for petitions on matters ethical and related. In that context, I present a petition of 26,000-plus people—members and supporters of the Society of Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine—on the subject of transgenic transplant experiments. The petition
  Declares that we are gravely concerned at the very real risk of creating new and catastrophic human epidemics through the proposed transplanting of animal organs (genetically engineered or otherwise) into humans, thereby giving rise to the possibility of inevitably unknown viruses crossing the species barrier, a single instance of which could unleash an irreversible chain reaction of unimaginable proportions, and we are particularly concerned that action is urgently needed since transplants are planned to commence by the autumn of this year.
  The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons request the Secretary of State for Health to take action to bring to an end these health and life threatening experiments.
  And the Petitioners remain, etc.
  To lie upon the Table.

  Concessionary Travel
  Mr. Patrick Hall: I am pleased to present this petition of more than 600 signatures from residents of Bedfordshire, in particular Bedford and Kempston, who declare
  that access to concessionary travel in Britain is unequal and varies widely.
  The Petitioners therefore respectfully request that the House of Commons calls upon the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to bring in the necessary measures to create a nationwide travel pass available free of charge to all pensioners and people with a registered disability.
  May I quickly add that I recognise and welcome the significant measures that were announced in the recent transport White Paper to establish a national minimum standard for concessionary travel? This petition can be seen as a contribution to that debate. The White Paper is an important first step towards the free travel that is sought by the petitioners.
  To lie upon the Table.

Orders of the Day

  Northern Ireland Bill
  Order for Third Reading read.
  9.39 am
  The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Marjorie Mowlam): I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
  We are grateful for the overwhelming support that the House has shown for the Bill, following the substantial backing for the agreement in Northern Ireland itself. Once the Bill is finally approved, the requirement of the triple lock, which successive Governments have agreed should apply to any settlement, will be satisfied.
  The Bill is the culmination of a great deal of work in Northern Ireland. We have put a number of Bills before the House this year. The key developments show how much the Northern Ireland political landscape, which is the context in which this Bill will operate, if passed, has changed in the past 12 months.
  It is instructive to remember that this time last year the talks participants were still deadlocked on the decommissioning question. They had not addressed their substantive agenda; they began that only in October. Once they did begin, the pace accelerated, culminating in the Good Friday agreement on 10 April. Since then, we have had a referendum, an election, an Assembly, a policing commission, a criminal justice review and a decommissioning body, as well as passing the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act. We have also acted on our commitments on the Irish language.
  Now the House is considering and, I hope, will shortly pass this Bill. It is major piece of constitutional legislation, which has been prepared in record time. We have been happy to acknowledge that further changes may be necessary, while still taking some pride in the Bill as it stands. It is, we believe, an essentially sound framework for the agreement institutions to operate within.
  I crave the indulgence of the House for a moment as I want to thank the civil servants. The list that I have just given shows how much work has been done by Northern Ireland civil servants over past months. I also pay tribute to the many political party leaders, to the Prime Minister, to the Taoiseach and, above all, to the people of Northern Ireland who have given their support and encouragement to making progress with the Bill.
  Of course, we respect the doubts that have been expressed about the agreement within the House and outside it. Those who doubt have often shown courage, too. However, I believe that people are ever more widely coming to the view, whatever their original reservations, that the agreement must be made to work. The Government will continue to do all that they can to ensure that the agreement comes fully into operation, in all its aspects. In doing that, we will listen to all shades of opinion, for the agreement or against it. We will work closely with the new authorities established in Northern Ireland. Those comments apply especially to the Bill, just as they do to other aspects of the agreement. We are anxious that the Bill should reflect the agreement as faithfully as possible and, within its terms, provide the most effective and flexible machinery possible.
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  We have always declared our willingness to look again at the provisions of the Bill to achieve those objectives. As a result, we made changes before its introduction on the basis of consultation, and we have made further substantial changes in Committee and on Report. For example, we have omitted a number of sections in the consultation draft that were questioned, such as the default powers of the Secretary of State; we have made the criteria for exclusion of Ministers and parties tighter, consistent with the agreement; we have sharpened many of the human rights provisions, so that, for example, all Assembly Bills will now go to the Human Rights Commission; the commission will advise the Assembly as well as the Secretary of State; the appointment criteria for commissioners better reflect the agreement text; and we have made clearer the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees, in line with the agreement.
  While the debate has continued in the House, we have continued to listen. We shall reflect over the summer on a number of the points made in the House. In particular, we will look at the human rights provisions to see whether there are further ways in which the Bill can be strengthened, consistent with the agreement; we will look again at the criteria for early dissolution and for prorogation of the Assembly; and we will look again at some of the Order in Council-making powers. We will also consider audit arrangements. We cannot promise anything, but we will look at those and other areas carefully and with an open mind. My hon. Friend the Minister of State is already arranging further meetings in September with the parties to discuss their views. We shall then introduce any necessary amendments in another place.
  I thank colleagues for their forbearance in accommodating the lengthy discussion of the Bill at such a late stage, and for the hard work they have put into it. It has been a civilised debate, for which I thank hon. Members—I know how strongly some of them feel. I hope that that bodes well for the future. On this last day of the Session, and after the intensive work of recent months, we all feel the need for a period of rest. I hope that hon. Members get a couple of weeks—but after that there is a great deal of work ahead both for the parties in the Assembly and for their lordships, who are to consider the Bill further.
  9.45 am
  Mr. Malcolm Moss: I shall be brief, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I, too, want to contribute to the civilised nature of the debate. If the Secretary of State wants to find me in a couple of weeks, I shall be long gone—
  Mr. Jim Dowd (Lord Commissioner to the Treasury): But not forgotten.
  Mr. Moss: It is kind of the hon. Gentleman to say so.
  As the Secretary of State said, this is a major piece of constitutional legislation. It fits in with the rapid pace of change in Northern Ireland during her tenure of office. The Bill has gone through the House in record time. We know the reasons for that—commitments were given, and it has been part of a fluid and continuing process.

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  The Opposition have taken a bipartisan approach, while giving the Bill full scrutiny. We recognise the need to get the Bill on the statute book, because at the heart of the process is the agreement. Whether or not we like the agreement, or think it will work to fulfil expectations, is irrelevant at this particular time. The agreement was arrived at by the various parties in the talks in Northern Ireland, and in that sense it is a local agreement. We are simply giving a statutory framework to what was agreed on Good Friday. It therefore ill behoves us to try to rewrite the agreement, and that has been the theme throughout our discussions over the past week or two.
  I, too, want to give some praise to the civil servants in Northern Ireland, who have pulled out all the stops to get the Bill to this particular juncture in record time. It builds on the framework of existing Northern Ireland legislation, even though that legislation may now be on the shelf for some considerable time. The Bill introduces considerable new powers that reflect the agreement.
  The Secretary of State said that the Government still recognise that a considerable amount of tidying up remains to be done, and discussions need to continue over the summer months. The Bill has yet to progress through the other place. The Opposition certainly intend to table amendments then to try to improve the Bill.
  There have been few areas of disagreement, for the reasons that I have already outlined. The two areas of disagreement that remain concern clause 23, relating to the exclusion of Ministers from office, and clause 60 and related clauses on the Equality Commission. As we said during our debate the other evening, clause 23 is closely related to the release of prisoners and proscribing—or specifying, as the Bill puts it—certain terrorist organisations.
  We recognise that the legislation is a matter of interpretation for the Secretary of State, and that it is her right to interpret it as she will, based on the information she possesses and her overall knowledge and perception of events in Northern Ireland. Occasionally, we will beg to differ on that interpretation. That principle has been the basis for the limited opposition that we have brought to bear.
  I realise that clause 60 deals with a matter that is very dear to the Secretary of State's heart and that she would like, if at all possible, to proceed on it as stated in the Bill. However, she is aware, as are we all, of the disquiet that is still being expressed by some of the bodies that will be influenced by, and be party to, the change—particularly the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Northern Ireland Disability Council. Those three bodies are still very concerned at the implications of clause 60 and of the Bill generally.
  We are pleased in some ways that the Minister, in his reply to the debate on those clauses, said that consultation and discussions will be continuing over the summer. We welcome that. It is important to try to arrive at a sensible compromise on which all parties can agree, rather than simply to push through provisions that currently seem not to have been subjected to the full range of consultation that was promised, or even expected.
  The Opposition put down the marker that further amendments will be tabled in the other place, particularly amendments dealing with the matters that I
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  have just adumbrated. On balance, we realise that the legislation gives statutory powers as agreed in the Good Friday agreement, and we shall be voting for it on Third Reading.
  9.51 am
  Mr. Eddie McGrady: The House will be well aware that the great desire of the people of Northern Ireland is, first, to have a cessation of violence and to create the circumstances in which violence will not recur; and secondly, to provide a framework whereby economic and social development can occur. Northern Ireland Members will recall the euphoria that swept Northern Ireland on the morning of 10 April when the agreement was reached, and also when the referendum received the support of more than 70 per cent. of the people of Northern Ireland. That support is the reason why all Northern Ireland Members should be supporting the Bill. The Bill contains the agreement that was reached by the vast majority of parties and peoples and endorsed by those peoples.
  I recall also the ceasefire of 1994—the great burden that was lifted off the shoulders of Northern Ireland, and the physical feeling of relief, which was to be dashed by a subsequent reversal—and then the renewal, in 1997. Surely the Bill, which embodies the agreement in its entirety, will give us an opportunity to develop constitutional political stability, economic development, new investment, confidence and social development. At long last, all those matters can now be administered locally and tailored to meet the needs of the people.
  As I said in previous debates, after 30 years of violence it cannot be switched off overnight. Many people in our community have used violence—executed people in the most horrible way, maimed and killed people, and destroyed property—and they have been desensitised to normal modes of behaviour and acceptance of the rule of law. It is highly probable, however unpalatable it might be, that those people—if they are in some way thwarted, either personally or by events—will express their opposition in violence.
  I make a plea, particularly to the family of Unionist parties, not to use those singular acts of violence as a reason to bring down the whole delicate edifice of constitutional and democratic institutions that we have so painfully built up over the past two years. It is a very difficult and sensitive matter. It is a matter of grave judgment, one way or the other, whether a person or party is involved in violence for the purpose of pursuing political objectives. We must not confuse that violence with personal violence, with implementation of personal vendettas, or even with group vendettas.
  In an earlier debate, the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor)—I do not want to take his name in vain again—cited 58 incidents of republican violence and 53 or 54 incidents of loyalist violence. Such events will happen. I hope that, by working and growing together, our communities will be able to eschew such behaviour and develop an ethos of peace and co-operation. We can do that only by working together.
  I know that some representatives of parts of the Unionist community have a fear of the agreement—that in some way it will overtake them and their aspirations and traditions. Nothing could be further from my mind. The agreement is, first, a matter of co-operation.

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  Unless there is co-operation—not only in the agreement itself and in the legislation, but in their implementation—the agreement will fall apart and nothing will happen.
  The greatest strength that any Northern Ireland party has is the ability to say no—which I know is a rather dangerous thing to say in Northern Ireland politics. However, in the context of participating, there is always a veto for those parties. The Bill contains so much protection in ensuring that one will is not imposed on another, or that one group, community or tradition does not win a victory over another. That was the spirit driving the negotiations and the mechanisms embodied in the Bill, giving everyone enough confidence to participate.
  This morning, even at this late stage, if there is a Division on Third Reading, I urge those persons and representatives who are opposed to the agreement—which has been endorsed by the people—to say, "Yes, we have reservations about this. We will continue to fight our corner and, from our viewpoint, to safeguard the views of the people we represent. But we will give it a chance." The Bill is one chance, in the centuries and decades of violence, to make progress, and it affords the confidence of knowing that protections are fully built into it. Furthermore, the people have clearly and unambiguously said, "Please do this for us."
  I welcome the Secretary of State's mention for human rights, language and culture. I thank the Secretary of State and the Minister for their own openness in consultation and readiness to listen to what has been said by hon. Members on both sides of the House; and for their promises and undertakings to pursue further dialogue during the five short weeks until 14 September, when the Assembly will reconvene for very formal and important decisions. I thank also "the back office" people who constructed the Bill. Although it is very difficult to translate political terminology into statutory terminology, it was done reasonably well in the Bill, which can be amended later in greater detail.
  Much has been said about the Bill. My main concern is that the people's will should be endorsed, and that—because of that will—an ethos of peace should be created. The violence that we have had must never recur, and at long last we will have an opportunity to strengthen economic development, inward investment, social advancement and a better standard of living. I sincerely believe that the Bill is a vehicle by which those goals can be achieved.
  9.59 am
  Mr. Lembit Öpik: What a marathon this has been. I congratulate Ministers on the pace at which they have moved the Bill forward. The Liberal Democrats welcome the Bill whole-heartedly and believe that it is the vital ingredient which will turn the agreement into reality.
  During the past two weeks, the House has witnessed the transformation of the Belfast agreement into tangible legislation that will guide the new Northern Ireland Assembly, which is a good thing. It is also great to see some true innovations: Northern Ireland stands to lead Europe on a number of human rights issues, especially those challenging prejudice.
  However, the Government have not accepted amendments that we would have liked. I know that there is strong concern on the Ulster Unionist Benches about
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  the Assembly's ability to ratify important decisions made by the North-South Ministerial Council. The Belfast agreement clearly states that the council remains accountable to the Assembly. I am pleased that the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy), gave a serious commitment in yesterday's debate to revisit that matter in another place.
  I have also been concerned about the allocation of chairmanships. It is a drum that I have been banging during the Bill's long parade through the Chamber, and I hope that the Government will honour their commitment to examine that, too.
  The summer provides an opportunity to fine-tune what is basically a very good Bill. The Northern Ireland parties know better than any others the aspirations of the people of Northern Ireland to make the Assembly work. It is important that the Northern Irish public are able to consult, through their parliamentary representatives, during the informal period of summer.
  We need to remember what we are doing all this for. It is to normalise Northern Ireland and make it an even better place in which to live than it is already. From the point of view of tourism, Northern Ireland is probably Britain's best-kept secret, from the beautiful glens of Antrim to the mystery of Giant's causeway, from Strangford's character and its ferry—or is it a barge?—to the mountains of Mourne—
  Mr. McGrady: What about South Down?
  Mr. Öpik: There are many other areas that I shall not mention in order to prevent another lengthy debate. If one were to design a country for tourism, one would come up with Northern Ireland.
  The point is that we have to turn the opportunity of Northern Ireland into a reality, for the people who live there and for those who visit. Many people who visit the Province return to it. Those who have not visited it do not know what they are missing.
  Personally, I have learnt a few things during the passage of the Bill—something about our procedures, a bit about the problems faced by Northern Ireland representatives here, and a great deal about attitudes.
  There is an old saying that you cannot talk yourself out of a problem that you have behaved yourself into. To some extent, Northern Ireland had behaved itself into a problem. The biggest problem is that people stop listening. I have to admit that I am thinking of myself the other night when I was a bit of a grumpy old hon. Member. I have learnt that people listen least when they are the least confident about their position or that of others, and when they feel threatened. Perhaps that is something to which we should be sensitive.
  We have to recognise the enormous stress placed on Unionist and nationalist representatives here. They are the ones who have to make the process work. They are on the front line and have to face the individuals who are most affected by what we have decided.
  I look forward to the Assembly meeting in September. I hope that it will be able to work with the Bill and that the review which has been promised will iron out any teething problems that we come across as the Assembly implements the procedures.

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  Scars run deep, and there is much bitterness and many tragic memories in Northern Ireland, but I hope that all the parties that have been so constructive in our debates will recognise that it is up to all of us to make this work. Let us not think of the future in terms of failure, but plan for success. By doing so, we shall make it much more likely that that success occurs.
  10.5 am
  Mr. David Winnick: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said that the House had been very busy making sure that the Bill is passed. We may have been busy in the past 10 days, but we have been nowhere near as busy as she and her able team of Ministers, who, with single-minded determination, have made sure that an agreement was reached.
  I shall make three brief points. First, since Northern Ireland came into existence, there has never been a satisfactory way of governing that part of the United Kingdom. Stormont was wrong, and I doubt whether any Unionist politician would now stand up and say that what occurred at that time could possibly be defended or justified in any way. Direct rule was necessary, but there was a tremendous democratic deficit. The agreement is the fairest possible way in which Northern Ireland can be governed.
  Secondly, the position of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom has been reinforced. The idea that the agreement somehow paves the way for a united Ireland without the consent of the people who live there is simply paranoia. The notion that the North-South Ministerial Council is a halfway measure to a united Ireland without the agreement of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland is absolutely without foundation. Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution have been removed. On virtually every occasion, Unionist politicians have said that they should be removed, for reasons that we understand. There is no question of the agreement bringing about a unitary state in Ireland without the consent of the majority of the people. That fact is reinforced in the Bill.
  Thirdly—I choose my words with care and speak simply as a Back Bencher—for more than a quarter of a century, the British people, like the House, refused to give way to terror or to accept terrorist aims and activities on the ground, either in Northern Ireland or on the mainland. We never accepted that we should surrender or say in effect that the IRA would triumph and that a united Ireland would be brought about without the consent of the majority of people in Northern Ireland. We have held that position for a quarter of a century, regardless of what happened in Northern Ireland—for example, at Enniskillen and many other places—or on the mainland in Warrington and in Birmingham, where so many people were butchered in November 1974. The British people refused to give in to terror. As far as I know, none of us—certainly not me—received any—
  Mr. William Thompson rose—
  Mr. Winnick: No, I shall not give way. I said that I would be brief.
  None of us received letters from constituents suggesting any course other than fighting terrorism.
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  However—I choose my words with care—one should not take the consent and tolerance of the people of Britain for granted. Had there been a referendum on the mainland about the agreement, there would have been an even larger majority in favour than there was in Northern Ireland. There is absolutely no doubt about that. If the agreement were destroyed, or if there were attempts to destroy it by influential sections of the Unionist community, I believe that the British people would take a rather different attitude to Northern Ireland.
  As I said, the British people have stood up to terror. They have refused to give way under any circumstances for more than a quarter of a century. The agreement is the fairest possible way for representatives of the two communities to govern the people of Northern Ireland, and it has been endorsed by an overwhelming majority in Northern Ireland. Understandably, the British people would find it difficult to understand the agreement being destroyed by the very people who constantly say that they are part of the United Kingdom and that they accept the rule of law and parliamentary democracy. If those people are arguing as politicians who do not like the agreement, so be it. Many things happened in the past 18 years which we, in opposition, did not like, but the democratic process must always be observed. I hope that that point will be taken on board by all hon. Members, whether they are for or against the agreement.
  This is an excellent measure. I hope that it will succeed and that the people of Northern Ireland can live in peace.
  10.8 am
  Mr. Jeffrey Donaldson: It has long been the desire of the Ulster Unionist party to have proper democratic and accountable government restored to Northern Ireland, and we have worked hard over many years for a Northern Ireland Assembly that will give elected representatives a real say over local affairs.
  We welcome the opportunity to have a form of accountable government restored to Northern Ireland, but we have concerns which we have expressed. We make use of the democratic process, which is our right, and we are committed to exclusively peaceful means of pursuing our concerns. Let no one be in any doubt about that. However, it is legitimate and right in a democratic society that elected representatives of the people should voice concerns. It is true that the agreement was endorsed by a majority of the people voting in the referendum in Northern Ireland, but that does not mean that the almost 30 per cent. of people who voted against have no say in the future of Northern Ireland and how the institutions develop. It is significant that not one right hon. or hon. Member on these Benches who voted for the agreement is here today to defend it and to advocate support for the Bill. Where are they?
  We are here representing the people who elected us, and we will continue to do that, but we will do it in a democratic fashion because, for 30 years, we have watched as terrorists have tried and failed to undermine democracy in Northern Ireland. We have watched as they have carried out their terrorist acts here in Great Britain, and our condemnation of those acts is equal to our condemnation of the actions of terrorists in Northern Ireland.
  My party stands against terrorism and against those who would use violence for supposedly political objectives. The question is: can we fudge the lines

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  between democracy and terrorism. Can we blur those lines in a democratic society? The chief reason why I personally voted against the agreement was that I believe that aspects of it blur the lines between terrorism and democracy. I reiterate that today. There are also aspects of the Bill that blur those lines. We have sought to clarify the lines—not to wreck the agreement and the institutions, as some hon. Members have suggested, but to ensure that adequate safeguards are built into the legislation to protect those institutions from people who have used violence in the past and who continue to use violence to further their political objectives.
  I acknowledge what the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) said. He argues that one cannot condemn an organisation simply because the actions of certain individuals, but he will know, as I do, that those individuals do not act in isolation. He will know that the Provisional IRA is the most disciplined terrorist organisation in these islands and to suggest that murders are carried out without some sanction from the leadership of such organisations is wrong and naive. Our responsibility is to ensure that the institutions that have been created are protected from those who have used violence and continue to use violence for political objectives.
  When the Prime Minister came to Northern Ireland during the referendum, he promised the people of Northern Ireland that those who have used violence would not be allowed to hold ministerial office if they had not given up violence for good. He also promised that the prisoners would stay in gaol unless violence had been given up for good. In light of the decision taken by the Government in respect of the release of terrorist prisoners, it is highly legitimate to argue that the release of IRA prisoners, UVF prisoners and UDA prisoners in the wake of on-going violence by all those organisations demonstrates the point that we have made—that the provisions are inadequate and need to be strengthened.
  If there is not to be a fudge between terrorism and democracy, we cannot have elected representatives holding ministerial office who are connected to, or are members of, a terrorist organisation that is continuing violence in the pursuit of its political objectives. That may well become a reality in the weeks ahead. It will not have my support. I will not support a system that places in government over me and my family those who continue to support or engage in terrorist violence. That is why we believe that the mechanisms in the legislation need to be strengthened to ensure that that cannot come about. I urge the Government to look again at that.
  The hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) said that the Bill represents an opportunity for Northern Ireland to have a Government who have the support of the majority of the people. As he said, Stormont failed because it did not win the allegiance of a significant proportion of the population. I make the argument back to him that the agreement and the institutions created under it must command even wider support than they have to date. Up to 30 per cent. of the people have not so far given their allegiance. The same number withheld their allegiance to the Stormont Parliament for 50 years. I ask the hon. Gentleman to think about that and not to dismiss the legitimate concerns of people such as myself and simply say that because 70 per cent. gave their allegiance,
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  the other 30 per cent. should do the same. Our allegiance also has to be won. Our trust and our confidence have to be created and it is the responsibility of those who engage in violence and terrorism to persuade us that they have given up violence for good and to do so in a tangible manner.
  Violence must be given up for good. That includes the decommissioning of terrorist weapons, as provided for in the agreement. It also includes the dismantling of terrorist organisations and an end to the punishment beatings, as the Prime Minister said at Balmoral. None of that is happening in Northern Ireland. It must happen if we are to have any confidence that those engaged in violence have ended their violence for good.
  In respect of north-south co-operation, we have asked for proper accountability and that the Assembly exercises its authority to ensure that those elected by the people of Northern Ireland control the rate and extent of co-operation. That is important because there is a view that Irish nationalists, in pursuit of their objective of a united Ireland, will cease to use the North-South Ministerial Council and the implementation bodies to create an all-Ireland framework that will be the basis on which the political unification of the island of Ireland will be built. That is not paranoia. It is simply a statement of concern by many Unionists. If co-operation is to take place, it must be on the basis of mutual respect and understanding, and not in pursuit of a political agenda that is about usurping the wishes of the majority. The only provision for real consent in the Bill is on the final question of Northern Ireland's constitutional position as part of the United Kingdom. Consent on the development of north-south co-operation can be exercised only through the Assembly and the elected representatives. That is why accountability is crucial. I welcomed the Minister's commitment last night to look again at the issue. I hope that he will strengthen the lines of accountability for the Assembly.
  As a Unionist, I believe that Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom because that is the wish of the greater number of people who live in Northern Ireland. I hear what the hon. Member for Walsall, North says about the impatience of those who live in Great Britain. Perhaps one can begin to understand that, given the difficulties that we have had in Northern Ireland, but I hope that he accepts that although the people of Northern Ireland, who have endured 30 years of terrorist violence, long for peace, they want to ensure that democracy and the rights of all are upheld.
  Constitutionally, only the people of Northern Ireland can determine whether they remain within the United Kingdom. It is unhelpful to imply that impatience could lead to a different outcome. It would not be right for the people of Great Britain to eject the people of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom. It would certainly not be right under the Bill. My understanding—perhaps I am wrong—is that it is for the people of Northern Ireland alone to determine whether they remain part of the United Kingdom. I hope and pray that they will long continue to take that positive decision to remain within the United Kingdom, because that provides the best future for them.
  10.21 am
  Mr. Kevin McNamara: I understand and appreciate the pain and concerns that the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Mr. Donaldson) feels as a member of

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  a minority. I hope that he and the people whom he represents never have to go through the same abuse and fear that members of the other minority went through during the period up to the granting of civil rights and beyond. I do not wish that on anyone and I want to respect his position, his attitudes, his tradition and his ideas in a way that was not granted to other people in the past.
  As my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) has said, the Bill that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and her Ministers have successfully piloted through the House represents a moment of history. Like most moments of history in this place, it goes through in exactly the same way as if we were legislating for the width of a drainpipe. The aim of the Bill is to bring together two different traditions and to bring about understanding and compassion between them, overcoming past prejudices and promoting respect for different loyalties. Those who have been involved in seeking to achieve that deserve the support of the whole House.
  I welcome the undertaking that the Government gave in Committee to look again at strengthening the provisions for the Human Rights Commission. I also welcome the undertaking to consider putting into the Bill the provisions in the agreement for statutory impact assessments by public authorities.
  We were all moved by the speech of my hon. Friend the Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady). I should like to pay tribute to the leader of his party, my hon. Friend the Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume), who, for 30 years, has argued for peace, respect for traditions, the constitutional way forward and the acknowledgement and welcoming of diversity. At times, he has been pilloried, even in this House, when he sought to bring the men of violence away from the path that they were pursuing and into the constitutional system. We should note and honour his role in seeking to bring people together. The House should regard with shame the treatment that he was given in this place when he was working on the momentous task of bringing Sinn Fein away from the path of violence and into democratic dialogue.
  The Bill is only the start and we must not be too euphoric. A lot will have to happen in Northern Ireland. Drawing up the procedures of the Assembly, and agreements on cross-border institutions will take a lot of hard negotiation, compromise and skill. Having seen the work done by the right hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble) and my hon. Friend the Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon), I have confidence that, given the good will of the Assembly, they will be able to achieve that aim.
  The position of the Unionists is guaranteed not by the Act of Union, which has now gone, but by the people of Ireland. It is guaranteed by all the people of Ireland under the agreement. I should like to read out the proposed changes to the Irish constitution. The new articles 2 and 3 are a fundamental change from the old attitude that nationality was based on the ownership of territory, not on a union of peoples. My hon. Friend the Member for Foyle has continually pointed out that a bit of land is not worth fighting about, but unity in diversity of peoples is worth seeking.
  Article 2 says:
  "It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise
  644
  qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage."
  That is a fine statement and a great banner for the people of the Irish diaspora. Article 3 is a powerful statement of the attitude of the people of the Irish republic. It says:
  "It is the firm will of the Irish nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island."
  That could not be clearer. The threat of the old articles of the Irish constitution—which I always thought was an imagined threat—will be gone. The new articles give a ringing declaration of the nature of the Irish nation and the wish of the Irish people to achieve their aims by peaceful means only. We should all welcome that.
  10.28 am
  Mr. Peter Robinson: This is a sad day not just for Northern Ireland and the Union but for the House. Instead of crowing at the Despatch Box, the Secretary of State and her Ministers should hang their heads in shame.
  This Bill is a victory for the men of violence. No matter what the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) says, terrorism caused the Government to bring forward the legislation. Some standing up to terrorism to give terrorists places in government; some standing up to terrorists to let them all out of gaol while they continue their violence! Everyone in Northern Ireland knows that the House did not stand up to IRA terrorism; it caved in to it and is bringing forward the Bill as a result of it in an attempt to buy off the terrorists.
  I well understand how the conscience of the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy), who does not like the words that I am uttering, may twinge. Everybody in Northern Ireland from the Unionist community will know that the Bill will become a broken pledges Act. It is not a settlement Bill; it is a recognition of and a monument to the Government's political immorality and deception.
  The hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) said that the Bill is the enactment of the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland. It is far from it. The people of Northern Ireland voted on the basis of clear promises made by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the leader of the Ulster Unionist party. Those pledges indicated that there would be substantial decommissioning before any prisoners were released or any Sinn Fein-IRA terrorist representatives were allowed to participate in the government of Northern Ireland. The Bill breaks those pledges.
  Furthermore, the Prime Minister and the leader of the Ulster Unionist party indicated that violence would have to be given up for good before terrorist representatives could benefit from the agreement. The Bill shows very clearly that terrorists can continue with their violence—continue killing and continue the so-called punishment beatings—and still benefit from the agreement both through the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Bill and this so-called settlement Bill.
  The Prime Minister and the leader of the Ulster Unionist party told the people of Northern Ireland that north-south bodies would be wholly accountable to the

  645
  Northern Ireland Assembly, yet that is not stated in the Bill. The commitments given by the Prime Minister and the leader of the Ulster Unionist party have clearly been broken; they are not honoured in the legislation. The people of Northern Ireland were conned, and I am glad that the majority of the Unionist community now realise that and are moving away from supporting the agreement.
  Of course there were those in Northern Ireland who told us that the Union would be more secure as a result of the agreement. The hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) said that not only had the Government of Ireland Act 1920 gone, so had the Act of Union 1800. How can there be a more secure Union if the Act of Union is gone? The Bill states:
  "The Government of Ireland Act 1920 is repealed",
  yet the Union is supposed to be stronger. The Bill fundamentally weakens the union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Anybody with a modicum of sense will recognise that.
  There are those in the House who, although they supported the agreement and retailed it to the community in Northern Ireland, seek to distance themselves from its implementation. At one stage, they told us that they had a 40 ft barge pole with which they would not touch the agreement. But, within a few days, they signed up to that agreement. They went around the country advocating that people should vote yes in the referendum on the agreement, but now they are saying that they have misgivings, and are attacking the Government for implementing the agreement, the successful implementation of which they pledged to work for. No matter how much they wring their hands, the finger of accusation points at them. They are the guilty men, they are the ones who advocated support of the agreement when their colleagues and others in the Unionist community made abundantly clear that the agreement meant exactly what the Bill says that it means.
  The right hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble) said in the House many days ago that the legislation was something of a mess. He pointed his finger at the draftsmen, but said, "You should have seen the earlier draft; it was a greater mess." The draftsmen are not to be blamed because the greatest mess of all is the agreement of which he was one of the architects. I do not in the least blame the draftsmen for the difficulty that they have had in interpreting the agreement.
  I say again in the House that the Bill faithfully represents what the agreement says and others have interpreted, but does not faithfully represent the pledges given by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the First Minister designate of Northern Ireland. The Bill is not what the people of Northern Ireland voted for. In such a form, it will not work.
  10.35 am
  Dr. Norman A. Godman: We have just listened to a characteristically bleak and dismal speech by the hon. Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson). It was a speech of a politician whose world is changing radically. We share his detestation of terrorists—I have said that often enough in the House—but we part company dramatically and radically on our reaction to the Bill. I welcome the Bill. Over the past
  646
  15 months, we have seen the beginnings of a radical transformation of the United Kingdom. If one links the Bill with the Government of Wales Bill and the Scotland Bill, it is fair to say—on this I agree with the hon. Gentleman—that the United Kingdom will never be the same again; nor will these islands in which we live.
  The three Bills have profound implications—both intended and unintended—for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole, as well as for the House. Of the three Bills, the Northern Ireland Bill is the most remarkable, thanks to the people of Northern Ireland, their political representatives and our Ministers. I never thought that we would come this far in so short a time. For me, the statement on the Bloody Sunday tribunal was a defining moment. The legislation has gathered pace.
  We understand some of the concerns of Opposition Members although to us the principle of consent holds in this context just as it does in Scotland. We have said to the people of Scotland in the context of the Scotland Bill that if a majority chooses to separate from the rest of the UK, we would not thwart that desire. Similarly, that holds in Northern Ireland. A majority of the people will determine the future of the nations that make up the multinational state that we call the United Kingdom.
  I should like to make three brief points. First, every effort must be made by those elected to the Assembly to avoid the institutionalisation of sectarianism in that body and associated organisations. Secondly, the Government must examine clause 81 of the Scotland Bill, which removes in an honest and fair-minded way the flaw of future Scottish representation in this House. That is a very thorny question, but it must be understood, not only in Scotland but in Northern Ireland and Wales. There ought to be at least a discussion of that question in the other place.
  Thirdly, perhaps also in the other place, the Government should seriously consider setting up a consultative council that comprises senior Ministers and senior representatives of Opposition parties in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the rest of the UK.
  The aim of such a council would be, inter alia, to establish harmonious and efficient working relationships and practices between the two Assemblies, the Scottish Parliament and Westminster. I know that the Procedure Committee is seeking to consult us on matters connected with what I have outlined, such as the continuing role of Select and Grand Committees, Question Time in this place, and legislation. There are still matters to be determined, and relationships need to be established on an harmonious basis.
  The Council of the Isles has an utterly different role to play in the scheme of things, so I urge the Secretary of State to give serious consideration to the idea of a consultative council. I do not have time to go into detail about the idea now, but I believe that Ministers and the leaders of the opposition parties in all four bodies will need to come together so that we can avoid, among other dangers, references to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Our representatives, in both government and opposition parties, can establish a fair passage for the two Assemblies and the Parliaments.
  I finish by offering my compliments to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and her colleagues, and others on both sides of the House, especially members of the Social Democratic and Labour party, for their work

  647
  over the years. I have long admired those who argue in a peaceable and democratic way for dramatic constitutional change. That is why I have long admired my hon. Friends in the SDLP who sit on the Government Benches with me.
  As my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) said, this is a remarkable moment in our history. The legislation that we are passing will have profound consequences, both intended and unintended, and this United Kingdom of ours will never be the same again.
  10.41 am
  Mr. William Ross: The closing sentence by the hon. Member for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman) was deadly accurate: the United Kingdom will never be the same again—because it will not exist. That is the inevitable consequence of the three constitutional Bills that have been passed in this Session of Parliament, and we had better come to terms with it. I think that the hon. Gentleman and some of his hon. Friends are now starting to realise, albeit dimly, what the consequences will be. It will certainly mean that, over the years ahead, the United Kingdom will cease to exist as we know it—or, indeed, at all.
  I have to say to the hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara), who is sitting grinning on the Back Bench, that when he talked about the changes in the Irish constitution and about uniting the diverse elements within Ireland, it would have been better if he had adopted the traditional Unionist position, which was that this archipelago of islands was one natural geographic, cultural and political unity, from which great good could flow, and did flow when it was united. It will be immeasurably diminished not only by the Bill before us but by the other constitutional Bills that have gone through the House this Session.
  I remind those who have spoken from the Government Benches that the Social Democratic and Labour party, as an Irish nationalist party, walked out of Stormont—26 years ago, I believe—over the shooting of two persons in Londonderry. It then transferred its reason for withdrawal from that issue to bloody Sunday, whenever the issue arose. We need to look carefully at the history, and at the rewriting and revision of history that has taken place in some quarters.
  Much of the debate about the Bill has revolved round the question whether the Prime Minister's criteria for membership of the Northern Ireland executive have been met. We have exposed the hypocrisy of the words and guarantees given. Although that debate was largely about whether the IRA and the other terrorists met the criteria set by the Government and the agreement, my objections—and, I suspect, those of many others—to the agreement and the Bill run far deeper.
  I refer to the nature of the governing structure, which is far removed from the policies set out and followed by the Unionist party for many years. It is also far from the position set out by the Ulster Unionist party leadership on entering the talks. My right hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble) said on 20 July 1998, as is recorded in column 828 of the Hansard report, that, in order to reach agreement with the SDLP, we had to move towards a form of Executive—a massive shift from the position that the Unionist party had taken up.
  The arrangement is far from the sort of local government structure on which we stood for election. It is a full-blown power-sharing structure. I have never been
  648
  in favour of that: I never put it in my election manifesto, and I never will. My right hon. Friend also told us on 20 July that he supported the concept of an effective coalition with the SDLP in 1975. At least we can give him credit for being consistent in that respect. At that time, he was a member of the Vanguard party with Mr. Bill Craig, and went along with his concept of a voluntary power-sharing arrangement.
  The arrangement in the Bill is very different, and goes much further. It creates a coalition not between the Ulster Unionist party and the SDLP, but between the Unionist party, the SDLP and Sinn Fein. The First Minister and his deputy are in effect Siamese twins, who must agree before any action is taken. I cannot see the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon) allowing anything that would upset Sinn Fein, because those two Ministers, like the Ministers who are chatting on the Front Bench now, are intent on keeping the IRA aboard.
  Given the practical workings of the power-sharing arrangement, I fear that my right hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann, the leader of my party, has placed himself in a very weak position with regard to what he can actually do in the Assembly. In that classic form of power-sharing we have not rule by the majority, but rule by the minority, who can always wreck things by walking out if they do not get their way.
  I believe that the whole edifice is not only an insult to normal democratic standards but unworkable. Indeed, not many years ago the power-sharing concept was described as unworkable by the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume). That is on the record. Because the arrangement is unworkable it will fail, creating misery that could and should have been avoided by setting our sights on achieving what is workable rather than trying to create what is inherently unstable and unworkable.
  The House will recall that my right hon. Friend the Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) said during our debates that if no satisfactory amendments were made he would vote against. Unfortunately my right hon. Friend is absent this morning, but his is advice which, despite his absence, we are content to follow with regard to the Bill.
  10.47 am
  Mr. Peter Temple-Morris: I am under severe time pressure, although I would very much like to debate with the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr. Ross). Suffice it to say that as I listened to his speech, and one other speech that I have heard this morning, I saw but a continuation of the violence and the desperate situation of the past 25 years, rather than the cure to it, which the Bill gives us the best chance for years of bringing about.
  I shall make three quick points. First, I reiterate and underline what the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) said—that it would be a tragedy if we so construed events of violence, and went chasing after them to such an extent, that we excluded from the process those who can bring about its success.
  We must look at violence as it occurs in the real world. The right hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. MacKay) talked about the difference between so-called military activities and so-called civil—I prefer the word "criminal"—activity. We have to look at such activities in the light of what they actually are, and their intention. There is no naivety whatever in what I say.

  649
  Secondly, a continuation of the bipartisan approach is absolutely essential. The Opposition have handled the Bill admirably and the spirit in the Chamber has been very good. The Opposition were perfectly within their rights to move amendments to the legislation and it is significant that clause 23, the area of the Bill that refers to violence, is a central concern. When the Bill is passed and the Assembly is up and running, the House must stand back from the inevitable disputes that will occur within it. It will not help the Assembly if we involve ourselves in those inevitable internal disputes. We must let Assembly Members sort them out for themselves.
  Lastly, the Minister made it clear that the British-Irish Council is a body with Executive membership. That leaves the way clear for interparliamentary activity and, as my hon. Friends the Members for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) and for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) have said, for a continuation of the British parliamentary body—a committee of which will meet in this building in 10 minutes. That body involves two sovereign Parliaments and that arrangement should continue. Further interparliamentary activity with the devolved Assembly is an admirable, but a different, thing.
  10.50 am
  Rev. Ian Paisley: We have heard some amazing statements in this debate. The hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris) made the accusation that hon. Members on this side of the House will cause the same sort of violence in Northern Ireland that we have seen over the past decade. That is an outrageous statement for any hon. Member to make about his colleagues opposite, and of course it is completely and totally false. However, some of us would not expect very much more from the hon. Gentleman. He went on to say that we should not chase individual acts of violence, but I suggest that it is violent people who are chasing and killing the innocent. Thus it is outrageous to say that hon. Members should not expose acts of violence.
  The hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Mr. Öpik), the Liberal Democrat spokesman, also made an amazing statement when he said that the legislation will restore normalisation to Northern Ireland. There is nothing normal about this legislation. Even the hon. Member for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman) conceded that it is an amazing Bill and he referred to its intended and unintended consequences. I do not know what the latter might be, but that was also an incredible statement.
  The hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) said that the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume) should be congratulated. The hon. Member for Foyle told me at least 100 times that the first IRA ceasefire was for real, and then we had the Canary wharf bombing. When I talked to him about the second supposed ceasefire, I asked, "How are we expected to believe you when you told me 100 times that the first ceasefire was for real when it was not?" How can we believe that this ceasefire is for real?
  We have seen the IRA continue with violence. Although it is an outlawed organisation under the terms of the legislation that we considered recently, it is immune from any judgment by the Government and its terrorist prisoners will be allowed out of gaol and on to the streets. The hon. Member for Greenock and Inverclyde referred
  650
  to the bleak speech made by my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson). However, it will be a very bleak day when terrorists—some of whom have committed multiple murders—are on the streets of Northern Ireland inside 24 months.
  If the people of Northern Ireland are supposed to support the legislation so much, why is there a plea about insensitivity? The right hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble), who advocated this position to the Unionist people, is not here to vote for the legislation. His deputy, the hon. Member for Newry and Armagh (Mr. Mallon), is not here to vote for the legislation and the two Members of the Ulster Unionist party who support the right hon. Gentleman are not here either. However, all the other Unionists are present in the Chamber and they will vote against the legislation. That is the message that the House must wake up to: it needs a baptism of reality.
  I have learned from my experience in the House over many years that hon. Members do not want to be told things that they do not want to hear. However, they need to hear that the people of Northern Ireland are not overwhelmingly behind this Bill or this Assembly. That might be a source of great glee to the Minister, who sits and laughs on the Front Bench. However, there will be little laughter when people are murdered on the streets and the Secretary of State excuses those murders at the Dispatch Box by saying that she has made a balanced judgment and that the murderers may stay on in the Government of Northern Ireland.
  No one in Northern Ireland with any sense wants terrorists in the Government and we will have no truck with their governing the people of Northern Ireland.
  10.55 am
  Mr. Jeremy Corbyn: In the few minutes remaining before the House divides on the Third Reading, I want to record that this is an extremely historic occasion. Many congratulations are due to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on all that she has done since taking office to introduce the Bill and offer the hope of peace and reconciliation within the six counties of Northern Ireland. She has provided some hope to the young people of that Province.
  Labour Members should also pay great tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) who has done much to promote the issue of Ireland in debates within the party, especially when he was an Opposition spokesman for Northern Ireland. He correctly drew attention to the role played by the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume) in securing the Hume-Adams accord, which I think has been the basis of the second ceasefire and, ultimately, the process of reconciliation in this very balanced, but very complicated, legislation. It encompasses economic, human rights and equal opportunities issues and many other elements that offer real hope for the future.
  I have the honour to represent a constituency which comprises a large Irish community. Many of those people have come to this country in order to escape the poverty of Ireland, but they have often found poverty and discrimination here as well. They and many others look forward to a time when discrimination is behind us and there is real hope and equal opportunities for all the peoples of Ireland.

  651
  It occurs to me that the House has debated the subject of Ireland more than any other in the hundreds of years since the British invasion of that country. There have been many problems throughout that period and some people have claimed that Ireland has no future and have sought to promote sectarian divides. Last week, I was given a copy of the 1799 secret report on Ireland—another example of the long debate on Ireland—which reproduces the entire statement of the Founding Conference of the Society of United Irishmen. It sets out the aim of uniting Catholic and Protestant people in the hope of achieving a united Ireland that is equal and represented throughout the island of Ireland. In that spirit, I hope that the House will agree to the Third Reading of the Bill. We look forward to peace, hope and reconciliation in Ireland in the future.
  Question put, That the Bill be now read the Third time:—
  The House divided: Ayes 215, Noes 8.

  Division No. 356]

  [10.58 am

  AYES

  Abbott, Ms Diane

  Cox, Tom

  Adams, Mrs Irene (Paisley N)

  Cran, James

  Ainsworth, Robert (Cov'try NE)

  Cryer, Mrs Ann (Keighley)

  Alexander, Douglas

  Cryer, John (Hornchurch)

  Allen, Graham

  Davey, Edward (Kingston)

  Anderson, Donald (Swansea E)

  Davies, Rt Hon Denzil (Llanelli)

  Anderson, Janet (Rossendale)

  Davies, Geraint (Croydon C)

  Armstrong, Ms Hilary

  Dean, Mrs Janet

  Atherton, Ms Candy

  Denham, John

  Atkins, Charlotte

  Dismore, Andrew

  Austin, John

  Dobbin, Jim

  Barron, Kevin

  Dowd, Jim

  Beard, Nigel

  Drew, David

  Begg, Miss Anne

  Dunwoody, Mrs Gwyneth

  Bennett, Andrew F

  Eagle, Angela (Wallasey)

  Benton, Joe

  Eagle, Maria (L'pool Garston)

  Berry, Roger

  Efford, Clive

  Betts, Clive

  Etherington, Bill

  Blackman, Liz

  Ewing, Mrs Margaret

  Blears, Ms Hazel

  Field, Rt Hon Frank

  Blizzard, Bob

  Fitzpatrick, Jim

  Boateng, Paul

  Flynn, Paul

  Borrow, David

  Foster, Rt Hon Derek

  Bottomley, Rt Hon Mrs Virginia

  Foster, Michael Jabez (Hastings)

  Bradley, Keith (Withington)

  Gapes, Mike

  Brake, Tom

  Garnier, Edward

  Brinton, Mrs Helen

  Gerrard, Neil

  Brown, Rt Hon Nick (Newcastle E)

  Gibson, Dr Ian

  Buck, Ms Karen

  Godman, Dr Norman A

  Burden, Richard

  Golding, Mrs Llin

  Burnett, John

  Gordon, Mrs Eileen

  Butler, Mrs Christine

  Griffiths, Jane (Reading E)

  Byers, Stephen

  Griffiths, Win (Bridgend)

  Campbell, Mrs Anne (C'bridge)

  Grocott, Bruce

  Campbell, Ronnie (Blyth V)

  Hain, Peter

  Canavan, Dennis

  Hall, Patrick (Bedford)

  Casale, Roger

  Hamilton, Fabian (Leeds NE)

  Chapman, Ben (Wirral S)

  Hammond, Philip

  Chisholm, Malcolm

  Hawkins, Nick

  Clapham, Michael

  Heppell, John

  Clelland, David

  Hodge, Ms Margaret

  Cohen, Harry

  Hoey, Kate

  Coleman, Iain

  Hogg, Rt Hon Douglas

  Colman, Tony

  Hopkins, Kelvin

  Cook, Frank (Stockton N)

  Howells, Dr Kim

  Cooper, Yvette

  Hughes, Kevin (Doncaster N)

  Corbett, Robin

  Hurst, Alan

  Corbyn, Jeremy

  Hutton, John

  Cormack, Sir Patrick

  Iddon, Dr Brian

  Corston, Ms Jean

  Illsley, Eric

  Cousins, Jim

  Ingram, Adam

  652

  Jackson, Ms Glenda (Hampstead)

  Pond, Chris

  Jackson, Helen (Hillsborough)

  Pope, Greg

  Jenkin, Bernard

  Pound, Stephen

  Jenkins, Brian

  Prentice, Ms Bridget (Lewisham E)

  Johnson, Alan (Hull W & Hessle)

  Prentice, Gordon (Pendle)

  Jones, Ms Jenny (Wolverh'ton SW)

  Prescott, Rt Hon John

  Primarolo, Dawn

  Jowell, Ms Tessa

  Quin, Ms Joyce

  Kaufman, Rt Hon Gerald

  Rammell, Bill

  Keen, Alan (Feltham & Heston)

  Raynsford, Nick

  Keen, Ann (Brentford & Isleworth)

  Reid, Dr John (Hamilton N)

  Kemp, Fraser

  Robertson, Rt Hon George (Hamilton S)

  Kennedy, Jane (Wavertree)

  Key, Robert

  Rooker, Jeff

  Kidney, David

  Russell, Ms Christine (Chester)

  Kingham, Ms Tess

  Ryan, Ms Joan

  Kumar, Dr Ashok

  Savidge, Malcolm

  Ladyman, Dr Stephen

  Sawford, Phil

  Lepper, David

  Sedgemore, Brian

  Leslie, Christopher

  Shephard, Rt Hon Mrs Gillian

  Livingstone, Ken

  Simpson, Alan (Nottingham S)

  Lloyd, Tony (Manchester C)

  Skinner, Dennis

  Love, Andrew

  Smith, Rt Hon Andrew (Oxford E)

  Lyell, Rt Hon Sir Nicholas

  Smith, Angela (Basildon)

  McAllion, John

  Smith, Rt Hon Chris (Islington S)

  McAvoy, Thomas

  Smith, John (Glamorgan)

  McCafferty, Ms Chris

  Smith, Llew (Blaenau Gwent)

  McCartney, Ian (Makerfield)

  Soley, Clive

  McDonagh, Siobhain

  Spellar, John

  McDonnell, John

  Spelman, Mrs Caroline

  McGrady, Eddie

  Squire, Ms Rachel

  McIsaac, Shona

  Starkey, Dr Phyllis

  McNamara, Kevin

  Stewart, Ian (Eccles)

  McNulty, Tony

  Stuart, Ms Gisela

  McWalter, Tony

  Taylor, Rt Hon Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)

  McWilliam, John

  Madel, Sir David

  Taylor, Ms Dari (Stockton S)

  Marsden, Paul (Shrewsbury)

  Taylor, David (NW Leics)

  Meacher, Rt Hon Michael

  Taylor, Matthew (Truro)

  Meale, Alan

  Temple-Morris, Peter

  Michie, Bill (Shef'ld Heeley)

  Thomas, Gareth R (Harrow W)

  Mitchell, Austin

  Timms, Stephen

  Moffatt, Laura

  Tonge, Dr Jenny

  Moran, Ms Margaret

  Turner, Dr Desmond (Kemptown)

  Morgan, Alasdair (Galloway)

  Twigg, Stephen (Enfield)

  Morley, Elliot

  Vis, Dr Rudi

  Morris, Ms Estelle (B'ham Yardley)

  Ward, Ms Claire

  Moss, Malcolm

  Waterson, Nigel

  Mowlam, Rt Hon Marjorie

  White, Brian

  Murphy, Paul (Torfaen)

  Wicks, Malcolm

  O'Brien, Bill (Normanton)

  Wills, Michael

  O'Brien, Mike (N Warks)

  Winnick, David

  Olner, Bill

  Winterton, Ms Rosie (Doncaster C)

  Öpik, Lembit

  Wise, Audrey

  Palmer, Dr Nick

  Wood, Mike

  Pearson, Ian

  Wyatt, Derek

  Pendry, Tom

  Perham, Ms Linda

  Tellers for the Ayes:

  Pike, Peter L

  Mr. David Jamieson and

  Pollard, Kerry

  Mr. Keith Hill.

  NOES

  Donaldson, Jeffrey

  Swayne, Desmond

  Forsythe, Clifford

  Thompson, William

  Hunter, Andrew

  Paisley, Rev Ian

  Tellers for the Noes:

  Robinson, Peter (Belfast E)

  Mr. Roy Beggs and

  Ross, William (E Lond'y)

  Rev. Martin Smyth.

  Question accordingly agreed to.
  Bill read the Third time, and passed.
  It being after Eleven o'clock, MADAM SPEAKER interrupted the proceedings, pursuant to Standing Order No. 11 (Friday sittings).

  Roads Review
  11.9 am
  The Minister of Transport (Dr. John Reid): With permission, Madam Speaker, I will make a statement about our strategic review of trunk roads, the report on which, "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England", is published today. I begin by paying tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh (Dr. Strang) and to my noble Friend Baroness Hayman for their tremendous work on the review, of which I and my colleagues have been the beneficiaries. Copies of the report explaining our decisions will be available in the Vote Office after this statement. I have sent details to all Members of Parliament with English constituencies.
  The Government are committed to modernisation and prudent public finances. Those themes formed the backdrop to the roads review. The outcome is not the grandiose but impractical notions of our predecessors, but realistic, practical decisions that will help business, help people and help Britain.
  Trunk roads are vital for business and personal travel. They carry a third of passenger traffic and more than half of freight. Traffic is expected to grow over the next 20 years by about 50 per cent. By 2016, a quarter of our trunk roads will be seriously congested if we do nothing, so to do nothing is not an option. We need a new approach, building on that set out in our integrated transport White Paper. "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" is based on the fundamental principle that trunk roads must have a central role in our integrated national transport system.
  There are four other key points in our approach. We will make better use of the existing network—building new roads will not be the first option—help motorists by investing more in road maintenance; reduce the negative impact of trunk roads on people and the environment through safer roads and less noise, pollution and intrusion; and ensure that trunk road planning is integrated with regional land use and transport strategies.
  We are giving the Highways Agency new objectives, putting more emphasis on its role as the operator of the network rather than simply a road builder. We intend to consider options for charging users on trunk roads and using the revenue to maintain and improve the network and provide new income streams for the Highways Agency. We have already announced that we are considering continuing charging on the Dartford crossing and using the income to help to deliver integrated transport objectives on the M25. Today, I can announce that projects to make better use of the network will benefit from 60 per cent. more funding by 2001–02.
  Roads are a vital national asset which has been poorly maintained. Without a change in direction, the state of the roads will worsen. We shall begin to put that right. We have already increased the provision for capital maintenance of roads by 50 per cent. for the current year. I am pleased to tell the House today that, in addition, maintenance spending overall will go up by a further 20 per cent. by 2001–02. We shall progressively tackle the backlog and maintain trunk roads at minimum whole-life costs. Together with our proposals to encourage less damaging six-axle lorries, that strategy will save money, enhance safety and reduce disruption.
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  The trunk road network has a good safety record and we shall establish targets to reduce road casualties further. I am pleased to announce that we have set up a ring-fenced budget for small safety projects that will grow steadily to £50 million in 2001–02.
  Well-planned bypasses and certain other road improvements can improve the environment and transform towns and villages without doing serious harm to the countryside. The key is to ensure that the environment is given full weight from the outset. From now on, there will be a strong presumption against new roads affecting environmentally sensitive sites.
  In that context, the House will be pleased to know that we are reducing the number of sites of special scientific interest affected by the programme from 49 to eight. We will also use low-noise surfaces for new roads and, where appropriate, when an existing road is resurfaced. We will also have a dedicated budget to tackle some of the most difficult existing noise problems.
  Getting the planning framework right is absolutely crucial. I can outline three measures to ensure that such a framework is put in place. First, future trunk road planning will be part of the regional planning system and set in the context of the overall transport and land use strategy for each region.
  Secondly, we propose to transfer about 40 per cent. of the existing trunk road network to local highway authorities. Those roads should be managed by local authorities as part of local transport plans.
  Thirdly, we have ended the discredited "predict and provide" approach to road building. Instead, our new appraisal approach is based on the five criteria of integration, environment, safety, the economy and accessibility. The new approach will become an increasingly important tool for appraising alternative options across all forms of transport.
  For the first time ever, we conducted a wide-ranging public consultation on our review of the trunk roads programme, with meetings in each region, in which my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh played a prominent part. My noble Friend Baroness Hayman met Members of Parliament to hear their views. About 14,000 written representations were received. Together, that gave us a clear picture of regional priorities.
  For the first time ever, we analysed objectively the problems that we were seeking to address using broadly based criteria; for the first time ever, we have provided financial stability through our three-year spending programme and seven-year transport investment plan, which will enable our programmes to go ahead; for the first time ever, we have a practical and focused programme. Gone is our predecessors' massive wish list of 150 schemes, most of which would never have been built, over a time scale that was never specified and for which money was never assured.
  We have considered the schemes that could be started in the foreseeable future and produced a programme that is funded and delivers our objectives. That comprises the 37 schemes in our targeted programme of improvements, all of which can be started within seven years.
  The largest category is safety and healthier communities, reflecting the importance that we attach to those objectives. The programme includes much-needed

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  bypasses that will take large volumes of traffic out of towns and villages, thereby improving the quality of life. It also includes schemes designed to improve sections with poor accident rates.
  The next category, regeneration and integration, includes junction improvements to remove bottlenecks that are hampering development; dualling schemes to improve access to remote areas; and schemes to facilitate access to a rail freight terminal and an airport. The final category, jobs and prosperity, includes schemes to deal with bottlenecks and other schemes needed to support economic growth in particular locations.
  Many of the schemes not gone ahead with reflect serious transport problems that need to be addressed. There will be a programme of studies to consider practical options and develop integrated transport solutions. The House will not expect me to give details of every scheme, but I should cover two particular issues.
  The motorway network is the core of the road system and is essential to the nation's economy. A number of schemes for widening the existing motorway network were under consideration. We had to balance their potential economic benefits against the impact on the environment and local communities. In some cases, such as proposals to widen the M6 between junctions 11A and 19, we propose to study all integrated transport options, including shifting traffic from road to rail, in order to develop the best integrated transport solution to deal with serious problems on that important route between Birmingham and Manchester. For the first time, we have brought together Railtrack and the Highways Agency under a concordat that allows them to work together on such problems.
  The M25 is a strategic motorway important to the entire country. It is severely congested, and that is bad for the economy and the environment. There are no easy answers. We need a package of measures including traffic and demand management and attractive public transport alternatives. We are setting in hand a major study to develop such solutions. Meanwhile, we propose a number of short-term measures, such as closed circuit television cameras covering the whole motorway and the extension of variable speed limits. We shall also investigate using the hard shoulder as a climbing lane, subject to safety considerations.
  However, problems between junction 12, with the M3, and junction 15, with the M4, are so acute that providing some extra capacity has to be part of the strategy. It is the most heavily used section of our motorway network, with flows of up to 200,000 vehicles a day. The most up-to-date traffic management measures have already been applied to that section. More capacity is needed to allow a breathing space while wider integrated transport policies take effect, and to allow for gradual introduction of necessary traffic and demand management strategies. We have concluded, therefore, that the widening scheme should go ahead, but we are cancelling two other widening schemes on the M25 between junctions 15 and 19.
  One other scheme brings together economic, environmental and heritage issues. Stonehenge is unique. It is a world heritage site. Yet its setting has been described by the Public Accounts Committee as a "national disgrace". The solution developed by my Department, by the Department of Culture, Media and
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  Sport and by English Heritage is to put the 2 km section of the A303 that passes the stones in a cut and covered tunnel. At least a third of the costs will be found from heritage sources. The scheme will have major heritage and environmental benefits. It will remove a bottleneck and improve traffic flow on the A303. Above all, perhaps, it shows what can be achieved by cross-departmental working and integrated transport thinking.
  Judgments about roads are never easy. The policy that I have announced today is good for the economy because it gives priority to maintenance, to making best use of an asset, and to investing in a number of urgent schemes. It is good for safety and the environment. We have dramatically reduced the number of sites of special scientific interest affected by the programme. It makes good financial sense with a practical, deliverable, programme for the future. "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" sets out a radical approach to trunk road policy that is based firmly on our integrated transport strategy. I commend it to the House.
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard: I thank the right hon. Gentleman for making available to me a copy of his statement and the report at the correct time. All hon. Members will have found it helpful to have had individual copies of the parts of the report appropriate to their constituencies. I also welcome the right hon. Gentleman to his new responsibilities. I congratulate him, and I wish him well. We regret that his post has been demoted from Cabinet rank, feeling that that illustrates the Government's attitude to transport. However, I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman will perform his task well. I only hope that his ministerial career will not be affected by the poisoned chalice that he has been handed today. I am delighted that he has made an oral statement. It has come at the last possible moment, but that was not of his doing.
  The previous Conservative Government laid down the principles on which an integrated approach to transport policy should be based, as the Secretary of State was generous enough to acknowledge last week. There was general agreement that road building must be carefully appraised, and responsible use of the car encouraged. The previous Government also indicated an end to the predict and provide strategy.
  If we felt that the roads review was doing all that, we would welcome it. However, it demonstrates that the Secretary of State lacks the clout to establish transport as the priority promised before the general election. Even given the hugely increased spending plans announced in the comprehensive spending review, the Secretary of State was rolled over by the Treasury. As a result, the travelling public are getting a triple whammy. Road users will pay more in fuel taxes, congestion charges, workplace parking charges and motorway tolls; there will be no early improvement in public transport to encourage people to use the roads less; and, today the right hon. Gentleman has announced that the main strategy to achieve his Department's aim is to force people off the roads by increasing congestion and jams.
  I have a number of questions for the right hon. Gentleman. Will he confirm the answer that the Minister for Transport in London gave on 27 July to my hon. Friend the Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) that less money will be spent next year on road construction and

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  maintenance than was spent this year? If the position has altered in the light of his announcement, can he tell us by how much and in what way?
  The right hon. Gentleman confirmed that only 37 of the 140 schemes under consideration have been given the go-ahead. He said that construction of those schemes is due to begin during the next seven years. However, the comprehensive spending review identified spending totals only for the next three years. What assurance can he give that the 37 schemes will both start and reach completion?
  Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the Chancellor of the Exchequer made no increase in the comprehensive spending review for local authority spending on roads maintenance? What message does he think that conveys to local authorities when he is proposing that they take on greater responsibility for the roads network? Will he define "minimum whole-life costs"?
  Does the right hon. Gentleman accept that the so-called extra funds for maintenance are derived either from reducing subsidies to privatised rail companies—if he does, will he be generous enough to withdraw his Government's objection to the principle of privatisation—or from the total removal of subsidy from London Underground by 2000? I asked the Secretary of State last week, but he was unable or unwilling to answer, what investment is expected from the private sector between now and 2000 to justify that removal. What happens if it is wrong? Does Rail Maritime Transport share the Secretary of State's aspirations?
  The answer given by the Minister for Transport in London on 27 July states that spending on bypasses is to be halved next year, from £157 million this year with one start, to £82 million next year. Does that mean a half start? What hope does the right hon. Gentleman hold out to the 500 communities that, with Friends of the Earth, see relief from congestion and pollution arising from properly planned and constructed bypasses? How many of those communities will today be disappointed?
  What contribution does today's statement make to the Government's ability to meet their stated carbon dioxide emissions targets and their commitments under the Kyoto agreement?
  We welcome the setting up of properly resourced and equipped regional traffic control centres. Given that so many of the road schemes that the Minister has today delayed or scrapped have been the subject of reviews because of congestion problems, how quickly does he envisage road users experiencing real improvements on, say, the M1 and the M6? Many will be listening to his reply as they sit in jams and I do not think that further studies will be much comfort to them.
  One notable exception to the Government's general approach to road improvements and road building, for which the right hon. Gentleman gave some explanation, is the M25. I am sure that he would like to confirm to the House that the Government have changed their mind, and widening that road is no longer lunacy.
  Now that the Government have published a transport White Paper designed to reduce dependency on the car, will the Department be publishing revised forecasts for traffic growth, based on the success of their policies?
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  The Deputy Prime Minister said that the country was in the mood for radical change in transport policy and that he was in the mood to give it to them. After all his promises of immediate benefits for the travelling public, all the hype, the glossy publications and the media opportunities for the right hon. Gentleman to prove his public transport credentials by standing at a bus stop before sweeping off in the ministerial Jaguar, the radical change amounts to more taxes for motorists, less investment in transport overall and the certainty of more gridlock on the roads. The long-delayed roads review, far from achieving the immediate benefits that the right hon. Gentleman promised, is in fact delivering more delay, more planning blight and yet more Government reviews. Jams today, jams tomorrow, jams until after the next election—that is the Government's transport policy.
  The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Mr. John Prescott): One hundred and fifteen questions.
  Dr. Reid: I shall attempt to answer only 110 of those questions. First, I thank the right hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mrs. Shephard) for her congratulations and am deeply moved by her concern about my future career prospects, but I think that I would rather take care of them. The fact that no less a person than the Deputy Prime Minister is in charge of the Department is a sign of the priority that we place on transport. As for the right hon. Lady's other questions, I shall avoid answering those that were merely personal abuse.
  The right hon. Lady asked whether less money was being spent on investment in, and the maintenance of, trunk roads next year and the answer is no. Spending will increase by £52 million during the next year, as I have managed to discover in the 72 hours that I have been in the Department, so I am glad to be able to enlighten the right hon. Lady on that matter. There will be an extra £470 million for trunk roads in the next three years—the comprehensive spending review period—and, in addition, in the longer term, extra money will become available from our income streams.
  On privatisation, we have made it plain that an integrated transport policy means the integration of all forms of transport, cross-departmental working and a partnership between the public and private sectors. The difference between the previous Conservative Government and our Government is that we are not driven by a blind ideology down the pathway of one form of ownership. We want the public and private sectors to work together.
  On the Kyoto summit, we shall be producing a document to outline our detailed response in the autumn. As for road maintenance, we have restored the cuts that took place under the Conservative Government.
  Mr. Bernard Jenkin: What about money for local authority roads maintenance?
  Dr. Reid: The hon. Gentleman has a cheek interrupting as he does, when the Conservative Government, after 18 years, left us in a worse mess than any other Government have done. I shall give one example. The right hon. Lady had the brass neck to criticise us implicitly about bypasses. We have given the go-ahead for

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  15. The highest number in any year during the 18 years of Conservative control of the transport system was 16, so this year, we have almost reached the highest figure that the Tories ever managed to achieve. Their record in their last three years was as follows: in 1994–95, they started the sum total of three bypasses; in 1995–96, they started one; and in 1996–97, they started one. So, this year we are starting three times more than they did in their last three years and they ought to consider those figures before they speak.
  In reality, the previous Government had 18 years during which they did not even begin to think about such issues. They did not carry out an annual review and, indeed, did not even carry out one every decade. They spent tens of millions preparing schemes and then dropped them when they realised that they could not afford them, for example when they prepared their grandiose plans to build link roads around the M25 only to abandon them. They said that they did not believe in predict and provide, but acted as though they did during that period. Every year, they produced a fantasy football league of hundreds of road schemes, which were never funded, planned or carried out and for which no time scale was delivered. We are offering a policy programme based on a rational analysis, which is practical, and which is funded—we have laid out the funding—and can be delivered within a specified time. That is a marked improvement on the 18 years of the previous Government.
  Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody: Is my right hon. Friend aware that this is the first sane and sensible attempt, certainly for the past 20 years, to get a transport policy that will deliver not only safety schemes but improvements that will have an immediate economic and environmental benefit? It will be most warmly welcomed throughout the United Kingdom. The situation as regards road maintenance is now dangerous, as he will be aware, and we welcome his commitment to do something about it urgently. Finally, any Government who are prepared to put road safety, environmental planning and the commitment of ordinary householders to a peaceful life at the top of their list of action should be wholly commended.
  Dr. Reid: I thank my hon. Friend, who is the Chairman responsible for transport on the Select Committee on the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs, and whose views on those matters we always listen to with respect. I welcome her comments about a more rational balance and a planned and integrated approach. I entirely agree that far too little attention has been paid to maintenance. Finally, as I understand from a brief comment she made as she entered the Chamber that she has not yet received her letter, I am pleased to be able to inform her that one of the 15 bypasses that I mentioned is in her area and I am sure that she will welcome that news.
  Mr. Matthew Taylor: I begin by congratulating the Minister on his new role. However, in presenting the report, the right hon. Gentleman needs to be clear in his own mind whether it is an announcement of a huge cut in the road programme, as he started off by saying, or whether it is a massive increase, as his final comments to the Conservative Front-Bench spokesman suggested. The truth is that the majority of schemes have been not cancelled but delayed, and the outcome of the reviews will establish whether this is really a new deal on roads.
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  Can the Minister explain why the Government, who, pre-election, described widening the M25 and the Birmingham northern relief road as "madness" have gone ahead with both? That expenditure is unwise when some important village bypasses have been cancelled. Most importantly, if this is joined-up thinking and an integrated transport strategy, can he detail how much has been saved by the postponement and cancellation of road schemes and how much is being spent on increased investment in public transport as a result of the announcement? It seems that the Chancellor has done better out of this than the new Minister and that the statement is rather more Brown than green.
  Dr. Reid: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. I know that he is the Liberal transport spokesman. I presume that they are as united on transport as on every other thing, so I await the six other views on transport from those on the Liberal Benches.
  On joined-up thinking, in comparison with what went before, and with the Liberals, this is not merely joined-up but positively seamless. It starts with a rational review and a policy basis rather than what has happened in the past: a long list largely determined, in practice, by the Treasury and determined presentationally by choosing a number and doubling it. We want to get away from that. It involves hard choices.
  The hon. Gentleman mentioned that I had talked about the volume of the road scheme. I did not claim at the end that it was a massive increase. I talked about the fantasy football league figures used previously in the Tory wish list, which sometimes had 150 schemes; they were up to 500 at one stage. If we wished to continue that, we could announce that, at some indefinite stage in the next millennium, we had 1,000 on our list and cost them at £12 billion or £15 billion like the Tories did but everyone, especially business men, motorists and the Road Haulage Association, would know that none would be delivered because they were purely presentational. We are taking hard decisions, but we believe that it is better to be honest with people than to try to delude them by presenting large numbers.
  I am sorry if the hon. Gentleman has not received his letter but glad that he did not get it before asking his question. We could not start the A30 Bodmin to Indian Queens improvement, which he supports, sufficiently quickly—within the seven-year period—to make it one of the 36 roads in our targeted improvement programme. We shall give it full appraisal. After that, and the statutory procedures, it will be taken forward without delay.
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett: I welcome the statement. It is particularly welcome that we are getting rid of the idea that we move traffic jams around the country. Each new bypass merely moves the jam from one place to the next. If we are to make much better use of our trunk roads, can my right hon. Friend address two problems: controlling speed and making sure that limits are observed for the safety of the people living close to roads; and ensuring that roads are not so often blocked by thoughtless parking?
  Dr. Reid: My hon. Friend is Chairman of the Environment Sub-Committee of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Select Committee. He has

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  expertise on both speed and parking. We are looking at those issues. There is a review of speed limits and variable speed limits.
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: I much regret that the right hon. Gentleman's first statement in his new job should be such an appalling announcement. If he cared to drive from Scotland to Portsmouth, he would find that the first traffic lights are at Hindhead. That is the only single carriageway stretch on the A3 and holds the secret to the regeneration of Portsmouth. It is landscape of international significance. The pollution and the danger to local people are appalling. The time for studies is over. The threat of tolls will be regarded with contempt by local people who already face the rat runs. Can anything persuade him, after delegations, Adjournment debates, petitions and representations from environmentalists, business interests and the residents' association?
  Dr. Reid: I understand the right hon. Lady's disappointment. She had a project on what I described earlier as the large wish list. I hope that her disappointment has not jaundiced her view of my whole statement. The problem with wish lists is that they went on indefinitely without dedicated funding. They were unspecified. Perhaps one reason for her disappointment is that, for many years, her project was on such a list. It was never implemented. She was a member of the Government who did not implement it, although she had some influence with the Government and the Department of Transport. I recognise her disappointment, but all the years of Conservative Government with the project on their list are a perfect illustration of how putting presentation above substance, as they did on those matters, ultimately creates only disillusionment. The scheme could not start sufficiently quickly to be considered for our targeted investment programme. It is not completely abandoned but on hold. It will be considered in the proposed A3-Hindhead study.
  Mr. John McDonnell: Heathrow is in my constituency, and the Minister will appreciate the concern of many of my constituents that the announcement of the widening of the M25 is a trigger for building terminal 5 at Heathrow. Given that concern, and the integral link between the M25 and terminal 5, why was the widening of the M25 not referred to the terminal 5 inquiry for the inspector to comment on? Can he give a categorical assurance to the House and to my constituents that this in no way pre-empts the decision on terminal 5 development?
  Dr. Reid: My hon. Friend knows that any schemes associated with Heathrow terminal 5 development are being considered at the public inquiry. This was a separate study. The decision was taken on its own merits. It was a free-standing study. It would not have been appropriate to link it in any way with another project in the same area for which a public inquiry was already under way. Junctions 12 to 15 are in the targeted programme for improvement, and the scheme will be accompanied by an effective demand management and traffic control strategy.
  I realise that my hon. Friend is on the losing side of the argument on this matter, but I point out that we considered the whole scheme in great detail. He knows that there was
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  a much more extensive proposal for widening the M25, large sections of which were rejected by us because of the wider considerations. We should like to have been in a position where it would have been possible to consider not proceeding with widening. That would have been a better world for all of us, but we inherited not that world but the one we got from the previous Government. On that section of the M25, the congestion is so bad and so many things have been tried that there was no alternative but to proceed.
  Sir Nicholas Lyell: I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman at least on inheriting and continuing Conservative policy on the Great Barford bypass and the Clapham bypass, on the decision to seek private money for the Bedford western bypass and on the go-ahead for the Tempsford flyover. However, may I ask him to clarify something in the context of this new deal, which makes us fearful that it is a new deal of less money for bypasses? Can the citizens of Great Barford expect an early start to a bypass that is necessary on every one of the five criteria that the Government have put forward?
  Dr. Reid: There is never a greater exercise in circumlocution than a Conservative with good news from a Labour Government trying to make out that it is all the product of the previous Conservative Government. The right hon. and learned Gentleman will no doubt welcome the fact that the Clapham bypass and the Great Barford A421 bypass, which he supports, are in our targeted programme. The Tempsford junction improvements, which he supports, have been given the go-ahead following a positive recommendation by the inspector who held the public inquiry in February. I should have thought that it would be sufficient just to give plaudits to the Government for their wise decisions without demanding the exact day on which the schemes will start.
  Mr. John McWilliam: I congratulate my right hon. Friend both on his statement and promotion; mind you, it is the first time that he has been PC in his life. Will he confirm that the improvements, which are being designed with the local authority, to the A1 bypass in my constituency in the vicinity of the Metro centre are in the programme, because I have not received my letter yet, and whether the necessary safety improvements to the A1 north of Morpeth, which is an extremely dangerous road, are in the programme as well?
  Dr. Reid: I thank my hon. Friend for his politically correct remarks. I have to admit my ignorance on that particular scheme. I will see him immediately afterwards. I have not, in the three days that I have been at the Department, been able to remember all 137 decisions, but I shall ensure that the answer is communicated to him as quickly as possible.
  Mr. Robert Key: I warmly welcome the Minister's commitment to build the Stonehenge project within seven years. He knows that he can rely on me to give him every encouragement to ensure that it actually happens. Will he join me in thanking the National Trust for its constructive and helpful attitude in abandoning its objections to the building of a road on inalienable property? Will he ensure, however, that a grade separated

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  junction is built at the western end, and that not only the Winterbourne Stoke bypass, for which we are very grateful, but the Chicklade bypass is built? Perhaps more important, will he explain how the one third of funding for the project is going to come out of the budget of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and whether that will mean national lottery money, or money that is taken directly from the Department's budget?
  Dr. Reid: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his welcome for the scheme. On its funding, the details of which I shall communicate to him, I think that he is mistaken, but I shall want to clarify the exact technical details of it and write to him. The scheme does include the bypass of Winterbourne Stoke, as he said. I have noted his comments on the other matters that he has raised.
  In general terms, today's decision on Stonehenge is very good news for the House. It shows that we have moved away from the days when we regarded trunk roads or other roads in an isolated fashion, just as concrete and as the only solution on every occasion. We have been able to highlight today our integrated approach by cross-departmental agreement, for which I pay tribute to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, but we have also been able to illustrate that transport is much more than just a link between areas: it is a method of access to elements of our history and heritage and therefore makes a major contribution to the quality of life. We have been able to do that today with the Stonehenge announcement, which is welcome news for the House as well as for the hon. Gentleman.
  Mr. Christopher Leslie: May I express my delight at the fantastic, magnificent and far-sighted announcement that the A650 Bingley relief road has been given the go ahead by a Labour Government—something which the Tories failed to do over such a long period? Will my right hon. Friend confirm that that scheme will improve the health and environment of my constituents and bring improvements for integrated public transport?
  Is my right hon. Friend aware that plans are already in the offing in Bingley to commemorate the local heroes from the ministerial team at the Department? St. John of Bingley is one suggestion that has been made.
  Dr. Reid: Because of my hon. Friend's work, this, perhaps of all the announcements, will give greater delight throughout the House than any other. I know that we traditionally have a Father of the House; I do not know whether we have a Child of the House. However, the rational but active and dynamic campaign that my hon. Friend has run on this issue has been a credit to him. Although he has been in the House for only a short period, it bodes extremely well for his future.
  The Bingley relief road, of which my hon. Friend has been the most serious and effective advocate, is in our targeted investment programme. It will improve safety and the environment, and I am very glad that we were able to announce the scheme in our statement. Had it been on the list of the previous Government, he may have got it somewhere around his 74th birthday. I am glad that we shall be able to deliver that somewhat earlier.
  Mr. Douglas Hogg: I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on his promotion.
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  With regard to the A46 Lincoln to Newark road, I think that the Minister will understand the concern in the county of Lincolnshire. Would he be good enough to tell the House whether he can guarantee that the bypass will be started before the end of the seven-year period, and can he in particular tell us when it will start?
  The right hon. Gentleman will also know that three Lincoln roads have been detruncked: the A17 to King's Lynn, the A15 to the M180 and the A57 to Sheffield. They now become the responsibility of the local authority. Is he proposing to transfer to the local authority money to maintain those roads equivalent to what is currently spent under the national responsibility?
  Dr. Reid: On the general decision, I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for his comments. The A46 Newark to Lincoln improvement is in the targeted programme for a number of reasons. Rational decision making is assisted by the five criteria: accessibility, safety, environment, economic development and integration. This scheme will improve safety, and journey reliability and assist in the regeneration of Lincolnshire, so it was very important that it went through.
  On the start date, if we did not believe that the bypass would start within seven years, it would not have been in the target list. We have made hard decisions and schemes were excluded, not because we thought that they were not worthy schemes, but because we had to set a reasonable time frame for the start of schemes before we gave concrete promises. Therefore, I cannot give the right hon. and learned Gentleman the exact date when it will start, but I can assure him that it will be in the programme.
  On local authorities, there will be methods of ensuring that a fair amount of money is transferred for maintenance. That will be dealt with in further documentation.
  Mr. Kevin McNamara: While joining in the congratulations to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on the decisions he has taken, I want also to congratulate him on listening to the earnest pleas of Hull Members of Parliament for the Hedon road improvements, which are important to the economic integrity of Yorkshire, to the full opening of the port to ensure better facilities for our trade with northern Europe, and to the development of land in the area to improve employment prospects. It is a good decision.
  When the Minister comes to consider the main motorways, I urge him to promote a campaign for lane discipline. So often on the M1 and the M6, the inside lane is empty while motorists are hogging the central lane, which not only causes great delays but encourages dangerous driving, with people trying to overtake on the inside. It also encourages road rage. A campaign for lane discipline on motorways would go a great way towards solving some of the problems.
  Dr. Reid: I have noted my hon. Friend's thanks to our right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. The scheme is included in the programme because it met the criteria. It is a good and important scheme which will relieve congestion and create jobs and prosperity. I am glad that the Hedon road scheme on the A1033 is part of our targeted list.
  On my hon. Friend's point about the M6, the problems that he identified are important matters of management, which we will be looking at carefully. In a more general

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  sense, it is precisely one reason why we are shifting the Highways Agency from simply being a road building agency to being an agency that will have to look at and give effect to much wider considerations, including management. It will have to deploy a tool kit of ideas and practical proposals that span a much wider area than just road building. Management, maintenance, upkeep and rational use of our resources have been ignored for years.
  The M6 exemplifies the problem. A railway line that is underused runs almost parallel, for miles and miles, to a road that is greatly overused. Surely it is a matter of common sense and balance to consider the two together and determine how to make best use of present resources, as well as considering future road building, rather than exhibiting a knee-jerk reaction to everything and saying, "Let's build a new road." To do that would leave many of our roads in the mess that so many of them were left in when the previous Government left office.
  Mrs. Caroline Spelman: I wish the Minister Godspeed in dealing with all the studies to which he has committed himself today. There is no time scale for the west midlands area study. For how long will business commuters and home owners continue to suffer from the uncertainty over proposals for motorways in their area?
  Dr. Reid: I am aware that the hon. Lady is concerned about blight in her area. The widening of the M42 has been remitted to the west midlands area study, which will address congestion and environmental problems in and around Birmingham and the black country. It will consider the wide range of measures to which I referred earlier, including those that have already been included in the metropolitan transport package.
  The hon. Lady need not doubt my capacity for study. I have always taken the simple view that it is better to think before acting—although I understand that that has not always been regarded in every quarter as rational.
  Mr. John Hutton: I warmly congratulate my right hon. Friend the Minister on his appointment and I wish him well for the future. I strongly welcome the strategies and principles that underpin the roads review that he has announced today. At long last, the Government are getting a grip on the shambles we inherited from the Conservative Government.
  My right hon. Friend will be aware that the Government have today announced that they will not be proceeding with the immediate construction of the Low High Newton bypass on the A590, which is near my constituency—even though the existing plans were endorsed and approved by a full planning inspector's report two years ago. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that the review of the environmental impact of the road on the Lake District national park—a perfectly understandable review—will be injected with a sense of urgency so that my constituents can look forward to improvements to that stretch of the road, for which they have been waiting for a long time, and which the previous Government failed to deliver?
  Mr. Jenkin: It was in our programme.
  Dr. Reid: Everything was in the previous Government's programme, but nothing was ever delivered.
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  I am glad that my hon. Friend appreciates the nature of the problems with the A590 High and Low Newton bypass, to which he has given great support. A balance must be maintained between the economy and the impact on both the built and natural environment. That is one reason why we shall remit the scheme for further study of safety and environmental impacts.
  I could not hear whether my hon. Friend mentioned the A66 Temple Sowerby bypass, which I know he has supported previously. It has not been considered for the target list because its time scale is not sufficiently advanced. However, I am glad to tell him that the A66 Stainburn and Great Clifton bypass, which he also supports, has been included in the target list. That should be some compensation.
  Judging by the list of roads that my hon. Friend supports, I can only assume that the large campaign that he ran—when, in my previous incarnation, I was Minister for the Armed Forces—to get two huge aircraft carriers through the strategic defence review now requires him to build at least two huge roads to Barrow-in-Furness, where he will hope to build those carriers.
  Mr. Edward Garnier: I join other hon. Members in congratulating the Minister on his move to his new post, and thank him for the announcement about the A6 Great Glen bypass in my own constituency of Harborough. The pity is that it is not to be started this year, as was intended under the previous Government.
  Mr. Prescott: We did not take it out.
  Mr. Garnier: If the Deputy Prime Minister would like to leave the Chamber now, I am sure that we should be delighted to see him go.
  What are the funding arrangements for the detrunked A6? Will the money be ring-fenced? Will the Leicestershire county council highways authority be required to ensure that the A6 detrunked road competes for money with its other roads programmes? Will the Minister assure us that the money that is to be set aside for the Great Glen bypass will be available, although we are not quite sure when within the seven-year envelope the road is to be built?
  Dr. Reid: I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for his—I think it was a welcome. I was not quite sure whether he was saying that, because he wanted the Great Glen bypass last year, our decision to proceed with it now is fatally flawed and he wants us to withdraw it?
  Mr. Garnier rose—
  Dr. Reid: Perhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman would like to explain to me later whether he was requesting that we change our mind and not proceed with it. However, I shall take it that he was not asking for that. I have already said that there will be a fair exchange on money for local authorities—which, as we have clearly stated previously, will be done through the standard spending assessment.
  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster: I thank my right hon. Friend for the small mercies of the decision on the Lamberhurst bypass, which will enable people to

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  travel a little more speedily to Hastings. May I invite him to come to Hastings to see the problems there of deprivation, low skills and high unemployment? The greatest gift would have been the bypass that we so much needed. I appreciate that, in his letter, he said that he is
  "still minded to make orders for that scheme, subject to options in improving access to Hastings."
  The argument for a bypass has already been made, over many years. Will he ensure that a very early decision is made on implementation of any review? What time scale is likely to apply?
  Dr. Reid: I thank my hon. Friend for his welcome for the Lamberhurst bypass, and realise his deep disappointment on the other matter. Everyone knows—from my short time at the Ministry, even I know—that no one has fought harder than he for his case. He has been absolutely assiduous and energetic in making it. I am also under no illusions that he will now drop his views on the matter, and I realise that he perhaps thinks that we have got it wrong in an extremely important matter. I assure him that either the Secretary of State or I will be pleased to receive representations on the matter should he wish to see us again. I realise just how much importance he places on that specific decision, and I am sorry that I could not be wholly positive about it today.
  Mr. Philip Hammond: It seems unfair that, so shortly after his appointment, the Minister should have to come to the Dispatch Box to announce, in respect of the M25 in my constituency, precisely the widening which was described by the Labour party in opposition as "madness", which Labour's then spokesman promised to scrap, and which the Labour candidate in my constituency in the general election promised would be scrapped on day one of a Labour Government. The Minister might want to reflect on police statistics which show that people who do U-turns on motorways seldom survive to tell the tale.
  However, I welcome the Minister's acknowledgement that a legitimate use of the billions of pounds in tax that the Government are raising from motorists is the alleviation of the environmental impact on the communities through which motorways pass. Will he confirm to my constituents in Thorpe and Egham that when that section of the M25 is widened, the very latest, state-of-the-art absorbent sound barriers and the best possible porous asphalt surfaces will be used to minimise the impact on them?
  Dr. Reid: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. He would be churlish not to accept that, unlike the previous Government, the present Government have made it clear that noise abatement will be a serious component of our consideration of new roads and the maintenance of old roads, and an important element in the practical remedies.
  As for the M25 decision, the hon. Gentleman should be in no doubt that I am not in the least disappointed to be at the Dispatch Box—I am not only pleased but honoured to be here. Lest the hon. Gentleman should be in any further doubt, let me say that there has been no U-turn. The principles that we applied to our consideration outlined before the election by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister are still the principles on which we take decisions. The Deputy Prime Minister has led the team and the review with consistency throughout.
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  Unfortunately, we cannot ignore the reality of the world left to us by the Government whom the hon. Gentleman supported. Just one section of the M25 is so bad that there is no conceivable alternative to going ahead with the widening. To do anything else would mean inflicting on something like 200,000 motorists a day more of the misery that they had to suffer during the 18 years of the previous Government.
  Several hon. Members rose—
  Madam Speaker: Order. The statement has been running for more than an hour. I recognise its importance to Members, but I can let it run for so long only if I have Members' co-operation, which I am not getting. Instead, I am getting long statements and long questions. I want brisk questions to the Minister, and I think that I shall have the Minister's co-operation when he responds. I want to do right by Back Benchers who have an interest in the matter, but they must do right by me and by the House.
  Jane Griffiths: I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement, especially for not including in it any schemes that have a direct impact on my constituency. The last thing the Reading area requires is more roads. The Thames valley is already congested, and the solution is not to build more roads.
  I am pleased to welcome my right hon. Friend's statement that we require an holistic approach to our transport problems. Will he reassure me that the proposed London to Reading corridor study will take an holistic and cross-departmental approach and will not just consider the need to increase capacity along that corridor?
  Dr. Reid: Agreed, welcomed and assured.
  Mr. Eric Forth: Does the Minister recognise that the vast bulk of traffic, both private and business, will continue to use the roads as a result of individual decisions made by private motorists and businesses? Will he give the House an undertaking that he will not seek to penalise and to drive off the road, either through neglect of the road system or by other penalties, the vast majority of decision makers who want to use the roads for their own purposes?
  Dr. Reid: What will drive people off the roads is the awful congestion in some places. The Government fully support real freedom of choice, but that means the ability to move one's car at more than 2 mph, which is impossible in many parts of the country. Of course we have no intention of adopting a dictatorial or penal attitude. We want to give the motorist and the business man choice, but, in order to do that, we have to use the full range of the assets that we have for moving from A to B. That means taking an integrated, holistic approach involving persuasion, education and putting money into other forms of transport as well as the road network. Throughout, we have followed a broad and balanced approach; it is right for the motorist, for the business man and for our quality of life—as well as for the number of journeys undertaken.
  Mr. David Taylor: The people of Kegworth in north-west Leicestershire will welcome the fact that safety and health remain the criteria

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  for decisions on bypasses. They will be deeply disappointed, however, that it was not possible to go ahead with the A6 bypass, because the projected line of that route and the need for it have existed for 50 years. Will the Minister reassure the people of that area, which lies at the congested heart of the east midlands transport infrastructure, that it might be possible to go ahead with the A6 element of the rather wider scheme in respect of junctions 23A to 25 of the M1, about which I am agnostic? The need for the A6 bypass remains acute.
  Dr. Reid: The schemes have not been abandoned, but put on hold for further study. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to have a 50-year timetable and simply add names to the list. The reason schemes were taken off the list was that we were not convinced that they could start within seven years and we did not want to make illusory promises. However, they have certainly not been entirely abandoned.
  Mrs. Eleanor Laing: My constituents in Epping Forest will be disappointed that the planned improvement to the M11 motorway there has been cancelled. Although I appreciate that the Minister has been in his post for only a few days and may not have had a chance to consider this aspect of the Government's policy, they will be more concerned that he has given no indication as to whether he plans to revise the congestion forecast, because it does not appear that anything said today or last week will improve congestion at all. Can the Minister confirm that today's announcement proves that the Government are willing to sacrifice the efficient and effective road network upon which business and industry depend in order to please Swampy and his friends?
  Dr. Reid: The whole thrust of what I said today is that we have to tackle congestion, but the previous approach of using one exclusive instrument—building more roads—has patently failed. We have to achieve our objective through a breadth of measures and by taking an holistic and integrated approach to all forms of transport.
  Mr. Ian Pearson: Can the Minister confirm that proposals for a western orbital motorway drawn up by the previous Government are now totally dead and will not form part of the west midlands area study? It does not take a genius to recognise that in a hugely densely populated and industrial area such as Birmingham and the black country, building new roads is not the answer. There is no space for priority bus lanes, so an effective network of light and heavy rail is absolutely essential. I welcome my right hon. Friend to his post in the hope that his departmental officials will tell him that although light rail does not provide value for money compared with buses, it is the only possible solution for 3.5 million people in the west midlands.
  Dr. Reid: There are a lot of questions there. We are building the Birmingham northern relief road. I shall pass on my hon. Friend's comments to my officials, who have no doubt heard them already. I shall write to him on the other detailed points.
  Sir David Madel: I strongly support what the Minister has said about new
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  roads, which will promote economic growth and sustain industry and employment. With that in mind, will he end the delay over Dunstable's A5 north-south bypass; and could we proceed with new, urgently needed roads in south Bedfordshire to sustain industry and employment?
  Dr. Reid: The study about which I have written to the hon. Gentleman will also consider the A5 at Dunstable.
  Mr. Derek Foster: I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend to his post and I agree with the thrust of his statement. I also welcome what he has said about the A66 and the decisions that have been made since the Government came to power. Does he accept that a new deal for the A66 would require dualling from Scotch Corner to Penrith? There has been an all-party campaign on that for the past decade and a half, with the full support of the CBI.
  Dr. Reid: We recognise that there is a serious problem and we shall carry out a safety study of the A66. It will be for the regional planning conference to consider its priority for investment.
  Mr. Nick Hawkins: May I add my congratulations to the Minister on his promotion? Given that there are no schemes approved or even targeted for my constituency, will he confirm that shire counties such as Surrey will have a proper increase in the budget transferred under the standard spending assessment in the way that he has described? Will he be prepared to meet delegations from areas such as Surrey, where long delayed bypass schemes have now been put further into the future? If the Chancellor cuts the budget further after three years so that even some of the seven-year schemes miss their target, will he apologise to the House and the country?
  Dr. Reid: The hon. Gentleman speaks as though the previous Government had a 10-year agreement, or even a three-year agreement. They had a one-year agreement. We have an agreement for at least three years of stability—and up to seven years with investment. The previous Government never remotely approached that.
  The news about the A3 Hindhead improvement will be disappointing for the hon. Gentleman, but the project could not be started in sufficient time for us to include it in the target list. Under the old method, it would have been on a list, like every other project, but that would have been a list of paper roads leading nowhere. We would rather put up practical proposals that are feasible and funded.
  Mr. Dennis Skinner: On the question of providing jobs and employment, has my right hon. Friend looked at the recommendations of the coalfields task force, set up by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister? The recommendations involve road programmes that will lead to the prospect of many jobs—15,000 in north Derbyshire. Will those projects be given priority?
  Dr. Reid: I have announced a number of improvements in the coalfield areas. We are studying that issue further. A report is coming in October.
  My hon. Friend properly points out that we have to consider economic development, jobs and regeneration. We are having a balanced review. For many decades,

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  Governments took only one view, irrespective of the environmental consequences. It would be wrong to swing the other way and say that every decision had to be based on environmental consequences, irrespective of the effects on jobs and regeneration. Throughout the Department, led by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, we are trying to promote a balanced view, an integrated transport system, interdepartmental work and an holistic solution to the problems—because the old way did not work.
  Mr. John Bercow: Although the inclusion of the A41 Aston Clinton bypass in the targeted programme of improvements is welcome—I genuinely thank the Minister for that—does he recognise that my constituents will be gravely disappointed that the previous construction date of 2002 has been scrapped? I remind him in no spirit of political partisanship—my Government did not construct the bypass either—that my constituents have waited 61 years. There has been a 40 per cent. increase in traffic flows over the past five years and there are now 30,000 vehicle movements each day through the village. In the light of the diet of accident, injury and death that my constituents have had to swallow, will the Minister bear in mind their pressing claim for the earliest possible construction date for the bypass?
  Dr. Reid: I am very glad that we have been able to proceed with the bypass at Aston Clinton. From memory, it should take about 70 per cent. of traffic out of that village. I hear what the hon. Gentleman says about the importance of proceeding early. In the same non-partisan spirit with which he made his remarks, I should point out that, of the 61 years that we have been waiting for the bypass, we have had Tory Governments for 50.
  Mr. Nigel Beard: I welcome my right hon. Friend to his new post, and I welcome today's statement. Does he agree that high priority should go to schemes under which an unimproved stretch of road prevents full realisation of the true value of earlier road investment? There is an example of that in my constituency on the A106, which is the south Thames development road that runs between Greenwich and the M25. It is the main access to the Thames gateway, which presents an important economic opportunity for south-east London and north Kent. Traffic on the road has increased by 50 per cent. in the past five years. Thames road, Crayford, which is a short stretch of road, is the only part of the main artery that has not been dualled. It is creating a bottleneck and substantial difficulty in the area. Would my right hon. Friend be good enough to look again at proposals for widening it?
  Dr. Reid: May I, at this stage, respond just to my hon. Friend's general point? Perhaps we could correspond on the specifics. I very much agree with him, which is why we place such stress on maintenance of roads and better use of the existing network. Such priorities must rank alongside consideration of building new roads.
  Mr. Desmond Swayne: The Minister has announced plans to build on eight sites of special scientific interest, yet it was a Labour commitment not to build on any. Can he explain that?
  Dr. Reid: Yes, I can explain. We did not say that we would not build on any SSSIs; we said that we would be reluctant to build on them. The fact that we have reduced their number in this context from 49 to eight must, even to the most churlish Conservative, be an indication that we have carried out what we said we would.
  Mr. Jeremy Corbyn: The Minister will be aware that the House has twice passed road traffic reduction measures and has signed up to the Kyoto summit targets on reduction of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Is he prepared to undertake a study of expected traffic growth in the light of today's statement and its long-term pollutive effect?
  Dr. Reid: Such matters of course rank in importance. My hon. Friend will be aware that the Deputy Prime Minister not only attended the Kyoto summit but played a major part in it. These matters are already under consideration, and a document on sustainable development will be published in the autumn.
  Dr. Jenny Tonge: I have stood up many times in the hope of catching your eye, Madam Speaker; it was certainly wonderful exercise. Does the Minister realise that, as a consequence of his decision to widen the M25 between junctions 12 and 15, the champagne will be flowing in the BAA boardroom this lunchtime? Is he serious about reducing congestion and the number of cars on that stretch of motorway? Has any consideration been given to designating a lane of the existing motorway for buses, other public transport and laden cars?
  Dr. Reid: I think that the people who will be celebrating are those who now have to deal with the rat-running alongside the M25 that makes their lives a misery. That is one of the factors that we had to take into consideration in reaching the decision. As for the hon. Lady's more general points, the answer is yes. I will clarify further details for her if she wishes to communicate with me.
  Mrs. Ann Cryer: I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. Many of my constituents will be extremely pleased with his comments about the Bingley relief road, and they will also wish to join me in congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) on his well-organised and forceful campaign. In the long term, although the relief road is welcome and I am pleased about it, it cannot be a solution in itself. The Aire valley is narrow, and we need to consider improving bus services and rail services on the Aire valley railway. We could even consider using the Leeds-Liverpool canal.
  The statement tells us that the A650 Hard Ings road improvement will be replaced by a scaled-down solution. That is a narrow stretch of road between two lots of dual carriageway, and it forms a dreadful bottleneck right in the middle of my constituency. How scaled down will the solution be?
  Dr. Reid: I can write to my hon. Friend about her last question. As for her second point, she will know that transport provision other than the roadways is already being considered. I have already paid tribute to the

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  campaign for the Bingley relief road, but, at the end of the day, like all the other schemes, the plan met the new criteria that we have outlined; that is why it is there.
  Mr. Tom Brake: In what respect will the widening of the M25 be good for the environment; and in what respect is it integrated?
  Dr. Reid: The hon. Gentleman will understand that those factors need to be balanced, and none of them can be taken in isolation. Even the strongest opponent of motorway building and widening would accept that there is a particular problem with that stretch of road. If he is asking me about the pollution effects, he will know about those as well as I do. Thousands of cars parked together belching smoke into the air present what is probably the most obvious example.
  Mr. David Drew: I add my congratulations to my right hon. Friend, and welcome in particular what he said about the help with combating noise pollution. I pay tribute to the previous Minister responsible for roads, Baroness Hayman, who was interested in and concerned about that matter. I urge my right hon. Friend to deal with the problem facing my constituents who live at Upton St. Leonards alongside the M5. Their houses are far too close to the motorway, and have no protection against the noise. I am sure that that situation is replicated throughout the length and breadth of this country.
  Dr. Reid: I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He will have noted that we are emphasising for the first time a commitment not only to examine noise pollution but to do something about it.
  Mr. Edward Davey: I welcome the Minister's statement that he plans to ring-fence investment funds for safety measures and target them on small-scale improvements. Will he review the criteria now used to prioritise safety improvement schemes, because to some of us they seem both byzantine and counter-intuitive? When he has done that, and based those criteria on common sense, will he take another look at the case for safety barriers on the Kingston A3 bypass?
  Dr. Reid: I think that it would test the patience of the House if I spontaneously announced yet another review of the criteria used to review safety elements, but I am glad that the hon. Gentleman welcomes the scheme to spend up to £50 million on safety measures, with a maximum, I think, of £5 million for any one scheme over a number of years. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to write to me I shall take his comments into consideration, but I would not like to promise another review ad hoc.
  Mr. Kelvin Hopkins: I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his appointment and welcome his roads statement today. I welcome especially his decision to withdraw from the roads programme the widening of the M1 between junctions 10 and 14 where it passes through my constituency. I am sure that the Minister realises that that is one of the few places along its route where the M1 passes very close to dwellings. As a result of the uncertainty generated by the previous Government,
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  a deal of blight has been created and many residents are very upset. The correct decision has been made today; but will my right hon. Friend give sympathetic and urgent consideration to dealing with that blight in the near future?
  Dr. Reid: Yes. My hon. Friend makes the point and gives the reasons for our decision as well as, if not better than, I could.
  Mr. David Kidney: I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his impressive performance at the Dispatch Box on a tricky subject so soon after his appointment. While the widening of the M6 motorway through Staffordshire is on hold pending studies, will my right hon. Friend confirm whether three things will happen? First, will the trunk roads that are possible alternative routes be maintained and improved? Secondly, will the west coast main line be upgraded to attract more passengers and freight? Thirdly, I know that my right hon. Friend's Department has studied the genuine bottleneck on the M6 between junctions 10 and 6. Will there be action as a result of that study?
  Dr. Reid: My hon. Friend threw three questions at me. I think that the answers are: yes, yes and yes. There will be action when we have completed the study.
  Mr. Michael Wills: I, too, congratulate my right hon. Friend on his appointment, his performance today and his statement. I welcome particularly the Government's decision to launch a study of traffic problems in Blunsdon, in my constituency. A bypass scheme there was cancelled by the previous Government, much to the horror of my constituents. The results of that cancellation have been growing traffic congestion in the area, a choke point on the strategic trunk road between the M4 and M5, the bisection of a village and pollution.
  We welcome the fact that the scheme is no longer dead and buried. However, I seek my right hon. Friend's assurances on two points. First, will there be an early start to the study? Secondly, will the bypass option enable Swindon borough council and the Highways Agency to retain the land that they own and which is needed for the bypass? If they have to sell that land, we would be denied the possibility of a bypass for at least 25 years.
  Dr. Reid: On the first point, I assure my hon. Friend that we will begin as soon as possible. On his second point, I do not think that he would expect me to give a firm assurance on what appears to be a very complicated land ownership and planning development matter that also involves my portfolio. I am afraid that it will be another few days before I have mastered that brief.
  Mr. Jim Cousins: On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have heard reports this morning about the closure of a brand new Siemens micro-chip factory on Tyneside, with the probable loss of up to 1,000 jobs. That is the first big strike at British manufacturing industry as a consequence of the collapse of prices and markets in the far east. The shock and anger on Tyneside will be very great—indeed, more than I can express properly now. I appreciate the present circumstances of both the House and the Government, but

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  have you, Madam Speaker, been informed that the Government intend to make a statement about the matter today?
  Mr. Derek Foster: Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I rise to support the request by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) for a statement by a Minister. This could be the worst piece of news for the north-east of the past decade or so, and it demands an urgent ministerial statement.
  Madam Speaker: I must inform the right hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Mr. Foster) and the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) that I have not been advised that a Minister is seeking to make a statement about that matter.
  Mr. Prescott: Further to that point of order, Madam Speaker. I have only just heard the news, which, if it is correct, would be a terrible development. I visited the Siemens plant quite recently and it is a wonderful facility. I am sure that the people in that region will be very concerned. I shall take it upon myself to communicate with the Departments involved, including the Department of Trade and Industry and my own, to see what we can do in the circumstances.
  Madam Speaker: I am extremely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman.

  ROYAL ASSENT
  Madam Speaker: I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has signified Her Royal Assent to the following Acts:

  Finance Act 1998

  Crime and Disorder Act 1998

  Government of Wales Act 1998

  National Minimum Wage Act 1998

  Lloyds TSB Act 1998.

  NON-SITTING FRIDAYS
  Ordered,
  That the Order of 19th May 1997 relating to non-sitting Fridays be amended by adding 'and Friday 23rd October.'—[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]

  ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SERVICE CANDIDATES
  Resolved,
  That the Resolution of the House of 18th February 1963, relating to the appointment by the Home Secretary of an Advisory Committee to examine every application for release from the armed forces for the purpose of contesting a parliamentary election, and to report to the appropriate Service Minister, in each case, whether or not it is satisfied that it is a bona fide application, be rescinded.—[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]

  TREASURY COMMITTEE
  Ordered,
  That Mr. Malcolm Bruce be discharged from the Treasury Committee and Dr. Vincent Cable be added to the Committee.—[Mr. McWilliam.]

  Nuclear Weapons (India and Pakistan)
  Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
  12.39 pm
  Mr. Harry Cohen: Thank you, Madam Speaker, for granting me this Adjournment debate—the last business of the House before the summer recess. I thank the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) for delaying his holidays to respond to the debate.
  Both India and Pakistan have rich histories and proud and diverse cultures. I have taken an interest in that part of the world for many years, and I am a member of the all-party groups on both India and Pakistan. I have a constituency interest also, as many who came to this country from India and Pakistan have settled in Leyton and Wanstead, where they have contributed enormously to the local community. Along with my wife, I have visited both countries and regard them and their people with considerable affection.
  India and Pakistan are relatively young states, having spent generations freeing themselves from colonial rule. The independence struggle took place at a time when Britain had a very different view of its place in the world. One of my predecessors as the hon. Member for Leyton, Reg Sorenson—later Lord Sorenson—was a great advocate in this place of Indian independence.
  The subsequent division between Pakistan and India at the time of independence in 1947—in which Lord Mountbatten, on behalf of the UK Government, played an important role—left many dead and destitute, and there is a continuing legacy of resentment between the two countries. That resentment has, on three occasions in the past, spilled into war. Any student of the area knows that it could easily lead to another.
  Having gained independence, India and Pakistan were treated poorly by the rest of the world, being constantly patronised and belittled. They were regularly used as pawns in the cold war. That was no way to treat proud cultures.
  As well as having a close interest in south Asia, I also oppose nuclear weapons around the world. I have repeatedly spoken in the House for nuclear disarmament and arms control, and I am currently the convenor of Parliamentary Labour CND. Nuclear weapons are immoral and wasteful of precious resources.
  Hiroshima day is next Thursday, 6 August. The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where nuclear weapons were used, was on a truly horrendous scale. Current nuclear weapons are multiple Hiroshimas. We should be working for a world free from nuclear weapons. That places an obligation on nuclear weapons states to reduce and eliminate their arsenals. By logic, that must mean that no new country should become a nuclear weapons state.
  It made me immensely sad, therefore, when India carried out its nuclear tests in May. The tests were rightly and roundly condemned by the world and led to the imposition of a variety of sanctions by a number of states such as Japan and the United States, where there is law to make such action automatic when there is nuclear weapons proliferation.
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  The first test on 11 May took most of us by surprise, although hindsight shows that there were several warning signs, including some nationalistic comments by Bharatiya Janata party politicians, who form the new Government in India. The Indian Government stated that they had carried out three simultaneous test explosions, although there may in fact have been only one explosion, and a judicious politician's use of words to imply that three weapons had been tested.
  It is difficult to carry out tests simultaneously, as the slightest mistiming in triggering any of the devices can mean that one or more could be damaged by the explosion of another, and not detonate or, worse still, scatter its contents over a wide area. Because of the technical difficulties, it has never been done by the United Kingdom, and the United States has tried it very rarely.
  The Indians carried out two more tests two days later. Sadly and alarmingly, the Indian Government's actions were met with acclaim by the population: opinion poll after opinion poll showed that, in the initial few weeks, there was popular support for the tests, although that has since declined. At the time, I felt that that was misguided and misdirected nationalism—I still think so—and that such joy would be more than matched by bitterness and despair if the weapons were used. That may be reflected in the future in millions of individual personal histories, because the money wasted on these useless weapons could have been used to save lives or vastly improve the quality of life of whole communities.
  The world's response was not all that it could have been. Sanctions were not implemented quickly or tightly enough, and many states delayed their decision on how to respond. Several of the major powers gave the impression that they might be prepared to soften their attitude and weakly accept the new status quo as inevitable. Pakistan was put in an unenviable position and it was perhaps inevitable that it would carry out tests of its own. Those happened on 28 and 30 May. Again, there is a doubt about precisely how many tests were carried out.
  The tests are symptomatic of the regional security situation, which has been characterised by provocation and retaliation. Disputes, most notably over Kashmir, have brought the two states into conflict. As a consequence, their military bills represent a sky-high proportion of their national resources.
  The Indians, especially, like to argue that it is not for outsiders to preach about what should be done about conflicts such as Kashmir. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has said that the conflict should be resolved bilaterally, but has offered assistance that may be acceptable to India and Pakistan to help to achieve a settlement.
  It is perhaps worth noting at this point the valuable help given by outsiders in our own seemingly intractable problems in Northern Ireland. Senator Mitchell of the United States was the most prominent, but not the only, outsider to be involved in efforts to bring peace, and his contribution is rightly applauded. India and Pakistan should not have a closed mind to outside assistance in resolving the problem of Kashmir.
  The resolution of the tensions between India and Pakistan is primarily a matter for the states themselves, but the introduction of an overt nuclear weapons capability means that the rest of the world will be affected if anything goes wrong, so the rest of the world has a

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  direct stake in what happens in the region. If India and Pakistan want to tell us that we should not interfere in their internal affairs, they should be left in no doubt that their holding of nuclear weapons is likely to lead to an opposite world reaction.
  I am not saying that nuclear war in south Asia is an early likelihood. I am sure that the leaders of the two countries are too sensible to start a nuclear war deliberately, but the misapplied nationalism, of which there have been plenty of examples, could lead to a frenzy of hatred in which nuclear weapons just might be used. In a period of tension, there is always the danger of a misjudgment or an accident. History is littered with wars that everyone was confident would never happen.
  The effects of nuclear war know no boundaries. A single nuclear weapon detonated anywhere in south Asia would have political and environmental effects a long way away. Some sheep in Wales are still controlled because of the effects of the Chernobyl accident 12 years ago. The work done on nuclear winter during the cold war proved that it was possible to cause major changes in the world's climate with only a small number of nuclear weapons.
  Possession of nuclear weapons by any state is a global issue. The greatest threat to the 21st century would be proliferation of nuclear weapons until they were in the hands of many states, some of them unstable, or even in the hands of terrorists. Non-proliferation must be taken seriously in the other nuclear weapons states as well as in India and Pakistan. It is immoral for India and Pakistan to say that they will go non-nuclear when others do. They are making the great leap in proliferation. They are contributing to an immensely dangerous world in the next century. If proliferation is unchecked, they will not be unscathed.
  Developments in south Asia put five other Governments around the world in a difficult position. Britain, France, the United States, Russia and China possess nuclear weapons, and their criticism of India and Pakistan is serious weakened by that. If the five want to stop proliferation to make sure that the world is safer, they must move unequivocally towards elimination of their own nuclear weapons. The Government have made some positive steps by reducing the number of operational warheads. Cuts announced in the strategic defence review were welcome. They offer an opportunity for dialogue with India and Pakistan, but we must pursue the theme of nuclear weapons reduction and elimination, not parity.
  Sir David Gore-Booth, our high commissioner in India, has today decided to leave that post for a career in business. I fervently hope that our new high commissioner will play an active diplomatic and political role in pressing for the stop of nuclear weapons. There must be no weakening of that position. Will the Minister comment on how he expects the new high commissioner to argue against India's nuclear weapons policy?
  The Minister appeared last week before the Select Committee on Defence. He accepted that Britain was poorly placed to complain because of our possession of nuclear weapons. He said that the key difference between the United Kingdom and India or Pakistan was that
  "we inherit the situation that we are in rather than being in the process of creating it."
  That distinction is useful, but it does not stop the United Kingdom being serious about stopping worldwide proliferation of nuclear weapons. We must move ahead on our manifesto commitment to international negotiations on nuclear arms reduction.
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  As well as possessing nuclear weapons, the five states that I mentioned have permanent seats on the Security Council of the United Nations. It seems that one follows the other, but that should not automatically be so. In recent years, India has felt that a country of its size should have a permanent seat. I have always felt that the Security Council's composition, which is based on the winners of the second world war, is biased towards the west. It is archaic to have two western European seats. If the council had been updated, India, because of its size, population, role in the world and future significance, would have been a prime candidate for a permanent seat. The nuclear tests have changed that. India's aspiration for a permanent seat is forlorn for the foreseeable future. I could not support such a move. Other states that wanted such important influence at the UN might also develop nuclear weapons as their route to the Security Council.
  Pakistan and India have proclaimed themselves nuclear weapon states—they are clearly states that possess nuclear weapons—but that is a specific term, defined in the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty to mean a state that tested a nuclear device before 1 January 1967; that date has long gone. There must be no redefinition of the term to accommodate India and Pakistan, as that would fatally weaken the treaty, making it near worthless in the face of any new nuclear testing state. There must be no alteration to the treaty.
  As well as the immediate tension between India and Pakistan, wider issues are involved with China to the north and Iran to the west. India has had long-standing border disputes with China, the worst of which led to an invasion by China in the early 1960s. The poor performance of the Indian army at the time may well have been a deciding factor in the start of the drive for nuclear weapons development. India's relations with China have been improving, not least with the introduction of a series of confidence-building measures in the border areas in the past few years. Overt nationalism by India risks fresh disputes on a larger and much more dangerous scale.
  China's closeness to Pakistan, including allegations of nuclear assistance, is clearly of concern to India. Pakistan may be encouraged in its relations with China by its fear of India's superiority in conventional arms. Those three countries need to get together and adopt a joint security pact. It is also time for them to consider a joint economic pact. It is time for direct action to avoid the use of the rivalries that flow from misguided nationalism in all those three important states.
  Iran shares a border with Pakistan, whose test site was only about 80 miles away. While it is early days, how the tests will influence the Iranian Government remains an issue. Iran is a party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, but it has been alleged—mainly by the Americans—that it has been trying to acquire nuclear weapons. It is impossible to tell how true the allegations are, but if any part of the Iranian Government has nuclear pretensions, its hand can only have been strengthened by the recent events. If Iran attempted to get nuclear weapons, what would be the impact on Israel? Clearly, nuclear problems cannot be contained, and they move between regions.
  One other problem that has not been mentioned but could affect the rest of the world is that the economy of Pakistan is weak. There is a danger that the Government could collapse and we could be facing a situation similar to the one that occurred at the end of the cold war with

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  the collapse of the Soviet Union—the potential for loose nukes. In such circumstances, nuclear weapons and their components may slip from Government control and end up on the black market. That may also be true of India as, last week, three people were arrested and 6 kg of uranium seized in Madras. The quality or grade of the uranium is not clear, but the incident should be taken as a warning of dangers to come.
  The possession of nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan increases the risk of weapons-grade material falling into the hands of terrorists. Both countries have extensive problems with poverty and corruption. Whenever aid projects in Pakistan and India are organised through non-governmental organisations, our Government should not hesitate to remind those countries that, while we favour money being spent to alleviate hardship and poverty, we will not allow any hidden subsidy so that the Governments of India and Pakistan can divert money to their nuclear weapons programmes.
  As a vice-president of the Royal College of Midwives, I am concerned that India has more than 25 per cent. of the childbirth-related deaths in the world. I emphasise that I do not want any direct poverty alleviation work halted, but every diplomatic opportunity should be taken to remind the Indian and Pakistani Governments of their duties to their people. We should finance only non-governmental organisation projects and end all Government-to-Government aid such as military and police training.
  What can be done? We must make concerted efforts to show that the world will not tolerate nuclear proliferation. We cannot let the 21st century turn into a century of proliferation. There are some encouraging signs of contact between the two states. Two days ago, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met privately during a regional summit meeting in Sri Lanka. By all accounts, it was a barely lukewarm meeting, but at least both promised that senior diplomats from each side would meet in the near future to arrange further dialogue. That should be developed more fully.
  Other forms of contact, such as trade, must be encouraged. The Foreign Secretary told the House:
  "At present, India and Pakistan trade only I per cent. of their gross domestic products with each other. In the modem world, where prosperity is based primarily on trade, external investment and the exchange of technology, that kind of barrier to trade makes no sense for the prosperity and development of those two countries."—[Official Report, 14 May 1998; Vol. 312, c. 524.]
  Dialogue and trade must be encouraged between them, and between China and India.
  It is clear that the pressure must be kept up. Last week, the Indian Defence Minister told his Parliament that there was no question of his country "buckling" under external pressure to review its nuclear policy. They must be under no illusions; there will be serious consequences. If there were no pressure or consequences, the Indian and Pakistani Governments would not buckle, but would continue with their dangerous nuclear strategies. Sanctions must be kept tight.
  Worryingly, the United States is relaxing some of its sanctions on trade in grain after protests by American farmers. Talk in Congress is of loosening the law imposing automatic sanctions on proliferating states. That
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  would be a step towards letting the nuclear proliferation genie out of the bottle. Any replacement policy must be equally punitive or the wrong signals will be given to India, Pakistan and any future potential nuclear weapon state.
  We must ensure that no form of aid can be used to subsidise nuclear weapons programmes. Soon after sanctions were introduced, the Prime Minister of Pakistan called for Pakistanis around the world to send money to his country. We should examine whether currency restrictions or other measures could be introduced to ensure that the effects of sanctions are not reduced through such action. His appeal should be countered and discouraged. It is, after all, in their terms, an interference in our countries. If the money is not for direct support of family or alleviation of poverty, it should be discouraged.
  Further sanctions could be implemented. Military training and co-operation with the two countries should be suspended by all states. All foreign involvement with the military in India and Pakistan should be prohibited. There should be an international regime to restrict foreign investment so that it does not allow any diversion of resources for military purposes. Perhaps postgraduate nuclear physics students from India and Pakistan in this country and others should have their studies suspended until the situation is resolved. Perhaps we should refuse to give visas to scientists, engineers and technicians known to have worked on the nuclear weapons programmes. I also favour support in various forms for the people in both countries who believe in, and will campaign for, a non-nuclear future.
  As well as the sanctions for change, which are admittedly negative but necessary, a positive approach is needed. Direct aid to alleviate poverty via NGOs, not the Governments, should continue, but it should also be pointed out how much more both Governments could do if they did not waste their resources on weapons. A non-nuclear future and a settlement of the disputes would be rewarded with greater security and greater prosperity for both countries. I hope that the United Kingdom Government, with the rest of the world, will be able to present a clear picture of the costs to India and Pakistan of keeping nuclear weapons, and the enormous benefits of not having them.
  India and Pakistan have made the world a much less safe place. Natural allies of the two countries, such as I, have been put in a difficult position. Many people with a natural inclination to support India and Pakistan are unable to support the spread of nuclear weapons. The world is more secure with fewer nuclear weapons, not more; it is more secure still with none at all. Pakistan and India would be more secure without nuclear weapons.
  Pakistan missed a big economic opportunity when it responded to India with its own nuclear tests. That opportunity should remain available, accompanying a decision to abandon nuclear weapons.
  It is immensely sad that the first of those tests was carried out by India, the country of Mohandas Gandhi, the Mahatma, and a country with so much potential for promoting good in the world, in accordance with Gandhian principles. Nuclear weapons are a betrayal of the Gandhi tradition of non-violence.

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  I hope that there will be a sensible rethink in both countries and that a non-nuclear approach to resolving disagreements will be re-established and reaffirmed in the interests of nuclear non-proliferation, a safer south Asia and a safer world in the 21st century.
  1.6 pm
  Dr. Jenny Tonge: I congratulate the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) on securing this debate on the last day of the Session. It is incredibly important, but it poses a huge dilemma for the world and, in particular, for the British Government.
  The hon. Gentleman has ably described the contrasts in India and Pakistan. In many ways, they are very industrialised and have a high standard of technology in some sectors, yet, in most of India and Pakistan, people do not have access to clean water. In India and Pakistan, there is a brilliant and ancient culture and superb universities, yet a huge proportion of the people in both countries are illiterate and have no access to education.
  Medical technology is of the highest quality in both India and Pakistan in their medical schools and teaching hospitals. Indeed, this country has benefited tremendously over the years from Indian doctors and surgeons working in this country, yet, as the hon. Gentleman has described, in India, the figures on infant mortality and the perinatal mortality of mothers are appalling. Both countries are areas of huge contrasts that are to be deplored.
  Nearly half of the world's poorest people live in India. India receives the largest proportion of overseas aid that we give. As hon. Members will know, this year's Department for International Development White Paper said that we were concentrating on alleviating poverty among the poorest people of the world, not the poorest countries. That is what presents us with this dilemma: how can we put pressure on India and Pakistan without endangering the aid that we give to the poorest people in the world?
  It all boils down to whether there is peace in the area. All the time the hon. Gentleman was speaking, something that we used to sing at school was going through my head; I think that it is from Judas Maccabeus by Handel:
  "Oh lovely peace with plenty crowned".
  The only solution to poverty is peace. I urge the Government to do everything that they can to stabilise the area and to encourage India and Pakistan to reach a peaceful settlement.
  1.9 pm
  Mr. Jeremy Corbyn: I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) on securing this debate and on the way that he introduced it. I shall be brief so that the Minister has time to reply. I declare an interest as I hold a lifetime membership of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which I joined at the age of 16 and, I am proud to say, of which I am still a member. Indeed, I am a member of its national council. I passionately believe that the world would be a better and safer place if there were no nuclear weapons, and that we should set an example by not having any ourselves.
  Next Thursday, 6 August, will be Hiroshima day; three days later it will be Nagasaki day. They are the only times that atomic bombs have been used in war—in
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  anger—against people. People are still dying from cancers caused by the fallout from very small explosive powers compared with those that are available to this country, the United States, France, China, Russia and, now, India and Pakistan. The work of the peace movements around the world has at least focused attention on the possibility of getting rid of nuclear weapons.
  In all the recent discussion and debate on the Pakistan and Indian nuclear tests, which I deplore, many people in Pakistan and India have felt that it is a bit rich to get lectures from Europe, the United States, Russia and China on why they should not be undertaking nuclear testing, when, for example, this country has just rapidly expanded our nuclear capability with the introduction of the Trident nuclear missile system. The 200 warheads have far more destructive power than was previously available under the Polaris system. Although I support what the Government have done in trying to persuade both India and Pakistan of the error of their ways, we would make far better progress if we were seen to be getting rid of our nuclear weapons.
  The background to India and Pakistan's promotion of a nuclear capability and the vast arms race is, in part, a hangover from the cold war. The Soviet Union supported and heavily armed India, while the United States supported Pakistan; now, China is helping to develop nuclear missiles in Pakistan, while Russia—and many other countries—continues to try to sell nuclear material and technology to both countries. The bloodthirsty arms trade around the world is more interested in the profits that can be made from selling arms to both those countries than in dealing with the desperate and terrible poverty of people in India and Pakistan.
  The running sore of the inability of the United Nations, since 1948, to deal with the issue of Kashmir provides the pretext in which the military establishments of both countries can put enormous pressure on their own Governments, who can then use the populist argument of the need to be fully armed in order to protect, invade, liberate—or whatever other word one cares to use—in order to resolve the issue of Kashmir. I am aware that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did his best to promote talks on the issue of Kashmir. I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will be able to give us some further news on that. Promoting a greater UN involvement in Kashmir, or any other form of mediation, must be the way forward.
  Although I appreciate what my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead said about the fact that both Prime Ministers met at the SARC summit in Colombo a few days ago—it is good news that at least they met—unfortunately, no agreement was reached at the end of that meeting and both sides are still committed to building a nuclear capability. India has tested five nuclear devices while Pakistan has tested six. India appears to have the capability to build a modern day thermonuclear device, while Pakistan appears to be developing a uranium-based atomic bomb. The capability is enormous. India appears to have stocks of highly enriched uranium and about 300 to 400 kg of reactor grade plutonium. Official sources estimate that by the year 2000, India's stockpile of weapons grade plutonium could rise to 450 kg. Pakistan has slightly less such material, but it has sufficient to manufacture a significant number of atomic bombs. Perhaps more importantly, Pakistan now has a missile system capable of delivering those bombs to another country, making the situation more dangerous.

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  West Germany, France, Britain, Canada, China, Belgium, Libya, Holland and Switzerland have all supplied various parts of nuclear technology to Pakistan. The United States, France, Britain, West Germany, Canada, Russia and China have all supplied significant amounts of high-technology material to India, so that it would be able to develop its nuclear capability.
  We have to look for a way forward. The gut reaction was that sanctions should be applied against India and Pakistan for undertaking nuclear tests. I should welcome anything that will stop further tests, and promote the peace process in both countries and the eventual removal of all those nuclear weapons. However, as India and Pakistan have such desperate poverty, high rates of infant mortality and communicable diseases, low levels of life expectancy and a lack of basic necessities—such as clean drinking water, never mind basic food and education—I am concerned that many of the proposed sanctions would not hurt the military, the hierarchy or those who are promoting the arms race between the two countries, but would punish the very poorest people, in some of the poorest states on earth. I am therefore concerned that nothing would be gained by imposing sanctions.
  Sanctions would probably enhance the popularity of the Bharatiya Janata party, which promoted demonstrations in support of nuclear tests. We should therefore be extremely cautious about using a sanctions process that would hurt the poorest people in India.
  I hope that we will hear in the reply to the debate what the British Government have been doing to try to deal with the Kashmir issue, which is the biggest running sore between India and Pakistan, and to promote universal adherence to both the nuclear test ban treaty and the non-proliferation treaty. Adherence is the kernel of the issue.
  Above all, we have to work towards creating a world in which the United Nations' authority is enhanced, and its ability to sort out countries' basic disputes and to promote a long-term disarmament process is increased. Nothing could be more obscene than a well-stocked and well-equipped military in a country filled with desperate poverty and people who are unable to gain a basic subsistence. Another obscenity is populist politicians saying, "We have to defend ourselves against the enemy across the border", thereby enhancing still further the military's role at the expense of the very poorest people in those countries.
  We live a world that is deeply divided between north and south. Unless Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States do far more to reduce their own nuclear capability—I should prefer that we got rid of it in its entirety—lectures from us to poor countries about why they should not have nuclear weapons will fall on deaf ears. The likelihood of other states around the world openly developing a nuclear weapons capability will be enhanced if they do not know where nuclear weapons are currently targeted or at whom missiles are currently aimed.
  As we come towards the end of the 20th century—in which so many millions have died in so many wars, many of which were entirely and utterly useless; and in which the arms trade is burgeoning as never before—perhaps we
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  should stop for a moment and do our very best to disarm ourselves as a way of encouraging a disarmament process around the world. The alternative is unthinkable. The alternative is some mad colonel or general pressing the button that will start the thermonuclear war that we all grew up dreading during the dark days of the cold war.
  1.19 pm
  Mr. Gordon Prentice: I had no intention of joining in this debate, but I was prompted to rise to my feet by the common sense that we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen).
  I recall that on the day Pakistan exploded its nuclear devices, I was speaking about Kashmir at a community centre in Brierfield in my constituency. I walked through the swing doors to find a party atmosphere, almost a celebration. People whose views I respect—members of the Asian community whom I know well—told me that it was a triumph that Pakistan had exploded those devices. I found that dispiriting and depressing, and said so in my speech. I said that it was madness to take that route, but I was told that nuclear weapons would help stability in the region. That is absolute nonsense. If nuclear weapons increase stability, why do we not give them to Turkey and Greece, to Iran and Iraq? Let us spray them around the entire middle east and then see long we survive on planet earth.
  We need India and Pakistan to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and the test ban treaty, and we in Britain need to wind down the nuclear arms race. We read in the newspapers today that the old Polaris fleet targeted 58 cities in the old Soviet Union, but no one knows what the Trident missiles are targeting—obviously, we are not going to hear that from the Minister.
  The payload carried by Trident is being reduced. It was announced as part of the comprehensive spending review that we would save £100 million. I wrote to the Minister of State about that to say what a missed opportunity it was. Instead of making the announcement as part of the comprehensive spending review, why did we not say that we were never going to use our nuclear weapons, that they cost us an arm and a leg and that we would disarm progressively? That could have been our contribution, but we did not do it.
  My hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead, being the optimist that he is, said—I am paraphrasing—that he saw no prospect of an early nuclear conflict in south Asia. I do not know about that. The experts who pronounce on these matters tell us that it is possible for one or other of the countries to win a first-strike nuclear war. There are no hardened concrete silos containing missiles 50 ft underground there. Neither India nor Pakistan has the equivalent of the Trident fleet—they do not have their deadly nuclear weapons 300 ft under the Indian ocean. The experts say that there is a trip wire and that the mad people in India and Pakistan who think that it is conceivable that one can win a nuclear war might press the button. Is not that impossible? Are not the politicians and army leaders there too rational? Judged by the standards in the United Kingdom, are they not too rational?
  I remember Pakistan's Foreign Minister appearing on "Newsnight" after India had detonated the nuclear devices. He made an incredible speech that was almost a

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  come-on to India. He said that Pakistan's population of 120 million was dispersed in villages across a very wide area and could absorb a nuclear strike from India. I repeat that it was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan who was speaking in such a juvenile, infantile way. I have many constituents of Kashmiri or Pakistani origin and I find it appalling that people are prepared to embrace those sentiments.
  My hon. Friends the Members for Leyton and Wanstead and for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) described Kashmir as a festering sore. Since 1947, there have been three wars between India and Pakistan, but we still have not got to grips with the problem of Kashmir. Pakistan wants to internationalise the issue and bring in other countries to help broker an agreement, while India resolutely maintains that it is an internal matter, that Kashmir is an integral part of the Indian state and it will not brook any interference from outside.
  I stand here in the House of Commons and I wish that I had an answer, but I do not. The problem has to be mediated in some way, through the United Nations or, as I say for the umpteenth time, by Britain as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a lead member of the European Union. Although we are a small country, we still have huge influence overseas. I shall be interested to hear what my hon. Friend the Minister has to say about that.
  I should like to see a nuclear-free world. There were five declared nuclear weapon states and there are now seven. God knows how many more could develop nuclear weapons at the drop of a hat—such as Brazil, Argentina and Israel—so the whole world is very unstable. If countries choose to become nuclear weapon states, there must be consequences. We cannot learn to live with the bomb. What I found so dispiriting after the explosions in India and Pakistan is the fact that we have all got used to the idea that there are no longer five but seven nuclear states. People think that it is no big deal, that it is all happening halfway round the globe and does not affect us. People are not as agitated, upset and angry about it as they should be. We are learning to live with it and we should not. We have to say to the people of India and Pakistan that there are consequences.
  The hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) spoke about the deep poverty in that part of the world. It is a disgrace that 70 per cent. of the 120 million people in Pakistan are illiterate, yet 50 per cent. of the budget is spent on the military and on servicing debt. That is an absolute disgrace. There are comparable figures for India. I do not carry them about in my head, but the point has been made.
  Finally, Britain can have an influence as an honest broker. Our history is tied up with India and Pakistan. People in my constituency say that Britain must act because we were responsible for what happened in Kashmir. My response is that we do have a responsibility, but it happened 50 years ago and the present generation in Britain cannot for ever be held responsible for decisions that were taken by politicians half a century ago. It requires good will on all sides and I very much hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will be able to respond positively to the points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead in his excellent speech.
  1.28 pm
  Mr. John McDonnell: I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) for raising today's Adjournment debate. Let me say to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) that the issue of consequences arose not with regard to the recent proliferation, but in respect of the seventh nuclear state, the state of Israel. We are in our current situation because we imposed no consequences on Israel for introducing nuclear weapons.
  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead for two reasons. First, there are voices that have not been heard in the debate. He referred to the support of people in Pakistan and India for the development of nuclear devices by their countries. We have seen that in the media, but the voices that challenged that development went unheard, including those of many of our constituents, particularly those from Punjab. Many of those born in Punjab, deriving from there or with families still there, believe that the development of nuclear weapons by India and Pakistan could result in Punjab becoming a nuclear battle ground. They urge us to impress on India and Pakistan that not only should the nuclear devices be removed, but that Punjab should be fully demilitarised. Only in that way can they secure the future of their families, the region and, in some instances, their human rights. I urge my hon. Friend the Minister to do all that he can to ensure that the British Government impress on the Indian and Pakistani Governments that the demand comes from the British Punjabis, who have a concern for their original homeland and for their families.
  Secondly, I have listened to Defence Ministers informing the British people that unilaterally abandoning the use of landmines—we all whole-heartedly support the legislation that was given Royal Assent today—would give the British Government a moral authority to impress on other states that the use of landmines was abhorrent and should be denied to those states. The British Government should assume the same moral authority on the issue on which my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead has been campaigning for so long—the unilateral nuclear disarmament of this country.
  As my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) has said, we are accused by the Indian and Pakistani Governments, and by many of our constituents who derive from those areas, of cant and hypocrisy when we call on those Governments not to develop nuclear weapons while we are stockpiling and upgrading them. I support the plea of my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and for the development of new systems of negotiation and representation at the United Nations so that we can start the debate. Now that the British nose has been rubbed into the issue of nuclear disarmament because of the proliferation of nuclear weapons on the Indian subcontinent, we can start the debate on reform at the United Nations and initiate the first steps towards the handing over of nuclear weapons to a central authority and eventually to the scrapping of all such weapons.
  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead for introducing the debate. He has given us an opportunity to voice opinions that have not been heard so far.
  1.32 pm
  The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Tony Lloyd): I join other hon. Members in congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) on raising such an important matter in the last debate in the House before the summer recess. Hon. Members have referred to next week's anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Like many hon. Members, I have been to that city. Anyone who has seen the peace memorial in the middle of Hiroshima graphically understands the destruction caused by nuclear weapons there and the threat of small-scale and larger-scale nuclear annihilation. None of us can be sanguine about the existence of nuclear weapons. The Government seek the global elimination of nuclear weapons.
  In that context, I should point out that India and Pakistan are tied to this country through history, culture, common populations and genuine friendship. Like many other hon. Members, I have constituents whose origins lie in India and Pakistan. The ties are indissoluble; they will be with us not just for years but generations to come. We therefore have an interest in these matters not simply as members of the same planet but as people who are much more intimately tied. Any remarks that we make are in the context not of hostility but our deep and abiding friendship.
  The issue is important not just to the security of Pakistan, India and their immediate neighbours but to the future prospects for global non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, which concerns us all. International reaction to the nuclear tests in India and Pakistan has been almost uniformly negative. Outside the sub-continent itself, it is hard to find anything other than condemnation. The tests caused deep-seated concerns for two reasons. First, they fly in the face of international efforts on non-proliferation and, secondly, they have undoubtedly heightened tension in south Asia.
  Hon. Members on both sides of the House—the Opposition are very ably represented by the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge)—will recall the statements made by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 14 May and 1 June, in which he told the House that we in Britain, with our long and close ties and as friends of both countries, were nevertheless appalled at the risks and costs to the peoples of the sub-continent of a nuclear arms race.
  Hon. Members have asked what the Government have done since. Since the statements, Foreign Ministers of the Group of Eight countries have met in London on 12 June at the invitation of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Government. They were joined by Foreign Ministers and representatives of China, Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine, South Africa and the Philippines. All those countries viewed the tests as a major challenge to international security and were as determined as we were to encourage India and Pakistan to reduce regional tension and adopt non-proliferation measures, and to offer practical assistance wherever possible.
  As a result of the meeting, it was agreed to set up a task force to take matters forward. Its composition demonstrates that the international consensus against nuclear tests goes beyond the five acknowledged nuclear weapons states. That is an important dimension which
  690
  hon. Members should take on board. Apart from G8 countries, task force members include China, Australia, Austria, which currently holds the European Union presidency, and the Philippines, which is the current chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations.
  Particular value is added by the membership of states that have renounced the nuclear option. My hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) said that Brazil and Argentina have a potential nuclear capability. I must firmly state that the role of Brazil and Argentina is significant because they formally renounced, in a mutually binding treaty, nuclear weapons development, and so ridded the continent of Latin American of nuclear weapons for—we hope—ever. I must add that the role of Ukraine, which has also renounced its nuclear weapons, is welcome and important, too. The three countries have valuable experience to offer in resolving regional security issues through political engagement rather than the nuclear option.
  The initial focus of the group is naturally and rightly on non-proliferation, although it is also reviewing the wider security picture in south Asia to reduce tension and build confidence between India and Pakistan. The task force's first meeting produced a clear sense of common purpose among the diverse group of countries.
  On arms control, the task force welcomed, as the House will, the moratoriums on testing announced by both India and Pakistan—but those were welcomed only as a first step to signature of the comprehensive test ban treaty by both countries. Clearly, that is what we must seek. Members agreed that it was a priority to press both countries to sign the treaty immediately and without conditions. There can be no question of amending the treaty, as that would serve as a reward for nuclear proliferation. I am pleased to say that there have been more encouraging signs from both countries that that may be one of the more readily achievable goals.
  My hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead asked about the role of the British high commissioner. He, together with Britain's general diplomatic efforts and the other members of the task force, will be deployed in moving towards that ambition.
  Task force members also agreed to press for a quick start on something important to the British Government—the fissile material cut-off treaty negotiations at the conference on disarmament in Geneva—and to call on India and Pakistan to announce a moratorium on further production of fissile materials in the meantime. Again, we are encouraged by the flexibility and constructive approach that both India and Pakistan are showing, and we hope that that will soon lead to results in Geneva.
  High on the task force's agenda was how to avoid the further highly dangerous increase of tension that deployment of nuclear weapons would bring. The group agreed that India and Pakistan should be pressed not to assemble or deploy nuclear weapons. Clear definitions of what is meant by "non-weaponisation" and non-deployment are urgently needed, in the form of binding and verifiable confidence-building and security-building measures.
  Mr. Corbyn: That is extremely important. Have either of the two countries accepted any form of international inspection of either the development or the potential loading of weapons on to missiles?
  Mr. Lloyd: No; at this moment that is not the case. However, I was about to say that the international

  691
  community stands ready to assist. We want to see binding and verifiable confidence-building and security-building measures. Those would give mutual confidence, and also confidence throughout south Asia.
  My hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) asked about proliferation beyond India and Pakistan. Of course the task force discussed how to prevent further damage to global non-proliferation regimes being caused by exports of nuclear technology and know-how from India or Pakistan.
  Both countries have made welcome statements on their respective export policies, but what is needed now is national legislation, incorporating the policy guidelines and control lists of the two major export control regimes—the missile technology control regime and the nuclear suppliers group. The first of those serves to limit missile technology and the second places limitations on the export of nuclear technology, as well as dual-use technology that could assist in nuclear development. The task force agreed to pursue ways of giving India and Pakistan practical help and advice to assist in achieving that goal.
  Beyond the arms control aspect, there is the new and disturbing dimension to bilateral relations between India and Pakistan and their historic differences. The international community has emphasised the importance of India and Pakistan addressing, as a matter of urgency, the root causes of tension between them, including that raised by many hon. Members—the long-standing issue of Kashmir. We have urged both sides to make a fresh start in their bilateral relations and restore momentum to their dialogue.
  In that context, we welcome the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Colombo on 29 July. That was an important step forward in bilateral relations, and we hope that the follow-up talks now planned between senior officials will lead to early progress on the issues that divide those countries.
  Only through bilateral dialogue will India and Pakistan find durable ways of solving the problem of Kashmir, but Britain has always stressed strongly the fact that, although we do not and cannot seek to internationalise the problem, we and the rest of the international community stand ready to help to look for practical solutions to the problems in Kashmir, if that would be helpful to India and Pakistan.
  Kashmir inevitably remains a source of tension between India and Pakistan, and a solution must be found through the dialogue route that hon. Members have requested. To endure, any solution that is acceptable to both sides must take account of the wishes of those who live in Kashmir. Many people of Kashmiri origin live in this country and continue to take a strong interest in the future of Kashmir within the Indian subcontinent. Hon. Members have mentioned the need for both sides to behave responsibly, and we appeal to both India and Pakistan to ensure that the rhetoric is about seeking solutions, not creating tensions.
  The regional security dimension of the tests was clearly recognised at the task force meeting. The group agreed to encourage implementation by India and Pakistan of
  692
  existing confidence-building and security-building measures, to which hon. Members have referred. A great many of those measures have been agreed by the two sides over the years, but have not been put into operation. The best way to build confidence and reduce tension would be for India and Pakistan to take the non-proliferation steps urged upon them by the international community and make early progress in their bilateral dialogue.
  Britain is actively seeking nuclear de-escalation, so we now have the authority to demand that others also examine their roles. Specifically, as my hon. Friends have said, the strategic defence review contains several points of real significance. We have reduced the stockpile of available warheads and there is only one Trident submarine on deterrent patrol at any time. It carries 48 warheads, which is half the ceiling announced by the previous Government. It may interest my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle to learn that the missiles will be de-targeted. No cities are targeted, which means that it would be several days before the missiles were ready to fire. That is a genuine confidence-building measure.
  There is no need for Britain to buy more Trident missiles. We have declared missile levels—a declaration that is unique among nuclear weapons states—and our total stocks of fissile materials. We have also declared the limited amounts of material that will be held outside safeguards for defence purposes, and we are transferring into safeguards material that is no longer required for that purpose. Those measures are designed to build a climate and a framework in which transparency is the order of the day. We must make it clear to other nuclear weapons states exactly where Britain stands.
  We also intend to pursue with considerable vigour several specific points. Mention has been made of the fissile material cut-off treaty. We believe that that is the logical next step, and we shall pursue it vigorously both because we want to see India and Pakistan involved in the negotiations in Geneva and because we are prepared to be involved in those negotiations. We want the United States, Russia and China to ratify the comprehensive test ban treaty, and we want India and Pakistan to sign the treaty, which would allow it to come into operation and, significantly, trigger the verification mechanisms that would span the planet. That is a massively important step forward, which is real and achievable.
  We are exploring the possibility of improving security assurances to some non-nuclear weapons states beyond the existing nuclear weapons-free zones. We have already agreed to work on security assurances within the conference on disarmament. The British Government are taking practical measures that we believe will enhance the climate of confidence and make the world a safer place. In that light, we are in a position to condemn the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan. However, we urge our friends in those countries to step back from the nuclear threshold, even at this late stage, and to join Britain in actively searching for ways of making the world safer, of decelerating the nuclear arms race and of seeking the mechanics of achieving a practical global elimination of nuclear weapons.
  Question put and agreed to.
  Adjourned accordingly at eleven minutes to Two o' clock.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Official Entertainment
  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what sums(a) he and (b) the Lord Chancellor have spent on official entertaining since 1 May 1997. [49877]

  Mr. Hoon
  Since 1 May 1997 I have spent £814.33 on official entertainment. The Lord Chancellor has spent £20,964. This sum includes £10,638.94 for the Lord Chancellor's Breakfast, an annual event hosted by the Lord Chancellor as head of the judiciary and attended last year by 830 people, as well as a number of other events including a dinner for foreign judges to mark the Opening of the Legal Year; and a dinner in honour of the Chief Justice of Hong Kong.

  Power of Attorney
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the obligations to maintain accounts and other disclosures required of attorneys who have been granted enduring power of attorney. [53900]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Public Trust office acts as registration authority for Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) under the Enduring Powers of Attorney Act 1985.

  Arrangements for keeping accounts of an Attorney's dealings under an unregistered EPA would be for the Donor and the Attorney to decide, since an Attorney can act under an unregistered EPA only while the Donor maintains his mental capacity, and wishes the Attorney to act for him. When the Attorney believes that the Donor is or is becoming mentally incapable, he has a duty to apply to the Court of Protection to register the EPA. It is presumed therefore that this question refers to registered EPAs.

  The Attorney has a duty under common law to keep accounts of his transactions involving the Donor's money. However, the Act does not require any routine checks on an Attorney's dealings with a Donor's estate. Nor does the Attorney have to prepare accounts in a special form.

  The Law Commission, who first proposed the legislation in their Report of 1983 (Law Com No. 122, The Incapacitated Principal), recognised that to impose requirements to keep accounts would be not only a burden on the Attorney but also an expensive charge on the Donor's estate. The matter is thus left to the Court's discretion.

  Under section 8(2) of the Act the Court may call for accounts to be submitted regularly at the time of registration, if the circumstances of the individual case
  568
  require it. It may also call for accounts to be submitted after registration, if it has reason to inquire into an Attorney's dealings.

  The Attorney has a duty of confidentiality to the Donor and there are no "other disclosures" required of him.

  In 1995 the Law Commission produced a report called Mental Incapacity (Law Com No. 231) as part of their programme of law reform. The Report covers a wide field, including EPAs. It recommends that a new form of Power of Attorney, to be called a "Continuing Power of Attorney", should be introduced, which would enable an Attorney to deal with the Donor's personal and health care matters as well as his financial affairs. A Green Paper, "Who Decides", was issued in December 1997; the consultation period closed at the end of March 1998.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54275]

  Mr. Hoon
  No external publications are published by the Lord Chancellor's Department in these formats. However, a number of in-house publications such as LCD News, Talkback, Direct Brief and the staff magazine, Hearsay, are regularly produced in Braille or large print for visually impaired staff in LCD HQ and the Court Service who require it.

  Within the Court Service, The Charter for Court Users has been available in Braille and audio cassette since its publication in 1995. An audio cassette which describes the work of the Court Service is due for publication later in 1998. This represents a small part of the total number of publications, an accurate figure for which is not available.

  Immigration
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date the IAA received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the papers relating to immigration appeal No. GV100/46408/AP; and if he will make a statement. [54280]

  Mr. Hoon
  The IAA received the papers on 14 April 1998 and are currently awaiting instruction from the appellant's solicitors on whether an oral hearing is required.

  Mr. Hoon
  I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
  569
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 297, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54015]

  Mr. Hoon
  My Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport", that all headquarters and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  Since my previous reply, new arrangements for our Departmental car fleet have been finalised: the cars will be diesel powered, and the use of low sulphur diesel is being promoted to users.

  Public Trust Office
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints have been received by the Public Trust Office in each of the last three years. [53899]

  Mr. Hoon
  Complaints are received and reported to year ending 31 March. The table gives figures for complaints received year ending 31 March.

  Minister

  Venue

  Purpose of visit

  Accompanied by

  Reason for inclusion

  Cost to public funds of those accompanying (£)

  Lord Chancellor

  Trinidad and Tobago 4 January 1998–10 January 1998

  Attendance at the Commonwealth Speakers Conference

  Lady Irvine Jenny Rowe (Private Secretary)

  It is customary for spouses to accompany minister's to these conferences and they are specifically invited by the organisers. To provide practical and policy advice

  5,332.00 (Lady Irvine's costs were met from House of Lords funds)

  Parliamentary Secretary

  Brussels 2 February 1998

  Address to the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, as part of the EU Presidency

  Jonathan Freeman (Private Secretary) Edwin Kilby (International Branch Policy Officer)

  To provide practical and policy advice

  538.00

  Lord Chancellor

  Paris 26 February 1998–1 March 1998

  Speech to the Cour de Cassation and meetings with senior judiciary and members of the government

  Lady Irvine Sir Thomas Legg (Permanent Secretary) and Lady Legg Jenny Rowe

  To provide practical and policy advice

  478.00 (Lady Irvine's and Lady Legg's costs were not paid out of public funds)

  Parliamentary Secretary

  Brussels 24 Apr 98

  Speech to the CCBE (European Lawyers' organisation), as part of the EU Presidency

  Jonathan Freeman (Private Secretary) Edwin Kilby (International Branch Policy Officer

  To provide practical and policy advice

  692.10

  Lord Chancellor

  Luxembourg 29 April 1998

  Visit to the European Courts of Justice

  Jenny Rowe (Private Secretary)

  To provide practical and policy advice

  435.90

  Parliamentary Secretary

  Lisbon and Madrid 5 May 1998–7 May 1998

  Meeting with Portuguese and Spanish Ministers of Justice as part of the UK's EU Presidency

  Jonathan Freeman (Private Secretary) Edwin Kilby (International Branch Policy Officer)

  To provide practical and policy advice

  1,502.74

  Lord Chancellor

  Washington D.C. 9 May 1998–12 May 1998

  To deliver US Supreme Court Heritage Society Lecture, the Oxford and Cambridge Society speech and to hold meetings with senior members of the judiciary and the government

  Lady Irvine Jenny Rowe (Private Secretary)

  To provide practical and policy advice

  2,666.00 (Lady Irvine's costs were not paid out of public funds)

  570

  Year ending 31 March

  Number of complaint received by the Public Trust Office

  Number of complaints received by Lord Chancellor's Department in respect of operation of the Public Trust Office

  1996

  331

  21

  19971

  443

  33

  19981

  512

  20

  1 In order to analyse customer satisfaction in greater depth, complaints to SEO Managers were monitored form 1 July 1996. The figures from 1997 onwards include complaints to SEO Managers

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list those who have accompanied (i) him and (ii) his departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved, (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53837]

  Mr. Hoon
  Since 1 January the Lord Chancellor and I have undertaken a number of official overseas visits. The details requested about these visits are given in the table.
  571

  Minister

  Venue

  Purpose of visit

  Accompanied by

  Reason for inclusion

  Cost to public funds of those accompanying (£)

  Parliamentary Secretary

  Stockholm and Copenhagen 13 May 1998–14 May 1998

  Meeting with Swedish and Danish Ministers of Justice as part of the UK's EU Presidency

  Jonathan Freeman (Private Secretary) Edwin Kilby (International Branch Policy Officer)

  To provide practical and policy advice

  1,177.96

  Parliamentary Secretary

  Bonn and Vienna 24 June 1998–26 June 1998

  Meeting with German and Austrian Ministers of Justice as part of the UK's EU Presidency

  Jonathan Freeman (Private Secretary) Edwin Kilby (International Branch Policy Officer)

  To provide practical and policy advice

  1,344.15

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much his Department spent on IT, itemising(a) personal computers, (b) mainframe, (c) mini-computers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figures are available. [52878]

  £

  Organisation

  PC spend

  Main-frame spend

  Mini-computer spend

  File server spend

  Total spend

  Lord Chancellor's Department HQ and Associated Offices

  80,696

  0

  0

  117,646

  198,342

  Court Service

  518,380

  0

  0

  0

  518,380

  Public Trust Office

  166,737

  0

  14,253

  7,737

  188,727

  Northern Ireland Court Service

  125,000

  0

  0

  173,000

  298,000

  Public Record Office

  215,857

  0

  0

  24,763

  240,620

  HM Land Registry

  4,016,000

  2,136,000

  0

  597,000

  6,749,000

  Total

  4,523,593

  2,136,000

  14,253

  802,500

  7,476,347

  Note:

  Figures include VAT

  Freemasonry
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken to implement the measures outlined in the Government's response to the Third report of the Home Affairs Committee, Session 1996–97, on Freemasonry in the Police and Judiciary; if he will set out his proposed timetable for the remaining measures; and if he will make a statement. [52918]

  Mr. Hoon
  All new appointees to the judiciary, including the magistracy, are now asked, as a condition of appointment, to state, for the purpose of a public register, whether or not they are Freemasons and, if not, to give notice if they subsequently join. Serving members of the judiciary were recently invited, by means of a copy of a letter from the Lord Chancellor to the Lord Chief Justice, to declare their Masonic status voluntarily for the purposes of the public register. Secretaries to Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace have also recently been asked to distribute a questionnaire to serving lay magistrates, inviting them to declare their Masonic status voluntarily for the same purpose. The information is currently being collected and will be made publicly available in due course.
  572
  Mr. Hoon
  The IT equipment purchased by the Department and other organisations reporting to the Lord Chancellor in the financial year 1997–98 is shown in the table.

  For both the Lord Chancellor's Department Headquarters and the Court Service, future IT services and equipment will be provided under Private Finance Initiative Agreements and charged on a usage basis.

  New Deal
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people his Department is committed to employing during 1998 under(a) the subsidised job option and (b) the unsubsidised job option of the New Deal programme. [52579]

  Mr. Hoon
  12, all under the subsidised job option of the New Deal programme.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Homosexuals
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Attorney-General what is his Department's policy towards the prosecution of men aged between 16 and 18 years for engaging in consenting homosexual acts in private. [53925]

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service, which is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, subject to statutory superintendence by me as a Law Officer of the Crown, reviews and prosecutes all cases in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, issued under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.
  573

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the President of the Council (1) what was the total amount paid in hon. Members' mileage allowances in respect of(a) travel within the constituency and (b) travel between the constituency and Westminster for (i) May 1995 to April 1996, (ii) May 1996 to April 1997 and (iii) May 1997 to April 1998; and what was the total mileage recorded in each case; [54185]

  (2) how many hon. Members submitted claims for more than ten car journeys between constituency and Westminster during (a) May 1995 to April 1996,(b) May 1996 to April 1997 and (c) May 1997 to April 1998; [54186]

  (3) how many hon. Members requested rail warrants for use between constituency and Westminster in (a) May 1995 to April 1996, (b) May 1996 to April 1997 and (c) May 1997 to April 1998; [54188]

  (4) how many hon. Members claimed for in excess of 350 miles driven within the constituency for any week within the last month for which figures are available. [54190]

  Mrs. Beckett
  Records are not maintained in a form that would allow this question to be answered, without a disproportionately lengthy and costly clerical exercise.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the President of the Council how many hon. Members' cars were registered as being within each engine size capacity for which records are held at(a) May 1995, (b) May 1996 and (c) May 1997. [54187]

  Mrs. Beckett
  The records maintained show usage of cars and the following details reflect the position at the dates requested.

  Number

  (a) May 1995

  Up to 1300cc

  15

  1301cc to 2300cc

  176

  2301cc plus

  343

  (b) May 1996

  Up to 1300cc

  15

  1301cc to 2300cc

  164

  2301cc plus

  315

  (c) May 1997

  Up to 1300cc

  8

  1301cc to 2300cc

  80

  2301cc plus

  150

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the President of the Council how many hon. Members have claimed a bicycle allowance since its introduction. [54189]

  Mrs. Beckett
  The number of hon. Members who have claimed the Bicycle Allowance since its introduction is one.
  574

SCOTLAND

  Further and Higher Education
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what regulations cover the teaching of courses in further and higher education colleges by unqualified lecturers. [48348]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 6 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on IT, itemising(a) personal computers, (b) main-frame, (c) minicomputers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figures are available. [52883]

  Mr. Dewar
  The information for my Departments and agencies is detailed. The costs shown are capital purchase costs, including VAT, rounded to the nearest £100,000, for financial year 1997–98.

  Total expenditure on information technology, 1997–98

  Item

  £ million

  (a) Personal computers

  3.5

  (b) Mainframe

  nil

  (c) Mini-computers

  nil

  (d) Servers

  1.4

  Council and Social Housing
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money will be allocated to the renovation and new building of housing in the council and social housing sector over the period of the Comprehensive Spending Review; what proportion of this funding has been set aside for debt commutation; and what will be the criteria for that commutation. [52915]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the vehicles due for replacement by(a) his Department and (b) bodies listed in the National Asset Register in (i) 1998–99, (ii) 1999–2000 and (iii) 2000–01 will be replaced by vehicles using (1) petrol, (2) diesel, (3) natural gas, (4) electric batteries and (5) other. [52619]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much his Department expects to spend in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on vehicle replacements; [54989]
  575
  (2) pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998, Official Report, column 63, concerning departmental vehicles, how many of the vehicles use (a) petrol, (b) diesel and (c) LPG; and how many vehicles fall into each engine cubic capacity group. [54209]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Cycling
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what parking facilities for cycles exist at each office or site for which his Department is responsible and for each agency for which he is responsible. [52684]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Thomas Hamilton
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what powers he has to lift the 100 year closure placed upon the report by Sergeant Hughes of the Central Police into Thomas Hamilton; [53244]

  (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the report by Sergeant Hughes of the Central Police, into Thomas Hamilton, listing the charges to which he recommended consideration for prosecution. [53241]

  Mr. McLeish
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) nurses are and (b) management and administrative staff were employed by the NHS (i) on 1 May 1997 and (ii) at the latest available date. [53221]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: An annual census of staff in post is conducted in September. Data from September 1998 census will not be available until end 1998.

  The information available is shown in the table.

  Staff employed by the NHS in Scotland: selected staff groups1 Headcount and whole time equivalent: at 30 September 1997

  Number

  Whole time equivalent

  Nursing and Midwifery2

  61,954

  51,472.2

  Qualified

  41,414

  35,244.6

  Unqualified

  20,540

  16,227.6

  Management and administrative staff3,4

  21,881

  18,825.1

  1 Excludes staff employed on a casual 'as and when required' basis,for example Bank/Agency nurses

  2 Excludes nurse teachers, nurses in training and students on '1992' courses

  3 The figures include some, but not all, senior managers of professional staff, for example nurses. Some managers of these professional groups remain employed under the terms and conditions of these professions and are not included

  4 Comprises staff on senior management, administrative and clerical (A&C) and protected grades, ambulance officers and control assistants

  Source:

  National Manpower Statistics for payroll ISD Scotland
  576

  Nursing Vacancies
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many NHS nursing vacancies there were on(a) 1 May 1997 and (b) at the latest available date. [53220]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: An annual census of nursing staff vacancies is conducted in March. The census of vacancies at 31 March 1998 is currently underway but not yet complete.

  The information available centrally is shown in the table.

  Nursing staff vacancies1,2 by qualification in the NHS in Scotland Whole Time Equivalent: at 31 March 1997

  Vacancies

  Qualified

  1,223.6

  Unqualified

  422.5

  Total

  1,646.1

  1 The vacancy figures relate to vacant posts at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose

  2 Returns for the following NHS Trusts were not submitted: Fife Healthcare NHS Trust Yorkhill NHS Trust

  Source:

  ISD(M)36

  ISD Scotland

  Structural Funds (Reform)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to ensure that the particular circumstances of Scotland's islands are taken into account in the reform of the structural funds. [53371]

  Mr. Macdonald
  I shall write to the hon. and learned Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53854]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Employees Over 60
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) men and (b) women aged over 60 years were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies on 1 January. [53063]
  577
  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]The number of male and female staff aged 60 years or over in The Scottish Office and its Executive Agencies at

  All permanent staff in the Scottish Office and its executive agencies as at 1 January 1998

  Headcount

  Full-time equivalents

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Scottish Office Core

  14

  2

  16

  13.5

  2.0

  15.5

  Executive Agencies:

  —Scottish Prison Service

  41

  7

  48

  24.0

  3.5

  27.5

  —Other

  2

  1

  3

  2.0

  1.0

  3.0

  The Scottish Office

  57

  10

  67

  39.5

  6.5

  46.0

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) men and (b) women employed by (1) his Department and (2) his Department's agencies have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60 birthday. [53057]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Scottish Tourist Board
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the proposed grant-in aid for the Scottish Tourist Board for each of the next five years. [53458]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Persistent Inquiries
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53942]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those who have accompanied (i) him and (ii) his departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved, (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53849]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 2 April 1998,Official Report, column 611, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [53989]
  578
  1 January 1998 are detailed in the table. Figures are shown separately for the policy core and Executive Agencies of The Scottish Office.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 63, concerning vehicle replacement, what guidance (a) he and (b) his Green Minister have issued concerning the vehicle fleet. [54847]

  Mr. Macdonald
  I shall write to the hon. Members as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Schools (Computers)
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many networked computers are currently in use in schools in Scotland. [54094]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Women's Aid Projects
  Mr. Russell Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for providing additional funding for womens' aid projects across Scotland. [54956]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54270]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Local Enterprise Companies
  Mr. Gorrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Scottish Office policy regarding restrictions on senior officers of local enterprise companies transferring directly to work for companies who might benefit from inside knowledge gained through the person's work for the enterprise company. [54581]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.
  579

  Health Service External (Consultants)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimates he has made of the financial savings to(a) the NHS and (b) Government health agencies as a result of hiring external consultants in each year since 1995. [53464]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimates he has made of the financial savings made by the NHS and Government health agencies as a result of employing external consultants, by year, since 1995. [53755]

  Mr. Dewar
  Estimates of savings from employing external consultants are neither set nor collected centrally. The responsibility for ensuring that such appointments are cost effective rests with individual Trusts and Boards.

  Roads
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the figures for capital expenditure on(a) new build and (b) improvements on (i) motorways and (ii) trunk roads in Scotland for each of the last three years; and what are the projected figures for the next three years. [54183]

  Mr. Macdonald
  I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Local Transport
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the figures for 1995–96 and 1996–97 of local government expenditure in Scotland on local transport under capital and current headings as set out in "Transport Statistics Great Britain 1997". [54180]

  Cancellations of hospital admissions' for in-patient and day case treatment by health board area

  1995

  1996

  1996

  1998

  June

  September

  December

  March

  June

  September

  December

  March

  June4

  September4

  December4

  March4

  Argyll and Clyde

  43

  56

  78

  76

  89

  146

  168

  231

  231

  134

  108

  201

  Ayrshire and Arran

  61

  41

  37

  45

  37

  64

  34

  44

  49

  49

  45

  98

  Borders

  77

  55

  34

  54

  54

  55

  100

  74

  97

  25

  94

  56

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1

  4

  14

  24

  14

  24

  7

  13

  13

  22

  2

  62

  Fife

  120

  131

  183

  220

  216

  216

  145

  303

  151

  238

  218

  270

  Forth Valley

  20

  20

  34

  38

  19

  35

  60

  68

  76

  80

  39

  88

  Grampian

  381

  391

  335

  257

  312

  305

  330

  488

  340

  301

  333

  458

  Greater Glasgow2

  410

  460

  441

  612

  476

  389

  271

  5—

  5—

  5—

  5—

  5—

  Highland

  189

  251

  189

  283

  248

  181

  231

  227

  156

  220

  139

  172

  Lanarkshire

  40

  57

  64

  91

  57

  85

  64

  56

  45

  21

  16

  11

  Lothian

  365

  461

  448

  758

  610

  589

  471

  837

  501

  474

  438

  465

  Orkney

  1

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  13

  23

  —

  —

  —

  Shetland

  9

  4

  —

  —

  8

  9

  3

  6

  1

  10

  3

  2

  Tayside

  164

  184

  173

  360

  189

  125

  163

  288

  248

  232

  194

  263

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  3

  2

  1

  2

  3

  4

  2

  —

  —

  2

  Scotland2

  1,881

  2,115

  2,036

  2,820

  2,330

  2,225

  2,050

  2,652

  1,933

  1,806

  1,629

  2,148

  1 Cancellations made by hospital of admission of patients from the waiting list

  2 Scotland figures for quarter ending September 1996 to 31 March 1998, should be treated with caution due to the incompleteness of the Greater Glasgow Health Board area figures (see note 3)

  3 Information is not available for the following hospitals in the Glasgow area; Quarters ending 31 March 1997 to31 March 1998; Canniesburn, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Southern General and Stobhill. Quarters ending 31 December 1996 to 31 March 1998; Victoria Infirmary. Quarters ending 30 September 1996 to 31 March 1998; Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General

  4 Provisional

  5 Not available

  Source:

  ISD Scotland
  580
  Mr. McLeish
  The table lists current and capital expenditure, as reported by local authorities.

  Local government expenditure on transport 1995–96 to 1996–97 Scotland

  £000

  Local transport

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Capital

  174

  102

  Roads

  164

  87

  Car parks

  1—

  1—

  Public transport

  10

  15

  Current

  369

  428

  Roads

  251

  247

  Car Parks

  -8

  -13

  Revenue support to public transport

  82

  150

  Concessionary fares

  44

  44

  1 Data not available

  Capital—Capital Monitoring Return (CPR5) as reported by Local Authorities

  Current—Local Financial Return (LFR) as reported by Local Authorities.

  Cancelled Operations
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library figures(a) by health board and (b) overall, on the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to a hospital, and the numbers of those patients not readmitted within a month, by quarter, for the last three years. [53309]

  Mr. Dewar
  Information on cancellations of hospital admissions at the level of detail requested, is not held centrally. Details of cancellations of planned admissions for in-patient and day case treatment are given in the table. Information on cancellations of hospital planned admissions is published annually in the NHS in Scotland Annual Report, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
  581

  Hospital Maintenance
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by NHS board the hospital maintenance backlog on 1 July. [53294]

  Mr. Dewar
  The information requested is unavailable both in total and by Health Board. However, 81 per cent. of the essential building is considered to be in physical condition A or B which is evidence of the general soundness of the NHS estate.

  Nurses and midwives

  £000

  Health Board

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Argyll and Clyde

  69,888

  73,976

  60,624

  25,621

  1,952

  1,090

  Ayrshire and Arran

  50,042

  41,108

  1,996

  1,140

  862

  351

  Borders

  16,972

  18,625

  18,810

  19,795

  535

  216

  Dumfries and Galloway

  27,744

  30,558

  28,700

  18,377

  702

  315

  Fife

  50,734

  53,720

  51,569

  2,072

  1,137

  732

  Forth Valley

  50,045

  53,481

  34,638

  13,394

  1,189

  457

  Grampian

  87,057

  67,963

  6,870

  4,316

  2,552

  1,726

  Greater Glasgow

  207,025

  216,874

  160,303

  16,580

  4,030

  1,857

  Highland

  38,328

  39,874

  22,893

  1,580

  1,315

  703

  Lanarkshire

  78,836

  81,404

  93,957

  37,506

  1,533

  639

  Lothian

  135,489

  142,748

  115,109

  15,481

  4,305

  2,557

  Orkney

  3,562

  3,902

  4,151

  4,290

  4,318

  4,390

  Shetland

  3,650

  3,927

  4,101

  4,293

  4,222

  4,123

  Tayside

  85,761

  91,120

  65,583

  4,565

  2,335

  1,021

  Western Isles

  5,192

  5,849

  6,445

  6,650

  6,661

  6,604

  Health Board totals

  910,325

  925,129

  675,749

  175,660

  37,648

  26,781

  Note:

  The majority of nurses and midwives transferred to NHS Trusts following their establishment. The salaries and wages of student nurses are not included in the figures for 1995–96 due to the introduction of Project 2000

  Administrative and clerical (including general and senior managers)

  £000

  Health Board

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Argyll and Clyde

  14,178

  15,743

  14,377

  8,945

  4,566

  3,559

  Ayrshire and Arran

  10,118

  9,603

  1,627

  1,750

  2,367

  2,523

  Borders

  2,105

  2,518

  2,801

  4,141

  1,455

  1,325

  Dumfries and Galloway

  4,277

  5,292

  5,608

  4,563

  1,669

  1,494

  Fife

  9,508

  10,462

  11,494

  2,521

  2,694

  2,530

  Forth Valley

  8,381

  9,724

  7,414

  4,585

  2,690

  2,559

  Grampian

  17,061

  14,364

  4,726

  5,180

  4,595

  5,028

  Greater Glasgow

  41,749

  47,473

  37,480

  12,515

  8,938

  7,841

  Highland

  7,263

  8,264

  5,535

  2,968

  2,832

  2,519

  Lanarkshire

  13,350

  14,240

  28,033

  5,760

  3,350

  3,375

  Lothian

  28,451

  32,352

  31,685

  7,388

  7,075

  6,408

  Orkney

  480

  553

  671

  774

  827

  932

  Shetland

  770

  868

  1,012

  1,109

  1,222

  1,351

  Tayside

  17,180

  19,415

  14,716

  6,360

  5,440

  4,746

  Western Isles

  919

  1,107

  1,392

  1,478

  1,511

  1,647

  Health Board totals

  175,718

  191,978

  168,571

  70,037

  51,231

  47,837

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much Scottish Homes invested in housing associations to provide rented housing in (i) rural areas of Scotland excluding the Islands areas and (ii) the Scottish Islands areas, in each year since 1992–93; and what proportion of Scottish Homes' total budget for rented housing for each of those years is represented by those figures; [54224]
  582

  NHS (Salaries)
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount spent on salaries and wages costs for(a) general and senior managers, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff by NHS board for each financial year from 1991–92 to 1997–98. [53297]

  Mr. Dewar
  The information available is listed in the tables. The table for administrative and clerical staff includes the salaries of general and senior managers, the costs of which are not detailed separately in the annual accounts. Figures for 1997–98 are not yet available.

  (2) how much Scottish Homes has invested in housing associations to provide low-cost home ownership in (i) rural areas of Scotland excluding the Scottish Islands areas and (ii) the Scottish Islands areas in each year since 1992–93; and what proportion of Scottish Homes' total low-cost home ownership budget is represented by those figures; [54225]

  (3) how many houses were completed for rent in (i) rural areas of Scotland excluding the Scottish Islands areas and (ii) the Scottish Islands areas using Housing Association

  583
  grants in each year from 1992–93 to 1997–98; and how many units were completed in each of the foregoing years by each housing association; [54226]

  (4) how many houses were completed for shared ownership and improvement for sale by each housing association in (i) rural areas of Scotland excluding the Scottish Islands areas and (ii) the Scottish Islands areas in each year from 1992–93 to 1997–98; [54227]

  (5) how many tenants incentive scheme grants and rural home ownership grants were administered by each housing association in (i) the rural areas of Scotland, excluding the Scottish Islands areas and (ii) the Scottish Islands areas in each year from 1992–93 to 1997–98; [54228]

  (6) what definition of rural has been adopted by Scottish Homes in each year since 1992–93 for the purpose of making investment decisions. [54229]

  Mr. Macdonald
  The information requested is a matter for Scottish Homes. I have asked the Chairman, Mr. John Ward, to write to the hon. and learned Member with the relevant information.

  Cannabis
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in cases reported to the Procurator Fiscal or reported to the Children's Panel, where the principal drugs offence was possession of cannabis, how many persons in Scotland were (i) proceeded against at court and (ii) dealt with other than at court in(a) 1996 and (b) 1997. [54420]

  Mr. McLeish
  I shall write to the hon. and learned Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Unfit Homes
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of homes in Scotland which will be (i) unfit for human habitation, (ii) suffer from dampness or condensation and (iii) have lead piping in (i) 1998–99, (ii) 1999–2000, (iii) 2000–01 and (iv) 2001–02 in each region of Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [54445]

  Mr. Macdonald
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.

  Departmental Equipment
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) computers, (b) printers, (c) fax machines, (d) photocopiers, (e) telephones, (f) telephone answering machines, (g) filing cases, (h) office chairs and (i) office tables were disposed of by his Department in each year since 1995–96 surplus to requirements; how and to whom these items were disposed of; and how much was obtained through sales of such items in each year. [54461]

  Mr. Dewar
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library.
  584

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list for(a) her Department and (b) bodies listed in the National Asset Register, how many vehicles are currently (i) owned and (ii) leased; if he will indicate their (A) fuel types and (B) engine cubic capacities; and how many vehicles are expected to fall due for replacement in each of the years (1) 1998–99, (2) 1999–2000 and (3) 2000–01. [49226]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the vehicles due for replacement by(a) her Department and (b) bodies listed in the National Asset Register in (i) 1998–99, (ii) 1999–2000 and (iii) 2000–01 will be replaced by vehicles using (1) petrol, (2) diesel, (3) natural gas, (4) electric batteries and (5) other. [52613]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 22 April 1998,Official Report, column 645, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes she has made. [53988]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport", that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices should have transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000. We have put in place an action plan for meeting this target and we are in the process of identifying the buildings for which transport plans will be prepared.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much her Department expects to spend in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on vehicle replacements. [54994]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Belfast Agreement
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the legislative provisions that are required to be enacted prior to the entry into force of the 10 April 1998 Agreement between the British and Irish Governments; if she will list the legislative measures required to implement provisions of the Multi-party Agreement; and what is the proposed timetable for consultation and publication of draft legislation. [48468]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 7 July 1998]: The House is today taking the Third Reading of the third and last of the Bills necessary for the implementation of the Belfast Agreement, the Northern Ireland Bill, on which we have had consultations both before and since introduction.

  Some subordinate legislation will be necessary to complete the implementation process and to permit effect to be given to the Agreement between the British and Irish

  585
  Governments. This will include orders to implement any proposals for changes in the structure of the Northern Ireland Departments that may be agreed, and orders to provide the necessary statutory underpinning for the initial implementation bodies envisaged in the Strand Two section of the Belfast Agreement.

  Community Policing
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the level of expertise in community policing held by members of the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland from(a) South Africa, (b) New York and (c) Toronto. [52223]

  Mr. Ingram
  A careful assessment was conducted of the experience and expertise of the members of the Independent Commission on Policing. I am satisfied that they bring together a range of appropriate skills. These include a very high degree of expertise in policing, from both operational and academic perspectives, including community policing.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much her Department spent on IT, itemising(a) personal computers, (b) main-frame, (c) mini-computers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figures are available. [52889]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I shall write to my right hon. Friend as soon as possible.

  Terrorist Incidents
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many petrol bomb and arson attacks there have been over the last 12 months in the Ballymoney area; and which were assessed to be of(a) Loyalist and (b) Republican origin; [52767]

  (2) if he will list the organisations her Department has assessed to be responsible for each terrorist incident in July; [52765]

  (3) how many members of the security forces, including the Royal Irish Regiment, have received threats to their life since July 1997; and from what alleged source. [52766]

  Mr. Ingram
  I shall write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

  Cycling
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the employees of her Department and of the employees of each agency for which she is responsible cycle to work; and what measures she plans to increase that proportion. [52665]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: In the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments it is estimated that between 1–2 per cent. of employees cycle to work. Measures to increase the proportion of employees cycling to work are being considered as part of the development of green transport plans for buildings occupied by the Department and its
  586
  Agencies. The Northern Ireland Office also has provision for an interest free loan for any employee to purchase a bicycle for travel to work purposes.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what parking facilities for cycles exist at each office or site for which her Department is responsible and for each agency for which he is responsible. [52664]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the cost of all research undertaken by her Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by her officials; and if she will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52708]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Devolved Institutions
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of the Prime Minister on 10 July 1998,Official Report, column 641, what institutions are included in the description
  "devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales when established and, if appropriate, elsewhere in the United Kingdom";
  if the description extends to regional chambers and regional assemblies. [53580]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  The institutions include the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. In the absence of elected regional Assemblies in England we have yet to determine the best means of reflecting the views of regional interests in England in the Council.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if she will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies her Department currently is responsible for. [53859]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The information requested is as follows:

  (a) NDPBs disbanded since 1 May 1997:

  1. NI Citizens Charter Advisory Panel

  2. Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

  3. Ulster Museum

  4. North Down and Ards Community HSS Trust

  5. Ulster, North Down and Ards Hospital HSS Trust

  587

  (b) NDPBs which will be disbanded in the next 12 months:

  1. Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights

  2. Health and Safety Agency

  3. Commission for Racial Equality in NI

  4. Fair Employment Commission

  5. Equal Opportunities Commission

  6. NI Disability Council

  7. Independent Commission Police Complaints

  (c) NDPBs which have had their functions transferred to:

  (i) another NDPB—the functions of the North Down and Ards Community HSS Trust and the Ulster, North Down and Ards Hospital HSS Trust were transferred to the Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust with effect from 1 April 1998. Ulster Folk and Transport Museums, and Ulster Museum were transferred to the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland with effect from 1 April 1998;

  (ii) a democratically elected body (naming the relevant successor body): None.

  (d) NDPBs which have been renamed but continuing to perform a similar role: Rathgeal and Whiteabbey Training Schools Management Board will become the Juvenile Justice Board with effect from 1 August 1998.

  (e) Details of all other NDPBs in existence on 1 May 1997 are listed in Public Bodies 1997.

  (f) New NDPBs which have been established since 1 May 1998: The Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust with effect from 1 April 1998 Commission for Racial Equality in Northern Ireland with effect from 29 July 1997 National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland with effect from 1 April 1998.

  (g) The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is currently responsible for 131 Non Departmental Public Bodies.

  Employees Over 60
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) men and (b) women aged over 60 years were employed by (i) her Department and (ii) her Department's agencies on 1 January. [53067]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The information for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments is as follows:

  (a)(i): 104

  (a)(ii): 352

  (b)(i): 63

  (b)(ii): 98.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) men and (b) women employed by (1) her Department and (2) her Department's agencies have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday. [53044]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 30 July 19981: The information for (1) the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Departments and (2) their Agencies is as follows:

  (a) Men

  (b) Women

  (1) Departments

  1,107

  1,811

  (2) Agencies

  4,655

  4,502

  Total

  5,762

  6,313

  588

  Public Registers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she expects to respond to the question from the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead, to which a holding answer was given on 29 June, concerning the public registers for which her Department is responsible. [54021]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 28 July 1998,Official Report, columns 130–31.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of her Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53943]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 19 May 1998,Official Report, column 313.

  NHS Expenditure
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the additional funding for the NHS announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review will be made available to Northern Ireland; and on what basis it has been calculated. [54157]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The Barnett formula provided Northern Ireland with its population share (2.91 per cent.) of changes in comparable spending programmes in Great Britain, including the increases for the NHS. Allocations to individual Northern Ireland spending programmes will be announced later this year.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list those who have accompanied (i) her and (ii) her departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved, (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53848]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of her Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54265]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  Information on the numbers of documents published in alternative formats, such as audio tapes, will normally be held by officials with responsibility for the documents in question. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
  589

  Criminal Appeals
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convictions in cases tried on indictment were referred by the Secretary of State to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal for each year between 1990–91 and 1996–97. [54103]

  Mr. Ingram
  During the period 1 April 1990 and 31 March 1997, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State referred six cases back to the Court of Appeal for Northern Ireland. They were during the years 1991–92; four cases; and 1996–97; two cases.

  Mr. W. J. McGarry
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) when the PBNI informed the RUC Care Unit of the release of Mr. W. J. McGarry from prison; [54133]

  (2) what were the reasons for the delay in the Prison Service notifying the social services of the release of Mr. W. J. McGarry from prison; and what steps are being taken to improve the procedures. [54029]

  Mr. Ingram
  I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

  Housing
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schemes from the Housing Association have received project approval from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the past 12 months; and how many schemes were submitted for approval in that same period. [54660]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose Chief Executive has advised as follows:

  The Northern Ireland Housing Executive issued Scheme Approval for 26 schemes in the 12 month period July 1997 to July 1998.

  The Northern Ireland Housing Executive received 25 applications from Housing Associations for Scheme Approval in the same period.

WALES

  Arms Park Millennium Stadium
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to ensure that delays in the completion of the new Arms Park Millennium Stadium do not result in the loss of the rugby world cup final to Cardiff; what are the links between his Department and the committee overseeing this project; and if he will make a statement. [53578]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Lobbyists
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what meetings he and any of his ministers or advisers 590
  have had with principals of the lobby company, Political Context or its Cardiff-based offshoot, Welsh Context, what were the dates of those meetings; who was present at those meetings; and what were the subjects discussed at those meetings; [54532]

  (2) what contracts (a) his Department and (b) other public bodies in Wales have awarded to the lobby company, Political Context, or its Cardiff-based offshoot, Welsh Context; [54530]

  (3) what contracts (a) his Department and (b) other public bodies in Wales have awarded to the public relations company, Morgan Allan. [54531]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Local Government Modernisation
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his proposals for modernising local government in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [55189]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I have today placed in the Library of the House copies of a White Paper entitled "Local Voices: Modernising Local Government in Wales". The Paper sets out an agenda for bringing Welsh local government back to the people. It places the policy in the context of Wales and the potential for a strong partnership between local government and the National Assembly.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department expects to spend in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on vehicle replacements. [54995]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I will reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 28 July 1998,Official Report, columns 180–81, concerning vehicle replacement, what guidance he has issued concerning the replacement policy for vehicle fleets. [54479]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  My Department currently operates a policy of replacing diesel driven vehicles with those which run on unleaded petrol and which are fitted with 'three way' catalytic converters. This policy is reviewed annually as part of the Department's Green Housekeeping Action Plan which takes account of developments in alternative fuels, having regard also to economic, financial and environmental factors.

  Where practicable, these factors will also be applied to the replacement of the specialist diesel powered highway vehicles.

  Schools (Rate Relief)
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about discretionary rate relief granted by local authorities to their own schools. [55190]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  My Department has advised local authorities that rate relief cannot be granted to Local Education Authority (County) schools under section 47 of
  591
  the Local Government Finance Act 1988. In this respect, local authority schools are treated in the same manner as other types of local authority property. The Government's funding of local authority expenditure has always taken account of the fact that full rates are payable on local authority property.

  Like all other rate income, the rates paid by local authorities are pooled and redistributed. Those authorities who do not pay their full rates bills do so to the disadvantage of others. My Department intends to ensure that the outstanding rates are paid into the national pool for redistribution to all authorities.

  Sea Empress
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to respond to the report on the Sea Empress Environmental Evaluation Committee. [55191]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I have carefully considered the findings of the report and intend publishing the Government's response shortly. I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library.

  Departmental Reviews
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the reviews his Department initiated in the years(a) 1974–75, (b) 1979–80 and (c) 1992–93. [48518]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  [holding answer 6 July 1998]: Present Ministers are not responsible to Parliament for events which took place under a previous Administration and do not normally have access to relevant papers. Information on those reviews which have been published is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 354, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54005]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The White Paper, "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone" (Cm 3950), was published on 20 July. The Welsh Transport Policy Statement, "Transporting Wales into the Future", was published on 24 July.

  My Department has given an undertaking that a Green Transport Plan, covering commuting and travel in the course of work at the Department's main offices will be in place by March 1999.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54264]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
  592

  Blackwood Bypass
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the Blackwood Bypass (Sirhowy Enterprise Way). [54101]

  Mr. Hain
  My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of representations from Caerphilly County Borough Council concerning this scheme.

  NHS Dental Services
  Ms Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are in hand to improve access to NHS dental services in Wales. [54614]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The Welsh Office £3m dental initiative, first launched in September 1995, enabled Welsh Health Authorities to offer unprecedented levels of grant (up to £50,000 in certain areas) to dentists for new or expanding practices, and to NHS Trusts to expand the Community Dental Service. An additional £0.25m for the continuation of the dental initiative was announced on 17 July 1997 as part of the comprehensive primary care initiative "Delivering Care: Meeting Need".

  Sixty-one grants have already been paid but there are still some areas where certain categories of patients may find it difficult to register with an NHS dentist close to home. This can be a particular problem in the more rural parts of Wales.

  Stage 2 of the initiative, launched on 10 July this year, introduces more flexibility into the grant scheme, both in terms of the extent and length of commitment required. It also offers more help to dentists who want to open new part-time or branch practices in certain areas, where this would be the best way of meeting local needs.

  The Government are committed to ensuring that a comprehensive, good quality, NHS dental service is available to all who wish to use it no matter where they live, and the continuation of this Welsh Office initiative demonstrates our determination to tackle any remaining inequity of access to health care.

  Sterile Service Units
  Ms Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he made of the impact on sterile service units within other trusts in Wales of the contract between UHW NHS Trust and SSI. [54957]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The Private Finance Initiative contract between UHW NHS Trust and SSI is justified on the basis of present activity levels. I do not anticipate any impact on sterile services units in other NHS Trusts.

  Ynys Môn Council
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Ynys Môn Council on the financial arrangements relating to the resignation of the Chief Executive. [54179]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  None, and it would not be appropriate for my Department to do so.

  Local Transport
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the figures for 1996–97 of local government
  593
  expenditure in Wales on local transport under capital and current headings as set out in Transport Statistics Great Britain, 1997. [54181]

  Mr. Hain
  The information is given in the table.

  Local government expenditure on transport 1996–97

  £ million

  Local transport

  268

  Capital

  104

  Roads

  99

  Car parks

  5

  Public transport

  1

  Current

  165

  Roads

  148

  Car parks

  -4

  Revenue support to public transport

  11

  Concessionary fares

  9

  NHS Staff Salaries
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount spent on salaries and wages costs for(a) general and senior managers, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff by NHS authority for each financial year from 1991–92 to 1997–98. [53298]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The information is as follows:

  £000

  Financial year

  General and senior managers

  Nurses and midwives

  Administrative and clerical staff

  1991–92

  19,432

  402,501

  79,134

  1992–93

  20,919

  425,736

  96,059

  1993–94

  30,836

  421,737

  110,832

  1994–95

  38,753

  433,661

  110,620

  1995–96

  42,605

  442,604

  118,049

  1996–97

  50,172

  441,996

  112,627

  1997–98

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1 Figures not yet available

  Sources:

  Financial returns of Health Authorities, NHS Trusts, Family Health Services Authorities, The Health Promotion Authority for Wales and the Welsh Health Common Services Authority

  Hospital Maintenance
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by NHS authority the hospital maintenance backlog on 1 July. [53293]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  Since 31 March 1995, statistics for backlog maintenance have been collected and presented on a Trust basis. Figures for July 1998 will not be available until November this year but figures are available for July 1997.

  £

  Trust name

  Backlog maintenance

  Bridgend and district

  5,760

  Cardiff Community Healthcare

  21,943

  Carmarthen and District

  6,895

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  6,095

  Clwydian community Care

  8,375

  Dental Hospital, Heath

  6,607

  594

  £000

  Trust name

  Backlog maintenance

  Derwen

  8,711

  East Glamorgan

  9,955

  Glan Clwyd

  19,786

  Glan Hafren

  28,815

  Glan Y Mor

  22,054

  Gwent Community

  8,016

  Gwynedd Community

  4,344

  Gwynedd Hospitals

  5,188

  Llandough

  21,892

  Llanelli/Dinefwr

  3,280

  Morriston

  6,070

  Nevill Hall and District

  1,390

  North Glamorgan

  23,832

  Pembrokeshire

  8,097

  Powys Healthcare

  5,645

  Rhondda Healthcare

  6,968

  Nevill Hall and District

  1,390

  North Glamorgan

  23,832

  Pembrokeshire

  8,097

  Powys Healthcare

  5,645

  Rhondda Healthcare

  6,968

  Swansea

  2,154

  UHW/Royal Group

  56,689

  Velindre

  480

  Wrexham Maelor

  4,527

  Total

  303,568

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of(a) NHS clerical, administrative and management staff, (b) NHS hospital doctors and general practitioners and (c) NHS nurses and midwives in each year since 1995. [53292]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The information is given in the table:

  Thousands

  Staff in post at 30 September (whole-time equivalent):

  1995

  1996

  1997

  Administration and clerical1

  —

  9.7

  9.7

  Hospital doctors

  3.0

  3.1

  3.2

  Nursing, midwifery and health visiting1

  23.3

  23.5

  23.4

  Staff in post at 1 October (Numbers):

  General Medical Practitioners2

  1,719

  1,736

  1,753

  1 The system used to classify directly employed non-medical NHS staff changed during 1995, moving from groups which were based on payscales to groups which are based on new occupation codes. Data for 1996 onwards are for the new occupation groups and are from NHS personnel systems. Data prior to 1996 are based on numbers from the NHS payroll system; the allocation of these to the new occupation groups have been estimated. As the data shown for administration and clerical are a sub set of the full group, "Administration and estates staff, a reliable figure cannot be given for 1995

  2 Unrestricted principals

  NHS (External Consultants)
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he has made of the financial savings made by the NHS and Government health agencies as a result of employing external consultants, by year, since 1995. [53754]
  595
  Mr. Ron Davies
  Decisions by NHS bodies to employ management consultants, either to identify opportunities for savings or for other purposes, rest with the bodies concerned and information about outcomes of consultancy assignments is not collected centrally.

  Operations (Cancellations)
  Mr. Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library figures (a) by health authority

  Number of patients no re-admitted within one month following a cancelled operation

  Quarter ending

  NHS Trust

  June 1995

  September 1995

  December 1995

  March 1996

  June 1996

  September 1996

  December 1996

  Bridgend and District

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cardiff Community Health Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Carmarthen and District

  —

  —

  7

  6

  20

  10

  13

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  4

  2

  3

  —

  1

  1

  —

  Clwydian Community Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  East Glamorgan

  11

  —

  19

  12

  5

  2

  4

  Glan-Y-Mor

  3

  2

  1

  11

  —

  4

  2

  Glan Clwyd Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Glan Hafren

  —

  —

  —

  3

  6

  3

  2

  Gwent Community Health

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwynedd Community Health

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwynedd Hospitals

  —

  —

  —

  3

  3

  1

  —

  Llandough Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Llanelli Dinefwr

  —

  —

  1

  —

  5

  2

  6

  Morriston Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Nevill Hall and District

  1

  1

  4

  —

  —

  —

  3

  North Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  Pembrokeshire and Derwen

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7

  1

  Powys Health Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rhondda Health Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Swansea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  University Dental Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  University of Wales Healthcare

  46

  25

  12

  21

  3

  3

  12

  Velindre

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Wrexham Maelor Hospital

  —

  —

  3

  20

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  65

  30

  50

  76

  43

  34

  47

  Quarter ending

  NHS Trust

  March 1997

  June 1997

  September 1997

  December 1997

  March 1998

  Bridgend and District

  8

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Cardiff Community Health Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Carmarthen and District

  12

  12

  11

  9

  8

  Ceredigion and Mid Wales

  1

  3

  —

  1

  —

  Clwydian Community Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  East Glamorgan

  194

  —

  —

  —

  4

  Glan-Y-Mor

  10

  5

  —

  1

  —

  Glan Clwyd Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Glan Hafren

  8

  3

  12

  5

  11

  Gwent Community Health

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwynedd Community Health

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gwynedd Hospitals

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Llandough Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Llanelli Dinefwr

  —

  3

  —

  —

  8

  Morriston Hospital

  5

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Nevill Hall and District

  2

  —

  7

  21

  8

  North Glamorgan

  1

  —

  —

  2

  2

  Pembrokeshire and Derwen

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Powys Health Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rhondda Health Care

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Swansea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  University Dental Hospital

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  University of Wales Healthcare

  170

  44

  83

  51

  113

  Velindre

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Wrexham

  —

  —

  12

  4

  18

  Total

  413

  70

  127

  94

  178

  and (b) overall on the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to a hospital, and the numbers of those patients not readmitted within a month, by quarter, for the last three years. [53308]
  Mr. Ron Davies
  Information on the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to a hospital is not collected centrally. Information on the numbers of patients not re-admitted within a month of a cancelled operation is available on a Trust basis only and is given in the table:
  597

  Sustrans Cycle Network
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made on the North Wales section of the Sustrans national cycle network; and if he will make a statement. [53921]

  Mr. Hain
  The North Wales section of the Sustrans national cycle network runs from Bangor to Cheshire and comprises 69 miles, of which nine miles are open and available for cycling on. The remaining 60 miles will be open and available for cycling by the year 2000.

  Farmers' Markets
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to introduce farmers' markets in Wales. [53920]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  Farmers' markets are a useful feature of the agricultural economy, particularly in rural areas. However, decisions about the provision of such markets are a matter for the industry.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have been(a) created and (b) sustained in (i) the Vale of Clwyd constituency and (ii) Denbighshire by (1) foreign inward investment and (2) domestic inward investment in each of the last five years. [53919]

  Mr. Hain
  Inward investment information for the areas of the Vale of Clwyd constituency and Denbighshire Unitary Authority, much of which is non-assisted, is available for the last two financial years only. There were no inward investment projects recorded by the Welsh Development Agency for the Vale of Clwyd in those years. Information on Denbighshire is set out below. For the previous three years, it has only been possible to assemble meaningful information for the former Rhuddlan, Glyndwr and part of Colwyn.

  Year

  Source

  New jobs

  Safeguarded jobs

  1993–94

  UK

  51

  127

  Overseas

  24

  65

  1994–95

  UK

  60

  —

  Overseas

  —

  —

  1995–96

  UK

  23

  21

  Overseas

  —

  —

  1996–97

  UK

  15

  —

  Overseas

  —

  —

  1997–98

  UK

  12

  —

  Overseas

  —

  —

  Target Investment Zone
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if North Denbighshire is included in the target investment zone in Wales. [53918]

  Mr. Hain
  North Denbighshire is included in the North West Wales Prototype Employment Zone.

  Kwik Save, Prestatyn
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action his Department has taken following the redundances at Kwik Save Prestatyn. [53926]
  598
  Mr. Hain
  The Welsh Office and its agencies continue to offer every assistance. I understand that the majority of the 100 or so employees who have already left the company have found new jobs.

  EU Structural Funds
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the total funding available through gaining Objective 1 status for Wales; and how that money will be apportioned to the counties within the Objective 1 Area. [53924]

  Mr. Hain
  We cannot at present predict with any certainty what might be the implications of Structural Fund reform for individual regions within the UK, and in particular the future financial arrangements. All these issues depend on the resolution of the final Regulations for which the Cardiff European Council set a target date of March 1999. My hon. Friend can be assured, however, that I am keeping in very close touch with this issue.

  ENT Treatment
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the size of current waiting lists for ENT treatment in each health authority in Wales. [53923]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  The table shows the position on ear, nose and throat (ENT) waiting lists at 31 May 1998.

  Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) waiting lists, by Health Authority, at 31 May 1998

  Health Authority

  Residents waiting for ENT outpatient appointments

  Residents waiting for ENT inpatient or daycase treatment

  Gwent Health Authority

  2,678

  1,182

  Bro Taf Health Authority

  3,644

  2,021

  Dyfed Powys Health Authority

  2,186

  1,397

  North Wales Health Authority

  2,931

  2,386

  Morgannwg Health Authority

  2,812

  1,217

  All Welsh Health Authorities

  14,251

  8,203

  IVF Treatment
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the current average waiting times for IVF treatment in each health authority in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [53922]

  Mr. Ron Davies
  Information on waiting times for the specialised IVF treatment is not collected centrally.

PRIME MINISTER

  Dounreay
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Prime Minister on what date the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate memorandum, "A Summary of the Dounreay FCA Inspection Findings", was brought to his attention; what assurances he(a) sought and (b) received from the HSE that Dounreay was a suitable destination for the waste from Georgia; what action he took in response to the document; and if he will make a statement. [46785]
  599
  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 23 June 1998]: This was brought to my attention in the usual way at the time of publication.

  I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Minister for Science, Energy and Industry on 23 July 1998, Official Report, columns 641–42.

  Lobbyists
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the business relationships notified to him by Mr. Roger Liddle. [49655]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 9 July 1998]: In accordance with the Civil Service Management Code, on appointment as a Special Adviser to the No. 10 Policy Unit, Mr. Liddle notified the Cabinet Office that he was Managing Director of Prima Europe Ltd. and that he was a shareholder in the company.

  Mr. Liddle has consented to the release of this information.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidance he gives to(a) Cabinet Ministers and (b) other Ministers concerning participation at events organised or facilitated by lobbying companies; and what account this guidance takes of Chatham House rules. [50466]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 14 July 1998]: Ministers participating in any outside event—whether under the Chatham House rule or not—must conduct themselves in accordance with the principles set out in the Ministerial Code.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister in respect of section 9, "Guidance For Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists", whether media contacts are deemed to be lobbyists for the purpose of the guidance. [54481]

  The Prime Minister
  Civil servants are under a duty, set out in the Civil Service Code, not to misuse their official position or information acquired in the course of their official duties to further their private interests or those of others. The practical examples outlined in Section 9 of the guidance focus on dealings with lobbyists but these principles apply to all contacts between civil servants and people outside Government.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister if the guidance issued to civil servants concerning dealings with lobbyists will extend to civil servants working to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. [54437]

  The Prime Minister
  The Guidance is a clarification of the existing rules set out in the Civil Service Code. Its purpose is to set out some practical guidelines to staff who come into contact with groups and people outside Government. The Guidance applies to all civil servants. Its principles will therefore apply to members of the Home Civil Service working in the Scottish Executive and to the Welsh Assembly.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister in drawing up the guidance to civil servants on dealings with lobbyists, to what extent he drew on practice in other member states of the European Union. [54438]

  The Prime Minister
  The Guidance is essentially a clarification of existing rules and principles which have long applied to civil servants in the United Kingdom.600
  However, in drafting the Guidance which sets out practical guidelines for staff who may come into contact with groups and people outside Government, experience and practice overseas was, of course, considered.

  No. 10 Policy Unit
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy regarding the provision of political information or advice by the No. 10 Policy Unit to people outside Parliament who have been invited to appear on television or radio programmes. [50069]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 31 July 1998]: Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Model Contract for Special Advisers sets out the duties and responsibilities of Special Advisers including their briefing role. In doing so, they are required not to misuse their official position or information required in the course of their duties or do anything which might breach Parliamentary privilege or offend against the conventions of Parliament.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings members of his policy unit have had with (i) Tesco plc, (ii) Marks and Spencer plc and (iii) Manpower since 1 February; and on what matters. [54494]

  The Prime Minister
  Ministers, their Special Advisers and other civil servants meet many people in the course of their work. This properly includes meetings with interest groups outside Government. This liaison is intended to help Ministers draw upon outside contributions—from academics, think-tanks, trade and industry associations, private sector organisations, trade unions and others, as well as relevant experience from other countries—during the process of policy analysis and development. But they must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance they must not provide confidential information without authorisation, or allow improper influence on policy. It is not our policy to make information on meetings or their content public.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Prime Minister how much his office spent on IT, itemising(a) personal computers, (b) mainframe, (c) mini-computers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figures are available. [52899]

  The Prime Minister
  The information requested is being collated and I will write to my right hon. Friend in due course.

  Genetically Modified Foods
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister what (i) discussions he has had with and (ii) representations he has received from the President of the United States in respect of genetically modified foods or crops; when, and what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement. [52854]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: Officials are in regular contact with their United States counterparts and this issue was discussed during the recent European Union-United States summit.
  601

  Cycling
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of the employees of his Department and of the employees of each agency for which he is responsible cycle to work; and what measures he plans to increase that proportion. [52806]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 28 July 1998, Official Report, column 221.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Prime Minister what parking facilities for cycles exist at each office or site for which his Department is responsible; and for each agency for which he has responsibility. [52805]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 28 July, Official Report, column 221.

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52711]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 30 July, Official Report, column 502.

  Lord-Lieutenants
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Lord-Lieutenants and their deputies for Greater London indicating the dates when they were appointed, the term each will serve before re-appointment and the dates when each post will next be due for appointment or reappointment. [53682]

  The Prime Minister
  This week I have announced the appointment of Sir Peter Imbert QPM as the new Lord Lieutenant of London to succeed Lord Bramall later in the year.

  As the appointment of Deputy Lord-Lieutenants is made by Lord Lieutenants, I have asked the Clerk to the Lieutenancy to write to my hon. Friend with the information he has requested.

  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will assess the factors which led to an increase in the cost of lord-lieutenants in England over the past 10 years. [53278]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The majority of Lord-Lieutenants receive assistance from their local authority by the voluntary provision of accommodation and staff; and some meet all or most of their day-to-day running costs from their own resources. But contributions from these two sources have
  602
  fallen over the last 10 years and the proportion of total expenditure on Lord-Lieutenants which is met from central Government funds has risen accordingly.

  Life Peerages
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 23 July 1998,Official Report, column 626, if he will invite the Speaker to nominate persons for life peerages. [53203]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: There is no obstacle to the Speaker proposing a candidate for a life peerage.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will issue guidance to Ministers about making public criticisms of their departments' civil servants. [52868]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: Paragraphs 56–61 of the Ministerial Code provide guidance in relation to civil servants.

  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the public criticisms made by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) of civil servants in the Department of Trade and Industry. [52866]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the then President of the Council on 23 July 1998, Official Report, column 1258.

  Social Exclusion Unit
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Prime Minister what topics the Social Exclusion Unit will focus on in its next phase. [55137]

  The Prime Minister
  In its next phase, the Unit will follow up its reports on Truancy and School Exclusion, and Rough Sleeping, and conduct further work arising from its "worst estates" project: the framework for this will be set out in the Unit's first report on the subject, which will be published in September.

  In addition, I have asked the Unit to take on two new topics:
  teenage parents. The Unit should work with other departments, building particularly on the work already undertaken by the Department of Health to develop an integrated strategy to cut rates of teenage parenthood, particularly under-age parenthood, towards the European average, and propose better solutions to combat the risk of social exclusion for vulnerable teenage parents and their children. This work should report to Ministers by December.
  16 to 18 year olds. The Unit should work with other departments to assess how many 16 to 18 year olds are not in education, work or training, analyse the reasons why, and produce proposals to reduce the numbers significantly. This work should report to Ministers by Easter.

  Open Government
  Ms Corston
  To ask the Prime Minister what progress has been made in fulfilling the Government's commitment to more open government; and if he will make a statement. [55221]
  603
  The Prime Minister
  Citizens have the right to more information on what their Government are doing and this is why we have published our proposals for a Freedom of Information Act. A draft Bill is being prepared for public consultation and submission to the Public Services Select Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. In order to co-ordinate the detailed preparation and implementation of Freedom of Information alongside related legislation on data protection and human rights, the Home Office will take on the responsibility for this Bill. These arrangements will deliver our commitment to end unnecessary secrecy in government as part of our programme to modernise the constitution.

  Genetic Engineering
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs Dunwoody), of 28 July 1998,Official Report, columns 132–34, if the Performance and Innovation Unit within the Cabinet Office will consider the delivery of policies in respect of (a) genetic engineering and (b) animal welfare; and if he will make a statement. [54483]

  The Prime Minister
  The first group of projects to be carried out by the Performance and Innovation Unit will be announced in the Autumn.

  Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the previous Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was required to relinquish his Cabinet position; and if he will make a statement. [54572]

  The Prime Minister
  With regard to the composition of my Government, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave in the House to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 29 July 1998,Official Report, column 367.

  Media Contacts
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in respect of contacts between Ministers and the representatives of the media, where such contacts concern other Ministers. [54482]

  The Prime Minister
  Ministers are expected to operate at all times in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

  Ministers (VIP Lounges)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will estimate for each Department and for each Minister(a) the number of occasions on which they used VIP airport lounges and at what cost in the past year and (b) the miles travelled and at what cost in (i) official cars and (ii) trains in the past year. [54127]

  The Prime Minister
  It is not possible to provide such an estimate. Information in the form requested is not held centrally or by Departments.

  Mr. Peter Penfold
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what factors led him to say on 11 May that Mr. Peter Penfold had done a superb job in working closely with President Kabbah. [54261]
  604
  The Prime Minister
  Like my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, I have consistently recognised the contribution made by Mr. Penfold to relations between Britain and Sierra Leone, and to Britain's standing with the people of Sierra Leone. His close relationship with President Kabbah has been an important part of that contribution.

  Cabinet Meetings
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister on what occasions the Cabinet has met since May 1997; and what was the duration of each meeting. [54904]

  The Prime Minister
  Since May 1997 Cabinet has usually met once a week when Parliament is in session; no record is routinely kept of the duration of each Cabinet meeting.

  Government Publications
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Prime Minister what factors underlay the retail cost of(a) the "Government Annual Report" CM 3969 and (b) "In Touch with the People" CM 4014; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the difference. [55138]

  The Prime Minister
  In line with established practice, the price of the Government's Annual Report 97/98 CM 3969 and the Local Government White Paper "In Touch with the People" CM 4014 were determined by The Stationery Office after discussion with the relevant Government departments and in line with the HMSO guidelines for Command Papers. The price of documents produced by The Stationery Office varies according to a range of factors including production costs, estimated sales and print run.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Prime Minister on what date he was first consulted concerning the planned involvement of UK Government personnel and military assets in support of Sandline International's involvement in restoring the Government of Sierra Leone. [41832]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 14 May 1998]: The Legg Report makes clear Ministerial knowledge of Sandline's activities.

  Reviews and Task Forces
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the reviews and task forces announced by the Government since 1 May 1997 and in each case the date they reported or the date they are expected to report. [55136]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I have been asked to reply.

  A fully updated list of reviews and task forces notified to this Parliament since 1 May 1997 has been made available in the Library, with details of their report dates. To ensure comprehensive coverage, a trawl has been undertaken across all Departments and the list therefore includes for the first time a number of reviews already announced to the House in the usual way since 1 May 1997.
  605

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Road Noise
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the proposals for noise mitigation measures on existing trunk roads in rural areas in the White Paper, A New Deal for Transport. [52251]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The White Paper states that we are examining the scope for noise mitigation measures on trunk roads built before the current standards of road construction were created. The report on the review of trunk roads in Wales expands on this, explaining that a separate announcement will be made on revised criteria for dealing with requests for noise mitigation in such cases. The White Paper also announces a new policy of considering the use of quieter road surfaces whenever a road needs to be resurfaced.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources are being made available to the Highways Agency for new measures to reduce motorway noise. [54679]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  As indicated in the report A New Deal for Trunk Roads, a separate announcement will be made in due course about the budget to be made available for the Highways Agency to deal with the most serious and pressing cases and the new criteria to be used.

  AWE Aldermaston
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement on the plutonium contamination incident at AWE Aldermaston on 15 December 1997; and if he will place copies of the HSE reports on this incident in the Library; [52173]

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of all HSE reports on incidents and accidents which have occurred at AWE Aldermaston in the last 30 years. [52174]

  Mr. Meacher
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Technetium-99
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to Paragraph 7 of the United Kingdom submission to the OSPAR Convention ministerial meeting in Sintra, on 20 to 24 July, if he has asked British Nuclear Fuels plc for an explanation for the measurement of technetium-99 discovered in lobsters reported to the Government by BNFL in May 1997; [52777]

  Mr. Meacher
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Compliance Cost Assessments
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what cumulative net increase in compliance costs has been estimated in compliance cost assessments published by his Department since 1 May 1997. [52937]
  606
  Mr. Meale
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: Compliance cost assessments are not directly comparable, and do not include savings, so it is not possible to provide a simple figure for the cumulative net increase in compliance costs over the period in question. I have placed in the Library summary information of costs from the compliance cost assessments carried out since July 1997. Information before that date is not held centrally, but I will arrange for it to be placed in the Library as soon as possible.

  Trunk Road Accidents
  Ms Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of recent trends in(a) injuries to residents and (b) damage to their property in respect of residences alongside (i) trunk roads and (ii) the A10 (London); [53250]

  (2) what assessment he has made of recent trends in (a) accidents, (b) injuries and (c) deaths on the A10 due to (i) car and (ii) motorcycle accidents. [53248]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Laurence Haynes to Ms Joan Ryan, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson has asked me to reply to your recent questions about the Assessment of accident trends on the A10.
  The Highways Agency obtains accident records on a regular basis from the London Accident Analysis Unit which is part of the London Research Centre. The Unit performs regular statistical analysis such as ranking of sites and breakdown of accident figures by type of vehicle, severity, road and weather conditions. The Unit also carries out a rolling programme of route studies that make specific recommendations for safety improvements based on the accident record of a route.
  The Agency's network managers are also able to commission specific safety studies on an ad hoc basis if accident figures of our normal oversight of the network show that there might be a safety problem at a specific location. One such study was recently commissioned on the A10 in north London. The study will include work on traffic signal installations and an examination of road geometry, speeding and environmental issues. The results of the study will be available in about three months' time.
  We monitor continuously trends in complaints or claims for damage or injury to persons or properties along side trunk roads, including the A10 in London. We have not detected any significant changes in the numbers of complaints or claims for damage or injuries either nationally or on the A10 in London.

  Ms Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve the protection for residents living alongside trunk roads. [53249]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my hon. right Friend the Minister of Transport setting out our policy on trunk roads, today Official Report, columns 653–560.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what
  607
  occasions Ministers in his Department have had meetings with (a) Friends of the Earth and (b) CPRE in the last six months. [53695]

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with Marks and Spencer plc since 1 February; and on what matters; [54396]

  (2) how many meetings ministers have had with Tesco plc since 1 February; and on what matters; [54429]

  (3) how many meetings ministers have had with BAA since 1 February; and on what matters. [54430]

  Mr. Meale
  Ministers, their Special Advisers and other civil servants meet many people in the course of their work. This properly includes meetings with interest groups outside Government. This liaison is intended to help Ministers draw upon outside contributions—from academics, think-tanks, trade and industry associations, private sector organisations, trade unions and others, as well as relevant experience from other countries—during the process of policy analysis and development. But they must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance they must not provide confidential information without authorisation, or allow improper influence on policy. It is not our policy to make information on meetings or their content public.

  Housing Co-operatives
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of the housing corporation grant has been allocated to the housing cooperatives in each of the last five years; what plans he has to increase expenditure on housing cooperatives; and if he will make a statement. [53336]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The proportion of Housing Corporation grant allocated to housing co-operatives in the last five years is set out in the table.

  The Housing Corporation is currently reviewing its housing co-operative policy with the intention of producing a consultation document later in the year.

  Funding of co-operatives in England in the last five years

  Year

  Proportion of HC rented programme for co-operatives (%)

  1993–94

  2.6

  1994–95

  1.1

  1995–96

  0.7

  1996–97

  0.7

  1997–98

  0.1

  608

  Local Authority Rents
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the projected level of average local authority rents in(a) England and Wales and (b) Greater London arising from the proposed increases of (i) one per cent. next year and (ii) two per cent. in the following two years; and what estimate he has made of the level of average local authority rents (1) as a proportion of registered social landlord rents and (2) as a proportion of average eligible rents in the private sector. [53574]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The provision for Housing Revenue Account Subsidy announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14 July 1998,Official Report, columns 187–94, allows for a real increase in local authority rents in England of one per cent. in 1999–2000 and of two per cent. in each of the following two years. Actual rent increases may differ from these guideline rent increases used in the calculation of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy.

  We will be consulting individual local authorities on their guideline rent increases for 1999–2000 in the autumn. Local authorities will not have all the information they need to set their rents for 1999–2000 until the beginning of 1999.

  Data on average weekly rents for local authority, registered social landlord and private sector tenants for 1996–97 are set out in the table. The figures are not directly comparable as they take no account of differences in size and quality of accommodation.

  £

  England

  London

  Local authority

  40.17

  53.11

  Registered social landlord1

  46.74

  53.12

  Privately rented

  77

  2—

  1 Rents at 31 March 1997

  2 The Survey of English Housing sample size is not lare enough to produce estimates for London for individual financial years. Combined data for 1995–96 and 1996–97 give an average private sector rent of £111 for London (£for England as a whole).

  Sources:

  Local authority—Housing Subsidy Claim forms; Registered social landlords—Housing Corporation HAR 10/1 return; Privately rented—Survey of English Housing (like all estimates from sample surveys, these figures are subject to sampling variability)

  Regeneration
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the annual expenditure of the current programme of pathway networks in local authorities in Greater London; what are the objectives of the programme; and if he will make a statement; [53568]

  (2) if he will list the criteria for qualification as a locally-driven initiative in future regeneration activity; and if he will make a statement on the role of pathway networks in developing comprehensive local strategies for regeneration and on the relationship between those local partnerships and the RDAs. [53905]
  609
  Mr. Caborn
  The information is as follows:

  New Deal for Regeneration

  Under the new deal for regeneration, locally driven initiatives will be developed by inclusive local partnerships and will:
  enhance the employment prospects, education and skills of local people
  address social exclusion and enhance opportunities for the disadvantaged through community development
  promote sustainable regeneration, improving and protecting the environment and infrastructure
  improve the quality of life of local people and their capacity to participate in regeneration activities
  encourage more effective integration of programmes through partnerships and the involvement of local communities and voluntary groups
  support and promote growth in local economies and businesses Further details of the arrangements for local partnership led initiatives will be included in the Bidding Guidance for the re-shaped Single Regeneration Budget due to be published in the near future.

  Bids will have to show how they fit with other new area-based initiatives and strategies Regeneration partnerships will have to make clear the linkages between housing, regeneration and other initiatives and demonstrate that their local strategies complement the regional strategies that the Regional Development Agencies will develop.

  Pathway Partnerships

  The East London and Lea Valley Objective 2 Programme Monitoring Committee agreed that the programme should be implemented through a range of existing local and regional partnerships. As part of this process Strategic and Pathway Partnerships evolved to implement parts of the programme. There are no formal qualification criteria other than that they should be representative, accessible and that their procedures in relation to the identification of potential projects should be fully transparent. A number of area based and thematic strategic partnerships have been formed as a result of this process, including 14 community led Pathway Partnerships. The Objective 2 Monitoring Committee has recognised the value of these partnerships and has resolved to strengthen their role in future bidding rounds. However, at this stage there have been no discussions concerning the future of these partnerships in relation to the activity of the RDA.

  Pathway Partnerships are based in areas of acute urban deprivation within the East London and Lea Valley Objective 2 area. £952,000 has been made available from ERDF funds and matched by local authorities; a total of £1.7 million of support has been provided to date. The Pathway Partnerships are made up of representatives from the local community, voluntary, public and the private sector. Each Pathway has drawn up a regeneration strategy for the local area and is in the process of identifying projects for support from Priority 4 of the Objective 2 fund which targets community economic development.
  610
  The table shows the name of the Pathway Partnerships, the Borough they are situated in and the amount of grant agreed to date.

  £

  Pathway Partnership

  London Borough

  Total Grant

  Heart of Hackney

  Hackney

  130,500

  Hackney Wick

  Hackney

  49,300

  Hoxton and Shoreditch

  Hackney

  31,900

  Haggerston

  Hackney

  78,300

  Edmonton

  Enfield

  70,000

  Bridging the Gap

  Newham

  100,000

  Tottenham Community

  Haringey

  60,000

  Little Ilford Development Partnership

  Newham

  16,800

  Green Street

  Newham

  83,000

  Canning Town West Ham

  Newham

  66,000

  Stratford

  Newham

  51,450

  Tower Hamlets West

  Tower Hamlets

  78,904

  Tower Hamlets East

  Tower Hamlets

  55,450

  Central Stepney and Locksley

  Tower Hamlets

  80,626

  Total

  952,230

  Home Repairs and Improvements
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will commission research into the use of equity release mechanisms to assist home owners to fund essential repairs and improvements to their dwellings; and if he will make a statement. [53907]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Department currently has no plans to commission research into the use of equity release schemes. However, we have been informing ourselves about the schemes that are currently available. There is interdepartmental interest in the potential of such schemes.

  Waste Incineration Plants
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the criteria used by the Environment Agency when considering an application for an environmental licence to(a) build and (b) extend a waste to energy incineration plant; and if he will make a statement on the role of public consultation in determining such applications. [53908]

  Mr. Meacher
  In considering an application under Integrated Pollution Control to(a) build or (b) extend a waste to energy incineration plant, the Environment Agency are under a duty to assess the best practicable environmental option and ensure that the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost are used to prevent or minimise and render harmless potentially harmful emissions. In particular the Agency will assess the suitability of the design of the plant to meet stringent emission limits, the impact of emissions on the local environment and the ability of the company to operate the plant satisfactorily.

  The IPC system was designed to encourage public involvement in the decision making process. The public are given the opportunity to comment in respect of an authorisation and variation of authorisations involving a substantial change. The Environment Agency must consider any representation it receives when determining the application.
  611
  The Agency has recognised that it should carry out more detailed consultation with respect to certain high profile licence application and is currently piloting an extended consultation process for these cases.

  Owner-occupied Housing
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the current(a) number and (b) estimated value of owner-occupied properties and the total value of mortgages outstanding on those properties. [53909]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The latest available figures on a consistent timing basis for the UK relate to the end of March 1998, and are as follows:

  Number of owner occupied properties: 16.7 million (provisional)

  Estimated value of owner occupied property: £1,340 billion

  Value of mortgages outstanding (at June 1998): £436 billion

  Source:

  DETR estimates and Bank of England.

  Schools (Discretionary Rate Relief)
  Mr. Sawford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about discretionary rate relief granted by local authorities to their own schools. [54625]

  Ms Armstrong
  As my Department has advised local authorities, rate relief cannot be granted to Local Education Authority (County) schools under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. In this respect local authority schools are treated the same as other types of local authority property. The fact that the full rates are payable on local authority property has always been taken into account in the Government's funding of local authority expenditure.

  The rates paid by local authorities, like all other rate income, are pooled and redistributed among all local authorities. Therefore if, some authorities do not pay their full rate bills, they do so to the detriment of all authorities. My Department intends to ensure that the outstanding rates are paid into the national rate pool for redistribution to all authorities.

  Motorway Service Areas
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy on the spacing of motorway service areas; and if he will make a statement. [54626]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Motorway service areas (MSAs) exist to meet a road safety need by giving drivers somewhere to stop and rest. It is nevertheless important to strike a balance between the needs of motorists and the protection of the countryside from unnecessary development.

  Policy on MSAs was last set out by the previous administration in Annexe A to PPG13 and Roads Circular 1/94. In summary, MSAs were to be not more than around thirty miles apart and, to increase competition and choice, could be provided as frequently as about every fifteen miles.
  612
  Some six years after its introduction, there is little evidence of new operators entering the MSA sector. I am, however, concerned that additional MSA provision has been at the expense of other considerations, particularly in areas of planning restraint. We therefore intend to return to a policy based on the provision of MSAs approximately every thirty miles in order to provide drivers with adequate opportunities to stop and rest. Services at closer intervals will not be ruled out completely but we will in future expect to approve them only where there are exceptional need and safety grounds for doing so.

  I am today issuing detailed guidance on this and a number of related MSA matters. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. This new advice will take effect immediately and we will expect developers, planners and others to take account of it when considering proposals for new MSAs. Where it differs from previous statements of policy, the new guidance should be regarded as taking precedence. It will be incorporated in a consolidated circular on MSA policy in due course.

  Soap and Detergent Industry
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his Department's policy on the soap and detergent industry's code of good environmental practice; to what extent this code complies with the proposed standards and initiatives his Department is considering for greater eco-efficiency in the home; and if he will make a statement. [54817]

  Mr. Meale
  The code is a welcome initiative by the soap and detergent industry. It has the potential to make a significant contribution to the Government's Sustainable Development Strategy and is in line with the Government's market transformation approach for consumer products. In particular, the industry's proposal to provide guidance to consumers on the responsible use of laundry detergents and their packaging, and to set quantifiable targets against which progress can be audited independently, provides a positive example for other industry sectors to follow.

  In order to meet the Government's wider aims for reducing energy consumption and other environmental impacts, the industry will need to demonstrate that the targets it has set for itself are being achieved. My Department is currently in discussion with the Soap and Detergent Industry Association on this point, and on how we can work together to integrate this initiative within our wider environment strategies.

  Housing (Expenditure)
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the gross public expenditure in 1997 prices on capital investment in housing in England and Wales for each financial year from 1968 to 1997; and what were the levels of expenditure in 1997 prices for(a) local authority new build and acquisitions, (b) renovation of local authority housing stock, (c) private sector renovation, (d) housing association new build, (e) housing association rehabilitation, (f) low cost home ownership and (g) other in each of these years; and what are the projections for expenditure under each of these headings for each year between 1997–98 and 2001–02. [54541]
  613
  Mr. Raynsford
  I will write to my hon. Friend with the available data shortly.

  Non-Departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53864]

  Mr. Meale
  The information is as follows:

  (a) 12 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by this Department have been wound-up since 1 may 1997; 9 Urban Development Corporations—Birmingham Heartlands, Black Country, London Docklands, Merseyside, Plymouth, Sheffield, Trafford Park, Teesside and Tyne & Wear—which were executive NDPBs, and 3 advisory bodies—the Assessment Panel for Construction Research, the Advisory Committee on Plant and Machinery and the Local Government Staff Commission (England).

  (b) North Hull Housing Action Trust, an executive NDPB, is due to be wound-up early in 1999.

  (c) No bodies have had their functions transferred to either (i) another NDPB or (ii) a democratically elected body.

  (d) None have been renamed but continue to perform a similar function.

  (e) Details of other NDPBs in existence on 1 May 1997 sponsored by this Department are listed in "Public Bodies 1997".

  Four advisory NDPBs have been established since 1 May 1997; the Committee on Chemicals and Materials on Construction for use in Public Water Supplies and Swimming Pools, the Expert Group on Airborne Particles, the Expert Group on Cryptosporidium in Water Supplies, and the Expert Panel on Sustainable Development Education. Docklands Light Railway was reclassified as an executive NDPB, to enable it to receive grant-in-aid from the Department, on 1 April 1998 following the wind-up of London Docklands Development Corporation.

  This Department currently sponsors 50 NDPBs—28 executive and 22 advisory bodies.

  The Government are committed to keeping the number of NDPBs to a minimum and to ensuring that those which remain are open, accountable and effective. Many of the new NDPBs established since 1 May 1997 will be essential in helping the Government to deliver their Manifesto commitments.

  Birmingham Northern Relief Road
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 13 July 1998,Official Report, column 15, what is the current projection of traffic flows on the M42 and M6 if the Birmingham Northern Relief Road is built. [53730]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.
  614
  Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Brian Jenkins, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Birmingham Northern Relief Road.
  The current traffic forecasts are those prepared during the BNRR Public Inquiries and a table showing these is attached. The forecasts are for the design year 2011, and they assumed that the Western Orbital Route would not be built. Traffic forecasts are currently being updated and I shall let you know details when they are available.

  Birmingham Northern Relief Road Year 2011 indicative annual average daily traffic two-way modelled/lows; with the BNRR scheme, but excluding the western orbital route

  Total

  M42

  J 7A–8

  148,000

  J 8–9

  179,200

  M6

  J 4–4A

  100,900

  J 4A–5

  151,200

  J 5–6

  141,600

  J 6–7

  147,300

  J 8E–8W

  83,900

  J 8W–9

  165,300

  J 9–10

  155,300

  J 10–10A

  143,800

  J 10A–11

  97,900

  J 11–11A

  91,400

  J 11A–12

  142,400

  J 12–13

  162,900

  Dr. Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the contract between MEL and the contractor for BNRR is in the possession of his Department; and if the Government would(a) be liable in respect of categories of damages and (b) be liable for penalties to the contractor if the Government had not decided to proceed with BNRR. [53075]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Department has a copy of the construction contact let by MEL in 1992, although I understand MEL will be reviewing it in the light of decisions over the last six years. The Government have no direct liabilities to MEL's contractors.

  Dr. Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make public(a) part or (b) all of the concession agreement for the Birmingham Northern Relief Road under the Environmental Information Regulations 1992 in the event of the High Court ruling that he has a discretion. [53077]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I am considering the Judgment given on 29 July by the High Court.

  Dr. Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what categories of damage the Government would have been liable if they had decided not to proceed with the Birmingham Northern Relief Road; and what estimate was made of the size of the possible damages in such categories. [53078]
  615
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  As Section 1(4) of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 requires, the Birmingham Northern Relief Road Concession Agreement makes provision in certain circumstances for compensation payments to the Concessionaire in respect of costs incurred by him. The details are, however, confidential.

  Poplar II HARCA Ballot
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will ensure the votes of the eight separate estates being balloted for the Poplar II HARCA will be counted separately. [53972]

  Mr. Raynsford
  No. The conduct of the count is a matter for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the results of the Poplar II HARCA ballot will be published estate by estate. [53971]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The publication of the Poplar ballot result is a matter for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he proposes to ensure that the votes of leaseholders are given equal weight to those of tenants in the Poplar II HARCA ballot. [53973]

  Mr. Raynsford
  When deciding whether or not to give consent to a transfer under section 32 of the Housing Act 1985 the Secretary of State has to be satisfied that the majority of secure tenants are not opposed to the proposals. There is no such requirement in relation to leaseholders, although the Secretary of State will take their views into account when making his decision.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Pond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list all UK legislation currently in force regarding the health and safety of children and young people at work. [54075]

  Mr. Meale
  The Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and its relevant statutory provisions apply to persons at work and those affected by work activities in Great Britain including children and young people. In particular, the following legislation applies restrictions to protect the health and safety of children and young people at work:

  The Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920;

  The Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997;

  The Explosives Act 1875 (amended by the Explosives Act 1923);

  The Carriage of Explosives by Road Regulations 1996;

  The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985;

  The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1998;

  The Power Presses Regulations 1965;

  The Woodworking Machines Regulations 1974;

  The Agriculture (Circular Saws) Regulations 1959;

  The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996;

  The Agriculture (Avoidance of Accidents to Children) Regulations 1958;

  The Docks Regulations 1988;

  616

  The Construction (Lifting Operations) Regulations 1961;

  The Mines and Quarries Act 1954;

  The Coal and Other Mines (Sidings) Regulations 1956;

  The Coal and Other Mines (Locomotives) Regulations 1956;

  The Quarries (General) Regulations 1956;

  The Quarries (Ropeways and Vehicles) Regulations 1958;

  The Quarries Vehicles Regulations 1970;

  The Quarries (Explosives) Regulations 1988;

  The Miscellaneous (Mines Explosives) Regulations 1959;

  The Coal and Other Safety Lamp Mines (Explosives) Regulations 1993; and

  The Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing Regulations 1960.

  Additionally, the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937, as amended, control conditions and hours that children can work.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 293, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54016]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My Department has asked its property managers to prepare green transport plans and held a workshop to discuss what is involved. It has issued further internal guidance on green transport plan proposals for 1998–99 and drafted a site survey form for use in preparing a first plan, taking account of the experience with the earlier pilot studies. Good progress is being made. For example, DVLA has persuaded a local bus operator to improve services to its main site in Swansea.

  Driving Penalties
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of replacing the charge of reckless driving with that of dangerous driving in terms of improving the safety of vulnerable road users. [53304]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory, on 1 May 1998, to study the effect of the Road Traffic Act 1991 on prosecutions for dangerous driving.

  The study will examine whether there is sufficiently clear guidance on the law and its purpose, and how this affects the choice of penalty. The study will include a comparison of sentencing trends before and since the 1991 Act and will assess how the changes in the definition of "bad driving" offences have been implemented by police and courts.

  We shall try to gain an understanding of what leads prosecutors and courts to select one offence or one penalty rather than another. We hope that, by examining the whole procedure from charging to sentencing, we shall be able to identify ways of improving practice, so as to deter poor driving more effectively. We expect to complete this study by October 2000.
  617

  Pedestrians
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on trends in (1) numbers of pedestrians and (2) the number of pedestrian deaths over the last 30 years. [53306]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Data on the number of trips made by pedestrians, and the distance they travel, are collected regularly as part of the National Travel Survey. In 1994–96 the distance walked per person per year averaged 200 miles, compared to 244 miles in 1985–86 and 255 miles in 1975–76.

  Trends in pedestrian deaths are available from data on accidents collected by the police and local authorities. Deaths have fallen from 2,964 in 1967 to 973 in 1997. A comprehensive list of research on pedestrian safety over the last 30 years is not available, but a wide range of relevant research has been carried out including a study of pedestrian accident causation, and research on traffic calming and safety measures in urban areas. A study of pedestrian behaviour and exposure to risk has recently been completed.

  The Department is developing a Walking Strategy which will take account of a wide range of information and research findings on pedestrian safety.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into (1) the number or child pedestrian deaths over the last 30 years and (2) how the number of child pedestrian deaths compares with other Western European countries. [53307]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Child pedestrian deaths, aged 0–14, have reduced from 541 a year in 1967 to 133 in 1997. But this still represents an unsatisfactory rate of 1.1 child pedestrian deaths per 100,000 children, higher than the European average of 1.0.

  A summary of recent research on child pedestrians is contained in the booklet my Department produced in June which covers the road safety education of children. A copy of the booklet was placed in the Library.

  We have also commissioned MVA and the Institute of Transport Studies at Leeds University to undertake an international study of children's exposure to accidents, and of previous child pedestrian accidents. The study aims to identify the reasons for differences in child pedestrian accident rates between countries and hence identify ways of, and policies for, reducing the child pedestrian accident risk.

  Radioactive Emissions
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the limits on radioactive emissions over a quarter of a mile from(a) coal-fired power stations and (b) nuclear power stations. [53313]

  Mr. Meacher
  Discharges of radioactivity to the environment must be authorised by the Environment Agency under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The guiding principle in authorising discharges from a particular site is the need to restrict the radiation doses that might be received by the most exposed members of the 618
  public, or "critical group", since adequate protection of this group will ensure that others are also protected. Exposure may result from a number of pathways, for example, through inhalation of airborne activity, through drinking water, or through uptake by animals and transfer to foodstuffs. For the purposes of discharge authorisations, the UK has since 1986 applied a limit of 1 millisievert per year (mSv/y) to members of the public from all man-made sources of radioactivity other than medical exposure and furthermore requires that such doses are
  'as low as reasonably achievable'.

  Coal-fired power stations are exempt from regulation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 because levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in the fuel and waste products are below the levels specified in that Act.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the safe disposal of radioactive flyash discharged by coal-fired power stations. [53312]

  Mr. Meale
  Coal-fired power stations are exempt from regulation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 because levels of naturally occurring radioactivity in the fuel and waste products are below the levels specified in that Act and indeed can be lower than those found in natural deposits. Flyash from such power stations which is disposed of as a waste is therefore managed in the following ways:

  (i) Some ash is stored on site at the power stations, pending processing such as grading. This activity is controlled by the Environment Agency under an IPC authorisation.

  (ii) The majority of the flyash is landfilled, under local authority planning and Environment Agency waste management regulatory controls. The material is regarded as virtually inert. Waste management licensing requirements ensure the protection of human health and the environment.

  A significant amount of ash is also used in the construction industry. It is a by-product in this context and as such falls outside waste disposal controls. The best known application is in light-weight concrete blocks used to form internal walls of houses and other buildings. It is a useful civil engineering material and an increasing range of uses are being found.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what arrangements his Department has made for public consultation concerning the proposal for a temporary increase in radioactive emissions from AWE, Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement. [54958]

  Mr. Meale
  I understand that in respect of the applications made by Hunting-BRAE Ltd. and AWE plc to dispose of radioactive wastes from the Atomic Weapons Establishments at Aldermaston and Burghfield the Environment Agency is preparing to consult with public bodies, local authorities and members of the public before making any decision. The Agency has placed copies of the applications on its public register at its regional office in Reading and the public register of the local authority, West Berkshire Council, in Newbury. These are available for inspection during normal office hours. The Agency has held two public meetings, one at Reading and one at Newbury, to explain the consultation process, and it will publish a consultative document later this year.
  619

  HFCs
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates he has made of likely levels of HFC emissions in 2010. [53321]

  Mr. Meacher
  Based on research funded by my Department, the Government estimate that UK emissions of HFCs will be just over 3 thousand tonnes in 2010.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) whether the consultation paper on ways to reach the United Kingdom targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions will include a commitment to phase out HFCs; [53320]

  (2) what proportion of the commitment to reduce greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. would be advised by the phasing out of HFCs. [53322]

  Mr. Meacher
  We intend to issue shortly a consultation paper on policy options for delivering our climate change targets. This will cover the options for reducing all greenhouse gas emissions, including HFCs. HFCs are necessary replacements for ozone depleting substances in some applications, and enable us to meet our commitments under the Montreal Protocol. Following consultation we will develop a balanced climate change programme which will focus on cost effective options for reducing emissions across all six greenhouse gases.

  Road Traffic Law
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the road traffic law to protect vulnerable road users. [53305]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  There are no plans to do so at present. The aim of the road traffic law is to provide protection for all road users. It contains general rules and regulation making powers which govern correct behaviour and so has safety benefits for all road users.

  Greenhouse Gases
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to conclude the consultation process on ways to reach United Kingdom targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions agreed at Kyoto. [53326]

  Mr. Meacher
  We intend to issue a consultation paper shortly on policy options for delivering our climate change targets. We expect the consultation period to last for 3 months.

  Housing (Disabled People)
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to include in the guidance to local authorities on the use of moneys released by the capital receipts initiative a requirement that(a) all new homes will be built to be accessible for disabled people and (b) renovations and refurbishments where appropriate should improve access for disabled people. [54112]
  620
  Mr. Raynsford
  Within the Capital Receipts Initiative in 1999–2000 it will be for each local authority to decide, within its allocation, how best to use the resources in the light of local circumstances. It will remain open to local authorities to use their allocations to improve accessibility of housing to disabled people where to do so is consistent with both the local housing strategy and the authority's own priorities. We will issue guidance shortly.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions following the Government's decision to cut funding to the Access Committee for England, what action the Government are taking to ensure that issues of access for disabled people are addressed by(a) Government departments and (b) local authorities; and which Government department takes lead responsibility on policy for access for disabled people. [54039]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 July 1998,Official Report, columns 535–36, concerning the vehicle replacement programme, how many vehicles due for replacement in 1998–99 are planned to be replaced by vehicles using (i) petrol, (ii) diesel, (iii) natural gas, (iv) electric batteries and (v) other fuels. [54184]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 28 July 1998,Official Report, column 117.

  Concessionary Fares
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for officials to liaise with representatives of local government on the implementation of the national minimum standard for local authority concessionary fares. [54247]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  There will be consultation with local government when the legislation is being prepared.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by what date he expects implementation of the national minimum standard for local authority concessionary fares for elderly people, as proposed in the Transport White Paper, to start. [54248]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The necessary primary legislation will be brought forward as soon as Parliamentary time permits.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54278]

  Mr. Meale
  Information on the numbers of documents published in alternative formats such as audio tapes will normally be considered by officials with responsibility for
  621
  the documents in question. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Unlicensed Vehicles
  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the DVLA's recent We Are Clamping Down campaign. [54613]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The national scheme to wheelclamp and impound unlicensed vehicles was introduced in August 1997 and is being extended progressively across the country. In the 8 months to March 1998, it is estimated that some 80,000 additional vehicles were licensed as a result of the campaign, raising an extra £8.5 million. Support from the police, local authorities and the public has been enthusiastic.

  Environmental Agreements
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each international environmental agreement(a) signed by the UK Government and (b) ratified by the UK parliament during the last 10 years. [54850]

  Mr. Meale
  I will place the information in the Library as soon as possible and ensure that my hon. Friend receives a copy.

  Traffic Speeds
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the most recent assessment of the average speed of traffic in(a) central London, (b) inner London and (c) each of the 10 largest conurbations in England. [54851]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 28 July 1998,Official Report, column 117, for details of the Department's traffic speed surveys. The results from the latest surveys are as follows:

  mph

  Morning peak

  Daytime off-peak

  Evening peak

  Central London

  10.0

  10.0

  10.2

  Rest of inner London

  13.4

  15.0

  12.8

  Outer London

  17.0

  19.1

  19.0

  mph

  Morning/evening peak

  Daytime off-peak

  Bournemouth/Poole

  20.2

  25.3

  Brighton/Hove

  25.6

  25.7

  Bristol

  18.5

  22.7

  Coventry

  20.9

  25.8

  Derby

  22.7

  28.4

  Greater Manchester

  21.3

  27.4

  Grimsby/Cleethorpes

  23.1

  23.2

  Hull

  19.5

  23.1

  Leeds/Bradford

  19.5

  23.9

  Leicester

  17.6

  20.6

  Luton/Dunstable

  18.5

  23.3

  Merseyside

  21.1

  21.5

  Norwich

  19.1

  22.4

  622

  mph

  Morning/evening peak

  Daytime off-peak

  Nottingham

  18.0

  23.5

  Oxford

  20.0

  24.2

  Peterborough

  34.2

  33.7

  Plymouth

  24.1

  25.9

  Sheffield

  17.3

  21.1

  Southampton

  18.6

  24.4

  Stoke/Newcastle-under-Lyme

  20.7

  24.2

  Swindon

  24.9

  29.5

  Teesside

  29.0

  35.0

  Tyneside

  17.3

  21.1

  West Midlands

  20.2

  27.3

  The latest traffic speed survey in central London was conducted in 1997, in the rest of inner London was conducted in 1995, in outer London in 1996–97, and in other cities in England in 1996.

  More detailed results from these surveys are available from DETR statistical publications.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect of reducing the maximum speed limit to 20 miles per hour in built up areas on road deaths and injuries. [54911]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Department commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to study the effectiveness of 20 mph speed limit zones with traffic calming. TRL published their report, Review of Traffic Calming in 20 mph Zones, number 215, in 1996 and found that 20 mph zones with traffic calming reduced accidents by 60 per cent., and accidents involving child pedestrians and child cyclists by 67 per cent. Accidents to cyclists were reduced by 29 per cent. Only in those 20 mph speed limit zones with traffic calming was this degree of casualty reduction achieved. This corresponded to an average reduction in vehicle speed of nearly 10 mph, to less than 20 mph.

  This week TRL has published the findings of its latest study for the Department on Urban Speed Management Methods, TRL report number 363. It concludes that where speeds of around 20 mph are desired in urban areas, traffic calming remains the best option to achieve this. The use of static signs only without traffic calming appears insufficiently effective to reduce speeds to 20 mph or to achieve accident reductions. Speed reductions of only 1 to 2 mph were found. Small additional speed reductions and accident savings can be achieved with associated publicity and enforcement campaigns, but speeds are still likely to remain well above the 20 mph speed limit.

  Regional Development Agencies
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to announce the appointment of the chairmen and other members of the regional development agencies; and if he will make a statement. [54428]

  Mr. Caborn
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 July 1998,Official Report, columns 244–45, to my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Mr. Hope),

  623
  concerning the appointment of Chairmen. A further announcement on other board appointments will be made in the Autumn.

  Mr. Derek Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he plans to issue further guidance on the criteria which regional chambers must meet in order to be designated for the purposes of regional development agencies. [55195]

  Mr. Caborn
  I propose to write shortly to representatives of the emerging chambers and to other interested parties setting out our views.

  Manchester Metrolink
  Mr. Cunliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has evaluated relating to the extension of the Manchester Metrolink tramway to Leigh. [54170]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No such proposals have been put to my Department for evaluation.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the letter of 16 July MR/PSO/8216/98, what is his timetable for moving towards the electronic publishing of headline indicators. [54055]

  Mr. Meacher
  My Department plans to publish proposals for a core set of indicators of Sustainable Development in the Autumn. A final set of indicators, following consultation on the proposals, will be published alongside the Sustainable Development Strategy itself, around the turn of the year. Electronic publication of the core indicators will follow as soon as practicable thereafter, probably in the Spring of 1999.

  Agriculture (Environmental Effects)
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to publish the report of the study of the Environmental Effects of Agriculture commissioned by his Department. [53670]

  Mr. Meale
  We have published the report "Environmental Effects of Agriculture" today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Leaded Petrol
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce how(a) the EU directive banning lead in petrol and (b) the derogation for the continued supply of leaded petrol will be incorporated into UK law. [53978]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The provisions in the EU directive which require a general ban on leaded petrol whilst allowing the continuance of a limited supply of leaded petrol, will be incorporated into UK law by means of an amendment to the Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) Regulations 1994. The amendment will also incorporate the directive requirements introducing improved specifications for petrol and diesel fuel commencing from 1 January 2000. The process of amendment, which includes statutory consultation and 624
  Parliamentary approval, will begin as soon as the directive has been formally adopted—which is currently expected later this year.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) which oil companies have notified him that they propose to market lead replacement petrol by 1 January 2000; [53979]

  (2) if he will ensure that petrol containing lead substitutes will be widely available in rural areas from 1 January 2000. [54517]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Oil companies will not commit to the marketing of lead replacement petrol until UK regulations are enacted which ban the general sale of leaded petrol. These regulations will follow the adoption of the EC Directive, expected later this year, which introduces the leaded petrol ban. However, the UK Petroleum Industry Association have stated that the commercial opportunities for such a product are sufficiently high to ensure that few, if any, UK oil companies will decline to offer lead replacement additives from 1 January 2000, either pre-mixed with high octane unleaded petrol or offered in measured doses for use at point-of-sale. Such supplies will be widely available wherever there is a demand and there is no indication that rural areas will be disadvantaged in this regard. In the light of this, the Government do not consider it necessary to require provision of these substitutes on a statutory basis.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which interest groups he is liaising with about the proposed ban on leaded petrol from 1 January 2000; and how often he has met them since 1 May 1997. [53991]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The following special interest groups have been approached regarding implementation of the ban on leaded petrol:

  The UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA)

  The Association of UK Oil Independents (AUKOI)

  The Petroleum Retailers Association (PRA)

  The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT)

  The Royal Automobile Club (RAC)

  The Automobile Association (AA)

  The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC).

  Two meetings with UKPIA have taken place and one meeting with each of the SMMT, AUKOI, RAC and FBHVC. Department officials will be meeting with representatives from PRA and the AA next week.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which specialist interest groups will distribute leaded petrol after 1 January 2000. [53992]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  No information is available at this stage. Department officials are continuing to discuss options with interested organisations. However, the continued supply of leaded petrol will ultimately be a commercial decision which will need to take into account such matters as the practicality, safety and security of distribution—including the necessity to comply with the regulations relating to the storage of petrol—as well as potential demand. The Department's objective is to ensure
  625
  that, within the constraints imposed by the directive, there are no obstacles, legal or otherwise, to prevent this happening.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to publish publicity material about the proposed ban on leaded petrol; and where he plans to distribute it. [54516]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Department is preparing information about the proposed ban on leaded petrol. We are looking into the possibilities of distribution through MOT test centres, petrol stations and at specialist car events in the Autumn. The motoring organisations are also preparing publicity.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of and how much petrol used in Britain contained lead in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [54647]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Figures for petrol deliveries in the United Kingdom for the last 10 years are as follows:

  Year

  Total petrol deliveries Tonnes

  Leaded petrol deliveries Tonnes

  Leaded petrol as proportion of total (percentage)

  1987

  22,183,848

  22,165,669

  99.9

  1988

  23,238,048

  22,980,953

  98.9

  1989

  23,927,632

  19,275,687

  80.6

  1990

  24,307,594

  16,051,618

  66.0

  1991

  24,021,384

  14,152,924

  58.9

  1992

  23,906,094

  12,701,808

  53.1

  1993

  23,799,019

  11,253,604

  47.3

  1994

  22,842,969

  9,681,199

  42.4

  1995

  18,087,034

  6,855,080

  37.9

  1996

  22,408,607

  7,177,229

  32.0

  1997

  22,237,923

  6,256,041

  28.1

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to discourage the use of petrol containing lead. [54645]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Sales of leaded petrol have already fallen to approximately 22 per cent. of total petrol sales as a result of measures such as the duty differential between leaded and unleaded petrol. This decline is expected to continue until 1 January 2000 when an EU ban on leaded petrol, as agreed by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, will come into effect.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to reduce the use by his Department of petrol containing lead. [54644]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Department does not use leaded petrol. Of the cars supplied on contract by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for Ministerial use, six use unleaded petrol and three use liquified petroleum gas.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the percentage of harmful vehicle emissions 626
  attributable to vehicles over 10 years old; and what percentage of the United Kingdom vehicle fleet such vehicles represent. [54463]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Although my Department regularly estimates emissions from road transport by vehicle type and emission standard, we have no ready-to-hand estimate of the proportion of emissions from vehicles over 10 years old. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as an estimate is available, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  26 per cent. of the United Kingdom vehicles fleet were over 10 years old at the end of 1997.

  Vehicle Conversions
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme gives grants for the conversion of cars, buses and taxi cabs to use(a) liquid propane gas and (b) natural compressed gas. [54896]

  Mr. Meale
  The Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme provides grants for funding partnerships to promote the manufacture of cars, buses and taxi cabs fuelled by these fuels. So far, out of the 350 clean fuel vehicles to receive funding, 290 have been vehicles fuelled by liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas. Grants for a further 500 clean fuel vehicles have been approved.

  Bus and Railway Station Facilities
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce measures to require a minimum standard of facilities at bus and railway stations. [54171]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The White Paper "A New Deal for Transport" stresses the importance of better facilities at stations and other places of interchange. We expect the local transport plans developed by local authorities to include an audit of existing facilities against key attributes of good provision and to identify improvements that need to be made.

  In addition, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will place specific requirements on operators of bus and rail stations to provide facilities that meet the needs of disabled passengers.

  Canals and Waterways
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what support his Department is providing for the restoration and development of canals and waterways; and if he will make a statement. [54639]

  Mr. Meale
  The Government value the social, economic and environmental benefits that inland waterways can bring and are keen to maximise the full potential of the canal network.

  We have provided financial help to a range of canal restoration projects through the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund, Land Reclamation Programme grant and the Environmental Action Fund. Projects are also eligible for funding from the various Lottery distribution boards, from local authorities and from

  627
  Europe. The forthcoming report by the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council on their prioritisation of restoration projects will help to ensure that available funding is more effectively targeted.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the advantages of increasing the level of freight traffic on the United Kingdom's canals and waterways. [54640]

  Mr. Meale
  Research in 1993 indicated that there may be potential to divert about 3.5 per cent. of the UK's road freight traffic to water although the majority of this would be to ships rather than barges. The Government recognise the environmental benefits of making use of waterways for carrying freight. As stated in the White Paper on the Future of Transport, the Government will encourage greater use of inland waterways as an alternative to road transport where this is a practical and economic option.

  Sunlight Reflectors
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the Space Regatta Consortium's proposal to place reflectors in space to direct sunlight to the Arctic region; and if he will make a statement; [54650]

  (2) if he will assess the environmental impact of the Znamya 2.5 experiment; and if he will make a statement. [54649]

  Mr. Meale
  The Znamya 2.5 experiment is planned by the Space Regatta Consortium to assess the feasibility of illuminating dark areas of the Earth's surface, particularly during winter. The experiment would last for a single night and is intended to be visible from a given point on the Earth for only a few minutes every 90 minutes. Even if the experiment occurs and is successful, which is by no means certain, the eventual operational deployment of an array of deflectors would be at least 10 years away. The environmental impact is such an array would need to be assessed in light of the conclusions of the small scale experiment and, if necessary, addressed in the appropriate international bodies.

  Teesside Development Corporation
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the arrangements for the provision of advice during the lifetime of Teesside Development Corporation to its board by officers of the Corporation. [53443]

  Mr. Caborn
  I have made no such assessment. The arrangements are covered in the published reports of the Corporation's external auditors, and in reports by the Department's Internal Audit Service, which are confidential between the Department and the Corporation.

  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the costs of carrying out works on structural problems of the Tees Barrage. [53460]
  628
  Mr. Caborn
  These matters are now the responsibility of the Commission for the New Towns. I will write to my hon. Friend when I have made further inquiries.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 July 1998,Official Report, column 237, if he will give equivalent figures for standard spending assessments for Milton Keynes Borough Council. [54955]

  Ms Armstrong
  The information requested is in the tables. They show the effects of re-calculating the standard spending assessments for 1997–98 and 1998–99 using the method of calculating the area cost adjustment proposed by the 1996 Review of the Area Cost Adjustment but keeping the indicators of need used in the current SSA formulae.

  Table 1: Standard Spending Assessments for 1997–98

  Milton Keynes

  1997–98 SSA £ million1

  149.397

  1997–98 SSA

  Using method proposed in Elliott Report2 (£ million)

  156.155

  Difference (£ million)

  6,758

  Difference (percentage)

  4.5

  Difference (£/head3)

  34.28

  1 The figures for 1997–98 are indicative SSAs to allow for the effects of local authority reorganisation on 1 April 1998

  2 The figures are taken from Standard Spending Assessments Sub-Group: Report for 1998–99. They show the effect of using the method of calculating the ACA proposed by the 1996 Review of the Area Cost Adjustment using data available at August 1997 to determine the coefficients on the SSA formulae while keeping the same indicators in the formulae.

  3 The population figures are as at 30 June 1996

  Table 2: Standard Spending Assessments for 1998–99

  Milton Keynes

  1998–99 SSA £ million

  157.475

  1998–99 SSA

  Using method proposed in Elliott Report1 (£ million)

  163.554

  Difference (£ million)

  6.079

  Difference (percentage)

  3.9

  Difference (£/head2)

  30.84

  1 The figures show the effect of using the method of calculation proposed by the 1996 Review of the Area Coast Adjustment using data available at July 1998 to determine the coefficients on the SSA formulae while keeping the same indicators in the formulae

  2 The population figures are as at 30 June 1996.

  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the amounts allocated per head of population for the cost effects of population density and sparsity in the other services sub-block of the Personal Social Services SSA for each local authority in England; [54197]
  629
  (2) if he will list for each SSA block and sub-block the proportion which is determined by regression analysis of previous expenditure; [54198]

  (3) if he will list for each fire authority in England the amounts allocated per head of population for the cost effects of population density or sparsity; [54199]

  (4) if he will estimate for each education authority the change in SSA if the Other Education Sub-block SSA were to include a sparsity effect equivalent in effect to the average of the factor in all other education sub-blocks; [54200]

  (5) if he will estimate the changes in SSA for Norfolk if all elements of the Social Services SSA that can be expressed in unit cost terms were calculated using average unit cost SSA data for all authorities within (i) the Eastern Region (ii) all Shire counties (iii) England and Wales and (iv) London; [54231]

  (6) if, for Norfolk County Council, he will estimate (a) the change in the SSA highways block if the SSA per kilometre of road were calculated at the average rate for England, (b) the change in SSA Fire Service block if calculated at the average rate per head of population for England and (c) the change in total SSA if calculated at the same average rate per head of population as that pertaining to (i) the Eastern Region, (ii) all shire counties, (iii) England and Wales and (iv) London; [54234]

  (7) if he will estimate the changes in SSA for Norfolk if the SSA per pupil in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) post 16 and (d) under 5 SSA blocks were calculated using the average for local education authorities within (i) the Eastern Region, (ii) all shire counties, (iii) England and Wales and (iv) London. [54235]

  Ms Armstrong
  When the calculations requested have been completed, the information requested will be placed in the Library.

  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce a sparsity factor in the Other Education Sub-block of the SSA. [54201]

  Ms Armstrong
  We expect to announce our proposals for Standard Spending Assessments for 1999–2000 around the beginning of December. No proposal of the kind described has been developed in this year's discussions with the Local Government Association about Standard Spending Assessments.

  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take account in future SSA calculations of the Highways SSA block for Norfolk of (i) the maintenance costs of minor roads which have not been constructed to a high standard and (ii) the number of summer visitors. [54230]

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Trunk road maintenance

  651

  740

  794

  780

  Making Better Use of trunk road network

  139

  139

  193

  220

  Existing Road schemes

  445

  350

  259

  137

  New schemes in Targeted Programme of Improvements

  0

  0

  51

  234

  Private Finance

  114

  177

  238

  208

  Total

  1,349

  1,406

  1,535

  1,579

  630
  Ms Armstrong
  The formula already takes account of the length of roads, including minor roads, which each Highways Authority is responsible for maintaining. It also takes account of traffic flow, making no distinction between traffic flow arising from residents and that arising from visitors.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. Ennis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will consult on proposed changes to the planning appeals system as part of the Government's Modernising Planning Initiative. [54978]

  Mr. Caborn
  I have today issued a consultation paper, and I have placed copies in the Library of the House, on our proposals for recovering the cost of holding inquiries into planning appeals as part of our drive to modernise the planning system. If implemented, this will provide the Planning Inspectorate with some additional resources to benefit the appeals system as a whole.

  Costs would be recovered by means of a standard daily rate for all public local inquiries, although they would not be recovered where their imposition appears unreasonable.

  Recovery of costs is already established practice for other public inquiries into development proposals covered by the Electricity Act 1989, the Harbours Act 1964 and the Transport and Works Act 1992. This change would, therefore, also bring about greater consistency in inquiry practice.

  Subject to public consultation, it is proposed that this change would take effect from April 1999. It would not apply to planning applications and appeals received by the Planning Inspectorate before that date.

  Roads Review
  Mr. Leslie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he proposes to announce the results of the Roads Review. [55131]

  Dr. Reid
  I refer my hon. Friend to oral statement today,Official Report, columns 653–56.

  Trunk Roads
  Mr. Leslie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision he intends to make for investment in trunk roads in England. [55132]

  Dr. Reid
  I have today announced our new priorities for Trunk Road investment. Planned provision for the Highways Agency's programmes for the next three financial years is as follows:
  631
  The Highways Agency will work up more detailed plans for delivering this programme which will be published as part of its normal planning cycle.

  Car Use
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what account he will take of the impact of proposals set out in the Integrated Transport White Paper for reducing car use when considering proposals by county councils to construct new settlements in the countryside; and if he will make a statement. [54458]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We are in the process of drawing up draft planning guidance on housing and transport and will be considering this issue, among others, as part of that process.

  The New Deal for Transport announced that, in updating the guidance on locations for major growth, we will give an increased emphasis on accessibility to jobs, leisure and services by foot, bicycle and public transport, including the promotion of major development in public transport corridors and other areas where good public transport exists or can be provided.

  Rolling Stock
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between OPRAF and the Health and Safety Executive relating to the use of mark 1 rolling stock; [54521]

  (2) if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and the Health and Safety Executive relating to the use of mark 1 rolling stock. [54522]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of the Channel Tunnel night-train rolling-stock. [54114]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  This rolling stock is now the responsibility of the manufacturer, Metro Cammel. In the event that the rolling stock were sold on, European Night Services will take a share of any profit, which will be subject to a Government clawback.

  Airport Noise
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to paragraph 4.217 of the White Paper on Transport, when measures will be put in place to mitigate noise pollution from airports; and who will bear the cost of these measures. [54116]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Measures are already in place to mitigate noise pollution from airports. At Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted certain such measures are prescribed by the Secretary of State under s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982; elsewhere, by airports either independently or by agreement with local authorities through the planning system. The costs of compliance are normally borne by the aviation industry, consistent with 632
  the 'polluter pays' principle. This principle will be integral to the airports policy, which we have undertaken in the White Paper to develop.

  Queensway Hall, Dunstable
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will call in for determination by his Department the prospective planning application for the redevelopment of the Queensway Hall site in Dunstable; and if he will make a statement. [54052]

  Mr. Caborn
  No planning application for this proposal has yet been submitted. If an application is made, the Secretary of State will consider the need for call-in in the usual way.

  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make a decision on the application of South Bedfordshire District Council to his Department to disregard the highest bidder for the purchase of the Queensway Hall, Dunstable; and if he will make a statement. [54051]

  Mr. Caborn
  We are currently considering the Council's application, and will issue our decision as soon as possible.

  Transport Statistics
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to publish complete information on central and local government expenditure on transport in Great Britain in future editions of Transport Statistics Great Britain, 1997. [54182]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Transport Statistics Great Britain (TSGB) is a compendium of Transport Statistics, generally relying on information already in the public domain.

  The publication of information on central and local government expenditure in TSGB has always included summary results drawn from the most recently published editions of Scottish Transport Statistics, Welsh Transport Statistics, and DETR Annual Report: Government Expenditure Plans (or formerly The Transport Report: Government Expenditure Plans). I have no plans to change this policy, but we will continue to consult with the Welsh and Scottish Offices to ensure that TSGB contains the most up-to-date publicly available information.

  Building Regulations
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those disability organisations that have been consulted in preparing draft building regulations for life-time homes. [54041]

  Mr. Raynsford
  When the Department consulted on proposals to extend Part M of the Building Regulations covering access and facilities for disabled people to new housing on 12 January 1995, a list of organisations being consulted, including disability organisations, was included as an annexe to the consultation letter.
  633
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environme0nt, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish draft building regulations for life-time homes; what consultations will take place on the draft regulation; and when he expects to lay final regulations before the House. [54042]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Department consulted on proposals to extend Part M of the Building Regulations covering access and facilities for disabled people to new housing on 12 January 1995. I expect to lay final regulations before the House in October this year.

  M4 Service Area
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to issue a decision on the report he has received from the Planning Inspectorate on the public inquiry into three applications for a motorway service area on the M4 between junction 8/9 and 10. [54710]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Inspector's Report was received on 28 July. I am not yet able to say when the decision will be issued.

  Climate Change
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government's consultation paper on climate change will be published; and if he will make a statement. [54219]

  Mr. Meacher
  We intend to issue a consultation paper shortly on policy options for delivering our climate change targets.

  Energy-efficient Lighting
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the country's annual electricity consumption for lighting; and what plans he has to encourage energy-efficient lighting. [54220]

  Mr. Meacher
  Our most recent estimate is that lighting uses about 20 per cent. (58 TWh) of electricity in the UK, accounting for about 6.4 per cent. of UK CO, emissions and is projected to rise.

  My department supports a comprehensive programme of national and European-wide measures to encourage energy efficient lighting. At a national level, provisions in the Building Regulations to set lighting efficiency requirements are currently being reviewed; and I have just agreed increased funding for the Best Practice Programme which, among other things, provides guidance on cost-effective energy efficiency lighting measures to building owners, equipment specifiers and users. The planned budget for the Energy Saving Trust's work to promote energy efficiency for the Department has also been increased, and a new project "Lightswitch" has been approved to promote energy efficient lighting to the non-domestic sector. The Market Transformation Programme will inform Government plans to continue to support Common and Co-ordinated Policy Measures at European level to provide product information, raise product standards and facilitate the procurement of energy
  634
  efficient lighting products. We plan to introduce a regulation for the mandatory energy labelling of light bulbs next June.

  Eurostar
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many paths are currently allocated for regional Eurostar services; how many of these train paths are non-operational; what is the cost of maintaining these paths; and what plans he has to release these train paths for other operational rail services. [54901]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Eurostar (UK) Ltd. have an access contract with Railtrack which provides for 2 paths on the East Coast Main Line and 3 paths on the West Coast Main line each way per day for Regional Eurostar services. As no passenger-carrying regional Eurostar services are operating at the present time, these paths are not being used by EUKL although other paths are being used for testing the trainsets. The cost of maintaining these paths is a matter for Railtrack and EUKL as would be their release for other operational rail services.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if the plans of the consortium selected to run Eurostar require regulatory approval; and if he will make a statement; [54206]

  (2) what share British Airways will have of the consortium selected to run Eurostar; and if he will make a statement. [54208]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The consortium arrangements are a matter for the consortium members and will be notified separately by them to the European Commission and/or UK authorities, as the case may be, fully in accordance with relevant EU and UK competition rules. British Airways is proposing to take an initial shareholding of 10 per cent.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions who is the current owner of the regional Eurostar sets. [54205]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Eurostar (UK) Ltd. has the beneficial ownership rights to the regional Eurostar sets.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of(a) Eurostar's and (b) British Airways' share of the London-Paris rail/air market. [54207]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My Department have made no estimate of either Eurostar's or British Airways' share of the London-Paris rail/air market.

  Shipping
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the report of the Shipping Working Group on ways to promote British shipping. [53901]

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he will put in place to attract commercial shipping companies away from flags of convenience. [54113]
  635
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Integrated Transport White Paper set out the broad aims of a shipping policy. A shipping paper, based on the work of the Shipping Working Group, will be published shortly.

  Cycling
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he has taken in the last six months to protect the safety of cyclists, with particular reference to those on rural roads. [54910]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Forty per cent. fewer cyclists were killed or seriously injured on our roads in 1997 compared with the 1981–85 annual average. We are continuing to build on this improvement by encouraging local authorities to provide for safe cycling in their transport policies and programmes. £50 million funding was made available in 1998–99 for local safety schemes and traffic calming measures which have proven safety benefits for vulnerable road users, including cyclists. It is for local authorities to decide on which roads their work to improve the safety of cyclists will be most effective.

  We have also continued with our road safety education, publicity and research projects concerning cyclists' safety.

  Rough Sleepers
  Sir Raymond Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many homeless people have used Admiralty Arch(a) in total and (b) in each week since the homeless unit's establishment. [54707]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Last winter Admiralty Arch was used by Centrepoint as one of the temporary winter shelters for rough sleepers funded by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions as part of the Government's Winter Shelter Programme. Almost 500 additional beds for rough sleepers were provided in London as part of the Winter Shelter Programme and about 50 in Bristol and Cambridge. The Admiralty Arch shelter provided 60 beds and was open from 15 December 1997 to 31 March 1998. During that time a total of 253 admissions were made by 234 individuals. Weekly breakdown figures are not available but for each month the shelter was open the average daily occupancy figures were:

  December 1997: 28.37 beds occupied

  January 1998: 45.22 beds occupied

  February 1998: 44.5 beds occupied

  March 1998: 37 beds occupied.

  The figures for December and March are lower due to staggered opening and phased closing.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the Green Paper Cm. 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p84), what is the number of people sleeping rough at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54592]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Information on the number of people sleeping rough is not collected by the Department. The last systematic count was undertaken as part of the 1991 Census of Population and found 2,674 people sleeping 636
  rough on Census night in England. The recent Social Exclusion Unit report Rough Sleeping Cm 4008 reviewed more recent information collected through twice yearly street counts in central London and ad hoc counts in various other towns and cities undertaken by the voluntary sector, and estimated that around 2,000 people sleep rough in England each night.

  Fatal Accidents (Manslaughter charges)
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many manslaughter charges have been brought following fatal accidents at work in each of the last 10 years; how many have been brought against(a) employees and (b) managers; and how many have resulted in convictions. [54846]

  Mr. Meale
  The number of manslaughter charges brought following fatal accidents at work which have been investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and the outcome, in each of the last six years is as follows:

  Manslaughter charges

  Year

  Against employees

  Against managers

  Convictions

  1992–93

  —

  —

  —

  1993–94

  —

  2

  1

  1994–95

  1

  4

  1

  1995–96

  1

  —

  —

  1996–97

  —

  2

  —

  1997–98

  —

  —

  —

  HSE has not collated data for previous years.

  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many manslaughter charges have been brought following fatal rail crashes in each of the last 10 years; how many have been brought against(a) drivers and (b) managers; and how many have resulted in convictions. [54845]

  Mr. Meale
  A train driver was charged with manslaughter and convicted following a fatal rail crash on 4 March 1989. Following a further fatal crash on 8 August 1996 charges were laid against a driver who was subsequently found not guilty. A driver has also been charged following a fatal crash on 19 September 1997. There have been no manslaughter charges brought against managers in this period.

  Stockton University
  Ms Dari Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has reached a decision on grants to the University of Stockton. [54977]

  Mr. Caborn
  I am pleased to advise my hon. Friend that I have today given my approval to the payment of two grants to the University College Stockton; £800,000 to endow a Chair in Urban Regeneration and Change, and £500,000 towards the construction of amenity facilities for staff and students.

  I firmly believe that expanding higher education facilities into areas of economic and social disadvantage makes a vital contribution towards their development and regeneration.
  637

  Coastguard
  Mr. McNulty
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his decision on the outcome of consultation on HM Coastguard's five-year strategy; and if he will make a statement in the context of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency merger. [55233]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Following extensive consultation which included staff, trades unions and members of the House, and in the light of the new Maritime and Coastguard Agency created on 1 April, I have decided that the 5-year Coastguard strategy will be taken forward as proposed, though with some changes in timing.

  The 5-year strategy involves a major investment o £5 million—£10 million in new digital technology to re-equip and improve the operation of a major rescue service. The new equipment will provide an integrated communications system, replacing outdated equipment which is approaching life-expiry. Associated with the new investment is a programme to close selected Coastguard co-ordination centres which will effectively be replaced by the greater capability of the new equipment. The timing of these closures has also been revised following the consultation process. The centres at Oban and Pentland were proposed for closure by the end of 1999, and this has been revised to Autumn 2000; for Tyne Tees and Liverpool the proposed closure date by the end of 2000 has been revised to Autumn 2001; while the co-location of Portland and Lee on Solent, formerly proposed for the end of 2002, has been revised to Autumn 2003.

  The new equipment will provide more effective backup to the frontline Coastguard whose local knowledge will be supported by modern technology. In view of interest in the relationship between the new technology and the station closures, we will keep the reequipment programme under close monitoring to ensure high standards of service are maintained.

  I have arranged for copies of the Operational Research Unit's analysis of responses to the consultation document to be placed in the Library of each House.

  I have also agreed proposals for management changes within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency which will yield further progress in the closer integration of its two predecessor agencies, to the benefit of all the new Agency's customers.

  British Transport Police
  Mr. Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the Government's proposals for the future of the British Transport Police. [55234]

  Dr. Reid
  The British Railways Board are currently under a duty to maintain a railway police force for the national railway, the London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and are in consequence the employer of the British Transport Police (BTP). In order to improve the public status and accountability of the force, the Government have decided, when a suitable legislative opportunity arises, to seek to establish an independent national police authority for the BTP on similar lines to the existing police authorities for Home 638
  Office forces, with its members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

  The Force's jurisdiction on railway land at present depends on contracts with the privatised rail industry. These contracts can cause problems in defining jurisdiction (eg to company premises which are not part of the railway network and are already properly policed by Home Office forces), they can overlap and there are parts of the network which are not covered. The proposed legislation would seek to put the jurisdiction of the force on all railway land (including the London Underground and the DLR) on a statutory basis.

  In 1996 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary recommended extending the BTP's jurisdiction outside the railway in three specific circumstances: when called on for assistance by a Home Office police officer, when called on for assistance by a member of the public, and in an emergency. The Home Office are undertaking a further consultation exercise with a view to assessing the acceptability of such an extension of jurisdiction.

  Public Safety Zones
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what decisions he has reached on public safety zone policy and administration following the public consultation. [54628]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We received about 100 responses to the consultation document which we published last December and I am grateful to all those who replied. The broad policy objective, that once a Public Safety Zone has been established, there should be no significant increase in the number of people living, working or congregating within it, remains unchanged. In general the consultation responses supported the proposed adoption of a policy based on risk contour modelling and setting limits on the degree of risk which is tolerable for people on the ground near airports.

  We have therefore decided to use risk contour modelling as a basis for developing Public Safety Zone policy. This will mean the introduction of Zones which will taper from the runway end, in contrast to the current Zones which broaden out from it. In setting the areas of the Zones we shall make broad assumptions about the number and type of aircraft movements at the respective airports in fifteen years time; and we shall roll these assumptions forward every ten years. This will provide a sensible balance between imposing unduly onerous controls on the use of land around airports and failing to anticipate the effects on third party risk of the forecast increase of aircraft movements.

  We consider that Public Safety Zones should correspond essentially to the areas which may be expected to experience individual risk of death of 1 in 100,000 per year or greater in fifteen years time. We shall redefine the existing Public Safety Zones accordingly. A decision on whether to have a few standard sizes of Public Safety Zone or separate sizes for each airport will be taken later.

  We shall prepare and publish guidance to local planning authorities for use in considering planning applications arising within Public Safety Zones. The guidance will recommend that new housing development,

  639
  and most types of non-housing development, should not be approved within Public Safety Zones. We intend to go ahead with the proposal that existing development need be removed only where people would be subject to an individual risk of death of 1 in 10,000 per year or greater.

  We have also considered with the Civil Aviation Authority the future administration of Public Safety Zone policy. At present a planning application arising within Public Safety Zones is notified to the CAA, which advises local planning authorities whether it should be approved. The CAA has carried out this function on behalf of the Department for many years but now wishes to relinquish it. We are minded that the CAA's role should be discontinued and that the residual work in administering the policy should be transferred to the Department. We shall consult those concerned about this proposal.

  Our objective is to introduce these new arrangements as early as possible in 1999. Meanwhile in considering planning applications within existing Public Safety Zones the CAA will have regard to whether the site in question is likely to remain within a Public Safety Zone.

  Cowboy Builders
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how he intends to take forward the proposals contained in his Department's consultation paper "Combating Cowboy Builders". [54875]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I am pleased to announce the formation of a working group chaired by Anthony Merricks CBE to drive forward the Government's campaign against cowboy builders.

  This follows the publication of our consultation paper "Combating Cowboy Builders" to which we received over 130 responses from the construction industry, local government and consumer interests.

  The tone of these responses, a summary of which I am placing in the Library, was very encouraging, with the overwhelming majority supporting the two key proposals in the consultation paper: the development of an approved list (or lists) of reputable contractors to empower consumers; and a kitemark or badge of quality which would indicate that a trader subscribed to agreed standards of quality backed by a warranty and an effective means of redress if things go wrong.

  The new working group's terms of reference include a commitment to deliver a tangible outcome by this time next year. It will include key representatives from the construction industry, local government, consumer interests and the insurance industry.

  Compost
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he proposes to take to develop the markets for compost. [54942]

  Mr. Meacher
  A Composting Development Group was established last year to identify the problems and obstacles of marketing compost to a range of sectors, including landscaping, horticulture, agriculture and land restoration, and to develop proposals for overcoming them. The Group, whose members were drawn from the composting industry,640
  research organisations, agricultural and composting trade associations, and central government, has completed its discussions and submitted its report to DETR Ministers.

  It contains a number of proposals for improving the markets for compost, including the need to agree national standards to cover both the product and the process, and to develop a coherent and comprehensive programme of publicity and information measures, supported by research, demonstrations and trials, to improve public perception. The report recommends that securing the participation and cooperation of professional institutes and trade associations is the key to gaining greater access to individual sectors.

  It also proposes that compost producers develop a more innovative approach, for example by setting up temporary on-site composting schemes to restore land, or by local authority producers maximising the use of compost in their own parks and gardens. I am today issuing the report for consultation, and will consider its recommendations in the light of comments received. Copies are being placed in the Library of the House.

  The increased composting of organic waste has an important part to play in an integrated approach to sustainable waste management, and to meeting the targets of the landfill directive. I welcome the Group's report as a positive contribution to developing the markets for compost, and am grateful to its members for the time and effort they have put into the Group's work.

  British Railways (Surplus Land)
  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the BR board are to conduct their review of surplus land. [54943]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government announced in the White Paper "A New Deal For Transport: Better for Everyone" that the British Railways Board was suspending land sales while it conducted an audit of the remaining sites. These amount to some 1,200, with a book value of about £137 million.

  The Board will immediately enter into discussions with key players in the rail industry on the latter's plans for the future. It will report to the Government, as the review progresses, on sites which in the light of these discussions appear to the Board to have a realistic prospect of use for transport purposes in the foreseeable future, so that they may in due course be offered for sale to Railtrack, the rail businesses, other transport operators and relevant local authorities at open market value.

  Sites which appear to the Board to have no realistic use for transport purposes in the foreseeable future will be put on sale, but local authorities and the rail industry will be given at least two months notice of the intention to sell any site in the category so that they will still have full opportunity to bid for it. The Board will consider sympathetically any request to delay the sale of such a site where it can be shown that a transport use is already under active consideration.

  Fastship Project
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the Fastship project. [53964]
  641
  Mr. Spellar
  I have been asked to reply.

  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the organisations which are requested to suggest names for public appointment. [53383]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I have been asked to reply.

  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Annual Report
  Mr. Burgon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Government intend to publish their annual report. [54137]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has today published the Government's Annual Report 97/98 (CM 3969). Copies of the document are available from the Vote Office and the Libraries of both Houses.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance his Department issues to those constructing buildings for which it is responsible on the use of materials containing asbestos. [52307]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54262]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Electronic Red Box
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Mr. Fabricant) of 8 July 1998,Official Report, column 567, on the electronic red box, if the new prototype is now in use in his office; and if he will make a statement. [54577]
  642
  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I am aware of the innovative work done by my predecessor my right hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark). The prototype is not currently in use in my office.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) of 8 July 1998,Official Report, column 565, on millennium compliance, if he will write to all hon. Members during the summer to report the results of the next quarterly report. [54515]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 1998,Official Report, column 379, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54020]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Cabinet Office
  Sir Raymond Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what is the estimated cost of relocating part of the Cabinet Office including the new Performance and Innovation Unit and the Centre for Management and Policy Studies in Admiralty Arch; [54705]

  (2) what is the estimated cost of setting up the new Centre for Management and Policy Studies in the Cabinet Office; and how many additional civil servants will be employed; [54703]

  (3) what will be the effect of the proposed Cabinet Office move to Admiralty Arch on the homeless unit currently there; how many homeless persons are currently in Admiralty Arch; and what efforts have been made to rehouse them. [54706]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department expects to spend in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on vehicle replacements. [54997]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the Summer Recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and will place a copy of the letter in the Library.
  643

  Correspondence
  Mr. McNulty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will publish the latest figures on his Department's handling of correspondence from hon. Members; and if he will make a statement. [55134]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  Figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and Agency Chief Executives from hon. Members in 1997, the targets set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target are set out in the table. The table also includes comparative figures for 1996—first published on 17 June 1997,Official Report, columns 107–12.

  Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and agency Chief Executives

  1996

  1997

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  Percentage of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  Percentage of replies within target

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  15

  10,645

  62

  15

  7,423

  76

  Intervention Board1

  —

  —

  —

  10

  27

  85

  Cabinet Office

  15

  21,067

  63

  15

  341

  96

  Minister Without Portfolio's Office

  —

  —

  —

  15

  3247

  87

  Crown Prosecution Service

  15

  92

  91

  15

  39

  85

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport4

  18

  5,476

  81

  18

  2,939

  78

  Royal Parks Agency

  10

  29

  86

  18

  18

  100

  HM Customs and Excise

  18

  4,303

  63

  18

  54,291

  20

  Ministry of Defence

  15

  5,897

  66

  15

  64,719

  65

  Army Personnel Centre

  —

  —

  —

  15

  119

  64

  Defence Evaluation and Research Agency

  10

  377

  74

  12

  27

  93

  Department for International Development7

  15

  3,508

  94

  15

  82,994

  89

  Department for Education and Employment

  20

  16,774

  88

  15

  22,460

  71

  Employment Service

  15

  1,044

  98

  15

  1,837

  93

  Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions9

  15

  930,324

  59

  15

  1031,798

  58

  DVLA

  7

  373

  100

  7

  299

  96

  Driving Standards Agency

  15

  273

  91

  15

  194

  78

  Highways Agency

  15

  662

  98

  12

  468

  71

  Marine and Coastguard Agency

  —

  —

  —

  15

  25

  100

  Planning Inspectorate

  8

  481

  84

  8

  296

  94

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  15

  37

  97

  15

  24

  96

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  10

  9,756

  95

  7

  118,735

  95

  Department of Health

  20

  11,376

  87

  20

  14,547

  76

  NHS Pensions Agency

  15

  46

  70

  15

  78

  76

  Home Office

  15

  12,072

  32

  15

  1416,831

  1320

  25

  10,371

  57

  20

  151,175

  1622

  HM Prison Service

  15

  2,911

  89

  1215

  2,702

  61

  UK Passport Agency

  10

  245

  87

  1310

  101

  97

  Inland Revenue

  18

  3,914

  41

  18

  173,323

  40

  23

  682

  85

  23

  18375

  79

  Valuation Office

  23

  256

  46

  23

  74

  31

  Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

  15

  515

  76

  15

  19301

  88

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  20

  2,876

  68

  20

  2,458

  76

  Court Service

  20

  1,217

  93

  20

  20,211,391

  99

  HM Land Registry

  20

  53

  98

  20

  2137

  100

  Public Trust Office

  15

  113

  100

  15

  2165

  98

  Northern Ireland Office (including Northern Ireland Departments)

  10

  4,195

  52

  10

  222,163

  59

  Child Support Agency

  10

  69

  86

  10

  144

  67

  Northern Ireland Prison Service

  10

  127

  99

  10

  48

  92

  644
  The Government attach great importance to the effective handling by departments of correspondence from hon. Members, and individual Ministers have already taken action to improve response times where their department's performance has not been satisfactory. However, the nature of correspondence and caseload varies greatly between departments and between agencies. In some departments and agencies, for example, a high proportion of correspondence requires reference to individual casework before a reply can be sent. Targets are set to reflect the particular circumstances of departments and agencies and performance against target is not therefore directly comparable. My Department will be producing shortly central guidance for all departments and agencies reminding them of the correct procedures to be followed when handling Ministerial correspondence.
  645

  Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and agency Chief Executives

  1996

  1997

  Department or Agency

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  Percentage of replies within target

  Target set for reply (working days)

  Number of letters received

  Percentage of replies within target

  Planning Service

  15

  163

  99

  15

  78

  77

  Rate Collection Agency

  5

  19

  100

  5

  12

  92

  Rivers Agency

  —

  —

  —

  15

  13

  85

  Road Service

  15

  91

  100

  15

  23

  87

  Social Security Agency

  10

  75

  87

  10

  94

  78

  Training and Employment Agency

  —

  —

  —

  5

  11

  100

  Water Service

  15

  52

  92

  15

  37

  92

  Office for National Statistics

  10

  199

  54

  10

  23269

  92

  President of the Council's Office

  —

  —

  —

  15

  3102

  91

  Scottish Office

  Historic Scotland

  17

  5,226

  61

  17

  4,722

  65

  Scottish Courts Service

  17

  59

  93

  17

  23

  91

  Scottish Office

  —

  —

  —

  17

  11

  82

  Pensions Agency

  17

  31

  97

  17

  38

  97

  Scottish Prison Service

  17

  112

  99

  17

  145

  97

  Student Awards Agency for Scotland

  17

  120

  97

  17

  240

  70

  Department of Social Security

  20

  18,091

  74

  20

  17,585

  51

  Benefits Agency

  20

  2,175

  98

  20

  3,314

  89

  Child Support Agency

  20

  9,110

  62

  20

  8,182

  99

  Contributions Agency

  20

  395

  61

  20

  338

  89

  War Pensions Agency

  20

  1,283

  99

  20

  693

  99

  Department of Trade and Industry

  10

  15,483

  74

  10

  519,459

  61

  Companies House

  10

  48

  100

  10

  41

  100

  Insolvency Service

  10

  42

  98

  10

  27

  100

  Patent Office

  10

  26

  100

  10

  12

  100

  Radiocommunications Agency

  10

  23

  100

  10

  27

  96

  HM Treasury

  15

  4,331

  57

  15

  4,553

  54

  Treasury Solicitor's Department

  —

  —

  —

  15

  2439

  100

  Welsh Office

  12

  2,989

  80

  15

  2,998

  75

  CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments)

  10

  35

  97

  12

  65

  83

  Notes on 1997 Figures: 25

  1 The Intervention Board is not a MAFF Agency but a separate Government Department reporting to MAFF Ministers

  2 Includes correspondence from MPs to the then Deputy Prime Minister

  3 Figures from 1 May 1997 to 31 December 1997

  4 The Department of National Heritage was renamed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 July 1997

  5 Includes all Ministerial replies, not only replies to Members of Parliament

  6 Excludes 447 letters where Agency Chief Executives replied on Ministers' behalf

  7 The Overseas Development Administration became the Department for International Development on 1 May 1997

  8 Since 1 May 1997, DFID no longer handles correspondence on political matters in Africa. 1996 and 1997 figures are therefore not directly comparable

  9The former DOE and DOT merged on 1 May 1997 to form the DETR. 1996 correspondence figures for the former DOE and DOT have been added together for ease of reference

  10 74 per cent, of letters were replied to within 20 working days

  11 In addition, the FCO's migration and visa department received 9,818 letters direct from MPs in 1997, of which 42 per cent, were replied to within 15 working days

  12 HM Prison Service DG cases

  13 UK Passport Agency DG cases

  14 Includes letters from January 1997 where the target time was reduced for IND and UKPA cases from 25 to 15 working days. Excludes letters where Agency Chief Executives have replied on Ministers' behalf

  15 Includes letters from February 1997 where the target time was reduced for HMP cases from 25 to 20 working days. Excludes letters where Agency Chief Executives have replied on Ministers' behalf

  16 The Home Office is reviewing its procedures and has appointed a team to improve the timeliness of Ministerial replies and to establish that its statistics are prepared on the same basis as other departments

  17 Head Office figures

  18 Local Office and "delegated" figures (where local officials reply direct to MPs)

  19 This figure excludes letters which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions

  20 Part estimated

  21 Includes letters where the Chief Executive has replied on Ministers' behalf

  22 Excludes DOE (NI) which received 368 letters from MPs in 1997 (77 per cent, of which were replied to within 5–15 working days). The figures given in the table, however, include an element of all letters which received a Ministerial reply, where figures for MPs' letters only were not held separately

  23 Includes 208 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf

  24 Includes 11 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers behalf

  25 The 1996 figures are taken from the Official Report, 17 June 1997, columns 107–112. Please also refer to notes given with that reply,Departments and Agencies which received a total of between 1 and 10 letters from MPs during 1997 are not shown in this table
  646 647

  Service Standards
  Mr. McNulty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the performance of the main departments and agencies against the six service standards for central Government. [55135]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  The six standards came into effect on 1 April 1997. An analysis of the main departments' performance over the 12 months to 31 March 1998 showed that they generally had both telephone inquiry

  Department

  Target (working days)

  Total volume

  Percentage of responses within target

  Target 1998–99

  Agencies included

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food1

  15

  65,410

  89

  15

  yes

  Cabinet Office (OPS)

  15

  6,226

  95.6

  15

  yes

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport2

  18

  21,162

  68

  18

  no

  Customs and Excise

  10

  572,430

  89

  10

  n/a

  Ministry of Defence3

  20

  5,922

  96

  20

  yes

  Department for Education and Employment

  15

  116,417

  88

  15

  no

  Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions4

  15

  672,980

  96

  15

  yes

  Department of Health1

  20

  46,675

  66

  20

  yes

  Home Office

  20

  5173,285

  81

  20

  6—

  Inland Revenue

  20

  785m

  873.7

  20

  n/a

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  20

  10,200

  77

  20

  no

  Northern Ireland Office (including Northern Ireland Departments)

  15

  198,160

  94

  15

  9—

  Department of Social Security

  20

  1032,618

  77

  20

  no

  Scottish Office

  20

  200,000

  71

  20

  yes

  Department of Trade and Industry

  15

  133,200

  95

  15

  no

  Welsh Office

  15

  65,087

  86

  15

  yes

  Benefits Agency2

  20

  25,816

  92

  20

  n/a

  Child Support Agency

  10

  11—

  67

  10

  n/a

  Child Support Agency (Northern Ireland)

  10

  2,981

  89

  10

  n/a

  Contributions Agency

  20

  259,302

  92

  20

  n/a

  Court Service

  10

  74,534,387

  99.5

  10

  n/a

  Employment Service

  10

  12—

  91

  10

  n/a

  Social Security Agency (Northern Ireland)

  15

  41,609

  96.5

  15

  n/a

  1 Correspondence received between 1 November 1997 and 31 March 1998

  2 Figures relate to correspondence addressed to Ministers

  3 Correspondence addressed to Ministers, e-mailed to the MOD web site, and mail on defence issues received by other departments between 1 August 1997 and 31 March 1998

  4 As a result of the large increase in correspondence after the General Election it was often impossible for letters to be passed to answering the division within 15 days. Consequently many parts of the Department have interpreted the target as being a response within 15 days of receipt in the responding division, rather than from when the letter was actually received in the Department

  5 The number of letters received by the Central Correspondence Unit from members of the public, and the percentage of letters meeting the target, was taken from a statistically monitored sample

  6 Includes all Home Office agencies except the Prison Service

  7 This is the number of items of post received by the Department's network of offices

  8 Holding replies are not counted in order to maximise the incentive to issue full replies quickly

  9 Includes all Northern Ireland departments' agencies except the Prison Service, and the CSA(NI) and SSA(NI) whose performance is shown separately

  10 In addition 17,151 letters were received from DSS HQ but were passed on to the Department's executive agencies for reply and are therefore included in the agencies' return

  11 Total volumes are not recorded. Performance is calculated through a sample, which in 1997–98 was just under 25,000 letters

  12 Total volume not known. The performance against target was calculated by evaluating 4,000 letters sent out by a research company. In the same period some 780 letters were received addressed to Ministers—80.6 per cent, of these were cleared within 15 days

  I will be placing a more detailed summary of performance by the main departments and agencies against the six standards in the Libraries of the House. I believe the Whitehall Standards are an important tool for improving the quality of Central Government services. This is the first time such information has
  648
  points and complaints procedures in place, were consulting their users, and were trying to make their services more accessible, for example, through greater use of new technology and the publication of information in minority languages. On appointments, the results showed that people were generally seen within 10 minutes of a pre-arranged appointment.

  The performance of the main departments and agencies in responding to letters from the public is set out in the table.

  been made available. It shows our commitment to open government and to reporting transparently on our performance. We plan to retain the standards in their present form until 31 March 1999, when they will be reviewed and if necessary revised.
  649

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Nicaragua
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the long term effectiveness of the 1998 IMF agreement with Nicaragua. [54818]

  Ms Hewitt
  I have been asked to reply.

  I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

TREASURY

  Foreign Earnings Deduction
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 June 1998,Official Report, column 652, on foreign earnings deduction (1) if he will define the phrase, "very high incomes", used in paragraph 22 of the Inland Revenue Explanatory Notes to Clause 63 of the Finance (No. 2) Bill; [46401]

  (2) if he will define the phrase, "very high earning individuals" used in paragraph 2 of the Inland Revenue Press Release 33 of 17 March. [46402]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 18 June 1998]: As I explained in my answer of 11 June, there is no standard definition of what constitutes very high earnings.

  Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current net annual cost to the Exchequer of the operation of(a) the National Air Traffic Services, (b) student loans, (c) residual debt in British Energy plc., (d) Radio Spectrum, (e) Belfast Port, (f) the Commonwealth Development Corporation, (g) the Royal Mint and (h) the Tote. [47037]

  Mr. Byers
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  North Sea Fiscal Regime
  Sir Robert Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish his consultation paper on the North Sea fiscal regime; and if he will make a statement. [49369]

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to adjust the tax regime on oil companies. [47769]

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the consultation document on the taxation of North Sea oil. [54118]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 9 July 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide a
  650
  substantive answer before the Summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Gentlemen shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Inland Revenue on the feasibility of delivering the working families tax credit via the PAYE system; and if he will place a copy of any such representations in the Library. [50252]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 13 July 1998]: The advice of officials to Ministers is confidential, but I can refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hove (Mr. Caplin) on 9 July 1998, Official Report, column 576, on the question of how the WFTC will be delivered to employees.

  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what date he has set for achieving the target of an £180 per week income for all working families with a full-time worker under the working families tax credit scheme. [53115]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The WFTC will guarantee an income of £180 for families with a full time worker from when it is introduced in October 1999.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the number of people expected to be entitled to, and to claim, the working families tax credit in Scotland. [53172]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: It is estimated that in 2000–01, the first full year of WFTC, around 130,000 families in Scotland will be in receipt of WFTC and we intend to ensure that as many families as are entitled receive the tax credit.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which computer system will be used to collect(a) tax and national insurance information and (b) information required under the working families tax credit; and which company/consortium has been awarded the contract to oversee the computer system. [52747]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The current, separate, IT systems for collecting tax and NIC will continue to be used and the Working Family Tax Credit will build on existing Family Credit IT systems. The current IT support for Family Credit will transfer to the Inland Revenue to enable them to successfully deliver the Working Family Tax Credit. There has been no new award of contracts resulting from Working Family Tax Credits or the proposed merger of The Contributions Agency.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what systems have been set up to allow for direct payments from the Inland Revenue of the working families tax credit where the credit is not made through the pay packet. [52803]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
  651
  Mr. Bendel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are expected to be eligible for, and to claim, the child care credit within the working families tax credit; and if his Department has estimated the costs involved in Scotland. [53173]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  £ per week

  Single earner married couple (1 child aged 4)

  Gross Income

  150

  200

  250

  300

  350

  400

  Net Income (after taxes and benefits)

  245.73

  260.99

  276.07

  291.14

  306.22

  321.29

  Equivalised Net Income

  208.25

  221.18

  233.96

  246.73

  259.51

  272.28

  The figures include the effect of Budget measures taking effect in 1999–2000 (abolishing the employee NICs entry fee, MCA at 10 per cent. and £2.50 additional child benefit for the first child, although at 1998–99 levels of tax and benefits.

  The data assume that the earner in the household is working over 30 hours a week for Working Family Tax Credit purposes; that earnings are from employment; and that there are no other sources of income.

  The Standard McClements scales have been used to determine equivalised income. This is the same process that is used in the DSS's Households Below Average Income publication.At some levels of earnings this family may also be entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit. However, as this will depend upon the composition of the housing costs (between mortgage payments, council tax, and rent), housing benefit and council tax benefit have been left out of these figures.

  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the basis for his assumption that 20 per cent. of the working families tax credit is to be accounted for as tax forgone. [53720]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The assumption that 20 per cent. of the Working Families Tax Credit will be accounted for as tax forgone is based on an estimate of the proportion of WFTC payments which are paid up to an individual's gross income tax liability. WFTC payments paid over an individual's gross income tax liability will be accounted for as expenditure in the national accounts, under current conventions.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Treasury has reached agreement with the Office for National Statistics on the treatment of the working families tax credit for the purposes of the national accounts. [54121]

  Mr. Byers
  Decisions on classification for the national accounts are for Office for National Statistics alone following international standards.
  652
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 16 June 1998,Official Report, column 133–34, if he will give the corresponding figures for a single earner married couple with one child aged four years. [53692]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The table shows the net income (after income tax, including WFTC, NICs and child benefit), and equivalised net income, of a single earner married couple with 1 child aged 4, at different levels of gross income, with an additional £48.80 of basic WFTC.

  International Debt
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list by country the value of the outstanding debts on(a) United Kingdom aid loans and (b) loans guaranteed by the British Government through the ECGD for (i) each developing country which reports under the Debtor reporting System of the World Bank, (ii) Afghanistan, (iii) Antigua and Barbuda, (iv) Bahrain, (v) Cuba, (vi) Gibraltar, (vii) Iraq, (viii) Kiribati, (ix) the Democratic Republic of Korea, (x) Libya, (xi) Namibia, (xii) Saudi Arabia and (xiii) Surinam; [51422]

  (2) if he will list by country the amounts of (a) interest and (b) principal received by (i) the ECGD and (ii) the Department for International Development, in each year since 1979, from (1) each developing country which reports under the Debtor reporting System of the World Bank, (2) Afghanistan, (3) Antigua and Barbuda, (4) Bahrain, (5) Cuba, (6) Gibraltar, (7) Iraq, (8) Kiribati, (9) the Democratic Republic of Korea, (10) Libya, (11) Namibia, (12) Saudi Arabia and (13) Surinam. [51424]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 20 July 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Domestic Fuel (VAT)
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the cost of reducing VAT on domestic fuel for, and estimate the benefit to,(a) non-pensioners, (b) pensioners on income support and (c) pensioners not on income support; [52035]

  (2) if he will estimate the average annual benefit for households that include (a) a person on income support, (b) a person paying higher rate tax and (c) no person on income support and no person paying higher rate tax, of reducing VAT on domestic fuel. [52036]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  New Deal
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people his Department is committed to
  653
  employing during 1998 under (a) the subsidised job option and (b) the unsubsidised job option of the New Deal programme. [52591]

  Ms Hewitt
  As a major UK employer, Government departments are being actively encouraged to consider the important supply of potential new recruits that New Deal can offer. So far as the Chancellor's main departments are concerned, the Inland Revenue will have a programme in place this autumn under which it hopes to employ over 100 people in subsidised jobs in the first full year, more if there are people who fit the department's needs. About 30 people will be in post by the end of December. Customs and Excise expect to recruit up to 6 people into unsubsidised jobs over the next year. HM Treasury, though not undertaking much recruitment at the moment, will recruit at least one person from the New Deal Gateway into an unsubsidised job, before the end of the year. Of the Chancellor's smaller departments, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) hopes to recruit up to 11 staff in subsidised jobs.

  Charities' Taxation
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received from charities about the abolition of the repayment of dividend tax credits; and if he will list the individual organisations, indicating how many(a) supported and (b) opposed the policy. [52552]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 27 July 1998]: About 250 charities, many in response to the Charities Taxation Review, have written asking for changes to the current treatment of dividend tax credits. We have made generous transitional arrangements to help charities adjust to the withdrawal of payable tax credits.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Mr. Eason's letter of 19 May regarding the McKinsey report. [52722]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Treasury has no record of having received Mr. Eason's letter. I will be happy to respond promptly when I do receive it.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Spelthorne of 20 January, concerning Mr. F. R. Cannings of Ashford, Middlesex, reference 1/03342/1998. [53797]

  Ms Hewitt:
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I regret the long delay in replying to this letter. The correspondence was unfortunately mislaid due to a problem with the computer system used to handle Ministerial correspondence between the Inland Revenue and the Treasury. In view of its subject matter, the correspondence has now been passed to my right hon. Friend the President of the Council and Leader of the House and I understand the hon. Member can expect to receive a reply in the near future.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter dated 22 June regarding a constituent (ref: 0603/19). [54100]
  654
  Dawn Primarolo
  I replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 28 July.

  Sport (VAT)
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he received in the period 9 April to 24 July regarding the VAT (Sports, Sports Competitions and Physical Education) Order 1998. [53333]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I have received a number of representations which have been taken into account by Customs and Excise.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total revenue forgone from 1 April to 30 June as a result of the withdrawal of the VAT (Sport, Sports Competitions and Physical Education) Order 1998. [53331]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Customs and Excise estimate the avoidance of VAT during that period to have been £2 million.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the redrafting of the VAT (Sport, Sports Competitions and Physical Education) Order 1998 to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [53335]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Customs and Excise will consult on any proposals before a further announcement is made.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding VAT treatment for sporting facilities provided by(a) local authorities and (b) private individuals and organisations. [53332]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I have received a number of representations concerning the VAT treatment of sporting facilities and the VAT (Sport, Sports Competitions and Physical Education) Order 1998.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise News Release 06/98, when the consultation exercise regarding VAT exemption on sporting services commenced; and when it will be completed. [53334]

  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the revised draft order on the VAT treatment of sports clubs will be published for consultation. [52856]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The arrangements for the consultation exercise will be announced by means of a Customs and Excise News Release.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of revenue which would accrue from the taxation of disability living allowance. [53035]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write

  655
  to the hon. Member shortly and a place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to stimulate investment in and expansion of small business; what consideration he has given to allowing the retention of profits for the purpose of investment in and the expansion of small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [53124]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The Government announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review that they will refocus business support programmes to promote innovation and enterprise, with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises that have the potential for high growth.

  The Government said in the last Budget that they will continue to examine how best to create an environment which encourages investment by small and medium-sized businesses. This includes reviewing the case for continuing with enhanced capital allowances.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he will take to ensure that the tax take on small businesses is redistributed to provide incentives for the retention of earnings for investment. [54941]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent of tax barriers to long-term investment in small companies. [54940]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Capital Gains Tax regime encourages long-term investment in all companies, irrespective of their size.

  Compliance Cost Assessments
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cumulative net increase in compliance costs has been estimated in compliance cost assessments published by his Department since 1 May 1997. [52963]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The estimated net cumulative increase in compliance costs assessments published by the Chancellor's departments during the period 1 May 1997 to 30 June 1998 is as follows:

  Recurring: £7 million

  Non-recurring: In the range of £44 million—£94 million.

  Of the non-recurring costs, some £25 million to £75 million is accounted for by the Modernisation of the Transfer Pricing Legislation arising out of the Finance (No.2) Bill 1998. This estimate is based on the minimum and maximum cost figures arising from consultation with parties who would be affected by the legislation and represents best and worst case assumptions.

  Inland Revenue Office, Evesham
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of the Evesham Inland Revenue Office. [52735]
  656
  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Least Cost Procurement
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Secretary of State for Defence has agreed his Department's proposals for least cost procurement. [52799]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 20 July 1998, Official Report, column 430.

  Government Receipts
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the receipts from(a) tobacco duty, (b) alcohol duty and (c) other duties expressed (i) in cash terms, (ii) at June 1998 prices and (iii) as a percentage of total Government receipts for each year since 1982–83. [53208]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The figures for (a) tobacco are as follows:

  £ million

  Year

  Cash terms

  June 1998 prices

  Percentage of total general Government receipts

  1982–83

  3,446

  6,853

  2.8

  1983–84

  3,806

  7,231

  2.9

  1984–85

  4,140

  7,488

  2.9

  1985–86

  4,459

  7,614

  2.9

  1986–87

  4,755

  7,868

  3.0

  1987–88

  4,767

  7,585

  2.7

  1988–89

  4,990

  7,491

  2.6

  1989–90

  5,035

  7,012

  2.4

  1990–91

  5,636

  7,155

  2.6

  1991–92

  6,290

  7,623

  2.8

  1992–93

  6,041

  7.098

  2.7

  1993–94

  6,518

  7,530

  2.8

  1994–95

  7,388

  8,308

  2.9

  1995–96

  7,291

  7,940

  2.7

  1996–97

  8,039

  8,547

  2.8

  1997–98

  8,356

  8,600

  2.7

  The figures for (b) alcohol duty are as follows:

  £ million

  Year

  Cash terms

  June 1998 prices

  Percentage of total general Government receipts

  1982–83

  3,021

  6,008

  2.5

  1983–84

  4,035

  7,667

  3.1

  1984–85

  3,761

  6,802

  2.7

  1985–86

  4,197

  7,167

  2.8

  1986–87

  4,184

  6,923

  2.6

  1987–88

  4,343

  6,911

  2.5

  1988–89

  4,518

  6,783

  2.4

  1989–90

  4,438

  6,180

  2.1

  1990–91

  4,856

  6,165

  2.2

  1991–92

  5,065

  6,140

  2.3

  657

  £ million

  Year

  Cash terms

  June 1998 prices

  Percentage of total general Government receipts

  1992–93

  5,108

  6,002

  2.3

  1993–94

  5,172

  5,975

  2.3

  1994–95

  5,560

  6,252

  2.2

  1995–96

  5,617

  6,118

  2.1

  1996–97

  5,631

  5,987

  2.0

  1997–98

  5,742

  5,909

  1.8

  The figures for (c) other duties are as follows:

  £ million

  Year

  Cash terms

  June 1998 prices

  Percentage of total general Government receipts

  1982–83

  8,714

  17,329

  7.1

  1983–84

  9,427

  17,911

  7.2

  1984–85

  10,422

  18,851

  7.4

  1985–86

  10,846

  18,519

  7.1

  1986–87

  12,161

  20,124

  7.6

  1987–88

  12,824

  20,406

  7.3

  1988–89

  14,096

  21,162

  7.4

  1989–90

  14,455

  20,129

  7.0

  1990–91

  15,307

  19,434

  7.0

  1991–92

  16,748

  20,300

  7.5

  1992–93

  17,476

  20,534

  7.8

  1993–94

  19,609

  22,653

  8.5

  1994–95

  21,368

  24,028

  8.5

  1995–96

  24,119

  26,268

  8.9

  1996–97

  25,487

  27,099

  8.0

  1997–98

  28,313

  29,140

  9.0

  Note:

  Other duties include vehicle excise duty, hydrocarbon oils duty, betting and gaming duties, matches and mechanical lighters (until information requested is in the following table: 1993), air passenger duty and customs duties.

  £ million

  Income tax

  Capital gains tax1

  Year

  In cash terms

  At 1998 Q1 prices1

  As a % of general government receipts

  In cash terms

  At 1998 Q1 prices

  As a % of general government receipts

  1982–83

  30.361

  86.050

  24.8

  632

  1,791

  0.5

  1983–84

  31,108

  81,293

  23.8

  671

  1,753

  0.5

  1984–85

  32,507

  79,286

  23.0

  730

  1,781

  0.5

  1985–86

  33,353

  78,484

  23.3

  908

  2,016

  0.6

  1986–87

  39,499

  79,403

  24.1

  1,064

  2,194

  0.7

  1987–88

  41,402

  77,135

  23.6

  1,379

  2,569

  0.8

  1988–89

  43,433

  72,680

  22.7

  2,323

  3,887

  1.2

  1989–90

  48,801

  75,170

  23.5

  1,854

  2,856

  0.9

  1990–91

  55,287

  80,447

  25.3

  1,852

  2,695

  0.8

  1991–92

  57,493

  80,115

  25.9

  1,140

  1,589

  0.5

  1992–93

  56,797

  75,822

  25.5

  982

  1,311

  0.4

  1993–94

  58,442

  73,948

  25.4

  710

  898

  0.3

  1994–95

  63,100

  75,337

  25.2

  926

  1,105

  0.4

  1995–96

  68,049

  77,263

  25.1

  796

  904

  0.3

  1996–97

  69,071

  74,385

  24.1

  1,131

  1,218

  0.4

  1997–983

  76,700

  77,981

  24.4

  1,450

  1,474

  0.5

  658
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the receipts from VAT expressed (i) in cash Percentage of terms, (ii) at June 1998 prices and (iii) as a percentage total general June 1998 Government of total Government receipts for each year since Year Cash terms prices receipts 1982–83. [53207]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The figures are as follows:

  £ million

  Year

  Cash terms

  June 1998 prices

  Percentage of total general Government receipts

  1982–83

  13,816

  27,474

  11.3

  1983–84

  15,218

  28,916

  11.7

  1984–85

  18,535

  33,525

  13.1

  1985–86

  19,331

  33,008

  12.7

  1986–87

  21,365

  35,354

  13.4

  1987–88

  24,067

  38,297

  13.7

  1988–89

  27,328

  41,026

  14.3

  1989–90

  29,482

  41,055

  14.2

  1990–91

  31,006

  39,364

  14.2

  1991–92

  35,626

  43,181

  16.0

  1992–93

  37,246

  43,763

  16.7

  1993–94

  38,959

  45,008

  17.0

  1994–95

  41,817

  47,024

  16.7

  1995–96

  43,069

  46,907

  15.9

  1996–97

  46,657

  49,608

  16.3

  1997–98

  50,865

  52,351

  16.2

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what were the receipts from(a) inheritance tax and (b) corporation tax expressed (i) in cash terms, (ii) at June 1998 prices and (iii) as a percentage of total Government receipts for each year since 1982–83; [53206]

  (2) what were the receipts from (a) income tax and (b) capital gains tax expressed (i) in cash terms, (ii) at June 1998 prices and (iii) as a percentage of total Government receipts for each year since 1982–83. [53205]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 29 july 1998]: The information requested is the following table:

  659

  £ million

  Inheritance tax

  Corporation tax1

  Year

  In cash terms

  At 1998 Q1 prices2

  As a % of general government receipts

  In cash terms

  At 1998 Q1 prices

  As a % of general government receipts

  1982–83

  499

  1,414

  0.4

  5,677

  16,090

  4.6

  1983–84

  599

  1,565

  0.5

  6,184

  16,160

  4.7

  1984–85

  658

  1,605

  0.5

  8,341

  20,344

  5.8

  1985–86

  881

  1,956

  0.6

  10,708

  23,772

  7.1

  1986–87

  988

  2,038

  0.6

  13,495

  27,833

  8.4

  1987–88

  1,078

  2,008

  0.6

  15,734

  29,314

  9.0

  1988–89

  1,071

  1,792

  0.6

  18,537

  31,019

  9.7

  1989–90

  1,232

  1,898

  0.6

  21,495

  33,110

  10.4

  1990–91

  1,262

  1,836

  0.6

  21,495

  31,277

  9.8

  1991–92

  1,299

  1,810

  0.6

  18,263

  25,449

  8.2

  1992–93

  1,211

  1,617

  0.5

  15,783

  21,070

  7.1

  1993–94

  1,333

  1,687

  0.6

  14,887

  18,837

  6.5

  1994–95

  1,411

  1,685

  0.6

  19,390

  23,150

  7.7

  1995–96

  1,518

  1,724

  0.6

  23,570

  26,762

  8.7

  1996–97

  1,558

  1,678

  0.5

  27,788

  29,926

  9.7

  1997–983

  1,700

  1,728

  0.5

  30,500

  31,009

  9.7

  1 Tax on capital gains realised by companies is included in corporation tax

  2 Using the GDP deflator at market prices adjusted for the abolition of domestic rates

  3 Provisional

  Aircraft and Ship Sales
  Mr. Goggins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the implementation of the opinion of the European Commission on the successor regime for duty and tax-paid sales on aircraft and ships after the end of June 1999 will require a change in(a) EU and (b) United Kingdom law. [52536]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The Commission's view is that there is no requirement for a change in EU legislation in order to enact their suggestion for the successor regime and it has said that, to the extent necessary, certain legal provisions may be disregarded by mutual agreement. The UK has reserved its position on this to examine all options.

  Dividend Tax Credits
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government will issue a statement on the ability of non-taxpayers to claim tax credits on dividend income. [53969]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Paymaster General to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 23 July 1998,Official Report, column 652, and 28 July 1998, Official Report, column 217.

  Children's Fund
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Department will have prime responsibility for administering the children's fund. [53890]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]The Children's Fund will be set up to fund Sure Start, a new programme for 0–3 year olds and their families in areas 660
  of need. It will be located on the budget of the Department for Education and Employment and administered by new inter-departmental arrangements.

  VAT Group Treatment
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated annual lost revenue resulting from VAT avoidance from schemes using the VAT grouping concessions. [53721]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: There is no reliable estimate of the VAT loss arising from exploitation of the grouping facility for tax avoidance purposes. The revenue cost of the normal operation of the facility has been estimated at £400 million.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate his Department has made of the additional revenue which will be raised from(a) the education sector, (b) the health sector, (c) the property industry, (d) the banking sector, (e) the financial services industry, (f) the insurance industry and (g) charities as a result of the restriction of VAT group treatment to fully-taxable corporate bodies; [54693]

  (2) what amount of additional revenue will be raised by the Government's proposals to restrict VAT group treatment to fully-taxable corporate bodies; [54840]

  (3) what estimate his Department has made of the effect on customer charges for financial services products of the restriction of VAT group treatment to fully-taxable corporate bodies; [54701]

  (4) what basis the estimated revenue cost of £400 million of current VAT grouping structures is calculated; [54819]

  (5) what research the Treasury has carried out since 1 May 1997 on the revenue cost of current VAT grouping structures; [54837]
  661
  (6) what estimate his Department has made of the (a) compliance costs and (b) restructuring costs resulting from the restriction of VAT group treatment to fully taxable corporate bodies. [54832]

  Dawn Primarolo
  No reliable or up-to-date estimates exist of the costs associated with the VAT grouping facility, either for business or the Exchequer. It is one of the main purposes of the consultation process that the extent of such costs, and the associated revenue implications, should be established. As part of this process Customs and Excise will be meeting representatives from a number of key business sectors in the autumn to discuss, in detail, these and other aspects of the proposal to restrict the VAT grouping facility.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the rules relating to VAT group treatment in each other member state of the European Union. [54694]

  Dawn Primarolo
  VAT grouping facilities exist in eight of the fifteen member States of the EU: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Germany and the Netherlands operate systems which are obligatory and which encompass the entire corporate group. In Sweden and Finland grouping is restricted to the financial sector. The Danish facility is broadly similar to the current system operated in the UK. VAT grouping in the Republic of Ireland is granted at the absolute discretion of the Revenue Commissioners.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have taken place with other European Ministers about the harmonisation of VAT rates; and if he will make a statement. [54633]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There have been no recent discussions in ECOFIN about the harmonisation of VAT rates. However, the European Commission's suggestion for an optional reduced rate of VAT for some local, labour-intensive services was discussed at February's ECOFIN.

  Any change to the EC VAT system requires the unanimous agreement of member states. The Government, while supportive of efforts to simplify and modernise the current European Community VAT system, are opposed to further harmonisation at the Community level.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate his Department has made of the level of abuse of the current rules on VAT grouping in order to avoid tax; and how much tax he estimates to have been lost as a result of this abuse; [54831]

  (2) how much of the revenue raised by the Government's proposals to restrict VAT group treatment to fully-taxable corporate bodies will come from closing down tax avoidance schemes. [54839]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There is no reliable estimate of the VAT loss arising from exploitation of the grouping facility for tax avoidance purposes. The revenue cost of the normal operation of the facility has been estimated at £400 million.
  662
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with other European Finance Ministers about the proposed changes to the VAT grouping rules. [54695]

  Dawn Primarolo
  No such discussions have been held.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of companies which because of regulatory requirements cannot restructure their organisation to avoid being affected by the proposed restriction of VAT group treatment to fully-taxable corporate bodies; [54696]

  (2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of companies which will be able to restructure their organisation to avoid being affected by the proposed restriction of VAT group treatment to fully-taxable corporate bodies; [54697]

  (3) how many companies, broken down by sector, will be affected by the Government's proposals to restrict VAT group treatment to fully taxable corporate bodies. [54838]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There are no detailed estimates as to the number of companies which would be affected by the proposal to restrict VAT grouping. The main purposes of the consultation process are to give businesses the opportunity to comment in detail on the potential implications that such a proposal would have for them and to obtain better information about the numbers and types of companies affected.

  Taxation (Guernsey)
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will enter into negotiations with the Government of Guernsey to alter the United Kingdom's tax treaty with Guernsey so that the treatment of dividends from Guernsey companies is put on an equal footing with tax dividends from other EU countries. [53809]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I am not clear what the hon. Member has in mind. The tax treatment of a dividend paid by a Guernsey company and received in the UK is no different from the tax treatment of a dividend payable by a company resident in an EU country. In both cases, where the recipient of the dividend is a UK resident company which controls at least 10 per cent. of the voting power in the company paying the dividend, tax credit relief is allowed for the amount of tax actually paid on the profits out of which the dividend is paid; a UK resident individual is not entitled to such relief.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequers which of his agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53955]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executives of the Royal Mint, the Valuation Office, the Debt Management Office, National Savings and the Office for National Statistics. I have asked each of them to reply directly.
  663
  Letter from Allan E. Pearce to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 31 July 1998:
  Thank you for your recent question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding procedures to identify persistent inquirers.I am replying on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Royal Mint.
  Whilst we do on occasion receive calls from persistent inquirers, the Mint does not monitor these independently of general enquiries.
  I hope you will find this reply helpful.

  Letter from Michael A. Johns to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 31 July 1998:
  I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Chancellor (ref 53955) where you ask which of his agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquiries for information.
  The Valuation Office Agency monitors correspondence which requires a substantive reply, but we do not log incoming telephone calls.
  We do not have specific procedures in place to identify persistent inquiries as we have not experienced any problems with this to date.
  I trust that this answers your query, but if I can help further please let me know.

  Letter from Mike Williams to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply direct to the Parliamentary Question you asked about procedures for identifying persistent inquiries for information, insofar as it relates to the UK Debt Management Office ("DMO").
  The DMO does not maintain a formal record of persistent telephone inquirers although, by the nature of our business, we have a large number of regular telephone inquirers and monitor informally the sources of all telephone inquiries made. The great majority of inquiries from the general public are seeking factual information on gilt-edged stock.
  We do maintain a formal record of all written inquiries to the DMO and have a published target deadline within which to respond to these. A written acknowledgement will be sent to inquirers within two weeks of the receipt of the correspondence and, for at least 95 per cent. of inquirers, a substantive reply will be sent within four weeks.

  Letter from Peter Bareau to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 31 July 1998:
  I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question 53955 about whether National Savings has procedures to identify persistent inquiries for information.
  National Savings receives thousands of calls for information each day from savers. We keep records of many of the calls, but do not monitor specifically for calls from persistent inquirers.
  National Savings does, however, keep a record of the main subjects of inquiry and ensures that the staff who handle inquiries are equipped to deal with them.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question on Treasury agencies having procedures to identify persistent inquiries for information.
  The ONS Public Enquiry Line staff record the total number of calls they have answered. However, whilst they do receive calls from persistent inquirers, these are not monitored independently.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those who have accompanied (i) him and (ii) his departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved,
  664
  (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53838]

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: All overseas visits by Treasury Ministers are conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Ministerial code.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53868]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The Government are committed to keeping the number of NDPBs to a minimum, and to ensuring that those which remain are open, accountable and effective. Details of all Non-departmental Public Bodies in existence since 1 May 1997 are listed in "Public Bodies 1997". Since publication, the Policyholder's Protection Board has transferred from the DTI to the Treasury.

  ICL Pathway Project
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope), of 23 July 1998,Official Report, columns 652–53, on the ICL Pathway Project, what is the extent of the Government's commitment to the completion of the project. [53454]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The Government are committed to providing a secure and cost effective method of paying benefits over post office counters. ICL pathway have contracted with the Benefits Agency (on behalf of DSS) and Post Office Counters Ltd. to deliver this using the benefit payment card.

  Economic and Monetary Union
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the main activities of the Euro Preparations Unit since December 1997; [53741]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the programme of the Standing Committee on Preparations for EMU in 1998–99; [53737]

  (3) if he will publish a breakdown of the Euro Preparations Unit's programme of co-ordination with external organisations. [53740]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The Treasury published on 28 July "Getting Ready for the Euro, first report July 1998". Copies were placed in the Library of the House. The report includes a description of the activities undertaken by the Treasury's Euro Preparations Unit, including its extensive contacts with business. The report also sets out the programme of

  665
  activities relating to practical preparations for the euro over the next six months, including the next meeting of the Standing Committee on preparations for EMU. The Standing Committee is expected to consider preparations for the launch of the euro on 1 January 1999, communications with business, and progress on the outline national changeover plan, which will set out the steps which would need to be followed if the United Kingdom were to decide to join the single currency.

  Task Forces
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the task forces and advisory groups composed of independent members which have been set up by his Department since 1 May 1997, indicating in each case(a) their remit, (b) their membership, (c) how many members are (i) scientists, (ii) engineers, (iii) small business people or representatives of small businesses,(d) any remuneration members receive for their services and (e) their budget. [53282]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]The task forces and advisory groups composed of independent members, which have been set up by the Treasury since 1 May 1997 are as follows:

  1. Private Finance Taskforce

  (a) remit:
  to advance the private finance initiative and private/public partnerships across government;

  (b) membership: twenty two;

  (c) composition:

  (i) scientists: none;

  (ii) engineers: two;

  (iii) small business: two

  (d) remuneration:

  thirteen members of the Taskforce are full time employees of Treasury Taskforce Limited and receive salaries and benefits under contracts of employment with that company: 6 are civil servants employed under normal civil service terms and conditions and three are secondees from the private sector whose terms and conditions are determined by their employers;

  (e) budget: £2,317,000per year;

  2. Task force on Banks' Assistance to Credit Unions

  (a) remit:
  to explore ways in which banks and building societies can work more closely with credit unions to increase their effectiveness; to look at ways to widen the range of services provided to credit union customers; and to encourage the continued expansion of the movement;

  (b) membership:
  yet to be announced;

  (c) composition:
  yet to be announced;

  (d) remuneration: none;

  (e) budget:
  out of pocket expenses only;

  3. Working Group on the Financing of High Technology Companies

  (a) remit:
  to identify financing barriers experienced by UK high technology companies and to bring forward proposals to help overcome those barriers;

  (b) membership: 15;

  666

  (c)composition:

  (i) scientists: none;

  (ii) engineers: none;

  (iii) small business: one;

  (d) remuneration: none;

  (e) budget: none;

  4. Standing Committee on preparations for EMU

  (a) remit:
  to oversee preparations for EMU;

  (b) membership:
  14, including seven ministers;

  (c) composition:

  (i) scientists: none;

  (ii) engineers: none;

  (iii) small business: the President of the CBI and the President of the British Chambers of Commerce are members;

  (d) remuneration: none;

  (e) budget: none;

  5. Business Advisory Group on EMU

  (a) remit:

  to provide advice on the practical and strategic implications of EMU;

  (b) membership: 22;

  (c) composition:1

  (i) scientists: none;

  (ii) engineers: the Engineering Employers' Federation is represented;

  (iii) small business: many of the associations represented on the Business Advisory Group have members which are small businesses, and two of the associations have memberships entirely composed of small businesses;

  (d) remuneration: none;

  (e) budget: none.

  In addition, a number of temporary working parties and other committees have been organised to consider detailed aspects of preparations for the euro. Their membership is drawn largely from the associations represented on the Business Advisory Group, including small business representatives, and from the Government departments and other public authorities. None offers remuneration or has a budget. Details are available in "Getting Ready for the Euro, first report July 1998", published by the Treasury on 28 April. Copies of this report are available in the Library of the House.

  Local Telephone Calls (VAT)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was collected in value added tax from local telephone calls in each of the last five years. [54642]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The VAT collected from businesses classified to telecommunications as a whole is as follows:

  1993: £1,500 million

  1994: £1,400 million

  1995: £1,450 million

  1996: £1,550 million

  1997: £1,400 million.

  Prior to 1996, telecommunications were included in the trade classification for post and telecommunications. HM Customs and Excise have therefore estimated the

  667
  amount that related to telecommunications based on the yield in subsequent years. Unfortunately they are unable to estimate the amount of this relating specifically to local telephone calls.

  Environmental Taxation
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by the working party on environmental taxation. [54692]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There is no single Government working party that is looking at environmental taxation.

  In the last Budget my right hon. Friend the Chancellor appointed Lord Marshall, assisted by a Government Task Force to examine the potential for the use of economic instruments—such as an industrial energy tax and/or other market mechanisms—to improve business energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from this sector. Lord Marshall has been asked to report back to the Chancellor by the start of November. A consultation document was released by the Task Force on 5 June. Responses have been requested by 31 July.

  Aggregates
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the working group on the taxation of the extraction of aggregates to report. [54691]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There are two aspects to this. First, the Customs and Excise consultation on how such a tax could operate asked for replies by the end of August. Second key results from the further work on the environment costs and benefits of the supply of aggregates are due in January. Both will be feeding into further consideration of the case for a tax or other measures.

  Landfill Tax
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the 20 per cent. of the landfill tax available through the Environmental Trust was(a) used for environmental purposes and (b) not used and retained by Customs and Excise. [54689]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Credits claimed at 22 July amounted to £78.4 million. In the same period (1 October 1996 to 22 July 1998) total landfill tax revenue declared was £650 million, giving rise to a maximum credit that could have been claimed of £130 million. The majority of credits are claimed at the end of landfill site operators contribution years which mainly fall between October and December.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was generated by the landfill tax in its first year of operation. [54690]

  Dawn Primarolo
  As I told my hon. Friend on 21 July 1998,Official Report, column 503, the most accurate figures I now have for revenue received in the first year of the landfill tax are £420 million gross and £396 million net of tax credits claimed.
  668

  Savings Income
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's policy on the proposed withholding tax on savings income of residents of other EU member states. [54698]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government are in principle in favour of effective international action to tackle tax evasion. But the Government would need to be satisfied that any proposals would not do serious damage to financial markets.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with other European Finance Ministers about the proposed imposition of a withholding tax on savings income of residents of other EU member states. [54699]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Last December's meeting of Finance Ministers at ECOFIN invited the Commission to produce a draft directive on this subject. The draft has now been published and is being considered and discussed.

  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK financial services industry of the imposition of a withholding tax on the savings income of residents of other EU member states. [54700]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Draft Directive would involve some compliance costs for payers who would have to withhold tax and/or provide information. The Government are concerned about its possible impact on the financial markets. It is holding discussions with interested parties and will publish a fuller assessment in the light of these.

  Zero-rated VAT
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those goods and services which are zero-rated for VAT in each member state of the European Union. [54631]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The goods and services which are zero-rated for VAT in other Member States are shown on the list below.

  Coverage of zero rates in EC member states

  Belgium

  Supplies of newspapers and magazines, subject to certain conditions

  Supplies of certain recovered materials and by-products

  Supplies of genuine pearls and precious stones to persons who are exclusively traders in such goods

  Denmark

  Sales of newspapers normally published more frequently than one issue per month

  Finland

  Newspapers and periodicals provided that they are sold on subscription for a period of at least one month

  Printing services for membership publications of non-profit making organisations

  Ireland

  Books and pamphlets (excluding newspapers, periodicals, catalogues, diaries etc.)

  Food and drink for human consumption (excluding alcohol, manufactured beverages, ice-cream and confectionery)

  Seeds, plants, trees etc. used for food production

  669

  Fertiliser in units of not less than 10kg

  Animal feed (excluding pet food)

  Oral medicines for human and animal (excluding pet) consumption

  Sanitary towels and tampons

  Medical equipment and aids for the handicapped

  Children's clothing and footwear

  Wax candles

  Certain services provided by the Commissioners of Irish Lights

  Life-saving services provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution

  Italy

  Unwrought gold (ingots etc.)

  Land not capable of being used as building land

  Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal

  Sweden

  Printing of certain membership publications

  Medicines on prescription

  Supply or hire of vessels for rescue at sea to the Swedish Society for Rescue at sea

  Fuel for aircraft

  United Kingdom

  Books, newspapers and periodicals

  Food for human consumption (excluding alcohol, manufactured beverages, confectionery)

  Animal feeding stuffs (excluding pet foods)

  Seeds and plants for food production

  Live animals used for food production

  Water and sewerage services for domestic use

  Pharmaceuticals, medicines and aids for the handicapped

  Young children's clothing and footwear

  Construction of domestic buildings

  Alterations to listed buildings

  Goods donated to charities

  Talking books and radios for the blind

  Public passenger transport

  Large caravans and houseboats

  Protective boots and helmets.

  Excise Duties
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have taken place with other European Ministers about the harmonisation of excise duties; and if he will make a statement. [54632]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Excise duty rates on alcohol, tobacco and oils within the EU were discussed in ECOFIN on 23 October 1995.

  In relation to oils, a proposal for a directive restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products was introduced at the 17 March 1997 ECOFIN. The Presidency created a High Level Working Group at official level to discuss the proposal, and produced a brief progress report to ECOFIN on 12 May 1997. ECOFIN called on the Commission to do further work on the single market case for the proposal, its environmental and economic justification, and the impact on competitiveness. A number of discussions took place at official working group level under the Dutch, Luxembourg and UK Presidencies to examine technical aspects of the proposal. The last Ministerial level
  670
  discussion took place in the Tax Policy Group, under the chairmanship of Commissioner Monti, on 3 July this year at which I represented the UK.

  For tobacco products, the Commission published its report on its biennial review of the minimum rates in June. The first discussion, at official working group level, is scheduled to take place in September. Discussion in ECOFIN is expected to follow.

  The Commission's report on alcohol minimum rates, due by 31 December 1996, is awaited.

  Direct Taxes
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have taken place with other European Ministers about the harmonisation of direct taxes; and if he will make a statement. [54634]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government's view is that direct taxation is a matter for national Governments. Decisions on European tax issues are subject to unanimity.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54277]

  Ms Hewitt
  If requested Treasury publications would be made available in Braille using Braille transcription services. Similarly, if requested, the Treasury would make arrangements to have publications produced on audio tape. However to date these services have not been requested.

  All public Treasury documents are produced in the optimum typeface sizes for legibility. These are also available on the Internet, where they can be heard by visually handicapped people who have access to a 'talking computer', or can be displayed and printed out as text of any size.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many meetings Ministers have had with BSkyB since 1 February; and on what matters; [54491]

  (2) how many meetings Ministers have had with BAA plc since 1 February; and on what matters; [54493]

  (3) how many meetings Ministers have had with Manpower since 1 February; and on what matters; [54489]

  (4) how many meetings Ministers have had with Tesco plc since 1 February; and on what matters; [54490]

  (5) how many meetings Ministers have had with Marks and Spencer plc since 1 February; and on what matters. [54488]

  Ms Hewitt
  Ministers, their Special Advisers and other civil servants meet many people in the course of their work. This properly includes meetings with interest groups outside Government. This liaison is intended to help Ministers draw upon outside contributions—from academics, think-tanks, trade and industry associations,
  671
  private sector organisations, trade unions and others, as well as relevant experience from other countries—during the process of policy analysis and development. But they must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance they must not provide confidential information without authorisation, or allow improper influence on policy. It is not our policy to make information on meetings or their content public.

  Welfare Reform
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, (1) pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", page 82, what is the proportion of working age people living in workless households at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998; [54606]

  (2) pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, "New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", page 84, what is the proportion of children living in workless households at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54596]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Steven Webb, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary questions about proportions of people living in workless households.
  The ONS defines workless households as those where there is no one in employment and normally applies this where there is at least one person of working age.
  Estimates from the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) giving the proportion of working age people and dependent children living in workless households are shown in the table.
  ONS will shortly be releasing LFS Household Datasets, designed specifically for analysis at household level, which will enable improved estimates of these measures to be produced. The figures given should therefore be regarded as provisional, and I will send you estimates based on the LFS Household Datasets when they are available. An article describing these new datasets will be published in Labour Market Trends on 6 August and will be available in the House of Commons Library.
  The LFS is a household survey and therefore the institutional population is largely excluded apart from students in halls of residence who are sampled via their parental home and staff in NHS accommodation who are sampled separately.

  Proportions of people living in workless households

  Spring 1997

  Spring 1996

  Percentage of people of working age living in workless households1

  13.6

  13.4

  Percentage of dependent children2 living in working age households who live in workless households1

  18.2

  18.5

  1 Households where there is at least one person of working age (men aged 16–56, women aged 16–59) and there is no one in employment

  2 All aged 0–15 and 16–18 year olds in full-time education

  Source:

  ONS, Labour Force Survey
  672
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, "New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", page 83, what is the non-Governmental proportion of personal savings and insurance at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54609]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Steven Webb, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on personal savings and insurance.
  63 per cent. of contributions for social insurance were paid to non-governmental schemes in 1996 (the latest period for which information is available).
  The figures underlying these calculations are:

  £ billion

  Contributions to life assurance and pension funds

  36.8

  Individual premiums for life policies

  42.9

  Social Security contributions

  46.3

  Total contributions

  126.0

  Government Expenditure
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the contingency reserve for each year since 1970–71 until and including those years forecast in the latest Government expenditure forecasts(a) in cash, (b) as a percentage of GGE and (c) as a percentage of GDP; where figures for the reserve were published for more than one year, if he will calculate (a) to (c) for each published figure; and for those years for which cash figures are not available if he will publish the equivalent figures based on survey prices. [52816]

  Mr. Byers
  Before 1981, public expenditure was planned in volume terms. Figures for the planned reserves on a comparable basis are available starting from the 1981 Public Expenditure Survey, the first year of public expenditure cash planning. These may be found in the annual Financial Statement and Budget Reports (FSBRs), with the exception of plans for Departmental Expenditure Limits for the period 1999–2000 to 2001–02 which were set out in the July 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review White Paper (Cm 4011).

  The scope of expenditure covered by the main control aggregate has varied since 1981, especially at the point of regime changes (i.e. from planning total to Control Total, and from Control Total to Departmental Expenditure Limits). In particular, the coverage of Departmental Expenditure Limits is substantially narrower than that of the Control Total. This needs to be taken into account if making comparisons over time.

  Figures for the percentage of GGE may be calculated using the figures for GCE contained in Table A6 of Cm 4011. Figures for the percentage of GDP can be

  673
  calculated using the table, which gives figures for GDP since 1982–83 and projections of GDP consistent with Cm 4011.

  £ billion

  Year

  GDP1

  1982–83

  280.7

  1983–84

  304.4

  1984–85

  326.2

  1985–86

  358.4

  1986–87

  385.7

  1987–88

  427.0

  1988–89

  475.4

  1989–90

  517.1

  1990–91

  556.7

  1991–92

  581.3

  1992–93

  606.8

  1993–94

  640.2

  1994–95

  678.5

  1995–96

  713.4

  1996–97

  752.2

  1997–98

  796.7

  1998–99

  833.6

  1999–00

  872.3

  2000–01

  914.3

  2001–02

  958.3

  1 Figures up to 1997–98 are outturn GDP figures, adjusted to remove the distortion caused by the abolition of domestic rates; figures for the period 1998–99 to 2001–02 are calculated using projections of GDP consistent with those used in Cm 4011

  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Annex A, Table A6 of the Comprehensive Spending Review, what factors underlie the differences between the figures for General Government Expenditure and Total Managed Expenditure; and what Government documents set out the distinction between the two aggregates. [52817]

  Mr. Byers
  For an explanation of the differences between Total Managed Expenditure (TME) and General Government Expenditure (GGE) I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the former Chief Secretary gave to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 25 June 1998,Official Report, column 616.

  TME was described in the Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm 4011), Paragraph B1. GGE was described in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1998–99 (Cm 3901) paragraph 1.8.

  Government Spending
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amounts of non-BSE related Government spending on agriculture in real terms for(a) each of the last 10 years and (b) the next three years. [54947]

  Mr. Byers
  Historical expenditure series for government expenditure on agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry are given in tables 3.2 and 3.3 of the "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses" publication. The table excludes BSE expenditure. Provision for UK agriculture 674
  over the next three years has not yet been finalised, pending consultations in Wales and Northern Ireland on the allocation of their settlements.

  £ billion

  Year

  Expenditure1

  1988–89

  3.3

  1989–90

  3.0

  1990–91

  3.7

  1991–92

  3.7

  1992–93

  3.6

  1993–94

  4.5

  1994–95

  4.0

  1995–96

  4.4

  1996–97

  4.6

  1997–98

  4.0

  1998–99

  3.7

  1 At 1997–98 prices

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will calculate the real increase or decrease in Government expenditure(a) for each Department and (b) in total, relative to his Department's forecasts for growth in the economy in each of the next three years; and what assumptions underlie these projections; [54962]

  (2) what is the forecast growth for Government capital and current spending combined, relative to the predicted growth of the economy in each of the next three years. [54961]

  Mr. Byers
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contingency planning his Department has undertaken in respect of funding his expenditure plans if real growth is less than 1.75 per cent. rising to 2.25 per cent. in two years' time. [54963]

  Mr. Byers
  The Government have adopted a prudent approach so that it meets its fiscal rules over the economic cycle. We are planning for surpluses on current budget, including a margin within Annually Managed Expenditure and are basing our fiscal projections on cautious assumptions, audited by the National Audit Office. This prudent approach and the significant reduction in public borrowing since 1996–97 leave the public finances well placed to cope with the effects of any changes to the short-term economic outlook.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the size of the fiscal surplus or deficit resulting from combined Government spending on(a) capital and (b) current account over the next three years. [54948]

  Mr. Byers
  Forecasts for public sector net borrowing and the surplus on current budget consistent with the Government's spending plans were set out in tables 4.4 and 4.5 of the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report 1998 (Cm 3978).

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the national income will be spent on capital investment by the Government in the current year; and what was the average percentage in each of the last 10 years. [54952]
  675
  Mr. Byers
  Public sector net investment as a share of GDP for the current year and for the previous 10 years is set out in table 4A.1 in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report, June 1998.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the expected capital savings on PFI contracts over the next three years; and what will be the resultant additional current spending. [54946]

  Mr. Byers
  Departments enter into PFI contracts when they are satisfied that the PFI route offers the best means of securing improved public services and value for money for the taxpayer over the lifetime of the contract.

  Table B15 of the March 1998 Financial Statement and Budget Report provides a breakdown of anticipated investment by the private sector on PFI projects, with Table B16 providing a breakdown of the service payments the Government is committed to in respect of contracts that have been signed. These tables will be updated, and published, in September this year.

  Funding (Wales and Scotland)
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will change the funding formula for(a) Scotland and (b) Wales for the next three years. [54954]

  Mr. Byers
  The White Papers "Scotland's Parliament" (Cm 3658) and "A Voice for Wales" (Cm 3718) explained that the funding formula will be updated from time to time to take account of population and other technical changes.

  Matching Funds
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the policy of encouraging matching funds from the private sector in those areas which lack access to significant private funds; and if he will make a statement. [54907]

  Mr. Byers
  Attracting matching funds from the private sector forms an important part of public private partnerships in a number of areas of government and brings important benefits to the taxpayer.

  Registration Records
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timescale he has set for the Registrar General to present to Ministers an options paper on access to registration records. [54960]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. David Lidington, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on a timescale for an options paper on access to registration records.
  No timetable has been set for the production of the options paper.
  The options paper will consider the use of information technology to improve the service to customers and to provide better data management. It will also consider the possibility of working with a wide variety of organisations outside the public sector.
  676

  Educational Qualifications
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Green Paper, "New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", Cm. 3805, page 83, what is the proportion of the adult population with educational qualifications at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54603]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Steven Webb, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question about the percentage of adults with qualifications.
  Estimates from the quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) are shown in the table below. Figures have been given both for all those of working age (16-state retirement age) and also those aged 18 to state retirement age (ie adults of working age). The LFS does not ask respondents above working age about their qualifications unless they are in employment.
  The LFS is a household survey and therefore the institutional population is largely excluded apart from students in halls of residence who are sampled via their parental home and staff in NHS accommodation who are sampled separately.

  Percentage of people with educational qualifications (United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted)

  Percentage

  All working age1

  At least 18 and working age1

  Spring 1997

  81.3

  82.0

  Spring 1997

  81.9

  82.6

  1 Working age is 16–64 for men and 16–59 for women

  Source:

  ONS, UK Labour Force Survey

  Conception Statistics
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Green Paper Cm. 3805, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", (p84), what is the rate of conceptions among girls aged under 16 years in the areas where the rate is highest, at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54594]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Steven Webb, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on the rate of conceptions among girls aged under 16.
  The conception rates in 1996 for the three Health Authority Areas with the highest rates are shown in the table. Figures for 1997 and 1998 are not yet available.

  Conception rates for girls aged under 16 in 1996

  Health authority

  Rate per 1,000 girls aged 13–15

  Sunderland

  19.5

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  19.5

  South Humber

  18.3

  677
  Conception rates for the remaining Health Authority areas are published in the ONS Monitor Ref FM1 98/1 which is available in the House of Commons Library.

  Foreign Earnings
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact of the changes to the foreign earnings deduction arrangements on the overseas earnings and competitive position outside the United Kingdom of(a) the consultancy sector, (b) consulting engineers, (c) contractor and (d) industries in the UK which supply goods and services for British consultants and contractors operating overseas. [53665]

  Mr. Geoffrey Robinson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 29 July 1998,Official Report, columns 292–93.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the impact of the changes to the foreign earnings deduction arrangements on the gross and tax revenues accruing to the Exchequer; [53667]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the impact of the changes to the foreign earnings deduction arrangements on the overseas operating costs of British charities. [53666]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 29 July 1998,Official Report, column 292.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 April 1998,Official Report, column 619, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [53987]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Her Majesty's Treasury is working towards the target announced in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport". The Treasury should have green transport plans in place by March 1999.

  Lear's Macaws
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response he is sending to the Brazilian authorities about their representations over the handling by HM Customs of three Lear's Macaws. [53461]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Customs inquiries concerning the three Lear's Macaws are still in progress. Until these are completed the birds will remain in this country. Officials are, however, already in contact with the Brazilian authorities who have been offered the opportunity to view the birds to alleviate any concerns about their current welfare. The final re-homing of the birds will take full account of their welfare and the need to maximise the breeding potential of such an endangered species.

  Public Service Agreement
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the terms of the public service agreement negotiated between the Treasury and the spending departments. [54119]

  Mr. Byers
  We will make available a collected set of Public Service Agreements in due course.
  678

  Republic of Ireland
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he has given to banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms with registered headquarters in Northern Ireland on conducting business in the Republic of Ireland. [54565]

  Ms Hewitt
  None.

  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms with registered headquarters in Northern Ireland which own or partly own banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms in the Republic of Ireland; [54562]

  (2) if he will list the banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms with registered headquarters in England which own or partly own banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms in the Republic of Ireland; [54563]

  (3) if he will list the banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms with registered headquarters in Scotland which own or partly own banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms in the Republic of Ireland; [54564]

  (4) if he will list the banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms with registered headquarters in Wales which own or partly own banks, building societies, insurance and assurance firms in the Republic of Ireland. [54561]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  EU Budget
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the net EU Budget contributions for each member state(a) in 1996 and (b) estimated for 1997, indicating the sources of the figures. [54202]

  Ms Hewitt
  Indicative net contributions for all Member States for the budgetary year 1996 are set out in the table. The Community does not publish forward estimates of the net contributions for Member States. Information on the 1997 outturn for Member States, after account is taken of the United Kingdom's abatement, will be available later this year when the European Court of Auditors publishes its report on the 1997 European Community Budget.

  Net contributions to the EC Budget in 1996

  Member State

  million ecu

  Belgium

  746.2

  Denmark

  -193.4

  Germany

  10,894.9

  Greece

  -3,932.7

  Spain

  -5,972.2

  France

  459.8

  Ireland

  -2,260.3

  Italy

  1,402.3

  Luxembourg

  79.3

  Netherlands

  2,446.8

  Austria

  272.2

  Portugal

  -2,774.3

  679

  Net contributions to the EC Budget in 1996

  Member State

  million ecu

  Finland

  -27.1

  Sweden

  752.5

  UK

  2,276.0

  Notes:

  1. The Court of Auditors uses European Currency Unit figures, the unit of account for the EC Budget

  2. The Court of Auditors does not allocate all Community spending to the Member States. Consequently the figures in the table are likely only to be indicative of the amount of Member States' net positions. For example, if all administrative expenditure were allocated to the country in which it is paid, the net position of Belgium and Luxembourg would be substantially improved

  Source:

  Figures derived from information on Member States' contributions and receipts published in the European Court of Auditors report on the 1996 Budget

  Single Currency
  Mr. Derek Twigg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the arrangements for paying tax in euros after the single currency is introduced on 1 January 1999. [54980]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his speech to the CBI on 10 November 1997 that businesses, if they wished, would be able to pay their taxes in euro from 1 January 1999. The Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise are today publishing a joint press release setting out further details of the arrangements and inviting comments from interested parties on any aspects of the proposals.

  Environmental Trust
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ensure that sufficient of the funds allocated by the Environmental Trust flows into research and development projects. [53391]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Research and Development work on sustainable waste management is one of the approved objects under the landfill tax credit scheme, which gives tax credits to site operators who make contributions to environmental bodies. Neither the Government nor the private sector regulator of the scheme, Entrust Ltd., may direct to which of the approved objects site operators choose to make their contributions. However, Customs and Excise are currently examining, together with other interested departments, whether and how the scheme could be altered to encourage recycling.

  Equity Release Mechanisms
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission research into the use of equity release mechanisms to assist elderly home owners to unlock additional income in retirement; and if he will make a statement. [53906]

  Dawn Primarolo
  We have no plans to commission any such research. However, the issue of equity release is currently being considered on a cross-departmental basis.
  680

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 1998,Official Report, column 356, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54017]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Fiji
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the level of British Government assistance to Fiji; and what plans he has to increase the level of support. [52057]

  Mr. Foulkes
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave yesterday, 30 July 1998, Official Report, column 460.

  Public Registers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the public registers for which his Department has responsibility. [47354]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 29 June 1998]: I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to respond to the question from the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead, to which a holding answer was given on 29 June, concerning the public registers for which his Department is responsible. [54023]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department holds copies of all the certificates, signed by Cabinet Ministers since 1984, under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984. [47387]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 29 June 1998]: I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Diplomatic Service
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since 1968 a United Kingdom ambassador or high commissioner has followed a deposed democratic leader or Government into exile. [51861]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  [holding answer 23 July 1998]: Since April 1980, HMG has recognised states, not governments (whether in exile or otherwise).
  681
  The original decision that the High Commissioner in Freetown should leave for Conakry, was taken out of concern for his safety, and that of his staff, as a result of the fighting in Freetown. His presence in Conakry, from where he monitored the situation in Sierra Leone, also allowed him to remain in contact with President Kabbah, who was based in Conakry between May 1997 and March 1998. There are no direct parallels with this case.

  Two indirect parallels, however, are:
  HMG continued to deal with the Kuwaiti government in Saudi Arabia as the legitimate government of Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion of August 1990. HMA Kuwait was unable to leave Kuwait City after the Iraqi invasion;
  following the coup in Haiti in September 1991, HMG along with the EU, the OAS and the UN continued to regard President Aristide as Haiti's democratically elected Head of State. In exile he met FCO officials, including the UK's non-resident Ambassador to Haiti based in Jamaica.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in posts overseas are working full-time to win inward investments projects for the United Kingdom, and in which countries they are serving. [54554]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Biological Warfare
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment his Department has made since 1990 of the implications of information being exchanged between Libya and the biological warfare programme organised by South Africa's former apartheid regime; what were the conclusions of this assessment; when this assessment was started and finished; what action has been taken in the light of this assessment; and if he will make a statement; [53103]

  (2) what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the extent and nature of the biological warfare programme organised by South Africa's former apartheid regime; what were the conclusions of this assessment; when this assessment was started and finished; what action has been taken in the light of this assessment; and if he will make a statement. [53102]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon Friend the Member for Warley (Mr. Spellar) today,Official Report, column 711.

  Mrs. Farrukh Sheikh
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he proposes to make to French Customs officials over the case of Mrs. Farrukh Sheikh of Leicester. [52753]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and copies will be placed in the Library.

  Denis Halliday
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the resignation of Mr. Denis Halliday, UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq. [53459]
  682
  Mr. Fatchett
  Mr. Halliday's resignation is matter for the UN.

  Sally Becker
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department has taken in respect of the imprisonment of Sally Becker in Lipjan prison; what representations he has made to the Serbian authorities on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [52729]

  Mr. Fatchett
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: Our staff have visited Ms Becker almost daily since they were informed of her arrest on 18 July. She has appointed a local lawyer who lodged an appeal against her sentence. The appeal hearing has been postponed to 3 August. Ms Becker started a hunger strike on 23 July. Our Embassy asked the prison Governor to monitor her condition carefully and to ensure she was regularly examined by the prison doctor. Our Ambassador spoke to an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 July to request that Ms Becker's hunger strike be handled sensitively with her health as the priority. When our Ambassador visited her on 29 July she had abandoned her hunger strike. Our continuing concern about Ms Becker's situation is being raised with the local authorities.

  Compliance Cost Assessments
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for (1) Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the compliance cost assessments published by his Department since 1 May 1997; [52966]

  (2) if he will list those compliance cost assessments since 1 May 1997 in which there is a net reduction in compliance costs resulting from a legislative proposal; [52964]

  (3) what cumulative net increase in compliance costs has been estimated in compliance cost assessments published by his Department since 1 May 1997. [52965]

  Mr. Fatchett
  [holding answer 28 July]: There have been no compliance cost assessments published by this Department during this period.

  National Employment Plans
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the section "Jobs" in the document, "UK Presidency of the EU Half Way Mark", if he will make a statement on the purpose of national employment plans; how many jobs they will create; and if such plans existed prior to the United Kingdom presidency. [53783]

  Ms Quin
  National employment action plans describe the measures taken by each Member State to meet the collectively agreed Employment Guidelines. It is the measures in these action plans which should encourage job creation. No national employment action plans were submitted by Member States and subject to peer review before the UK Presidency.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the document,
  683
  "UK Presidency of the EU Half Way Mark", if he will list the agreements reached on millennium compliance by the close of the UK presidency. [53782]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Our aim to raise awareness of this issue across Europe and work together on responses to it was a high priority during the UK Presidency. We contributed to the preparation of a European Commission information paper on the Millennium Bug, which was presented at various Councils to encourage early and vigorous action by Member States. We hosted a workshop in May, involving senior representatives from each Member State to promote Millennium compliance throughout the EU. We secured an important statement in the Conclusions of the Cardiff European Council, highlighting the urgency of action by all Members. This helped to promote a sense of common purpose within the EU on the Millennium problem. We expect there to be further discussions in the Council of Ministers and in other EU contexts under the Austrian Presidency.

  Belarus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department is having with the Belarus Government regarding the policy of the Belarus Government towards embassies of foreign countries based in Belarus. [53700]

  Ms Quin
  We, our EU partners and other countries affected by the Belarusian decision to exclude Ambassadors from their residencies at Drozdy are in regular contact with the Belarusian authorities. The Troika of EU chargés d'affaires met Deputy Foreign Minister Gerasimovich on 20 July. They underlined the need for the Belarusian authorities to comply with international law on the inviolability of diplomatic premises, and called on the Belarusian authorities to put forward concrete proposals to resolve the problem.

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52695]

  Mr. Fatchett
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The FCO maintains a specialised cadre of Research Analysts, who provide research support to the Office as a whole. The approximate annual cost of this research facility is £3 million. Specialised and ad hoc research is done by other departments including Economic Advisers, Legal Advisers and the Library and Records Department. This is only part of their duties and expenditure on such research is not managed centrally.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit Sri Lanka; what discussions he has had regarding the political situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [53556]
  684
  Mr. Fatchett
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary currently has no plans to visit Sri Lanka. I hope to reinstate my postponed visit from April as soon as possible. In a range of discussions on Sri Lanka, we have made clear our view that a lasting solution to the conflict there can only be reached through a political settlement. We have said publicly that we stand ready to help in the resolution of the conflict if the parties involved ask us to play a role.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government initiatives(a) have been taken since 1 January and (b) are currently being planned to bring about a peaceful end to the conflict in Sri Lanka. [54097]

  Mr. Fatchett
  A lasting solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka requires a political settlement between the parties. We have made clear that we stand ready to help if both sides ask us to play a role.

  Sudan
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 1998,Official Report, column 491, what reports his Department received on what dates from the British Embassy in Khartoum of impending famine in Southern Sudan. [53553]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  EU Staff (Security Vetting)
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security vetting procedures for the selection of United Kingdom candidates for the European Community's senior staff; what level of staff are involved; and what political opinions on the European Union are held to invalidate candidature. [53772]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The Commission of the European Communities and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) are the only EC offices that impose personnel security obligations on member nations. Security vetting is a requirement for all UK nationals directly recruited for work at the Commission and is the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Staff are cleared to SECRET level following a request from the Commission on the basis of personal particulars provided by the candidate on a completed security questionnaire. The procedure is broadly similar to the process for SC clearance in respect of UK Civil Servants as set out in the then Prime Minister's Statement on Security Vetting dated 14 December 1994. For the EC, it involves a check against the National Collection of Criminal records and a check against Security Service records.

  No account is taken of a candidate's political opinions.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's publications have been made available in
  685
  (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54276]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The FCO leaflet on British Consular Services Abroad is available in large print. The FCO also provides an automated telephone answering service offering recorded travel advice on destinations which give rise to the most inquiries. Advice on other destinations is available from the FCO's Travel Advice Unit whose members can read out the advice or provide hard copies in large print. Other FCO publications aimed at overseas audiences are not available in Braille, audio tape or large print.

  Task Forces
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the taskforces and advisory groups composed of independent members which have been set up by his Department since 1 May 1997 and in each case(a) their remit, (b) their membership, (c) how many members are (i) scientists, (ii) engineers and (iii) small businesspeople or representatives of small businesses, (d) any remuneration members receive for their services and (e) their budget. [53149]

  Mr. Fatchett
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: Since 1 May 1997 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has established one advisory group which includes independent members—Panel 2000 set up on 1 April 1998—but no task forces.

  Panel 2000's remit is:

  to produce a strategy to improve the way Britain is seen overseas;

  to look at the methods and tools available to do this;

  to make sure that the public and private sectors are working together to do this; and

  to modernise the way the Foreign and Commonwealth Office communicates with the public.

  Membership of the Panel, drawn from both the public and private sectors, is as follows:
  Waheed Alli Zeinab Bedawi, Martin Bell MP, Baroness Chalker, Dr. Frances D'Souza, David John, Mark Leonard, Lord Levy, Ruth Mackenzie, Sir Cohn Marshall, Lord Paul, Shahwar Sadeque, Judy Simpson, Martin Sorrell, John Sorrell, Harriet Ware-Austin, Baroness Blackstone, Lord Clinton-Davies, Dr. David Drewry, Mark Fisher MP, Andrew Fisher, Tom Harris, Roger Liddle, Peter Mandelson MP, David Quarmby, Baroness Symons, Sir John Kerr, Sir Michael Jay, Claire Fulton, Priya Guha and Vivien Life.
  Of these, one member is a scientist, four are from small and medium sized businesses. There are no engineers on the panel. The members are unpaid, but can claim travel expenses. No budget has been allocated to the Panel.

  International Exhibitions
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list(a) the value of financial support provided to United Kingdom companies attending, (b) those Ministers and other Government officials who attended and the cost of their attendance and (c) any other costs incurred by (i) his Department and (ii) Defence Export Services Organisation in connection with (1) IMDEX Asia 97, (2) the Paris Air Show 1997, (3) IDEF 97, (4) IMDEX 97, (5) the
  686
  Underwater Defence Technology Conference and Exhibition, (6) the International Defence and Security Technology Fair, Brno, Czech Republic, May 1997, (7) the 3rd International Civil and Military Aerospace Exhibition, Prague and (8) the 3rd Central European Defence Equipment and Aviation Exhibition and Conference, Budapest. [54168]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussion he has had with the Turkish Government on the overflying of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkish military aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [54412]

  Ms Quin
  We have repeatedly made clear to all concerned, including the Turkish Government, our concerns about military activity in Cyprus. In line with the relevant UN resolutions, we have urged all parties to refrain from any action, particularly in the vicinity of the buffer zone, which would exacerbate tension.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what discussions he has had and with whom in Northern Cyprus on the offer of President Clerides of Cyprus for Northern Cyprus to take part in the Cypriot team discussing that country's application for membership of the European Union; [54416]

  (2) what discussions has he had with Turkish representatives on the offer made by President Clerides of the Republic of Cyprus to include Turkish Cypriots within the Cypriot delegation to discuss the application of Cyprus for membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement; [54413]

  (3) what discussions has he had with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus on their offer to Turkish Cypriot representatives in northern Cyprus to participate in the negotiating team representing Cyprus in their application for membership of the European Union. [54414]

  Ms Quin
  We welcome President Clerides's offer to the Turkish Cypriot community to participate in the team negotiating Cyprus's EU accession. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear when he met President Clerides on 12 March. We continue to urge both sides to work actively to promote such participation. Sir David Hannay, acting in his capacity as UK Special Representative for Cyprus and as the Austrian EU Presidency Representative for Cyprus, visited the island on 20–22 July and discussed with President Clerides the importance of continued efforts to encourage Turkish Cypriot acceptance of his offer. The then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) conveyed the same message to Cyprus's Chief EU Negotiator, George Vassiliou, when the latter visited the UK on 2 July.

  We are in regular contact with the Turkish Cypriot community in northern Cyprus, including Mr. Denktash, through our High Commission in Nicosia. We have made clear on several occasions that we consider President Clerides's offer to the Turkish Cypriots to participate in

  687
  Cyprus's EU accession negotiations to be reasonable. We continue to urge them to agree with the Greek Cypriot side an arrangement acceptable to both parties allowing their participation in those negotiations. Sir David Hannay reiterated this message to representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community during his recent visit to Cyprus.

  We remain in regular contact on this issue with the Turkish Government through our Embassy in Ankara. We continue to stress to them the importance of Turkey's constructive cooperation on Cyprus.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Austrian Government as holders of the presidency of the European Union on the application by the Republic of Cyprus for membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [54415]

  Ms Quin
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Sierra Leone
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Peter Penfold's position as High Commissioner to Sierra Leone will end. [53871]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Mr. Penfold became High Commissioner to Sierra Leone in March 1997. Staff in the High Commission normally serve two tours of duty of 12 months each, with an option of a third. This tour length reflects the classification of Freetown as a "difficult post".

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those private military companies on which explicit guidance will be given to officials on handling their contacts with such companies. [53873]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]There is no such list. We are in the process of preparing more detailed guidance, in consultation with other Whitehall departments.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department informed the Prime Minister before 11 May that Mr. Penfold had displayed a lack of caution in his dealings with Colonel Spicer. [54256]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  No. That Mr. Penfold displayed a lack of caution in his dealings with Mr. Spicer is a finding of the Report of the Sierra Leone Arms Investigation. I have stated previously that it would have been improper to draw conclusions on the actions of individuals in advance of the full, independent findings of Sir Thomas Legg's investigation.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will place in the Library the Permanent Under Secretary's letter to Mr. Peter Penfold; [54257]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the Permanent Under Secretary's interview with Mr. Peter Penfold. [54255]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  No. Such matters are in confidence between the FCO and its employees.
  688
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral statement of 27 July 19998,Official Report, column 19, what advice has been received from Sierra Leone authorities on the role of Mr. Peter Penfold in the restoration of civilian Government. [54254]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  President Kabbah wrote to the Prime Minister in May 1998 to thank him for HMG's support. He stated that Mr. Penfold had encouraged his Government to remain committed to the ideals of democracy and not to lose hope. The letter said that Mr. Penfold had been a source of moral strength.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice was given to Mr. Peter Penfold at CHOGM in Edinburgh, on his relations with President Kabbah. [54260]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  None.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to section 10 of the report of the Sierra Leone Arms Investigation for what reasons Mr. Penfold was not informed that in banning the supply of arms to Sierra Leone, the resulting embargo covered all parties. [54259]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The Report notes that Mr. Penfold was sent the full text of Security Council Resolution 1132 on 8 October.

  We have accepted the finding of the Report that FCO officials were not as alert to the importance of sanctions enforcement as they should have been. We have set up a new Sanctions Enforcement Unit, which has responsibility for ensuring that the relevant terms of any Security Council Resolution, and the details of the Order in Council giving effect to the Resolution in UK law, are drawn to the attention of all officials in London and to all diplomatic missions.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 31, what factors underlie his description of Britain's record in Sierra Leone as positive. [54258]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Britain has a consistent record of supporting democracy in Sierra Leone. The UK provided funding for the elections in 1996. After the military coup in 1997 we led international efforts to support peaceful restoration of the democratic government. DfID gave assistance to President Kabbah while in Conakry to enable him to plan for the resumption of his government. We provided assistance to refugees through the ICRC.

  Britain was first on the scene with humanitarian aid after the restoration of President Kabbah. We have sponsored the UN resolution providing for military observers to help the process of demilitarisation, and we are providing four Military Officers to serve as UN Military Observers. We are providing aid to fund the process of strengthening democracy, civil reconstruction and military demobilisation. We are the first donor to the UN Trust Fund for Sierra Leone.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the Sandline paper itemised as document 49 dated 2 February in Annex D of the Legg report; if this
  689
  document is identical the Sandline planning paper dated 28 January noted in Annex B; and if both documents were viewed by the Legg investigation. [54543]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The two references refer to the same document. It was seen by the Legg investigation. The paper in question is not an FCO document and was not given to us on the basis that it would be published. I do not therefore intend to place it in the Library of the House, but I have told the Foreign Affairs Committee that I would be willing to consider any specific request to have access to documents listed in the Annex to the Legg report.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the reference to a helicopter in FCO telegram 37 to Abuja relates to aviation operated by Sandline in a military context; and if he will make a statement. [54474]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The telegram refers to reports of several helicopter flights carrying Kamajors from Lungi airport and says that the helicopter is assumed to be an MI17. No further information is given about the helicopter or its operators.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Legg report, if he will make a statement on the nature of the work undertaken by Ann Grant of AD(E) in Brussels on 4 to 6 February; when the work was planned; and who organised the work. [54553]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Ms Grant was attending, as representative of the UK Presidency of the European Union, a monthly meeting of the Africa Working Group of the Council of the European Union.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the reasons Sir Thomas Legg QC advertised for witnesses for his investigation in national newspapers; what response he gave to Sir Thomas Legg on being informed that such a move was intended; and what was the response achieved from them. [54548]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The investigation advertised in order that people outside the public service could contribute any relevant evidence. 35 responses were received. The investigation was entirely independent and I gave no comment to Sir Thomas Legg on its working practices.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the nature of the random checks undertaken by the Legg Inquiry to verify that all relevant material had successfully been collated. [54475]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The random check of the relevant files in the FCO referred to in paragraph 2.12 of the Legg report was conducted by a member of the Secretariat at an early stage in the investigation. This involved a thorough trawl of the records and files held in the relevant registry in Africa Command.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Penfold communicated with staff of Sandline during his visit to Canada and North America at the turn of 1998; and what reports were dispatched to Whitehall in consequence. [54544]
  690
  Mr. Robin Cook
  Mr. Penfold spent three days in New York with Mr. Flynn, the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative on Sierra Leone, between 14–16 January. While Mr. Penfold was in New York, he telephoned Mr. Spicer to ask whether he had any up-to-date information on the security situation in Sierra Leone. Mr. Penfold sent no reports to London while he was in the USA or Canada.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the ministers who saw press releases pertaining to SCR1132(a) before and (b) after release of such internal FCO documents assessing the effect of the arms embargo on forces opposed to the Sierra Leone coup; and on what dates. [54547]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The press line announcing the adoption of UNSCR 1132 was seen at the time by the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd).

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those documents requested by the Legg inquiry which (i) had been destroyed, (ii) had been mislaid and (iii) of which no trace in the records existed. [54550]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  No documents requested by Sir Thomas Legg were unavailable to him for any of the reasons cited.

  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the recommendations of the Legg Inquiry what proposals he has to improve communications between Ministers in his Department. [53976]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The Report of the Sierra Leone Arms Investigation contains no findings to suggest that communications between Ministers were unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, guidance issued in the light of the Report covers the processing of papers to and between Ministers.

  Immigration
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long applicants(a) who are being interviewed in July 1998 and (b) who applied in July 1998 have waited, or may expect to wait, for interview in the settlement queues in (i) Islamabad, (ii) Karachi, (iii) New Delhi, (iv) Bombay, (v) Madras, (vi) Colombo, (vii) Lagos, (viii) Abuja, (ix) Moscow and (x) Bogota. [53962]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Statistics for July from Entry Clearance Posts are not yet available. We have asked the Posts to which my hon. Friend refers to provide the information required as soon as possible. Once the figures are available they will be sent to my hon. Friend in writing.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53947]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.
  691

  Lockerbie
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent contacts there have been with(a) officials and (b) ministers of the Libyan Government on the arrangements for a trial of suspects in the Lockerbie case in The Hague; and if it is his intention that discussions on this issue should continue; [54066]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the arrangements which would be acceptable to Her Majesty's Government for a trial of suspects of the Lockerbie bombing to take place in The Hague. [54067]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my noble Friend the Lord Advocate in another place on 30 July 1998,Official Report, House of Lords, column 1618.

  UN Budget Deficit
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what options are currently under review to address the UN budget deficit. [54025]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The best option currently under consideration to address the UN's financial difficulties is the package of financial reform proposals developed by the UK and France and tabled by the EU in New York in January 1996. These comprise full payment of all member states' arrears; revision of the UN Regular Budget and peacekeeping scales of assessment to reflect more closely member states' capacity to pay; and penalties and incentives to encourage prompt payment in future.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement in respect of the USA's current membership of the UN General Assembly; what dues are currently owed by the United States of America to the UN; and what percentage of total arrears this constitutes. [54024]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  All UN member states, including the US, have the right to be represented on the UN General Assembly's six Main Committees. Those states whose arrears exceed two years' contributions (of which the US is not one) may not vote in the General Assembly. At 30 June the US owed $569 million to the UN Regular Budget and $966 million to UN peacekeeping budgets in respect of prior year arrears and unpaid 1998 dues. This represents 62 per cent. of total unpaid dues to the Regular Budget and 63 per cent. of total unpaid dues to peacekeeping budgets.

  Ethiopia and Eritrea (Arms)
  Ms Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement in light of the recent press reports on the shipment of arms to Ethiopia and Eritrea. [55186]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We are aware of reports of shipments of arms from China to Ethiopia, and from Bulgaria to Eritrea on a Ukranian aircraft. We are seeking to establish whether these arms were ordered before or after the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea had broken out.
  692
  There are no arms embargoes against either Ethiopia or Eritrea. But we are nevertheless extremely concerned that both countries, two of the poorest in the world, should apparently be seeking to rearm themselves at a time when the OAU, supported by the United Nations and the EU, are engaged in mediation efforts to settle their dispute by peaceful means.

  We remind all countries who might be considering supplying arms to either Ethiopia or Eritrea of their responsibility to exercise responsibility in the transfer of conventional arms in line with their international commitments.

  Westminster Foundation for Democracy
  Ms Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Annual report of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy will be available. [55187]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  Copies of the Foundation's Annual Report for 1997/98 have been placed in the libraries of both Houses.

  The Foundation received £2,713,650 from the FCO, along with £139,099 from other sources, for its activities in 1997/98. With these funds it supported 256 new projects in 47 countries. It directed most of its funds to supporting democratic institutions in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Anglophone Africa, and also supported worthwhile projects in other parts of the world. It makes a valuable contribution to the promotion of democracy overseas. Projects have included work with political parties, parliaments, the independent media, trades unions, human rights groups, women's groups and other non-governmental organisations involved in political development.

  Landmines
  Ms Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom will ratify the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines. [55188]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Our instrument of ratification will be deposited with the UN Secretary General in New York today, thus fulfilling our pledge to be among the first forty ratifications and helping to bring the Convention into force.

  We have placed in the Library the note accompanying the instrument of ratification, which sets out our understanding that the mere participation in the planning or execution of operations, exercises or other military activity by the United Kingdom's Armed Forces, or individual United Kingdom nationals, conducted in combination with armed forces of States not party to the Ottawa Convention, is not, by itself, assistance, encouragement or inducement for the purposes of Article 1, paragraph 1(c) of the Convention.

  Know-How Fund
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the UK based recipients of Know-How Fund support for 1997–98 indicating in each case what the funding is provided for; [54820]
  693
  (2) what procedures are in place to ensure that Know-How Funding is used effectively. [54821]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development will write to the hon. Member shortly. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  Burma
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingency plans the Government have made in the event of a deterioration in the human rights situation in Burma. [53663]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North East (Mr. Crausby) on 29 July 1998,Official Report, column 303. We have been deeply concerned by the regime's recent interference with Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of movement and association. I have made clear to the Burmese Foreign Minister on 28 July that such harassment is unacceptable and I called on the Burmese authorities to enter into immediate dialogue with the NLD and other opposition groups. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

  New Agenda Coalition
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the recent Irish initiative known as the New Agenda Coalition. [54964]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Library.

  Nuclear Export Controls
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter of 27 June, what discussions he has had with the Chinese on nuclear export controls with particular reference to Pakistan. [54054]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  FCO officials have raised with China the issue of their nuclear export controls, with particular reference to Pakistan, on numerous occasions, and with some success. In October 1997 China introduced export controls on nuclear items using the same control lists as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The one point on which Chinese controls fall short of NSG standards is that they do not require all nuclear facilities in a country to be subject to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards in order to export. They do, however, require the importing facility to be subject to safeguards. This means that they export to Pakistan's safeguarded civil nuclear facilities only, and not to facilities linked to the weapons programme.

  In May this year China introduced export controls on dual-use items usable in a nuclear programme. We will continue to work to persuade China to strengthen its conditions of supply on nuclear exports, so that it fully meets the international norm, requiring all facilities in an importing country to be safeguarded.

  Comprehensive Spending Review
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) pursuant to paragraph 694
  15.7 of the Comprehensive Spending Review, if he will list those British missions that are being considered for upgrading of their premises; [54568]

  (2) if he will list the residential accommodation that is being reviewed under paragraph 15.9 of the Comprehensive Spending Review; [54570]

  (3) if he will list those assets that are to be recycled and the value attributable to such assets that gave rise to the £90 million figure in the Comprehensive Spending Review. [54424]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) on 21 July 1998,Official Report, columns 491–92.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out, pursuant to chapter 15 of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the method of calculating the number of British jobs secured through foreign direct investment; how many such jobs have been created since 1 May 1997; and how many such jobs have been lost through the withdrawal of foreign direct investment since 1 May 1997. [54571]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to paragraph 15.5 of the Comprehensive Spending Review, if he will list the posts that(a) are being considered for closure and (b) will be strengthened. [54567]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in another place by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the FCO, Baroness Symons, on 29 July 1998,Official Report, House of Lords, column 1499.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to paragraph 15.8 of the Comprehensive Spending Review, if he will list the services and the changes being proposed for firms benefiting commercially from his Department's services. [54569]

  Mr. Fatchett
  A wide range of overseas trade services are available to companies—some are free of charge, others are chargeable.

  Posts abroad and country and sectoral help desks in London deal with initial and some other inquiries free of charge. Published and pre-prepared information is available from DTI free of charge.

  Commercial Officers at overseas posts produce tailor-made reports for UK companies on request. Reports can include basic market information, identification and assessment of potential agents/distributors, customised local contact lists, market assessments for a companies product or service, advice on market approach, information about potential local business contacts and general information on overseas investment opportunities. Some posts can arrange a programme of visits to potential business contacts and offer support during the visit.
  695
  Charges for these services are based on the number of hours research required for the inquiry and currently stand as follows:

  £

  Information held by Commercial Sections

  50

  Up to 4 hours research

  100

  4–8 hours research

  200

  8–12 hours research

  300

  12–24 hours research

  600

  24–48 hours research

  1,200

  Each additional 24 hours research

  600

  Services are also available to help publicise new products and services abroad. A professionally written article can be targeted at trade journals and other media in chosen markets by overseas posts. The cost is £100 for an article in one chosen market and £50 for additional markets.

  Besides these services, grant support is available from the DTI for trade missions, trade fairs and seminars abroad. Export Development Counsellors located in most Business Link offices in the UK can help companies develop an export strategy. Their services are free or chargeable depending on the level of help required.

  Embassies
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what are the total costs of the new Embassy in Berlin and the date of completion; [54558]

  (2) what is the cost of the refurbishment of the Embassy in Cairo and the date of completion; [54551]

  (3) what are the total costs of the new Embassy in Moscow and the date of completion. [54559]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Staff Secondments
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his Department's staff on secondment to other Government departments and the periods they are spending on secondment. [54556]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  As of 1 July 1998, 97 employees at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are on secondment to other government departments. These include:

  Department of Trade and Industry

  Cabinet Office

  Ministry of Defence

  Prime Minister's Office

  Buckingham Palace

  DFID (includes Aid posts in London and overseas)

  St. James' Palace

  HM Treasury

  House of Lords

  Northern Ireland Office

  Department of Health.

  The periods of secondment vary between 1 and 4 years.
  696
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people working for his Department have been seconded from other organisations; for what periods they will be seconded; and what areas they are working in. [54421]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  As of 1 July 1998, there are 270 people from other organisations working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) servicing in London and at Diplomatic Posts overseas. The peri?ods of secondment vary from 2 to 4½ years, depending on where they are serving.

  Officers seconded to the FCO work in the wide range of jobs. Overseas, these include jobs in Immigration, economic, agriculture and science and technology.

  Departmental Estate
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all properties(a) owned and (b) rented or leased by his Department outside the United Kingdom, the purposes for which they are designated and the annual running costs for each property. [54443]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  France (Death of Britons)
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to press the French authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of British subjects in France. [54680]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Uganda
  Mr. Fitzpatrick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the position of the Acholi people in Uganda. [54653]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Non-Governmental Organisations
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's officials are currently seconded to non-Governmental organisations; and for what periods. [54422]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  As of 1 July 1998, there are 12 private sector secondments. In addition, two officers are currently working for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The periods of secondment vary between 6 months and 2 years.

  Vehicle Services (PFI)
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those
  697
  contracts for vehicle services provision that have been let under the PFI initiative and the companies providing the service. [54557]

  Mr. Fatchett
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have the following contracts for the provision and management of the overseas transport fleets, which have been let under the PFI initiative:

  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.

  Rover Group Ltd, and ABN AMRO Lease Holding N.V.

  The services under the terms of these contracts are provided by Rolls-Royce Motor Cards Ltd, the Rover Group and Lease Plan International, a Division of ABN AMRO Lease Holding.

  Women Employers
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many women there were in senior grades in his Department on(a) 1 November 1997 and (b) 1 May 1998; and how many there are currently. [54555]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  There are currently 34 women in the Senior Management Structure of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The figure for 1 November 1997 and for 1 May 1998 was 32.

  These figures include three officers who have not yet taken up their appointments and three on Special Unpaid Leave who retain the right to return to the department.

  Bill Payment
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of bills were paid by his Department within 30 days between October 1997 and June 1998. [54552]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Between October 1997 and end-June 1998 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office paid 97.26 per cent. of bills on time. During the same period the FCO's sole executive agency, Wilton Park, paid 95 per cent. of bills on time.

  Consultancies
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the external consultancy contracts that have been awarded by his Department since 1 May 1997, and the companies to which they have been awarded and the scope of the projects. [54423]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  External Consultancy contracts awarded by the FCO since 1 May 1997 are set out below.

  A Management Framework Agreement has recently been signed with five management consultancy firms: BDO Stoy Hayward, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, PA Consulting Group and Pannell Kerr Forster. This will enable simpler and quicker tendering procedures saving time and money.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with what frequency and regularity meetings are held between Ministers within his Department. [53977]
  698
  Mr. Robin Cook
  Ministers meet whenever necessary to address specific issues of policy, and hold collective discussion of strategic issues from time to time.

  Royal Family
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the cost to public funds for each official visit made by a member of the Royal Family outside the immediate Royal Family in each of the last three years; and what criteria determine which such visits are official visits. [54894]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  East Timor
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Indonesia's withdrawal of troops from East Timor. [54616]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Asia (Financial Crisis)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the financial crisis in Asia on the military modernisation plans of(a) Malaysia, (b) Thailand and (c) Indonesia. [54651]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the consequences for the UK arms industry of the financial crisis in Asia. [54652]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Drug Gangs (Latin America)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what data his Department has collated on the purchase of advanced military hardware by drug gangs in Latin America; and what steps the Government are taking to prevent UK-manufactured arms from reaching these gangs. [54648]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Visas
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the waiting period between interviews and application for settlement
  699
  in each category in the most recent period for which figures are available in (a) Islamabad, (b) Karachi, (c) New Dehli, (d) Mumbai, (e) Calcutta, (f) Madras, (g) Dhaka, (h) Colombo, (i) Lagos and (j) Moscow; what was the average delay at each post between application and decision on visas which have been granted in each category leading to settlement in the last month for which figures are available; and what estimates he has made of the waiting time in each post for a decision. [54944]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Date

  Minister

  Venue

  Purpose

  Officials

  Total cost including Ministers £

  January 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Stockholm

  Opening city of culture

  1 official

  1,315.32

  January 1998

  Mr. C. Smith

  Cannes

  Midem music festival

  none

  1,077.26

  January 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Brussels

  European committee on culture, youth, education and the media

  1 official

  689.07

  January 1998

  Mr. T. Clarke

  Los Angeles

  Sundance film festival and promotion of

  1 official

  17,859.11

  British film

  1 special adviser

  January 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Copenhagen

  Launch of EU presidency/bacon exhibition

  1 official

  1,233.20

  January 1998

  Mr. T. Banks

  Brussels

  Attend intergroup meeting

  2 officials

  1,004.55

  January 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Brussels

  EU conference

  1 official

  586.77

  February 1998

  Mr. T. Banks

  Tokyo/Seoul/Bangkok

  Winter olympics/campaign for 2006

  1 official

  11,156.94

  March 1998

  Mr. T. Clarke

  Berlin

  Ministerial conference on tourism

  1 official

  1,682.10

  March 1998

  Mr. T. Banks

  Paraguay/Argentina

  World cup campaign for 2006 with FA

  1 official

  8,662.90

  March 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Stockholm

  Global economic affairs conference

  1 official

  2,065.14

  April 1998

  Mr. T. Banks

  Quatar

  World cup campaign for 2006 with FA

  1 official

  9,150.58

  April 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Brussels

  Launch euro theatre festival 1998

  1 official

  636.90

  May 1998

  Mr. T. Clarke

  Cannes

  File festival and promotion of British film

  2 officials

  3,142.44

  May 1998

  Mr. C. Smith

  Cannes

  Film festival and promotion of British film

  2 officials

  13,414.41

  1 special adviser

  May 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Brussels

  European union cultural council

  none

  618.72

  June 1998

  Mr. T. Banks

  Paris

  European sports ministers meeting

  1 official

  467.00

  June 1998

  Mr. C. Smith

  Lens

  World cup—EngIand v Colombia

  none

  292.50

  June 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Portugal

  Expo 98 with HRH Prince Charles

  1 official

  1,952.03

  June 1998

  Mr. T. Clarke

  Hong Kong

  Representative at opening of new airport

  1 official

  10,391.45

  June 1998

  Mr. M. Fisher

  Ottawa

  Canada: Round table on international cooperation on cultural property

  1 official

  2,788.31

  July 1998

  Mr. T. Banks

  Paris

  Reception at French embassy by FIFA

  1 official

  777.94

  Total

  —

  —

  —

  —

  80,991.64

  1Denotes full figures not yet available

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how staff numbers in his Department have varied between 1 May 1997 and 31 March 1998. [48880]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  Staff numbers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have increased from 360 on 1 May 1997 to 373 on 31 March 1998.

  BBC
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what was the cost of advertising for recent appointments to the Board of Governors of the BBC; [53271]

  (2) what account was taken of the political affiliations of persons recently appointed to the Board of Governors of the BBC; [53263]
  700

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those who have accompanied (i) him and (ii) his departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved, (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53834]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The details requested are laid out in the accompanying table.

  (3) what representations he received from the Chairman of the BBC about the recent appointments of (a) the Deputy Chairman and (b) other governors of the BBC; [53264]

  (4) what political affiliations were disclosed by the successful candidates during the recent selection process for appointments to the Board of Governors of the BBC; [53262]

  (5) what criteria were used in determining recent appointments to the Board of Governors of the BBC; [53265]

  (6) what discussions he held with the Union of Communications Workers about recent appointments to the Board of Governors of the BBC. [53260]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The process for appointing the BBC Vice-Chairman and two Governors was based on the principles set down by the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments.
  701
  Candidates had to have, or be able to acquire quickly, the ability to represent the interests of BBC viewers and listeners and of the public at large; an appreciation of the requirements of operating as a board and the management of a large and complex public service and commercial undertaking; sensitivity to and the ability to keep in touch with public opinion on broadcasting issues; and the ability to work in an effective and collegiate manner with other Governors and the senior management of the BBC. Candidates for the position of Vice-Chairman were, in addition, expected to have the qualifications and experience to deputise for the Chairman and possess sufficient influence, experience and weight to act as an effective bridge between the BBC and Parliament. Candidates for the position of the Governor who chairs the English National Forum were expected to have knowledge of the English Regions and be willing to travel extensively within England. These were the primary criteria for selection. Considerations such as the political balance of the Board of Governors and the overall gender/ethnic minority representation were also taken into account, but were not determining factors.

  The cost of advertising for recent BBC Governor appointments was £40,486.98.

  All candidates for appointment to major public bodies are asked to provide information on significant political activity in the past five years. This reflects the guidance set down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and is used for overall monitoring purposes only. The information is confidential.

  Role specifications for the Vice-Chairmanship and the two Governor positions were agreed with the BBC. The BBC Chairman was invited to suggest names for consideration alongside respondents to the advertisement, and to comment on the shortlist for each position. The Chairman was a member of the selection panel that interviewed candidates for the Vice-Chairmanship, and also interviewed the final shortlist of candidates for the two Governor positions. The final decision on all three appointments was taken by Her Majesty the Queen in Council, on the advice of the Prime Minister.

  I held no discussions with the Union of Communication Workers about the appointments.

  Departmental Assets
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to dispose of assets held by his Department. [46451]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 18 June 1998]: Apart from the usual disposal of obsolete furniture and IT equipment, my Department has no plans to dispose of any assets at present, although I am considering options for the future of the land to the north of the British Library at St. Pancras and of 6 Burlington Gardens, formerly the Museum of Mankind.

  Dance and Drama Students
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received about the training of dance and drama students; and if he will make a statement. [52652]
  702
  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 27 July 1998]: During the last few months my Department has received a number of letters on this subject, largely focusing on the issue of funding. I am concerned that talented students should have access to the best possible training and my Department is presently working in conjunction with DfEE to establish a long term solution, to be in place when the Arts Council of England's Interim Funding Scheme expires.

  Millennium Youth Games
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Minister has for the creation of a national millennium youth games in the UK. [52720]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his question about Millennium Sport Competitions on 28 July 1998,Official Report, column 162.

  Millennium (Christianity)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangement he is making for commemorating the Christian element of the millennium. [53722]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The Christian Churches in the UK have a well-advanced programme of events to mark the Millennium, including a special programme of celebrations at Pentecost 2000. My Department is working closely with the Christian Churches and other faiths, through the Lambeth Consultation Group, to ensure that the importance of the year 2000 as a Christian anniversary is reflected more generally in the celebrations. The Group has produced guidelines for events organisers on how Millennium activities can be made relevant and accessible to Christians and other members of faiths. Members of the Group are also working with my Department to draw up plans for special Millennium Church Services on the first Sunday of the year 2000. With the assistance of the Lambeth Group, the New Millennium Experience Company is working to ensure that the Christian significance of the year 2000 is reflected in the Dome at Greenwich and its associated national programme of activities.

  Film Industry (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that talented people from ethnic minorities participate in the British film industry. [54050]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The Action Committee taking forward the recommendations of the Film Policy Review Group includes ethnic minority representation and will be considering a paper later in the year on the question of improving opportunities for ethnic minority film makers. The British Film Institute is committed to improving access for all to moving image culture and has recently run a number of schemes aimed at new black writers and has also established a new post dedicated to black and minority film cultures. It is encouraging to note that to date more than £10 million of National Lottery money has
  703
  been awarded by the Arts Council of England to films with black or Asian involvement, representing almost 19 per cent. of the total funds allocated.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53952]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The Royal Parks Agency is the only Agency of my Department. The Agency does not have procedures for identifying persistent inquirers for information.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is his Department's average response time to correspondence from members of the public; and how such response times are monitored. [48643]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service on 14 July 1998,Official Report, column 159.

  Sky Television
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with BSkyB since 1 February; and on what matters. [54394]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  Since 1 February DCMS Ministers have met BSkyB on four occasions, covering a range of broadcasting and related issues. In addition, representatives of BSkyB along with other industry players attended the European Audiovisual Conference in Birmingham on 6 April which I attended.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54267]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  In 1997–98 the Departmental produced the White Paper 'The People's Lottery' in both Braille and large print.

  This represented 3 per cent. of the total number of publications produced.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 1 April 1998,Official Report, column 524, on departmental transport arrangements, what progress he has made on the development of green transport plans. [54107]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  My Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport", that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green 704
  transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000. The Department provides bicycle storage, and has only very limited car parking spaces. We are reviewing the position on business travel and business deliveries.

  Cycling
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the employees of his Department and of the employees of each agency for which he is responsible cycle to work; and what measures he plans to increase that proportion. [52677]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: Between 1 per cent. and 2 per cent. of the Department's staff currently cycle to work. The equivalent figure for the Royal Parks Agency is 5.6 per cent.

  To encourage cycling to work, parking space is provided and this could be increased if necessary. There are showers and changing rooms at the Department's main building, 2–4 Cockspur Street, and the same is planned for a second building, Grove House. Staff who wish to buy bicycles can apply for an advance of salary of up to £300 towards the cost of purchase.

  Further measures to increase the proportion of employees cycling to work are being considered as part of the development of green transport plans for buildings occupied by the Department and the Royal Parks Agency.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what parking facilities for cycles exist at each office or site for which his Department is responsible and for each agency for which he is responsible. [52676]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: Secure parking for bicycles is provided at Grove House, for the benefit of the Department's staff at its offices at 2–4 Cockspur Street, Grove House, and Haymarket House. Parking space is also available at the Government Art Collection and at the properties occupied by the Royal Parks Agency.

  Tobacco Sponsorship
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will include within the remit of the Tobacco Sponsorship Task Force assistance to the arts. [52516]

  Mr. Banks
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: I have no plans to do so. I have set up the Task Force to address the impact of the European Union Tobacco Advertising Directive on sport.

  Regional Theatres
  Mr. Bendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will list box office income, as a percentage of operating costs, among all regional producing theatres in England and Wales; [50606]

  (2) if he will list box office income, as a percentage of operating costs, among the producing theatres in the region covered by Southern Arts. [50605]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 14 July 1998]: Figures for 'box office income' are not available. The following figures for core earned income as a percentage

  705
  of operating costs are taken from the data received as part of the Arts Council of England's Annual Survey of Regularly Funded Organisations for 1996–97.

  (a) 76 per cent. for all regional producing theatres in England

  (b) 94 per cent. for all producing theatres in the region covered by Southern Arts.

  Notes:

  1. The Survey uses 'core earned income' which includes box office, but also all other forms of earned income.

  2. Operating costs are 'staff costs' plus 'overheads'.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many special advisers, political advisers and other political appointees are working in his Department; at what annual cost to the public purse including recruitment costs, salaries, pensions and National Insurance contributions; and what was the position in the last full year of the last Government. [43320]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  For details of the numbers of Special Advisers and the annual cost of employing them, I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 1 1 June 1998,Official Report, column 664.

  National Insurance contributions are excluded from this figure but are paid under the same rules and at the same rates as for other civil servants. Information on the paybill costs for the two Special Advisers within DCMS and other individual Departments is not provided in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

  Information on the costs of employing Special Advisers in previous years was given by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 25 November 1997, Official Report, columns 472–73.

  Cricket
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what new initiatives he has taken to promote cricket in schools at a junior level; [52631]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the advantages of locating the national cricket centre of excellence in the North West; [54661]

  (3) how many women's cricket leagues there are in England. [54702]

  Mr. Banks
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  Millennium Celebrations
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what national sporting tournaments he has planned in order to celebrate the millennium. [52606]
  706
  Mr. Banks
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  Television Channels
  Mr. Casale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to improve compliance with the Television without Frontiers quota requirements. [52141]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Casale
  To ask "the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many UK licensed television channels met the quota(a) for European works in Article 4 and (b) for independent productions in Article 5 of the Television Without Frontiers directive; [52139]

  (2) which UK licensed television channels had a lower proportion of (a) European originating programmes and (b) independent productions in 1996 than 1995. [52140]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: In April 1998, the European Commission published its third monitoring report of Member States' compliance with the quota provisions under Articles 4 and 5 of the EC Broadcasting Directive. The report covers the period 1995–96. An Explanatory Memorandum was submitted to Parliament on 5 May, and copies of the Commission's report have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The report showed an upward progression in the proportion of European and independently produced programming transmitted by UK broadcasters. In 1996, the latest year for which data are publicly available, 40 of the 80 UK-licensed channels subject to the quota provisions met the requirements for European works and 49 met the requirement for independent productions. The following tables, derived from the European Commission's third monitoring report, list those channels that had a lower proportion of European works and independent productions in 1996 than 1995.

  Channels which had a lower proportion of European works in 1996 than 19951

  Percentage

  Channel

  1995

  1996

  Asianet

  10

  7

  BBC1

  68

  67

  Bravo

  54

  47

  Carlton Select

  91

  80

  EBN

  90

  80

  ITV

  71

  70

  Kindernet CV

  90

  77

  MED TV

  99

  78

  Movie Channel

  18

  17

  Muslim Television Ahmadiyya

  94

  81

  Nickelodeon

  27

  25

  Parliamentary Channel

  100

  95

  Sky Movies

  25

  13

  Sky Movies Gold

  27

  20

  TLC

  67

  50

  TV 1000 Sverige AB

  36

  32

  707

  Channels which had a lower proportion of European works in 1996 than 19951

  Percentage

  Channel

  1995

  1996

  UK Gold

  54

  51

  UK Living

  66

  54

  VT4

  32

  27

  1 Article 4 of the EC Broadcasting Directive requires Member States to ensure, where practicable and by appropriate means, that broadcasters reserve a majority of their transmission time for European works, excluding the time appointed to news, sports events, games, advertising and teletext services

  Channels which had a lower proportion of independent productions in 1996 than 19951

  Percentage

  Channel

  1995

  1996

  Asianet

  9

  1

  BBC Prime

  9

  4

  BBC World

  11

  7

  BBC2

  21

  20

  Disney Channel UK

  6

  5

  ITV

  26

  24

  Kindernet CV

  78

  63

  Landmark Travel Channel

  42

  41

  MED TV

  74

  47

  Movie Channel

  11

  7

  MTV Central

  62

  60

  MTV North

  62

  60

  MTV South

  62

  60

  Paramount Comedy Channel

  7

  3

  Parliamentary Channel

  75

  25

  S4C

  76

  74

  Sky Movies

  10

  5

  Sky Movies Gold

  16

  12

  Sky One

  10

  4

  Sky Travel Channel

  17

  13

  TLC

  45

  35

  TV3 Norway

  18

  12

  TV3 Sweden

  26

  22

  UK Living

  66

  54

  V11–1

  98

  88

  VT4

  26

  18

  Zee TV

  2

  0

  1 Article 5 of the EC Broadcasting Directive requires Member States to ensure, where practicable and by appropriate means, that broadcasters reserve at least 10 per cent. of their transmission time, excluding the time appointed to news, sports events, games, advertising and teletext services, for independent European works, or alternatively, at the discretion of the Member State, at least 10 per cent. of their programming budget

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52705]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: I regret that is has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.
  708

  Public Appointment
  Ms Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the public appointments for which he is responsible indicating the dates of(a) appointment and (b) retirement for those currently in post; and what proposals he has to widen the range of individuals who will be considered for such appointments in future. [54892]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  BBC Governors
  Sir Raymond Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) who were the members of the advisory panel for public appointments which considered the short-listed candidates for the two BBC governor positions; and who were the independent members; [54889]

  (2) if the Chairman of the BBC Governors is normally a member of a selection panel interviewing for the post of vice-chairman of the governors; [54888]

  (3) what changes were made to the final short list of candidates to the two governor positions after it had been seen by Sir Christopher Bland and the head of the Department's Broadcasting and Media Group; [54891]

  (4) if the Chairman of the BBC Governors informed the existing governors that he was to be involved in the interviewing of new governors; [54887]

  (5) for what reasons Sir Christopher Bland and the head of the Department's Broadcasting and Media group were shown a final short list of candidates for the two governor positions. [54890]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department expects to spend in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on vehicle replacements. [54992]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

  D'Oyly Carte
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to secure the future of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. [53748]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: D'Oyly Carte is an independent company, responsible to its Board and backers for the operational decisions it takes. Public funding for the arts is channelled through the Arts Council of England who take decisions on the funding of individual arts organisations without the

  709
  involvement of Ministers. Ministers have, however, drawn to the attention of the Arts Council the representations made in Parliament on this issue.

  Sports Hooligans
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with sports governing bodies on measures for dealing with sports supporters who bring their sport, teams or country into disrepute. [53596]

  Mr. Banks
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The Government deplore all acts of hooliganism at sporting events. I know from my regular dealings with sports governing bodies that they share this sentiment. The actions of thugs and hooligans who constitute a tiny minority detract from the good behaviour of the vast majority who are sport's true supporters. Of course, the full weight of the criminal law can be used to deal with incidents of serious disorder at sports grounds but increasingly sports organisers are tightening their own rules in response to bad behaviour.

  Employees Over 60
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) men and (b) women aged over 60 years were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies on 1 January. [53066]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: On 1 January my Department employed four women aged over 60. No staff over 60 were employed by the Royal Parks Agency on that date.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) men and (b) women employed by (1) his Department and (2) his Department's agencies have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday. [53042]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: No staff in my Department have terms and conditions of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday. However, staff may be retained beyond age 60 if there is an exceptional need for their services. In the Royal Parks Agency one man and two women have contracts which specifically allow them to work beyond 60 subject to the needs of the Agency, continued good health and efficient performance. These are reviewed annually.

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53857]
  710
  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The answer is as follows:

  (a) None

  (b) None

  (c) (i) None, (ii) None

  (d) Treasure Valuation Committee (formerly the Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee)1

  New Millennium Experience Company (formerly Millennium Central Ltd.)2

  (e) Details of all other NDPBs in existence on 1 May 1997 sponsored by this department are listed in "Public Bodies 1997".

  The following NDPBs have been established since 1 May 1997:

  (i) National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts

  (ii) New Opportunities Fund

  (iii) Football Taskforce

  (iv) Historic Royal Palaces (formerly the Historic Royal Palaces Agency).

  1 The Treasure Trove Reviewing Committee was reconstituted as the Treasure Valuation Committee in September as a result of the Treasure Act 1996.

  2 Millennium Central Ltd. was reconstituted as the New Millennium Experience Company following the review of the Millennium Dome Project by the Government during May and June 1997.
  My Department is responsible for 54 public bodies which include executive and advisory NDPBs and public corporations.

  Ancient Monuments Laboratory
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 29 June 1998,Official Report, column 59, (1) if he will request the Chief Executive of English Heritage to answer questions 47396, 43400 and 47397 tabled by the hon. Member for the City of York (Mr. Bayley) on 24 June; [53719]

  (2) what discussions he has held with the Chief Executive of English Heritage about the proposed relocation of its Ancient Monuments Laboratory to Fort Cumberland, Portsmouth, with reference to (a) potential job losses, (b) the accuracy of the figures in the Chief Executive's letter dated 21 July to the hon. Member for the City of York (Mr. Bayley) and (c) the need to consult widely before relocating. [53608]

  Mr. Banks
  I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. and learned Member and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

DEFENCE

  Overseas Travel
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the cost of Ministerial overseas travel in his Department in(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98 to date. [26638]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 5 February 1998]: I regret that it has not been possible to provide the full details requested in the hon. Member's question before

  711
  now. I will write to the hon. Member in due course and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to correspond electronically with(a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public. [49848]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Biological Warfare
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment his Department has made since 1990 of the implications of information being exchanged between Libya and the biological warfare programme organised by South Africa's former apartheid regime; what were the conclusions of this assessment; when this assessment was started and finished; what action has been taken in the light of this assessment; and if he will make a statement; [53088]

  (2) what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the extent and nature of the biological warfare programme organised by South Africa's former apartheid regime, what were the conclusions of this assessment; when this assessment was started and finished; what action has been taken in the light of this assessment; and if he will make a statement. [53087]

  Mr. Spellar
  A thorough assessment of South Africa's biological warfare programme was made as part of the continuous process by which the UK Government monitor the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. I am withholding further details under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice for Access to Government Information, relating to Defence, Security and International relations.

  Gulf War
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of British service personnel deployed to the Gulf in 1998 refused to take anti-anthrax injections; for what reasons such injections are currently voluntary; and if he plans to make such injections compulsory. [50001]

  Mr. George Robertson
  On 3 March this year, the Ministry of Defence announced that UK Service personnel and MOD civilians posted to the Gulf region were being offered immunisation against anthrax. As of 13 July, our records showed that 4,482 UK Service and MOD personnel have been offered immunisation and 1,469 are recorded as having commenced a course of anthrax immunisation. Hence an estimated 67 per cent. of personnel offered anthrax immunisation have declined to accept it. The level of uptake appears to be related to where an individual is serving and may be based on his or her personnel judgment as to the threat they personally face or faced. For example, 66 per cent. of personnel who were offered their first vaccination whilst serving in Kuwait have chosen to be vaccinated, but of personnel who were offered their first vaccination whilst serving on RN ships in the Gulf only 18 per cent. have chosen to accept.
  712
  We consider Immunisation to be vitally important for the protection of UK Service personnel against disease, in the context of public health threats as well as defence against biological warfare agents. At present, MOD policy is that immunisation for both purposes is voluntary, on the basis of informed consent. However, the means of protecting our personnel against such threats are continually reviewed and updated in the light of changing circumstances.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 29 June 1998,Official Report, column 7, what estimate he has made of the numbers, breeds and species of animals required at Porton Down for the experiments relating to Gulf War Syndrome; how many experiments involving animals will be required; and what representations he has received concerning the experiments. [50625]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  DERA
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the qualifications held by senior civil servants which are relevant to their duties in the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [52047]

  Mr. Spellar
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Dr. Ian Gibson, dated 31 July 1998:
  I have been asked to reply to your question about qualifications held by senior civil servants relevant to their duties in the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
  Senior civil servants employed in DERA are assessed and appointed against the criteria applied across Government, which embrace experience, competence and, on initial recruitment, appropriate academic and professional qualifications.
  In addition, DERA's specialist staff generally have one or more of a wide spectrum of scientific, engineering and other degrees, about half at PhD level. The majority are also either members or fellows of prestigious learned and professional institutions. A number also hold visiting Professorships.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what redundancies have(a) taken place and (b) are pending in the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [52045]

  Mr. Spellar
  Since DERA was formed in 1995, there have been 878 redundancies, of which 65 were compulsory. At present there are 13 members of staff in a surplus position who might be made redundant if suitable alternative employment cannot be found.

  As a result of the outcome of the review of the DERA's land ranges, announced today, a further reduction of 291 jobs is planned. The implementation of the reduction is dependent on the outcome of the detailed consultation with staff and Trades Unions but will certainly involve some redundancies.
  713
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of DERA's land ranges at Eskmeals, Shoeburyness and Pendine. [55200]

  Mr. Spellar
  The initial period of consultation on the second stage of the review to address the long term future of DERA's land ranges is now complete. In order to maintain the necessary facilities, and to keep the affordable within projected income, we have decided to concentrate as much of the test and evaluation work as possible at Eskmeals and to use the ranges at Shoeburyness and Pendine only as required. The proposals put forward in January have been modified slightly in the light of the consultation process, with the retention of 6 additional jobs at the range at Shoeburyness and 10 at Pendine, and the loss of 20 jobs at Eskmeals. Plans for the Environmental Test Centre and demilitarisation facilities at Shoeburyness are unchanged. The planned figures are shown in the following table:

  Staff levels

  Site

  Current

  Future

  Difference

  Shoeburyness

  Range

  182

  31

  -151

  Environmental Test Centre

  69

  34

  -35

  Demilitarisations

  72

  72

  —

  Pendine

  115

  30

  -85

  Eskmeals

  140

  120

  -20

  Total

  578

  287

  -291

  The implementation of these measures will be phased to ensure that customer requirements are still met during the process. It is anticipated that most of the changes will have taken place by April 1999, though the exact timing is dependent on the work programme and on the completion of the next stage of detailed consultation with staff and Trades Unions.

  Submarines
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions permission has been(a) granted, (b) deferred and (c) refused to lift submarines on the shiplift at Faslane; and if he will make a statement. [52167]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Clyde Naval Base Shiplift has been used to lift submarines on 15 occasions. Of these, 13 have been on VANGUARD Class SSBNs and 2 on SSNs. No planned or unplanned lifts have been refused permission. The shiplift returned to operational use in June 1998 having been withdrawn from service from October 1997 to March 1998 to allow modification to the platform rails. Two dockings planned in this period were deferred. Docking dates frequently change from a variety of reasons, not directly linked to the Shiplift. The docking programme is optimised for submarine operational commitments, for which SSBNs have the priority, the tasking of submarine maintenance and repair staff on other priority tasks, and the maintenance requirements of the shiplift.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of each of the Astute class submarines currently on order. [53760]
  714
  Mr. George Robertson
  The total cost of procuring the first three Astute Class submarines is expected to be around £2 billion. This includes design, build and some in-service support as a package.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on his Department's future plans for the storage of spent submarine reactor cores at BNFL Sellafield; [54080]

  (2) what was the average running cost of transporting used submarine reactor cores in (a) 1986, (b) 1991 and (c) 1996. [54084]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of each used submarine reactor core. [54096]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much his Department has spent to date on the new fuel transport flasks for the transport of submarine reactor cores; and what he estimates the total cost of this project will be; [54082]

  (2) if he will make a statement on progress being made towards introducing the new fuel transport flasks for the transport of submarine reactor cores. [54083]

  Mr. Spellar
  Good progress is being made towards introducing the new used core transport package flasks for the transport of spent submarine reactor cores at the end of 1998. Manufacture of the flasks is nearing completion and they will soon be tested before delivery. I am withholding the cost of the contract under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to Third Party's commercial confidences.

  Transport Aircraft
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what options he is assessing for replacing RAF transport aircraft. [51066]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Guardsmen Fisher and Wright
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions and on what dates the Army Board has considered the question of discharge of Guardsmen Fisher and Wright; and what plans it has to consider this matter further; [48364]

  (2) from which public relations companies he has received representations concerning the interests of Guardsmen Fisher and Wright; and if he will estimate the cost to public funds of replying to these representations. [54028]
  715
  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  RAF Aircraft (Gulf)
  Mr. Ainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make statement about the RAF aircraft deployed in the Gulf. [52542]

  Mr. George Robertson
  At present 6 RAF Tornado aircraft and 243 personnel are based in Saudi Arabia, 2 VC-10 tankers and 36 personnel are based in Bahrain and 12 RAF Tornados and 380 personnel are based in Kuwait. These forces remain in the Gulf to demonstrate our determination that Iraq should comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

  In addition, HMS Grafton maintains a Royal Naval presence in the Gulf and will shortly be joined by HMS York. The Armilla patrol has displayed the UK's commitment to the region since 1980 and plays an important part in enforcing United Nations sanctions.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he agreed with the US Defence Secretary to increase co-operation to combat chemical and biological weapons; for what reasons he has agreed to increase such co-operation; what are the objectives of the increased co-operation; and if he will list the areas of chemical and biological warfare which are covered by this agreement. [49494]

  Mr. George Robertson
  I agreed with Secretary Cohen on 3 June, during my recent visit to the United States, that our two countries would enhance our co-operation efforts to combat chemical and biological weapons.

  There is a clear and growing international consensus that the possession of chemical and biological weapons is unacceptable. Recent events in Iraq have demonstrated why co-operation between the US and UK in this area is absolutely vital. The US and UK already work closely together in this area, and technical and research co-operation in areas such as vaccines is well established. The June agreement will provide more precise high level policy and strategic direction. A full range of activities will be addressed. This will ensure both nations benefit fully from military and technical expertise and understanding in responding to all chemical and biological warfare risks.

  The detailed programme of co-operation has not yet been established.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what progress has been made in appointing an independent scientist to review the trial reports of the germ warfare trials in the south of England which took place between 1964 and 1977; and if he will make a statement; [54534]

  (2) what is the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment's evaluation of whether short-term exposure to mustard gas causes (a) psychological disorders and (b) sexual dysfunction in the long term. [54533]
  716
  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the library of the House.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on IT itemising(a) personal computers, (b) main-frame, (c) minicomputers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figures are available. [52884]

  Mr. Spellar
  This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Defence Attachés
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to develop the role of defence attachés in providing training for armed forces from(a) Central and Eastern Europe and (b) the rest of the world with regard to the importance of democratic accountability and the use of civilians in defence management roles. [53243]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Reservists' Pensions
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many people have been awarded attributable benefits for reservist pensions in each of the last 18 years; [53190]

  (2) how many applications from reservists and Territorial Army personnel for attributable benefits for reservists' pensions have been rejected by the War Pensions Agency in each of the last 18 years. [53189]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Merchant Navy Personnel (Arctic Medal)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the eligibility of the merchant navymen who served and died while on convoy to Russia for the Arctic Medal; and if he will make a statement. [53187]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Land Quality Assessments
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many land quality assessments of Ministry of Defence sites have been completed since April 1996; if the reports of the assessments and of land quality statements are available to the public; and if he will place a list of their titles in the Library specifying the dates on which they were produced and the locations concerned. [53377]

  Mr. Spellar
  This information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
  717
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence sites have been sold, or disposed of, by his Department since April 1996; how many of these sites have been the subject of land quality assessments and land quality statements; and if he will place a list of the titles of the assessments and statements in the Library specifying the dates on which they were produced and the locations concerned. [53379]

  Mr. Spellar
  The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member.

  AWE Aldermaston
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Mathematical Physics Division at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston was set up; what is the purpose of this division; how many series of technical papers or reports are currently being produced by this division; and what are the names of each series. [53929]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Mathematical Physics Division at AWE Aldermaston has been in existence since the setting up of the then Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in the 1950s. Its purpose is to provide theoretical and computer models of nuclear weapons. The division produces two series of reports, which are:

  Theoretical physics notes

  Senior Superintendent Physics Division/USA.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 July 1998,Official Report, column 429, regarding AWE Aldermaston, if he will list the departments and divisions within the (a) assurance, (b) physics research, (c) programmes and(d) technology directorates. [53930]

  Mr. Spellar
  The departments and divisions within the(a) assurance, (b) physics research, (c) programmes and (d) technology directorates are respectively:

  (a) Safety, Environment, Health, Quality, Security, Operations and Assurance Services.

  (b) Hydrodynamics, Radiation Physics and Design Mathematics and Seismology.

  (c) Research Co-ordination, Corporate Systems, Strategy Development and Strategy Co-ordination.

  (d) The Technology Directorate has the following Business areas—Explosives, Chemistry, Nuclear Materials, Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium, Waste Management, Engineering Workshops and Metallic Materials, Burghfield Group Facility and Quality Control.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress being made towards completing the A91 liquid waste treatment plant at AWE Aldermaston. [54088]

  Mr. Spellar
  The A91 facility is currently in the final stages of inactive commissioning. The building is currently expected to become operational by the end of 1999.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress being made towards decontaminating the north ponds area of AWE Aldermaston. [54087]
  718
  Mr. Spellar
  One of the North Ponds has been decontaminated and decommissioned. An extensive new water management system, which will allow the decontamination of the other ponds to be carried out, is currently being built on the site. The new water management system is now nearing completion and is expected to be in use in early 1999.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the stated running costs of the atomic weapons establishments of £302 million in 1997–98 includes all staff costs and management fees to Hunting-BRAE Ltd. [53762]

  Mr. Spellar
  Yes.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the amounts paid to Hunting-BRAE in each of the last five years for administering and managing the atomic weapons establishments. [53763]

  Mr. George Robertson
  Payments to Hunting-BRAE are commercially confidential and I am, therefore, withholding this information under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to Third Party commercial confidences. My hon. Friend will, however, find a general breakdown of costs for the nuclear warhead programme for financial year 1997–98 in the Strategic Defence Review White Paper Supporting Essay Five, Figure 5, which shows that the total running costs of AWE in 1997–98 were £302 million.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reduction in radioactive emissions from AWE Aldermaston would follow from an end to production. [54448]

  Mr. Spellar
  Activities such as decommissioning and maintaining safety standards within facilities make up by far the largest proportion of discharges from AWE Aldermaston. Were production of nuclear warheads to cease, there would, therefore, be a minimal effect on emissions from the site.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what environmental assessment of toxic and radioactive contamination levels present in the soil at AWE(a) Aldermaston, (b) Burghfield, (c) Cardiff and (d) Foulness has been conducted; and if he will place a copy of each such assessment in the Library; [54086]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the number of additional nuclear waste stores, and of what cubic capacity required at AWE Aldermaston up to 2020 (a) to meet future arisings and (b) to replace those stores which do not meet regulatory requirements; [54091]

  (3) if he will list the amount spent meeting all the requirements of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate at the Atomic Weapons Establishments at (a) Aldermaston and (b) Burghfield in each of the last five years; and how much he expects to spend at each in total; [54092]

  (4) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Waste Management and Decommissioning Strategy; and if he will make a statement; [54090]

  (5) how many buildings are currently in use for storing radioactive waste at AWE Aldermaston. [54085]
  719
  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Exercise Dimming Sun
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 29 June 1998,Official Report, column 14, regarding the Dimming Sun nuclear weapon exercise, how many people are expected to take part in this exercise; what will be its scenario; which other Government departments are expected to take part in it; and on which Government properties in Norfolk it will take place. [53931]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Air Force Board
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 1998,Official Report, column 437, if he will place in the Library a list of the items discussed at the meetings of the Air Force Board on (a) 17 June 1998 and (b) 17 July 1997. [53375]

  Mr. George Robertson
  I regret that in the answer of 7 May the date of the annual meeting of the Air Force Board in 1997 was wrong. The meeting took place on 16, not 17, July.

  On that occasion, and again at this year's meeting on 17 June, the only item on the Board's agenda was the RAF's End of Year Performance Report 1996–97 and 1997–98 respectively.

  Indonesian Army Officers
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 1 June 1998,Official Report, columns 102–03, on Indonesian army officers, if any Indonesian army officers being taught at non-military educational institutions in the UK as part of programmes provided on a private and commercial basis are being funded by United Kingdom defence companies. [54417]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Defence Exports
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 1998,Official Report, column 422 on defence exports, if he will list the fixed percentage rates referred to in his reply and the factors governing their application. [54404]

  Mr. Spellar
  The rates for Commercial Exploitation Levy will vary according to the type of equipment involved and whether the use of Government-funded jigs and tools is intended. Details of the individual rates, and the circumstances in which they might apply, are withheld under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to Third Party's commercial confidences. Higher values sales would normally employ profit sharing schemes rather than the 720
  application of rates of levy. The circumstances of individual sales may also permit some variation to the levy arrangements which are negotiated case by case.

  Promotional Events
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many companies were involved in defence industry promotional events on board Her Majesty's ships engaged in Ocean Wave; what was the cost to his Department of defence industry promotional events staged during Ocean Wave; and what contributions towards these costs were provided by the defence companies involved. [54405]

  Mr. Spellar
  A total of 47 companies, including divisions of companies, took part in promotional events on board a variety of ships and submarines. The majority of this activity was in the form of eight single day "Defence Industry Days", where the costs of the event were met by a flat rate contribution of £588, including VAT, per company per event. An average of twelve companies attended each of the eight days generating a total of £57,624. In addition some companies made use of other ship visits on an individual basis; there were no additional costs to the MOD as a result of these activities.

  Tornado Lease (Italy)
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the value of the countertrade and offset commitments entered into as part of the deal to lease Tornado aircraft to Italy; and what percentage of the value of the contract those commitments represent. [54169]

  Mr. Spellar
  The arrangements with Italy for the lease of Tornado aircraft provide for 100 per cent. offset of the lease value of £100 million.

  Overseas Sales Demonstrations
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been charged to defence companies for the cost of overseas sales demonstrations by MoD teams in each of the last two years; and what percentage of the total cost of such demonstrations this represents. [54167]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Infantry Export Support Team
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Infantry Export Support Team was created; what was its annual cost in each of the last two years; how much of this was funded by(a) DESO and (b) industry; and what other export support teams have been created. [54418]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53948]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
  721

  Commercially Confidential Information
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines exist in his Department governing the publication of commercially confidential information; and what is his Department's definition of commercially confidential information. [54164]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Non-operational Warheads (Storage)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to store non-operational warheads. [54450]

  Mr. George Robertson
  Operationally available warheads are either deployed on Trident submarines or stored in secure facilities ashore. Warheads in the processing margin or required for technical surveillance purposes are also held at secure locations ashore. In addition, obsolete Chevaline warheads and a few WE177 weapons remain in storage awaiting dismantlement. Where Trident warheads are replaced rather than refurbished during their service life, those withdrawn will also be stored for periods pending dismantling. We plan to dismantle all surplus warheads as quickly as possible.

  Sierra Leone
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the events which led to Sandline personnel being invited onto HMS Cornwall on 20 March. [54546]

  Mr. George Robertson
  HMS Cornwall sailed from Freetown on 20 March. No Sandline personnel were invited aboard on that day.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the logs of HMS Monmouth for the period of its deployment off Sierra Leone in 1998; when that vessel departed from the United Kingdom for that deployment; if he will publish the orders that were issued to the captain on the issue of involvement in that country's civil war; and if he will make a statement on the bearing of restricted FCO Telegram 44 to Abuja in this context. [54545]

  Mr. George Robertson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (i) position and (ii) orders of(a) HMS Cornwall, (b) HMS Monmouth and (c) RFA Orangeleaf at the time of ECOMOG initial military action against the Sierra Leone junta; and what was the date of issuing of those orders. [54473]

  Mr. George Robertson
  At the time of ECOMOG initial military action in February 1998, HMS Cornwall was alongside in Devonport, England, HMS Monmouth was alongside in Cape Verde Islands and RFA Orangeleaf was alongside in Gibraltar. These ships were under no specific orders at that time.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the nature of the land contact enjoyed by RFA 'Orangeleaf' during its stationing 722
  off Sierra Leone with HMS 'Monmouth' and HMS 'Cornwall', what contact took place between that vessel and (i) ECOMOG and (ii) Sandline; and if any of its supplies were transferred to shore. [54549]

  Mr. George Robertson
  FRA Orangeleaf had no direct land contact during the period she was stationed off Sierra Leone. She did not go alongside. No supplies were transferreed ashore. There was no contact between Orangeleaf and ECOMAG or Sandline.

  Trident
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the production of the first Trident warheads to cease; and when replacement production will begin. [54451]

  Mr. George Robertson
  A programme of refurbishment or replacement of Trident warheads will continue throughout the service life of the Trident system, in order to maintain its safety and reliability. Those warheads which are replaced rather than refurbished will be dismantled.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the cost of(a) constructing and (b) equipping each of the four Trident nuclear submarines. [53759]

  Mr. George Robertson
  The latest estimate of the cost of constructing each of the four Vanguard Class Trident submarines, at 1997–87 prices, is:

  £ million

  HMS Vanguard

  11,644

  HMS Victorious

  879

  HMS Vigilant

  891

  HMS Vengeance

  863

  1 Includes First of Class Costs

  The estimated cost of their associated integrated strategic weapon system and tactical weapon system equipments is:

  £million

  HMS Vanguard

  218

  HMS Victorious

  182

  HMS Vigilant

  151

  HMS Vengeance

  166

  Armed Service Personnel
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the five most common destinations as careers for armed services personnel following their departure from the services. [54932]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54269]
  723
  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  HMS Vanguard
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incident on board HMS Vanguard in June. [53758]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Chevaline Warhead Assembly
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Chevaline warhead assembly programme to be completed. [54446]

  Mr. George Robertson
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the disassembly programme for Chevaline warheads, in which case I refer him to the answer given to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on 7 May 1998,Official Report, columns 436–37, by my hon. Friend the then Minister for the Armed Forces.

  Royal Hospital, Haslar
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Royal Hospital, Haslar. [54662]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Territorial Army
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his Department's Spending Defence Review on the Territorial Army; and if he will make a statement. [54897]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  NIREX
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the amounts paid to NIREX by(a) his Department, (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment, (c) Devonport Dockyard, and (d) Rosyth Dockyard in each of the last five years. [54093]

  Mr. Spellar
  Payments by the MOD to Nirex in respect of the development of a Deep Waste depository are made centrally. They began in financial year 1994–95 and the sums paid so far are:

  FY 94–95: £5.9m

  FY 95–96: £5.3m

  FY 96–97: £4.1m

  FY 97–98: £2.7m.

  I will write further to the hon. Member with information on other payments which may have been made to Nirex in respect of advice given on the packaging of waste material.
  724

  Departmental Property
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all properties(a) owned and (b) leased or rented by his Department outside the United Kingdom, the purposes for which they are designated and the annual running costs for each property. [54444]

  Mr. Spellar
  The information regarding properties owned, leased or rented is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  The annual running costs for each property are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Ion Exchange Resin
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress being made to construct building D151 to store ion exchange resin. [54089]

  Mr. Spellar
  The construction of the upgraded Nuclear Utilities Building at Devonport Royal Dockyard (Project D151) is complete.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many modified Magnox flasks and resin catch tanks are in use at Rosyth and Devonport to store ion exchange resin. [54081]

  Mr. Spellar
  There are 35 resin catch tanks currently in use at Rosyth Royal Dockyard, and 29 resin catch tanks and 9 modified magnox flasks currently in use at Devonport Royal Dockyard.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to replace the spent nuclear submarine fuel ponds at BNFL Sellafield; and if he will make a statement. [53757]

  Mr. Spellar
  The current 'B27' store at BNFL Sellafield has a finite life. MOD has contracted BNFL to provide a replacement used fuel storage service for spent submarine reactor fuel for a period of forty years from 1 December 2001. Using their own funds, BNFL are currently designing and constructing the new facility and will transfer all submarine reactor fuel from the existing B27 store by 2011. The sums invested by BNFL will be recovered within the agreed charge for the storage service.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what budget headings costs directly related to nuclear weapons appear. [53761]

  Mr. George Robertson
  Costs of the nuclear warhead programme are contained in Vote 3 Subhead A which covers the Chief of Defence Procurement's Top Level Budget. Other costs associated with the acquisition, operation and support of the Trident deterrent are contained in Vote 3 Subhead D (Director General Submarines/Chief Strategic Systems Executive), Vote 1 Subhead A (Commander in Chief Fleet) and Vote 2 Subhead A (Chief of Fleet Support).
  725
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if all WE177 warheads have been dismantled; and if the highly enriched uranium has been recycled. [54513]

  Mr. George Robertson
  97 per cent. of WE177 warheads have now been dismantled and the dismantling programme will be complete by end of August 1998. Nuclear material will be retained for Defence purposes.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 313, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54013]

  Mr. Spellar
  To inform this process, arrangements are being made for travel surveys to be conducted amongst civilian and Service staff at several representative MOD sites.

  Chemical Technology Division
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer on 29 January 1998,Official Report, column 345, of which directorate the Chemical Technology Division is now a part; what former AWE chemical plant it operates; and what is its purpose. [54195]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Chemical Technology Division has now been absorbed into the chemistry Business Area, which is in the Technology Directorate. Chemical plant continues to be operated for the treatment of radioactive effluents and the recovery of valuable materials from residues and wastes. Such plant is also available to provide adequately pure gases for use in work box atmospheres, where hazardous materials are handled. The purpose of the current chemical technology area includes research and development into a range of materials such as polymers, ceramics and component fabrication using these materials. The work supports research and development and stockpile stewardship of the UK nuclear deterrent.

  MOD Police
  Mrs. Gilroy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 29 June 1998,Official Report, columns 8–9, on MOD police, what estimate he has made of the cost of disciplinary cases whose procedures took (a) six to 12 months to conclusion and (b) 12 or more months to conclusion in each of the years. [54566]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Nuclear Transport
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will issue guidance on the containment of contaminated run-off water produced by the cooling jets which LAESI Guidelines require to be fixed in position and kept in operation in the event of a serious nuclear transport accident. [54447]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
  726

  RAF Manston
  Dr. Ladyman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans for the disposal of RAF Manston. [54967]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I am pleased to be able to announce that following a marketing campaign and open competition conducted by my Department, the Wiggins Group plc has been selected as the preferred bidder for the airfield site at RAF Manston and exchange of contracts is expected shortly. The Wiggins Group's plans for the airfield include expanding civil aviation operations and substantial site development which will encompass airport related and general commercial uses together with hotel and leisure development. The company also intends to retain Manston's Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum as a permanent reminder of the historic role of RAF Manston. The Wiggins Group's plans for the airfield are in line with the aspirations of local authorities' own planning objectives for the area. In this respect, maintaining a viable commercial airfield at Manston is considered key to the economic regeneration of Thanet. The Wiggins Group's proposals are good news for the people and business community of East Kent. The proposed development of Manston has the potential to generate increased employment opportunities and to bring long term benefits to the local economy as a whole.

  My Department will continue to offer whatever practical support it can to the Wiggins Group to enable a smooth and uninterrupted transfer from military to civilian airfield operations to meet the RAF's planned withdrawal from Manston on 31 March 1999.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will announce his preferred plans for the disposal of RAF Manston to the private sector as a civilian airfield; and if he will make a statement. [53002]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Thanet, South (Dr. Ladyman).

  Catering and Mess Services
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a decision on the outcome of the catering and mess services market test covering the provision of catering and mess services to the British Army in Germany has been reached. [54979]

  Mr. Spellar
  Following a rigorous competition it has been decided to award a contract for the provision of catering and mess services for the British Army in Germany, to NAAFI, with support from its sub-contractor EUREST. The award of the contract is expected to generate savings in the region of £18 million over the next five years, whilst continuing to deliver the required level of service.

  BNFL Magnox Facility (Gloucestershire)
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work for his Department will be undertaken at the BNFL Magnox facility at Berkeley Centre in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [55133]

  Mr. Spellar
  A programme of work will be carried out at the Berkeley Centre on a small quantity of nuclear material owned by the Ministry of Defence and held
  727
  outside international safeguards. The Berkeley centre has previously only worked with safeguarded material, as it has not been involved in military nuclear programmes, which are unsafeguarded. The work is essential to meet a clear requirement to provide assurance of the continued safe operation of submarine nuclear reactors, and it is not connected with the nuclear weapons programme. The facilities to be used are unique to the Berkeley centre. The work, which is a short study, will take about seven months to complete. Upon completion of the study and the removal of the unsafeguarded material the Berkeley Centre will return to its fully safeguarded status.

  RAF St. Athan
  Mr. John Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF St. Athan. [54976]

  Mr. Spellar
  I indicated earlier this year in the context of the Strategic Defence Review that RAF St. Athan will become a part of the new Defence Aviation Repair Agency. This will form in April 1999 and move as soon as practicable thereafter to a Trading Fund. In the light of these recent decisions, I have now considered the outcome of the competition inaugurated in 1994 under the Competing for Quality programme for the management of the off-aircraft engineering and on-site support activities at RAF St. Athan. I have also taken into account that the competition did not meet all our financial objectives. I have therefore decided that the best value for money for Defence is most likely to be achieved by not proceeding any further with the competition. Challenging efficiency targets will be given to RAF St. Athan, and these will be carried forward within the context of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency. These decisions mean that RAF St. Athan can look forward to a clear future which builds upon its important contribution to our defence effort.

  Helicopters
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Lynx of HMS "Cornwall" was replaced by a Sea King; where that helicopter is normally based; and what instructions were issued to the crew on embarkation concerning planned humanitarian or other activities. [54472]

  Mr. George Robertson
  HMS "Cornwall" has operated with a Sea King helicopter since at least February 1996. The Sea King on board HMS "Cornwall" during her deployment to West Africa was previously based at RNAS Culdrose. The Flight Commander attended a brief which covered a wide range of operational issues. The flight did not, however, receive specific instructions on humanitarian activities prior to their embarkation.

  Hunting-BRAE
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the savings achieved by Hunting-BRAE plc from meeting incentive targets of his Department are allocated. [54449]

  Mr. George Robertson
  I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
  728

  Ottawa Convention
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he is taking to implement the Government's obligations under the Ottawa Convention. [54970]

  Mr. George Robertson
  As of today, the moratorium we have had in place on the use of anti-personnel landmines, has become a total ban, without exception. Instructions to this effect have been issued to all Command Headquarters and training establishments. We intend this to be an international example to others. Other actions the Ministry of Defence is taking to implement the Convention, such as the destruction of stockpiles and assistance to humanitarian demining, are well known to hon. Members.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Hunt Kennels
  Mr. Michael J. Foster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list those hunt kennels which have been reported to his Department as having unsatisfactory SRM surveillance audits during(a) 1997 and (b) 1998; and if he will make a statement on the resultant health risk to animals. [44795]

  Mr. Rooker
  [pursuant to the reply, 15 June 1998, c. 20–26]: In the list of hunt kennels given for 1997 the following should also have been included:

  Teifiside Hunt

  Cefn Lodge Kennels

  Cilgerran

  Cardigan

  Dyfed.

  The following was included in error and should be deleted:

  1998

  Enfield Chase Hunt

  Birch Farm

  White Stubbs Lane

  Broxbourne

  Hertfordshire.

  My officials are writing to the Master of Foxhounds at the Hunt to apologise for the incorrect inclusion of it on the list.

  Live Animal Exports
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the number of live horses exported for slaughter within the EU by country of destination in each of the last three years. [51378]

  Mr. Morley
  I am in a position to answer only in relation to exports from Great Britain. None of the live equines exported from Great Britain in the years concerned was declared as being moved for the purpose of immediate slaughter.

  Offal and Greaves
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take measures to prevent the export of fresh offal and greaves. [53571]
  729
  Mr. Rooker
  The export from the UK of meat meal, bone meal and meat and bone meal of mammalian origin is prohibited by virtue of Commission Decision 98/256 concerning measures to protect against BSE. This Decision also prohibits the export of offals derived from bovine animals slaughtered in the UK, except for uses other than in food, animal feed, cosmetics, medical or pharmaceutical products. In addition, certain offals from cattle, sheep and goats are covered by national controls on specified risk material which require their destruction. Provided the conditions laid down in national or Community rules, or by the authorities in the countries to which they are dispatched, are respected, exports of other types of greaves or offal are permitted.

  Eggs
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure eggs originating from a battery system are clearly labelled as such; and if he will make a statement. [53784]

  Mr. Morley
  The Commission's Communication of 11 March 1998 on the protection of laying hens kept in various systems of rearing envisages the possibility of mandatory labelling of table eggs and packs by type of production. This would require a formal Commission proposal adopted via the Management Committee procedure. I strongly support the principle of mandatory labelling of egg packs and look forward to the eventual adoption of Commission proposals on this matter in the context of wider proposals on improved welfare for laying hens.

  Under 10 Metre Licences
  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make under-10m licences area specific; [53602]

  (2) if he will adjust the allocation of the quota between under-10m and over-10m vessels to take account of former over-10m registered vessels that have been re-registered as under-10m vessels without reducing their catching potential; [53604]

  (3) what estimate he has made of the number of under-10m licence holders now fishing in Area 7D which have no historic connection with the area; [53601]

  (4) what estimate he has made of the extent of the practice of selling former over-10m licences together with the track records the vessels being temporarily shortened,

  Total landings into Hastings by all vessels by quarter

  Liveweight (tonnes)

  Value (£)

  Year

  January-March

  April-June

  July-September

  October-December

  January-March

  April-June

  July-September

  October-December

  1994

  78

  110

  89

  86

  146,800

  203,900

  212,500

  163,000

  1995

  72

  116

  75

  127

  155,700

  226,300

  225,300

  180,900

  1996

  66

  173

  74

  122

  116,000

  320,000

  143,500

  256,000

  1997

  81

  227

  70

  128

  241,000

  397,900

  163,000

  248,800

  1998

  101

  156

  1—

  1—

  161,600

  293,000

  1—

  1—

  1 No data

  Source: MAFF Fisheries Activity Database

  Brown Shrimp Catch (The Wash)
  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what offers of compensation have been 730
  and then re-registered as under-10m vessels; and how many prosecutions there have been in respect of this practice. [53603]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: A restrictive licensing scheme has operated for vessels of 10m and under since May 1993. Any one who wishes to bring a vessel into the under-10m fleet, including a vessel which has been reduced in length from over-10m, must acquire a licence from an existing under-10m vessel. Moreover the tonnage, engine power and vessel capacity units (VCUs) of the incoming vessel must not be greater than that of the vessel that is being replaced. The aggregation of licences is permitted up to a maximum of 100 VCUs per transaction.

  Within the UK there are currently some 5,200 under-10m fishing vessels licensed by the Fisheries Departments including 978 vessels licensed by the Ministry's fisheries office at Hastings and its sub office at Poole covering the coastline from Dartford in Kent to Lyme Regis in Dorset. There has not been an overall increase in the number of vessels licensed by the Hastings fisheries office since the introduction of restrictive licensing.

  Examination of licensing transactions in 1996 and 1997 has indicated that some 50 vessels over-10m in overall length were shortened, re-registered and re-licensed as vessels under-10m in overall length. Twelve of the vessels were based within the area administered by the Hastings fisheries office. There have been no prosecutions against such vessels.

  The quota allocations made to the under-10m fleet are based on the proportion of fish caught in the reference period 1994 to 1996. Most allocations are underpinned so that the proportion of fish allocated to the under-10m fleet is not less than the average proportion made available in the period 1991 to 1993. In 1998 nine out of twelve of the whitefish allocations made to the under-10m fleet in the English Channel have benefited from underpinning.

  These arrangements, and the need for changes to them, are kept under review.

  Port of Hastings
  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total catch at the port of Hastings in each quarter in the past four years.[53605]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The information on the total catch landed at Hastings is set out in the table.

  made to (a) Wash fishermen and (b) those directly involved in processing brown shrimp, for loss of earnings as a result of his decision not to postpone the dredging and beach replenishment programme at Mablethorpe in 1997. [53747]
  731
  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: This is entirely a matter for the Environment Agency, but I understand an offer of £21,783 has been made to fishermen by the Agency in respect of disturbance in the area where beach replenishment took place in 1997.

  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has assessed on the stock level of brown shrimp in the North Sea in(a) 1997 and (b) the period 1993 to 1996; and if he will place such evidence in the Library. [53743]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: An international study group is collecting data on brown shrimp but has not yet made an assessment of the stock in the North Sea as a whole.

  So far as the Wash and adjacent areas are concerned, an index of abundance has been prepared using landings of brown shrimp per unit effort. The data are as follows.

  Landings, effort and index of abundance (landings per unit effort) for brown shrimps from The Wash and adjacent areas 1986 to 1997

  Year

  Landings in tonnes

  Effort in 1000s hours fished

  LPUE in kg/hour

  1986

  497

  15

  32.7

  1987

  1,404

  26

  54.4

  1988

  561

  19

  29.8

  1989

  653

  25

  25.8

  1990

  399

  27

  14.9

  1991

  344

  19

  18.1

  1992

  401

  11

  35.0

  1993

  923

  23

  40.0

  1994

  967

  33

  29.6

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  tonnes liveweight

  £

  tonnes liveweight

  £

  tonnes liveweight

  £s

  tonnes liveweight

  £

  tonnes liveweight

  £

  August

  88.943

  92,288

  67.938

  80,124

  62.217

  88,068

  25.658

  42,862

  30.892

  26,511

  September

  179.967

  196,964

  146.055

  128,260

  132.955

  199,733

  53.290

  61,973

  56.985

  47,169

  October

  183.707

  234,011

  94.297

  79,189

  115.949

  177,163

  107.770

  135,359

  62.298

  54,525

  November

  172.332

  221,715

  109.425

  146,059

  76.909

  119,324

  56.762

  70,700

  42.407

  36,127

  December

  79.923

  104,688

  109.138

  157,323

  29.817

  52,748

  35.174

  44,432

  18.138

  15,502

  Total August-December

  704.872

  849,666

  526,853

  590,955

  417.847

  637,036

  278.654

  355,326

  210.720

  179,834

  Monthly average August-December

  140.974

  169,933

  105.371

  118,191

  83.569

  127,407

  55.731

  71,065

  42.144

  35,967

  Annual total

  871.432

  1,136,913

  925.141

  1,210,682

  786.007

  1,206,595

  347.876

  531,672

  347.144

  324,185

  Monthly average

  72.619

  94,743

  77.095

  100,890

  65.501

  100,550

  28.990

  44,306

  28.929

  27.015

  I have made no estimate of the catch which would have been possible in the absence of dredging in 1997. Variations in catch from year to year reflect a number of factors including stock levels, fishing effort, type of gear employed and market price.

  I have made no estimate of the effect on the incomes of fishermen or processors of variations in catch.

  Ministerial Visit (Cambridgeshire)
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date and by what means the Parliamentary Secretary, the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley),informed the right hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Sir B. Mawhinney) that
  732

  Landings, effort and index of abundance (landings per unit effort) for brown shrimps from The Wash and adjacent areas 1986 to 1997

  Year

  Landings in tones

  Effort in 1000s hours fished

  LPUE in kg/hour

  1995

  869

  38

  22.8

  1996

  548

  19

  29.3

  1997

  495

  19

  26.5

  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what by weight was(a) the actual catch of brown shrimp by Wash fishermen, in The Wash or off the Lincolnshire coast during the months August to December 1997 and (b) his estimate of the catch which would have been possible in the absence of the dredging and beach replenishment programme at Mablethorpe; [53745]

  (2) what estimate was made of the shortfall in income to (a) Wash fishermen and (b) those directly involved in processing the catch, which resulted from the difference in catch of brown shrimp in September to December 1997 and the average catch made in the years 1993 to 1996 when the difference is valued using relevant prices for (i) grade A and (ii) grade B brown shrimp; [53746]

  (3) if he will tabulate the catch of brown shrimp by (i) weigh and (ii) monetary value made by Wash fisherman in the Wash or off the Lincolnshire coast, during the months August to December for each of the years 1993 to 1996 and the corresponding average data for these years.[53744]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The following table shows total landings of brown shrimp into the Wash ports by volume and value.

  he would be in the North-West Cambridgeshire constituency on ministerial business. [53452]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I was in the North West Cambridgeshire constituency on ministerial business on 22 July when I visited the East of England Agricultural Show.

  It is usual practice for my Office to inform hon. Members in writing when their constituencies are included in itineraries for my visits. My office did so on this occasion also, but regrettably, were incorrectly advised that the East of England show ground was located in the adjacent constituency of Peterborough. The letter was therefore incorrectly addressed.

  Steps have been taken to ensure that such errors do not recur.
  733

  Healthy Eating
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his Department's priorities in respect of the promotion of healthy eating. [53589]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The Government's role is to provide accurate, unbiased, up-to-date and understandable information on the basis of which people can make their own informed choices about what they eat. This Department will continue to provide such information, and in doing so will emphasise the importance of a varied and balanced diet.

  Meat Imports
  Mr. Walter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the volume of poultry meat imports from Italy has been in the last three years; and if all imports were processed at establishments approved by the Italian authorities under EC Directive 92/116. [53712]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: Official Trade Statistics record that poultry meat imports into the UK from Italy amounted to 7,210 tonnes, 7,352 tonnes and 5,929 tonnes in 1995, 1996 and 1997 respectively. These figures remain provisional and subject to amendment. We have no reason to believe that any of the poultry meat imported from Italy in the last 3 years was produced in premises not operating in accordance with the conditions laid down in Directive 92/116.

  Mr. Walter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in which EU member states it is permitted to feed pigs meat and bone meal. [53715]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: As far as we are aware, the feeding of mammalian meat and bone meal (MBM) to pigs is permitted in all European Union countries except the United Kingdom.

  UK controls prohibit the feeding of mammalian MBM to all farmed livestock, including pigs. This extension of the EU-wide ban was introduced on the specific advice of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC), to prevent cross contamination between ruminant and non ruminant feed. Our controls go further in this way than other Member States because we have had to cope with a much higher background level of infectivity.

  Whaling
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures the United Kingdom will table at the next meeting of the International Whaling Commission in respect of the preservation of whale species. [53617]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: At the meeting of the Consultative Forum on Whaling on 15 July, which I chaired, possible issues that the United Kingdom might raise at the next annual meeting of the IWC in June 1999, were discussed. The Forum agreed to give further consideration to the matter at its next meeting in December, and I look forward to receiving its advice.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the(a) promotion and (b) the implementation to date of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic. [53618]
  734
  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: At the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, which took place in Oman from 16 to 21 June, Brazil indicated that it was considering proposing a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic. The United Kingdom made clear its support in principle for this idea. However, Brazil did not put forward a formal proposal for such a sanctuary; I understand that the Brazilian delegation felt that more discussion with the range states was needed.

  Non-Departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53853]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: (a) In a News Release on 28 May 1997 my right hon. Friend, the previous Minister, announced the disbanding of the Ministry's nine advisory Regional Panels;

  (b) None.

  (c) None of the MAFF non-departmental public bodies have had their functions transferred to:

  (i) another non-departmental public body;

  (ii) a democratically elected body.

  (d) None of the MAFF non-departmental public bodies have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role.

  (e) Details of all other non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 sponsored by this department are listed in "Public Bodies 1997".

  The Potato Industry Development Council (known as the British Potato Council) was established on 1 July 1997. The council is funded by a levy on the industry.

  My right hon. Friend is currently responsible for 33, including multiple bodies.

  The Government are committed to keeping the number of non-departmental public bodies to a minimum and to ensuring that those which remain are open, accountable and effective. Many of the new non-departmental public bodies established since 1 May 1997 will be essential in helping the Government deliver their Manifesto commitments.

  Employees Over 60
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) men and (b) women aged over 60 years were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies on 1 January. [53073]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 31 July 1998]: In the core Department, there were 89 men and 72 women aged over

  735
  60 years employed on 1 January. Chief Executives of the Department's Agencies will be replying direct to the hon. Member with information on their staff.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) men and (b) women employed by (1) his Department and (2) his Department's agencies have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60 birthday. [53050]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: In the core Department, the normal retirement age for staff is 60 years. However, staff in non-mobile grades (i.e. administrative assistant, administrative officer level), secretarial and office support grades, industrial grades and farm workers are permitted to remain in service until the age of 65. Staff in mobile grades (i.e. executive officer level and above) with less than 20 years pensionable service may also remain in service beyond the age of 60. Service beyond the age of 60 has to be authorised and is, subject to efficiency fitness and the Ministry's needs.

  In the core Department, there are currently 1,485 men and 2,216 women in non-mobile grades where retirement after 60 years of age is permissible.

  Chief Executives of the Department's Agencies will be replying direct to the hon. Member with information on their staff.

  Letter from Sarah Nason to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  Mr. Nick Brown has asked me to reply, in respect of the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA), to your question about how many men and women, aged over 60 years, were employed on 1 January.
  In FRCA there were 3 men and 1 woman employed on 1 January.

  Letter from Sarah Nason. to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  Mr. Nick Brown has asked me to reply, in respect of the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency (FRCA), to your question about how many men and women employed have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday.
  In FRCA, which has the same retirement arrangements as core MAFF, there are currently 40 men and 99 women in grades where retirement after 60 years of age is permissible.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has asked me to reply to your question concerning the number of men and women employed by the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) who have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday.
  The rules which apply in PSD are the same as those applied in the parent Department. The normal retirement age for staff is 60 years. However, staff in non-mobile grades, ie Administrative Assistants, Administrative Officers and their scientific equivalents and secretarial grades are permitted to remain in service until the age of 65. Staff in more senior grades, ie Executive Officers and above and their scientific equivalents, with less than 20 years pensionable service may also remain in service beyond the age of 60. Service beyond the age of 60 has to be authorised and is subject to efficiency, fitness and the needs of the Agency.
  736
  In the Pesticides Safety Directorate, there are currently 16 men and 34 women in grades where retirement after 60 years of age is permissible.

  Letter from G. K. Bruce to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question concerning the number of men and women employed by the Pesticides Safety Directorate aged 60 years and over on 1 January.
  In the Pesticides Safety Directorate, there were no men or women aged over 60 years employed on 1 January.

  Letter from J. M. Rutter to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the number of a) men and b) women in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) with contracts of employment which allow them to retire after their 60th birthday, as this is an operational matter for which I have responsibility.
  The normal retirement age for staff in the VMD is 60 years. However, staff in administrative, secretarial and office support grades are permitted to remain in service until the age of 65. Staff in more senior grades with less than 20 years pensionable service may also remain in service beyond the age of 60. Service beyond the age of 60 for all staff has to be authorised and is subject to efficiency, fitness and the VMD's needs.
  In VMD there are currently 7 men and 32 women in grades where retirement after 60 years of age is permissible.

  Letter from J. M. Rutter to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the number of a) men and b) women aged over 60 employed in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on 1 January, as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.
  On 1 January 1998 there were 3 men and no women aged over 60 employed in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

  Letter from P. I. Stanley to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), to your questions concerning the number of staff aged over 60 years and those who have contracts that permit them to retire after their 60th birthday.
  On 1 January 1998, CSL employed 5 staff who were over the age of 60. All of these were men.
  The normal retirement age for the majority of staff employed by CSL is 60. However, there are 71 staff working in administrative, secretarial and support posts who, by virtue of their grade, are permitted to continue in post beyond the age of 60. 14 of these are men and 57 are women.
  In addition, staff in more senior grades with less than 20 years pensionable service may also remain in post beyond the age of 60, subject to work, efficiency and fitness requirements.

  Letter from P. W. Greig-Smith to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Agency Chief Executive, I am responding to your questions to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food about employment beyond the age of 60, in relation to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science.
  In the CEFAS Agency, there were 10 men and 3 women aged over 60 years employed on 1 January 1998.
  The normal retirement age for staff employed by CEFAS is 60 years. However, staff in administrative, secretarial, office support and industrial grades and Assistant Scientific Officers are permitted to remain in service until the age of 65. Staff in more senior grades with less than 20 years service may also remain in service beyond the age of 60. Service beyond the age of 60 is subject to efficiency, fitness and the Ministry's needs.

  737
  At CEFAS, there are currently 101 men and 101 women in grades where retirement after 60 years of age is permissible.

  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on how many men/women aged over 60 years were employed by his Department's Agencies on 1 January.
  In the Veterinary Laboratories Agency there were 19 men and 19 women aged over 60 years employed on 1 January 1998.

  Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Minister has asked me to reply to your question on how many men/women employed by his Department's Agencies have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday.
  In the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) the normal retirement age for staff is 60 years. However, staff in VLA Pay Bands F, F(1) and G, including administrative, secretarial and scientific support staff and animal technicians are permitted to remain in service until the age of 65. Staff in higher Pay Bands with less than 20 years pensionable service may also remain in service beyond the age of 60. Service beyond the age of 60 has to be authorised and is subject to efficiency, fitness and Agency's needs. In the VLA there are currently 210 men and 453 women in Pay Bands F, F(1) and G where retirement after 60 years of age is permissible.

  Letter from Johnston McNeil to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food regarding the number of men and women employed who have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60th birthday has been passed to me to respond on behalf of this Executive Agency.
  The Meat Hygiene Service was established on 1 April 1995 as an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). It took over from local authorities the responsibility for enforcing meat hygiene, inspection and animal welfare at slaughter legislation in licensed fresh meat premises in Great Britain. The majority of MHS staff transferred from local authorities with their existing contractual benefits under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Act 1981. As a consequence the majority of MHS employees are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme which has a retirement age of 65.
  In the MHS, 1308 men and 164 women have contracts of employment with a retirement age of 65.

  Letter from Johnston McNeil to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 31 July 1998:
  As Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), your question to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) regarding the number of men and women employed who are aged over 60 has been passed to me to reply on behalf of this Executive Agency.
  The MHS employs 84 men and 1 woman who are aged over 60.

  Animal Welfare Survey
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he plans to publish the Animal Welfare Survey report of the Meat Hygiene Service. [55192]

  Mr. Morley
  I am pleased to announce that the Animal Welfare Survey Report was published by the Meat Hygiene Service today. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
  738

  Veterinary Laboratories Agency
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish the 1997–98 Annual report and Accounts for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. [55193]

  Mr. Rooker
  I am pleased to announce that the 1997–98 Annual Report and Accounts for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency were laid before Parliament on 30 July. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  I should like to congratulate all staff at VLA on their achievements during the year.

  Fisheries
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many staff and what financial resources were devoted to fisheries protection and monitoring in Scotland and Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and if he will estimate the financial resources in each year as a proportion of the value of fish landed. [54459]

  Mr. Morley
  Responsibility for providing detailed information on the staff and financial resources devoted to fisheries enforcement and protection in Scotland and Northern Ireland rests respectively with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the proposal by the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation for coastal zone management; and what definition of coastal fisheries limits he has used in assessing the proposal. [54579]

  Mr. Morley
  I have welcomed the joint position paper of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and Scottish Fishermen's Federation as a good basis for discussion. Their paper contains a number of ideas including the concept of coastal state management whereby coastal states would be responsible for determining conservation rules within their 200 mile fisheries limits, subject to criteria established in zonal management committees whose proposals would be ratified by the Council of Ministers.

  Rendering Industry
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the saving from the phasing out of the support to the rendering industry introduced in March 1996. [54079]

  Mr. Rooker
  Since the previous Government made no financial provision for the support of the rendering industry after March 1998, the present Government made no savings by discontinuing that support when it did.

  Set-aside Land (Staffordshire)
  Dr. Tony Wright
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list(a) the hectarage of set-aside land in Staffordshire, (b) the location of the land and (c) the set-aside payments made in respect of the land. [53074]
  739
  Mr. Rooker
  For the 1997 Arable Area Payments Scheme, the latest year for which statistics are available, the information requested is:

  (a) the area of land set-aside in Staffordshire was 3,251 hectares;

  (b) the land would mostly have been situated in Staffordshire although if a holding is located on the border then some may have been allocated to a neighbouring county;

  (c) the amount paid in respect of land set-aside where the main holding is situated in Staffordshire was £1,023,728. The payment rate per hectare were £325.83 for normal set-aside and £228.65 for additional voluntary set-aside.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 31 March 1998,Official Report, column 503, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [53993]

  Mr. Morley
  The Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper "A New Deal for Transport", that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  A new, small unit is being set up specifically to deal with the co-ordination of the Department's greening operations, which will include the preparation of a Green Transport Plan. Work has already started on the plan for the Department's London offices.

  Bovine TB
  Mrs. Dean
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in considering the issue of Bovine TB. [55185]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  I am concerned about the rising incidence of tuberculosis in cattle. We cannot stand by while the disease spreads. I intend to consult my colleagues and hope that we will soon be able to make an announcement with details of our plans.

  We need to have a co-ordinated strategy. It must put public health first.

  The Krebs report published last December recommended that in the long term we should look for a cattle vaccine. This is now built into my department's research requirements and we want to draw on the best expertise in the country. Some of the necessary preliminary work has already been undertaken.

  The traditional way of dealing with tuberculosis in cattle has been through testing, removal of reactors and movement controls. We will maintain this policy, which is in any event required under EU legislation. I have asked officials to tell me whether these controls need to be strengthened.

  The Krebs report found that there was indirect but compelling evidence that badgers were a significant source of infection in cattle. It made recommendations that we should have a culling trial. We have now also received detailed recommendations on the design of such a trial from Professor Bourne's Expert Group. I have asked my Department to prepare their report for
  740
  publication, while we consider the best way forward. Any measures taken will take full account of the Government's established commitment to animal welfare.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for the arrangements for the forthcoming consultation exercise on genetically modified organisms; and when it will take place. [53385]

  Mr. Battle
  I have been asked to reply.

  A consultation exercise will explore public views on the wider, including ethical, issues raised by recent developments in the biosciences. The exercise will be managed by the Office of Science and Technology, drawing on expertise from other Government Departments and interested parties. A small advisory group of practitioners in the fields of consultation and science communication has been established to advise on appropriate techniques and the development of a detailed workplan. I expect that the exercise will start in the autumn.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioners
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated number of(a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples receiving income support in each year for which estimates are available from 1999–2000 assuming that income support is uprated in line with (i) prices and (ii) earnings, respectively. [50862]

  Mr. Denham
  The increases to Income Support for pensioners from April 1999, announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), are more generous than if current rates were to be uprated in line with either estimated prices or earnings.

  The table therefore estimates for 2000–01 and 2001–02 the numbers of pensioner benefit units on Income Support (IS) if the higher rates announced for 1999–2000 in the CSR were uprated under (i) prices and (ii) average earnings uprating.

  IS pensioner benefit units

  2000–01

  2001–02

  (i) Uprating by prices

  (a) singles

  1,385,000

  1,475,000

  (b) couples

  305,000

  330,000

  (ii) Uprating by average earnings

  (a) singles

  1,435,000

  1,595,000

  (b) couples

  325,000

  385,000

  Notes:

  1. All estimates exclude cases in residential care and nursing homes as insufficient information is available on these cases to be able to model the additional cases who may float-on under (ii)

  2. Estimates have been based upon latest Income Support forecasts, following the changes announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, and information from the 1995–96 Family Resources Survey

  3. Average earnings assumptions are consistent with the latest data on GB earnings growth

  4. Under Income Support rules, only one partner in a couple need be aged over 60 years to be classed as a couple pensioner benefit unit

  5. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 5,000 cases
  741
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 70, for what reason the poverty rate for single female pensioners aged 80 years or above is significantly lower than that for pensioners aged 75 to 79 years when income is measured after housing costs. [54221]

  Mr. Denham
  On the after-housing costs measure, 38 per cent. of single female pensioners aged 75 to 79, and 28 per cent. of single female pensioners aged 80 or over, have incomes below half the national average

  Roughly one third of the difference in the proportion of people with below half average income between the two age groups can be explained by differences in receipt of Attendance Allowance. Attendance Allowance is intended to help to meet the additional costs of disability, the risk of which increases with age. The higher income of recipients does not necessarily imply that they have higher relative living standards than comparable non-recipients as they may have additional disability related costs. If Attendance Allowance is excluded from the definition of income, 38 per cent. of single female pensioners aged 75 to 79 and 31 per cent. of single female pensioners aged 80 or over have incomes below half the national average after housing costs. Other factors may also be important but it has not been possible to isolate them.

  A substantial proportion of pensioners have incomes which are close to half average income. Therefore, small variations in income between different groups of low income pensioners can lead to large differences in the proportion designated as having low incomes. For example, if 60 per cent. of average income is used rather than half average income, 56 per cent. of single female pensioners aged 75 to 79, and 52 per cent. of single female pensioners aged 80 or over, have incomes below the threshold on the after housing costs measure.

  All figures come from the Department's Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS) for the financial year 1995–6.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list the categories of pensioners who will not have a guaranteed income after the introduction of his proposed pensioner income guarantee; and if he will identify the number of pensioners in each category; [54098]

  (2) how many pensioners have more than £8,000 in savings and also a lower income than the income support rates applicable from April (a) 1999 and (b) 1998; [54173]

  (3) how many pensioners have savings of between £3,000 and £8,000 and a lower income, excluding income from savings, than the income support rates applicable from April (a) 1999 and (b) 1998. [54174]

  Mr. Denham
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Income Support
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase the capital limits for income support. [54176]

  Mr. Denham
  We have no current plans to do so.
  742
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many pensioners will become entitled to(a) council tax benefit and (b) housing benefit as a result of the increases in the income support rates applicable from April 1999. [54177]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is in the table:

  Thousand

  Year

  Housing Benefit

  Council Tax Benefit

  1999–00

  5

  10

  2000–01

  5

  10

  2001–02

  5

  10

  Notes:

  1. All estimates exclude cases in residential care and nursing homes as insufficient information is available on these cases to be able to accurately model the additional cases who may float-on under the increases

  2. Estimates have been based upon latest benefit forecasts, following the changes announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, and information form the 1995–96 Family Resources Survey

  3. Cases may gain in more than one benefit, so an overall total cannot be summed across benefits

  4. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 5,000 cases

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many pensioners will become entitled to income support as a result of the increases in the income support rates applicable from April 1999. [54175]

  r. Denham
  It is estimated that 65,000 pensioners will become entitled to Income Support in each of the three years covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review as a result of the increases in the rates from April 1999.

  Notes:
  1. The estimates exclude cases in residential care and nursing homes as insufficient information is available on these cases to be able to accurately model the additional cases who may "float on" as a result of the increases.
  2. Estimates have been based on latest Income Support forecasts, following the changes announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, and information from the 1995–96 Family Resources Survey.
  3. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 5,000 cases.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of unclaimed income support by pensioners in the latest year for which figures are available; what would be the amount unclaimed if the expenditure-based take-up rate was applied to the current financial year; and what is his estimate of the additional cost of his proposed income guarantee for pensioners in each of the next three financial years. [54099]

  Mr. Denham
  The amount of unclaimed Income Support by pensioners in 1995–96 (the latest year for which figures are available) was estimated at between £670 million and £890 million. If the current expenditure-based take up rate (of between 72 per cent. and 78 per cent.) was applied to forecast expenditure for the current financial year, the estimated amount unclaimed would be between
  743
  £720 million and £990 million. The additional estimated cost of the benefit measures announced on 17 July is in the table:

  £ million

  CSR total expenditure

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Income Support expenditure

  325

  475

  610

  Total for Income-Related Benefits

  495

  670

  840

  Notes:

  1. All estimates exclude cases in residential care and nursing homes as insufficient information is available on these cases to be able to accurately model the additional cases who may float-on under the increases
  2. Estimates have been based upon latest benefit forecasts, following the changes announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, and information from the 1995–6 Family Resources Survey and the publication Income-related benefits—Estimates of take-up in 1995–96
  3. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest £5 million

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set targets for the rate of take-up of income support by pensioners to reach(a) 70 per cent., (b) 80 per cent., (c) 90 per cent. and (d) 100 per cent. [54172]

  Mr. Denham
  The Government are committed to tackling the problem of pensioners living below Income Support levels. This is why we will begin a national programme from next April to identify these pensioners and encourage them to claim.

  Attendance Allowance
  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish by local social services authority the number of recipients of attendance allowance aged (i) 65 years and over and (ii) 75 years and over for the most recent available date,(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the resident population aged respectively 65 and 75 years and over. [54204]

  Mr. Denham
  The figures are set out in the table entitled "Recipients of Attendance Allowance at 31 May 1998, by local authority and population" a copy of which has been placed in the library.

  Elderly People (Extra Payments)
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase the extra payment to those aged 80 years or over. [54059]

  Mr. Denham
  We believe that all pensioners should share fairly in rising national prosperity and are committed to examine the means of delivering more help to the poorest pensioners—many of whom are over 80. The Pensions Review is considering all aspects of basic State pension and its value, including the 25p age addition.

  We have already taken action to help the poorest of those pensioners who are aged 80 or over. From April 1999, these older pensioners who are on Income Support and receive the Higher Pensioner Premium will be entitled to £82.25 a week (up from £77.55) if they are single and £125.30 (up from £117.90) for a couple.
  744

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54266]

  Mr. Denham
  I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer given to him on 2 July 1997,Official Report, column 209. Publications available in (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98 and the percentage of the total number of publications this represents is given in the table.

  Total number of publications

  percentage of total publications

  272

  Available in Braille

  43

  15.80

  Available in audio

  11

  4.04

  Available in large print

  22

  8.08

  Welfare Reform
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, (1) pursuant to the Green Paper page 83, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what assessment he has made of the quality of housing and housing management at present, and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54602]

  (2) pursuant to the Green Paper, page 84, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what is his definition of transparency about entitlements and costs; and what assessment he has made of the extent of such transparency at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54582]

  (3) pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, page 83, what is the extent of high-quality second-tier pension provision at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998; [54610]

  (4) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p85) what estimate he has made of the proportion of customers who regard the benefit system as personalised and tailored to their individual needs, at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54586]

  (5) pursuant to the Green Paper page 83, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what assessments he has made of the (a) simplicity, (b) clarity and (c) fairness of the system for determining entitlement to disability benefits at present, and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54598]

  (6) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p84) what assessment he has made of the clarity to claimants of the gateways for eligibility for benefits at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54590]

  (7) pursuant to the Green Paper, page 85, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what assessment he has made of the extent of duplication between agencies, and the extent to which the

  745
  best use is being made of new technology to deliver services at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54584]

  (8) pursuant to the Green Paper page 83, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, how many disabled people are able to work at present; and how many were able to do so in April 1997 and March 1998; [54600]

  (9) pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, page 83, what is the Government's definition of a decent income in retirement; how many people receive such an income in retirement at present, and how many did so in April 1997 and March 1998; [54608]

  (10) pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, page 82, what is the proportion of (a) lone parents, (b) people with a long-term illness and (c) disabled people of working age in touch with the labour market; what were the proportions in April 1997 and March 1998; and what is his definition of being in touch with the labour market; [54607]

  (11) pursuant to the Green Paper, page 84, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what assessment he has made of the level of collaboration between the Employment Service and the Benefits Agency to promote jobs rather than benefit dependency at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54583]

  (12) pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, page 83, what assessment he has made of public confidence in the quality and regulation of financial services including pensions, at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54611]

  (13) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p85) what assessment he has made of the level of customer satisfaction with the delivery of benefits at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54587]

  (14) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p84) to what extent he has developed a model for tackling the problems of the most deprived areas; and what the model involves; [54591]

  (15) pursuant to the Green Paper page 83, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what are the level of spending on incapacity benefit, the number of claimants and the expenditure on severely disabled people with greatest needs at present; and what they were in April 1997 and March 1998; [54599]

  Benefit accuracy achievements and targets

  Percentages

  1 1 April 1997–30 April 1997

  1 April 1997–31 March 1998

  1 April 1998–30 June 1998

  Benefit

  Achievement

  Target

  Achievement

  Target

  Achievement

  Target

  Jobseeker's Allowance

  87.1

  87

  85.11

  87

  91.0

  87

  Income Support

  80.81

  87

  81.65

  87

  83.57

  87

  Disability Living Allowance

  97.81

  96

  97.10

  96

  97.66

  96

  Attendance Allowance

  98.25

  96

  98.41

  96

  97.44

  96

  Child Benefit

  99

  98

  98.2

  98

  98.3

  98

  Guardian's Allowance

  99

  98

  98.2

  98

  99.7

  98

  746
  (16) pursuant to the Green Paper page 84, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what is the level of support from the tax and benefit systems going to families with children at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998; [54597]

  (17) pursuant to the Green Paper, page 84, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what assessment he has made of the public service ethos and level of job satisfaction and achievement among those working in welfare services at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54585]

  (18) pursuant to the Green Paper page 83, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what assessment he has made of the extent of discrimination against disabled people at present, and as at April 1997 and March 1998; [54601]

  (19) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p84) what is the level of truancy and school exclusion at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998; [54593]

  (20) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm. 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what definition of people of working age out of work for more than two years underlies his target; and on that definition, what are his estimates for (a) the present, (b) April 1997 and (c) March 1998; [54635]

  (21) pursuant to the Green Paper Cm. 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what definition of working age people in work underlies his target; and on this definition, what are the numbers of such people at present; and what they were in April 1997 and March 1998. [54636]

  Mr. Denham
  The success measures which are the subject of these questions were proposed in the Green Paper on welfare reform, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare". They form part of the consultation exercise on the Green Paper which does not end until 31 July. We will make further announcements in due course.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p84) what is the number of incorrect benefit payments, at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54588]

  Mr. Denham
  Information is not available in the format requested. Accurate payment of benefit is of key importance to the Department. Such information as is available, which relates to the accuracy achievements/targets is in the table.
  747

  Benefit accuracy achievements and targets

  Percentages

  1 1 April 1997–30 April 1997

  1 April 1997–31 March 1998

  1 April 1998–30 June 1998

  Benefit

  Achievement

  Target

  Achievement

  Target

  Achievement

  Target

  Family Credit

  94.7

  91

  92.6

  91

  94.9

  91

  Disability Working Allowance

  95

  95

  92.3

  95

  91.6

  94

  Invalid Care Allowance

  94

  95

  96

  95

  97.36

  95

  Incapacity benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Maternity Allowance

  90.41

  94

  91.66

  94

  94.76

  94

  Retirement Pension and Widows Benefits

  93.28

  98

  94.68

  98

  95.5

  96

  War Pensions

  98.11

  95

  96.16

  95

  89.91

  290

  1 Figures for Jobseeker's Allowance, Child Benefit and Guardian's Allowance represents achievement to 1 April 1996–31 March 1997

  2 The checking criteria for 1998–99 were widened to include lay and medical adjudication as well as action taken to implement payments

  Notes:
  1. The Department does not collate information relating to the accuracy of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit
  2. Accuracy levels of Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Incapacity benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Maternity Allowance, Retirement Pensions and Widows Benefits are based on a statistically valid sample selected at random and changes of circumstance in a relevant period. This methodology has been approved by the National Audit Office. The samples are sufficiently large for the results at a national level to be within a margin of error of less than 0.25 per cent.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the Green Paper page 84, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for Our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, what is the proportion of parents meeting their financial obligations to their children after separation at present; and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54595]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

  Percentage of non-resident parents with a full maintenance assessment and paying through the Child Support Agency collection service

  Percentage

  Fully compliant

  Partially compliant

  May 1997

  31.3

  36.1

  February 1998

  41

  28.7

  Note:

  1. These figures do not include non-resident parents with interim maintenance assessments or those who have been assessed to pay nothing

  2. In addition, 19 per cent. of non-resident parents with full maintenance assessments at May 1997, and 17 per cent at February 1998, were paying maintenance directly to the parent with care.

  Source:

  Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the Green Paper Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, (p84) what is the amount of money lost in fraudulent payments at present, and what it was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54589]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is not available. Since fraud involves deception, it is not possible to state with great precision the amount lost through benefit fraud or to provide meaningful estimates for losses at particular points in time.

  In the Green Paper "Beating Fraud is Everyone's Business: Securing the Future", we have said that, on a conservative estimate, fraud costs some £2 billion a year but that, if all suspected fraud is included in the estimate, losses could be up to around £7 billion. This is based on the results of a number of studies in which samples of
  748
  cases were investigated. A key element of our new anti-fraud strategy is the development of better measures of the amount of losses from fraud, and the savings which flow from particular preventive and detective activities. This will, over time, allow us to refine our estimates of losses and savings as well as to direct anti-fraud resources to where they are most effective.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare, page 83, what are(a) the level of literacy and numeracy skills among 11 year olds, and (b) the number of school leavers with no recognised qualifications at present; and what each was in April 1997 and March 1998. [54604]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  National Minimum Wage
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the savings on the welfare budget from the introduction of the minimum wage. [54058]

  Mr. Denham
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply the then Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley), gave the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 25 June 1998,Official Report, column 620.

  Child Support
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how(a) current over and under-payments and (b) outstanding arrears are planned to be dealt with under the proposals outlined in the Green Paper on the Child Support Agency. [54117]

  Mr. Denham
  Non-resident parents have a responsibility to support their children, including paying for their upkeep.

  We are not proposing any reassessment of arrears due under the current formula on the introduction of a new child support scheme, as outlined in the Green Paper "Children First: a new approach to child support" (Cm 3992). Non-resident parents will be expected to pay

  749
  the amounts calculated under the present arrangements and appropriate collection and enforcement action will be taken if there are outstanding underpayments or arrears.

  Where child support has been overpaid, we propose to continue the existing arrangements. Non-resident parents will receive full reimbursement for any child support paid over and above their actual liability either through a reduction in the amount of their child support payments or as a lump sum repayment.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish by local social services authority, the total numbers of recipients of disability living allowance for the most recent available date(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the population of the authority and, (c) the numbers of pensionable age who retain their eligibility for the care component beyond pensionable age. [54196]

  Mr. Denham
  The figures are set out in the table entitled "Recipients of Disability Living Allowance at 31 May 1998, by local authority and population" a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of disability living allowance in Scotland have had their benefit reduced or stopped under the Benefit Integrity Project; and how much money was saved as a result. [53729]

  Mr. Denham
  The administration of Disability Living Allowance and the Benefits Integrity Project is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Rendel, dated 30 July 1998
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many claimants of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in Scotland have had their benefit reduced or stopped as a result of a decision taken as part of the Benefits Integrity Project (BIP) and how much money was saved as a result.
  Information on the BIP is not available in the format requested. To provide geographical information routinely would incur high costs and disrupt the processing of ongoing casework.
  As at 31 May 1998, a total of 217,839 cases, including 34,164 renewal cases, have been selected routinely would incur high costs and disrupt the processing of ongoing casework.
  At the same date a total of 94,634 cases have been examined. Of the total cases dealt with 2,191 have resulted in an increase in benefit. 73,035 have remained unchanged, 12,101 have resulted in a reduction in benefit and 7,307 have resulted in benefit being stopped.
  The total includes 20,054 renewal cases, of which 623 have resulted in an increase in benefit, 10,121 have remained unchanged. 5,539 have resulted in a reduction in benefit and 3,771 have resulted in benefit being stopped.
  The BIP is looking again at some awards of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to collect up to date information about the care and mobility needs of some disabled people and to make sure that the correct amount of benefit is being paid. It is expected that the Project will realise benefit savings of £8 million in the first year, £36 million in the second year and £40 million in the third.
  A monthly statistical report can be found in the House of Commons Library.
  I hope that this is helpful.
  750
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of those decisions on the payment of disability living allowance which have been reviewed by the Benefit Integrity Project have been incurred on the basis of calculations(a) including exempt categories, (b) excluding renewals and (c) including exempt categories and excluding renewals. [54906]

  Mr. Denham
  The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of those decisions on the payment of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which have been reviewed by the Benefits Integrity Project (BIP) have been incurred on the following basis of calculations (a) including exempt categories, (b) excluding renewals and (c) including exempt categories and excluding renewals.
  The information is not available in the format requested.
  Customers who are in the categories to be looked at by the BIP are those in receipt of Mobility component at the higher rate with either the middle or highest rate of the Care component.
  The customers included in the BIP are selected by means of computer scans. The names of customers who are in the exemption categories for action by the BIP will not appear on the scans and therefore cannot be identified.
  Some cases input onto the system during the conversion from Mobility Allowance to the Mobility component of DLA in 1992 may appear on the scans but are identified under a separate code. This does not show which disability the customer is suffering from and as a result the customer's papers are checked individually by the BIP Operational Teams. Any customers found to be exempt from the BIP are then removed from the work. New disability codes are then entered onto the system and the remaining cases appropriate to be included are actioned by the BIP Teams.
  The total payload of customers in receipt of Disability Living Allowance is 2,018,619 at 31 May 1998. Of these, 561,100 were in receipt of DLA in the categories for inclusion in the BIP.
  As at the 31 May 1998, a total of 217,839 cases, including 34,164 renewal cases were selected for action under the BIP nationally. This does not include 13,725 cases which were found to be exempt and therefore excluded from selection.
  A monthly statistical report can be found in the House of Commons Library.
  I hope you find this helpful.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 317, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54010]

  Mr. Denham
  This Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper, 'A New Deal for Transport', that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  Green Transport Plans and Commuting Action Plans are currently being drafted for 20 DSS sites, including headquarter buildings and the major sites in the northwest of the country. These will be in place by 1 April 1999.
  751
  For official journeys revised guidance on the usage of motor vehicles will be published in the new version of the Departments 'Green Guide'.

  Official vehicles that have reached the end of their life with the department will be replaced, where necessary, with dual fuelled vehicles, particularly in environmental `hot spots' such as inner cities.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost to the Social Security budget of claims by asylum seekers in the years(a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98. [53585]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

  Asylum seekers—estimated income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit annual expenditure

  £ million

  Year

  Total estimated annual expenditure

  1995–96

  300

  1996–97

  310

  1997–98

  340

  Notes:

  1. Estimated annual expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest five million pounds

  2. Estimates for February 1997 onwards will include a number of non-asylum seekers which receive Urgent Case Payments for other reasons

  3. Annual expenditure figures for Income Support have been based on an average of four quarters for the relevant financial year, using number of cases and average weekly amounts. Income Support figures are not available for the years 1997–98, data are therefore provided for May 1997 for the year 1997–98

  4. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit estimates have been calculated using the Housing Benefit Management 1 per cent. sample and Departmental Reports, and exclude asylum seekers receiving Housing Benefit who are not receiving Income Support

  5. Information on the other non-contributory benefits is not available

  Source:

  1. Income Support Statistics Quarterly Inquiries, May 1995 to May 1997

  2. Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample of claimants in receipt of Income Support, at the end of May in each year given

  3. Departmental Report

  Women's Issues
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security following the changed responsibilities of Ministers in his Department in relation to women's issues, what will happen to the Women's Unit; and to which Department it will be attached. [54194]

  Mr. Denham
  As announced on 28 July, the Women's Unit will continue its work and will be part of the Cabinet Office.

  Industrial Injuries Benefits
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his plans to reform(a) industrial injuries benefits and (b) widow's benefits. [54900]
  752
  Mr. Denham
  Modernising the Social Security system is a key priority for the Government. We are, therefore, reviewing major components of the Social Security system, in line with the principles set out in the Welfare Reform Green Paper. We will make announcements in due course.

  Hepple Case
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the current position with regard to the Hepple case. [54034]

  Mr. Denham
  The Hepple case is currently being litigated before the Social Security Commissioner and concerns whether the Reduced Earnings Allowance provisions comply with European Community law on grounds of gender. The Commissioner has referred the case to the European Court of Justice for a ruling. We maintain that the Reduced Earnings Allowance provisions are in accordance with our obligations under Community law.

  Child Support Agency (Telephone Helplines)
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the CSA telephone helplines are accessible by hearing-impaired and speech-impaired people through the BT Typetalk relay service. [54061]

  Mr. Denham
  We expect the Child Support Agency to provide an efficient and effective service to all its clients throughout the child support assessment process.

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Tom Levitt, dated 31 July 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency telephone helplines.
  BT Typetalk is a service which allows members of the public using text phones to make contact with organisations who do not have similar equipment.
  The Agency's telephone helplines are equipped with text phones, therefore we do not require the BT service. If a customer contacts a complete action service team direct, arrangements are made to call them back using aline with text phone.
  The equipment we have enables the hearing-impaired and speech-impaired to make access direct to the Agency and avoid the necessity of having to disclose personal information to a third party.
  Additionally customers are able to take advantage of the Agency's use of local call rate numbers.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Child Support Agency
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action the Government are taking to ensure that self-employed persons are fairly assessed under the CSA and that their ex-partners receive full payments owing to them; and if he will make a statement. [54060]

  Mr. Denham
  The Government are consulting on their proposals for reforming the Child Support scheme set out in the Green Paper "Children First: a new approach to child support" (Cm 3992). We are considering assessing
  753
  the income of self-employed parents on the basis of the most recent year's taxable profit in line with the approach used by the Inland Revenue. We will also be looking into the possibility of using information supplied for tax purposes so as to reduce the delay in collecting maintenance.

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Miss Geraldine Smith, dated 31 July 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about how the Child Support Agency deals with the self employed.
  The Agency acknowledges that cases where the non-resident parent is self employed can be more difficult to progress, especially where the non-resident parent does not wish to comply. However, once all the required evidence has been collected, the income of a self employed person is assessed in line with the regulations to ensure that the maintenance assessment accurately reflects that income.
  The key to securing early compliance is by personal contact with our customers. By contacting customers by phone at the initial stages of their assessment we aim to build a better relationship with them, address their concerns promptly and provide an improved level of service.
  We have recently completed a pilot study in the South Western Business Unit, looking at how best to process self employed cases. Trials using dedicated staff dealing exclusively with the self employed have shown a marked reduction in processing time and an increase in the collection of maintenance. We intend to have specific sections, supported by accountants where necessary, in each Business Unit to deal exclusively with self employed customers.
  Additionally, to assist us to trace the whereabouts of self employed non-resident parents, we are exploring the possibility of sharing information with other Agencies and Government Departments. We have also revised staff training and raised staff awareness of the Agency's self employed powers, working practices and related issues.
  If all voluntary methods to secure maintenance from a self employed non-resident parent fail, a liability order is applied for. It is hoped that the threat of such action will be enough to ensure compliance. The majority do agree to make an arrangement and only in a very small minority of cases is legal action actually taken.
  We will use any and all enforcement methods legally available but we experience the same difficulties as other litigants in enforcing a civil debt. During 1997/98 we have been successful in registering debt by County Court Judgment in 522 cases. Where all other action has failed, the Agency has pursued cases for prosecution; between October 1997 and March 1998 a total of 15 suspended custodial sentences were imposed. A self employed non-resident parent was recently committed to prison, as a result of non payment of maintenance.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total wastage rate of staff in the Child Support Agency for the period 1 January to 30 June; and if he intends to take measures to reduce this rate. [54035]

  Mr. Denham
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Phil Woolas, dated 31 July 1998
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the total wastage rate of staff in the Child Support Agency.
  754
  When calculating a wastage rate we take into account all leavers from the Agency, including retirements (including voluntary early retirements), and staff transferring to other parts of DSS or to other Government Departments as well as those leaving the Civil Service. The calculation also includes a proportion of short term appointed staff whose contracts have expired, some of whom have rejoined as permanent staff.
  The total wastage rate of staff in the Agency from 1 January 1998 to 30 June 1998 was 15.5 per cent. This includes permanent, fixed term appointed and casual staff.
  We are examining the trends and recurring reasons for resignations, we are also looking at geographical influences and how job rotation may be introduced to develop and retain staff. We are currently undertaking a review of our recruitment policy which will look at all areas from human resources planning to retention strategies.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many compensation payments from the Child Support Agency have been awarded in each of the last four years of(a) under £250, (b) £251 to £500, (c) £501 to £1,000, (d) £1,001 to £2,000, (e) £2,001 to £3,000 and (f) £3,001 to £5,000; [51140]

  (2) what was the number of compensation payments from the Child Support Agency for each of the last four years; and what were the total amounts paid. [51139]

  Mr. Denham
  All children have a right to the emotional and financial support of both their parents wherever they live. We have set out proposals for radical reform in our Green Paper "Children First: a new approach to child support" (Cm 3992).

  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. John Healey, dated 30 July 1998:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency compensation payments.
  Compensation payments are normally referred to as special payments. A special payment is considered where a clear and unambiguous error by the Agency has resulted in distress or in actual financial loss to the customer which is not recoverable through other means.
  A detailed breakdown of payments made for each of the last four years is shown in the attached table.
  The numbers of payments have risen as a result of our actions over the past year to increase the number of cleared backlog maintenance applications (which had accumulated in the Agency during its first 2–3 years). Where the Agency has taken-on cases, the length of time taken to complete a maintenance assessment is measured, and cases which exceed 52 weeks are considered to be a backlog; this backlog currently stands at approximately 110,000 down from 225,000 at 31 March 1997. In 1997/98 the Agency cleared 595,000 maintenance applications compared with 357,000 in 1996/97.
  Additionally, we have increased our customers' awareness of special payments by advising them, where appropriate, how to apply. This will also have an impact on the number of special payments made.
  I am conscious that there are still far too many complaints about the standards of basic customer contact and the service we provide, and we recognise that doing things right first time is the key to preventing complaints. We are aware that as we further tackle our backlog of cases from the Agency's first 2–3 years, there is potential for the volume of complaints to rise in the short term.

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  During 1997/98 we developed a series of measures to improve our customer service over the next four years. Our plans are to improve performance standards; improve significantly, computer generated letters; deal with more of our business by telephone forms review; focus on courtesy and helpfulness; cut down delays and improve the way we handle complaints.
  We expect customers to see some real improvements by the end of 1998/99.
  I hope this is helpful.

  The number of special payments made and the total amounts paid out by the Child Support Agency since April 1995

  Year

  Number of payments

  Amount paid (£)

  1995–96

  186

  114,979

  1996–97

  983

  655,821

  1997–98

  2,136

  1,101,313

  1998–991

  858

  888,670

  Total

  4,163

  2,760,783

  1 Up to 30 June 1998

  Breakdown in bands of the number of special payments made

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1 1998–99

  Under £250

  63

  455

  1,341

  425

  £250–£499.99

  42

  136

  311

  122

  £500–£999.99

  37

  180

  205

  99

  £l,000–£ 1,999.99

  32

  144

  151

  74

  £2,000–£2,999.99

  7

  38

  56

  51

  £3,000–£4,999.99

  2

  21

  59

  51

  £5,000+

  3

  9

  13

  36

  Total

  186

  983

  2,136

  858

  1 Up to 30 June 1998

  Widow's Pensions
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans he has to pay interest to widows who have not received their full pension entitlement on time as a result of computer problems; [53450]

  (2) for how long the computer which regulates the payment of widow's pensions has been operating at less than 100 per cent. efficiency; and if he will estimate for how long this is likely to continue; [53447]

  (3) how many widows have not received their full pension entitlement (a) at all and (b) on time as a result of computer problems; and if he will estimate in each case how many more are likely to be resolved. [53449]

  Mr. Denham
  The administration of Widow's Benefit is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the right hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Sir Brian Mawhinney, dated 30 July 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning computer problems and the payment of Widow's Pensions (WP).
  As a result of the modernisation of the Contributions Agency (CA)'s National Insurance Recording System (NIRS) it was necessary to switch off the existing system to enable the transfer of information to the new one to take place. Payable rates of Widows Benefits (WB) are calculated by the NIRS.
  The special payments scheme includes provision for compensation where the payment of benefit is exceptionally delayed due to official error. Compensation is considered where, the amount owed to the widow exceeds £100; payment of WB is delayed by
  756
  more than 4 months and the potential compensation is £10 or more (compensation is calculated using the Average Shares rate supplied by the Building Societies Commission). Compensation is automatically considered where these criteria are satisfied therefore the widow does not need to apply for it.
  The computer migration began on 19 June 1998 and it is planned that NIRS will resume providing WB calculations from 1 September 1998. All claims will be looked at retrospectively once calculations are available. The correct rate of WB will be put into payment and any arrears which are due will be paid.
  The exact number of widows who have not received their full entitlement to WB as a result of not being able to obtain the payable rates from the NIRS computer is not known. Approximately 48,000 women a year qualify for WB and of these it is estimated about 38,000 (730 a week) qualify for WP or Widowed Mother's Allowance (WMA) in addition to the widows payment.
  Between 6 April 1998 and 19 June 1998, NIRS was not able to supply the full payable rates in respect of all the estimated 300 new claims a week entitled to WP or WMA. Payment on these claims is being made on the 'safe' information provided by NIRS. Where appropriate clerical calculations of the widow's entitlement can be made and to date 208 calculations have been performed.
  Since 20 June 1998 NIRS has not provided any payable rates. For women widowed after this date arrangements are in force to make emergency payments at a basic rate plus increases for children. There will be very few, if indeed any, women who are entitled to WB but who do not receive emergency payments. This includes the £1,000 lump sum widows payment.
  The CA and the Benefits Agency are committed to minimising the impact on customers.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Child Benefit Payments
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what delays were involved in(a) administering and (b) issuing child benefit payment books; how many child benefit payments due were not received as a result of the delays; and if these payments have now been made. [53708]

  Mr. Denham
  The administration of Child Benefit is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Rendel, dated 30 July 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what delays were involved in (a) administering and (b) issuing Child Benefit (ChB) payment books; how many ChB payments due were not received as a result of the delays: and if these payments have now been made.
  The information is not available in the format requested. The ChB Centre (CBC) in Washington has, in general encountered no delays in the administering and the issuing of ChB order books.
  I am aware that there were two minor problems in the administration of ChB recently; the first followed changes to the criteria for ChB (Lone Parent) rate and the second followed the transfer of computer records to a different system. The incidents had an impact on only a very small number of customers as a result of corrective action taken by the CBC.
  I hope this information is useful.

  Winter Fuel Payments
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households in Scotland(a) were entitled to receive the winter fuel payment, (b) received their winter fuel payment by (i) January,

  757
  (ii) February and (iii) March 1998, (c) received incorrect winter fuel payments and (d) received duplicate winter fuel payments. [53709]

  Mr. Denham
  Winter fuel payments are one of a number of initiatives the Government has taken to help vulnerable people, especially the elderly, keep warm this winter. Originally a total of £400 million was committed for two years (97–98 and 98–99), to help pensioners with fuel bills to pay.

  As announced during the statement to the House on 17 July 1998, Official Report, columns 703–15, a further £0.5 billion has been allocated to extend the scheme beyond next winter. This will provide each eligible pensioner household with an annual £20 winter fuel payment.

  The administration of Winter Fuel Payments is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. David Rendel dated 30 July 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pensioner households in Scotland (a) were entitled to receive the winter fuel payment, (b) received their winter fuel payment by (i) January, (ii) February and (iii) March 1998, (c) received incorrect winter fuel payments and (d) received duplicate winter fuel payments.
  The information is not available in the format requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
  The making of Winter Fuel Payments to almost ten million eligible pensioners, in over seven million households, before the end of March 1998 was a challenging task for the Benefits Agency. This was achieved whilst maintaining normal business.
  We issued 1,441,614 £50 payments to the poorest pensioners, those receiving Income Support (IS) or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), by 31 January. Other eligible pensioners were entitled to a payment of £20 or £10. Where they lived alone, were the only eligible pensioner in a household, or were of no fixed abode, they were entitled to £20; otherwise, they were entitled to £10.
  In order to establish other eligible pensioners, correctly identify pensioner households, and determine the amount each should receive, it was necessary to correlate data. This involved around fifteen million computer records, fifteen qualifying benefits, across nine computer systems. Where only one eligible person was identified as living at an address a payment of £20 was made and if more than one eligible person was identified as living at an address a payment of £10 was made. By the end of March we issued a further 8,326,715 payments to these eligible customers.
  Where official Departmental records were not correct or incomplete, it was possible that the amount of some payments may not have corresponded with the actual circumstances. For example, there were cases where two eligible pensioners lived at the same address and in the same household, but the address details held on the relevant benefit computer records were incorrect or incomplete for either or both of them. In such cases, the data correlation exercise may not have identified more than one eligible person at an address and in accordance with the provisions of the legislation each were entitled to a payment of £20. There is no overprovision in such instances, but any voluntary offer to repay any amount would be accepted.
  Of payments made to IS and income-based JSA pensioners in January we are aware that some payments were incorrectly made or duplicated. We know that 9,357 payments were made where information held within official records indicated payment was inappropriate. A further 211 duplicate payments were made to those pensioners who transferred from IS to income-based JSA during the qualifying week of 5 January 1998. Of the relevant payments this
  758
  represents a 0.68 per cent. error rate. In financial terms the total cost of these errors amounts to £488,400, and against this represents 0.68 per cent. of the total sum issued of £72,080,700.
  In addition we also know that due to a computer operator error, 40,801 IS payments were sent out with an incorrect issue date on them. All these girocheques were replaced automatically within 72 hours. To date we are aware that in 438 cases both the original and replacement payments have been cashed.
  I hope you find this information helpful.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many of confirmed cases of benefit fraud among residents of care homes there were in 1997–98; [53818]

  (2) to what extent care homes are targeted in his Department's measures to combat benefit fraud; [53820]

  (3) what measures his Department is taking to combat benefit fraud among residents of care homes. [53819]

  Mr. Denham
  Tackling fraud and abuse is a top priority for the Government. Operational issues are the responsibility of Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Mark Oaten, dated 30 July 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions concerning benefit fraud among residents of care homes.
  The information is not available in the format requested. In 1997/98 Benefits Agency Security Investigation Service (BASIS) who concentrate on serious attacks on the benefit system by organised criminals carried out 1,742 successful investigations. In the same period Benefit Fraud Investigation Service (BFIS) who deal with locally based fraud investigations carried out 547,000 successful investigations. Figures are not broken down to collate by type of benefit claimant such as by resident of care home.
  The BFIS investigates fraud within the benefit system. Investigation takes place when a suspicion of fraud exists, for example following receipt information that a benefit claimant has not disclosed employment or where a benefit recipient's circumstances change (for example going into care) and the BA is not informed. Enquiries are also made of employers including those of care homes where there is suspicion that employees may be committing benefit fraud. Care homes are not specifically targeted in these types of enquiries.
  The BA is undertaking a range of projects and initiatives all of which are designed to achieve a sustained reduction in the level of fraud across the benefit system. Suspicion of fraud by residents of care homes would be investigated by the BA professionally and sensitively. The Government's recent Green Paper "Beating Fraud is Everyone's Business: Securing the Future" sets out a comprehensive strategy for tackling fraud in the wider context of welfare reform.
  I hope you find this reply helpful.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much his Department expects to spend in each year from 1998–99 to 2000–01 on vehicle replacements. [54993]

  Mr. Denham
  I will write to the hon. Member.
  759

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claimants of incapacity benefit who have been required to undertake the all work test; [53961]

  (2) how many claimants of incapacity benefit have not satisfied the requirements of the all work test in the opinion of the Benefits Agency Medical Services Medical Officer; [53966]

  (3) how many claimants of incapacity benefit who have appealed against decisions of the Benefits Agency Medical Services Medical Officer that they did not satisfy the requirements of the all work test have had their appeals upheld after (a) an oral and (b) a paper hearing. [53967]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is not available in the form requested. The information which is available is as follows.

  Decisions on entitlement to Incapacity Benefit are made by independent Adjudication Officers in the light of all the evidence, including medical advice from the claimant's GP, other medical practitioners where relevant, and the Benefits Agency Medical Services Medical Officer.

  The All Work Test is a functional assessment of a person's ability to carry out a range of work-related activities: in some but not all cases a medical examination by the Benefits Agency Medical Services is required.

  From 13 April 1995 to 30 June 1998, a total of 2,920,2021 All Work Test decisions were made and a total of 565,5832 claims were disallowed.

  Details of appeals outcomes split between oral and paper hearings are only available from July 1997. From July 1997 to April 1998 the Independent Tribunal Service heard 26,778 appeals on Incapacity Benefit (All Work Test). Of these 19,691 were oral hearings with 9,803 being found in favour of the appellant. The remaining 7,087 were paper hearings with 853 found in the appellant's favour.

  Appellants are asked if they want to attend the hearing of their appeal. The Department's appeals leaflet makes it clear that appellants who attend or are represented at hearings have a higher success rate and encourages people to attend the hearing.

  Notes:

  1 Includes Incapacity Benefit recipients and credits only cases, and Severe Disablement Allowance cases allowed following BAMS referral

  2 Includes claimants disallowed for failure to return the IB50 questionnaire or to attend a medical examination, without good cause

  Source:

  1. All Work Test decisions and disallowances—100 per cent. count of the computer system, excludes a small number of cases not on the system

  2. Appeals—provisional data supplied by Analytical Services Division (ASD) from the Independent Tribunal Service Generic Appeals Processing System,

  Benefits (Savings)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate his Department has made of the 760
  average savings in benefit expenditure for each unemployed claimant of benefits who gains full-time employment. [53959]

  Mr. Denham
  The cost of unemployment-related benefits per unemployed person per year, is estimated at 1998–99 benefit levels at £3,8501. The extent of any savings arising from individuals moving from benefits into work would depend on their entitlement to in-work benefits such as Family Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

  Note:

  1 For the purposes of calculating this figure, unemployment related benefits are defined as Jobseeker's Allowance, and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit payments to people in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance.

  Chief Adjudication Officer
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the 14th annual report of the Chief Adjudication Officer; and if he will make a statement. [54885]

  Angela Eagle
  The report is being published today. The Chief Adjudication Officer's findings record a continuing improvement in the majority of decisions made by both the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service.

  It is encouraging to read about the numerous initiatives that have been introduced to tackle weaknesses and improve overall performance. The initiatives are already helping to improve decision making. This is particularly good news as we approach 1999 when the provisions of the Social Security Act 1998 come into force. These provisions will build on current improvements and ensure that the way decisions are made and appealed is straightforward for both customers and decision-makers alike. The changes are a further step in the transformation of the Social Security system into an Active Modern Service. The Act also introduces important changes to the monitoring of decisions. Responsibility for monitoring the standards of decision-making within the Agencies will transfer to the relevant Chief Executives.

  War Pensions
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many veterans who have been awarded war pensions for illnesses arising out of their service in the 1991 Gulf War are suffering from(a) post-traumatic stress disorder, (b) irritable bowel syndrome, (c) chronic fatigue syndrome, (d) irritable bladder, (e) asthma, (f) respiratory disorders and (g) signs and symptoms of ill-defined conditions; and how many of these have been awarded pensions for suffering two or more of these conditions; [54536]

  (2) how many veterans to date have been awarded war pensions for illnesses arising out of their service in the 1991 Gulf War; [54535]

  (3) how many veterans diagnosed with Gulf War syndrome have been refused war pensions. [54537]

  Mr. Denham
  One of our key aims is that delivery of service should be simpler and more efficient. The administration of the War Pensions Agency is a matter for its Chief Executive, Mr. Gordon Hextall. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend.
  761
  Letter from Gordon Hextall to Mr. Ken Livingstone, dated 30 July 1998:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the number of War Pensions awarded for medical conditions relating to the Gulf Conflict.
  I regret that the information is not available in the format requested. The War Pensions Agency does record statistics on claims from Gulf War veterans. However, such claims may relate to injuries etc received at any time whilst serving, not just during service in the Gulf Conflict. A War Pension may be awarded for any disablement which can be causally linked to service. At the end of June 1998, a total of 2315 claims had been identified for medical conditions relating to ex-servicemen whose service included the Gulf Conflict. 1610 awards of War Pension have been made.
  Of the 2315 claims, 537 have been received where a Gulf Veteran had made reference to a "Gulf War related illness". Of these, 283 have been awarded a pension, 44 have been rejected and 22 claims were withdrawn or lapsed. However, I am advised that medical research carried out to date has not identified a specific "Gulf Related illness". Consequently, no claims have been awarded or rejected for "Gulf War Syndrome".
  Information on the number of Gulf Veterans receiving pension payments for the conditions Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Irritable Bladder, Asthma, Respiratory Disorders and Signs and Symptoms of Ill Defined Conditions is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
  I hope you find my reply helpful.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Gas Exploration Industry
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to meet representatives of the gas exploration industry to discuss proposals set out in the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation consultation document. [49635]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 9 July 1998]: The Minister for Science, Energy and Industry met representatives of the UK Offshore Operators Association on 16 July, and of Shell on 27 July to discuss the Review.

  Motor Dealers
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the introduction of the licensing of motor dealers in some Scottish regions; and what plans she has to extend the scheme to other regions. [51206]

  Dr. Howells
  No assessment has been made of the introduction of licensing of second-hand motor dealers which is at the discretion of individual local authorities in Scotland under powers in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 which enables them to license all second-hand dealers for the purposes of preserving public order and safety and the prevention of crime. There are no plans to extend the scheme to other regions beyond Scotland.

  Export Credits (Sri Lanka)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amount of export credits were available for Sri Lanka for each of the years 1994 to 1997; and in each year what amount was cover for military exports. [51797]
  762
  Mr. Mandelson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 9 June 1998,Official Report, columns 504–05, which will provide the full details requested.

  My hon. Friend will see from this that during these years ECGD issued guarantees for export credits to Sri Lanka totalling £257 million. None of these related to defence business.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what plans she has to increase the target percentage of electricity to be generated from renewable sources of energy by 2010; [52444]

  (2) if she will increase in real terms Government spending on direct research and development of renewable sources of energy; and if she will make a statement; [52433]

  (3) how much money she plans to allocate to research into renewable energy technologies in each of the years covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review; [52439]

  (4) what is the current level of Government funding of research into (a) offshore wind farms, (b) onshore wind farms, (c) tidal wave power schemes and (d) photovoltaic panels; and what was the value of departmental spending for each in real terms for each of the last four years. [52452]

  Mr. Battle
  The Government are committed to a new and strong drive to develop renewable energy sources in line with our manifesto commitment. To this end, I am reviewing policy towards new and renewable sources of energy, including consideration of what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of UK electricity needs from renewables by the year 2010 and how renewables can make an effective contribution to meeting requirements for future greenhouse gas reductions. The review, which is nearing completion, is examining the status of all the new and renewable energy technologies and the UK industry and their future prospects in both home and export markets. It is also considering what further research, development, and demonstration is needed in the longer term. I expect to announce the outcome of the review later this year.

  Expenditure on the New and Renewable Energy Programme was cut significantly by the previous Government in the years following publication of their policy and strategy in Energy Paper Number 62, entitled "New and Renewable Energy Technology: Future Prospects for the UK", and further cuts were planned. Expenditure under the Wind sub-programme was reduced from £2.7 million in 1994–95 to £1.2 million (net) in 1997–98. Similarly the expenditure under the Solar sub-programme fell from £2.1 million in 1994–95 to £1.6 million (net) in 1997–98.

  Since coming into office, I have reversed the planned cuts in the overall programme budget set by the previous Government, increasing provision for 1998–99 by £2 million to £11.1 million (net). For Wind and Solar energy, expenditure in 1998–99 can be expected to remain broadly in line with that in 1997–98, subject to project recruitment and progress. No expenditure on Tidal energy is expected in 1998–99 following the previous

  763
  Government's earlier decision to close that programme. Beyond 1998–99 expenditure will depend on the outcome of the current policy review.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make a statement on Government policy on renewable energy; [54109]

  (2) what plans he has to remove the special treatment offered to renewable energy. [54656]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Government are committed to a new and strong drive to develop renewable energy sources in line with our manifesto commitment. To this end, I am reviewing policy towards new and renewable sources of energy, including consideration of what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of UK electricity needs from renewables by the year 2010 and how renewables can make an effective contribution to meeting requirements for future greenhouse gas reductions. The review, which is nearing completion, is examining the status of all the new and renewable energy technologies and the UK industry and their future prospects in both home and export markets. It is also considering what further research, development, and demonstration is needed for the longer term. I expect to announce the outcome of the review later this year.

  Office Hours
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the normal office hours of senior civil servants in her Department. [52565]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 27 July 1998]: Senior civil servants in my Department are required to sign a personal contract which states (for those with a full time contract):
  "You are required to work a minimum (over a 5 day week) of 41 hours elsewhere, including daily meal breaks of one hour. As a senior civil servant, you will be required to work such additional hours as may from time to time be reasonable and necessary for the efficient performance of your duties."

  The hours worked by part-time senior civil servants are subject to individual arrangements.

  Milk Marque
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to refer the consequences of the major dairy companies' refusal to submit bids in the July 1998 Milk Marque selling round to the MMC; and if she will make a statement. [52555]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 27 June 1998]: The Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) asked the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) to investigate the supply of raw milk in Great Britain on 27 January 1998, under the monopoly provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973.

  This is now a matter for the MMC. The reference enables the MMC to look at all relevant aspects of the supply of raw milk in England, Scotland and Wales, and it will take on board the actions of the parties to the latest selling round in its inquiry.
  764
  Any evidence that the dairy companies may have colluded in refusing to submit bids in Milk Marque's latest selling round may be a matter to be considered by the DGFT under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976. If the hon. Member has evidence of such collusion he should bring it to the attention of the DGFT at the following address:

  Mr. John Bridgeman

  Director General of Fair-Trading

  Office of Fair Trading

  Field House

  15–25 Bream's Buildings

  LONDON

  EC4A 1PR.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidance her Department issues to those constructing buildings for which it is responsible on the use of materials containing asbestos. [52308]

  Dr. Howells
  My Department does not undertake the construction of new buildings. However, in the refurbishment of existing buildings the Department meets all its statutory duties related to the removal of asbestos, and the Department's overriding policy is not to use asbestos based materials during the construction phase of the works and not to specify the use of such materials.

  Research Establishments
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment the Government have taken on the previous Administration's Prior Options reviews of the public sector research establishments. [52149]

  Mr. Battle
  During December 1996 the previous Administration completed "prior options" reviews of 38 Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs), the results of which were announced in January 1997. The outcome for the majority of the establishments was retention in the public sector.

  Over the last few months, I and my Ministerial colleagues have been considering our joint approach to the specific outcomes of these reviews. The majority of these proposed a range of measures to ensure the establishments were managed as effectively and efficiently as possible, most of which are already being implemented. The Government have concluded that the implementation of these measures should continue, since they improve value-for-money and the provision of high quality services. This was taken forward in the context of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.

  The following PSREs were involved in the reviews:

  National Weights and Measures Laboratory

  Central Laboratory for the Research Councils

  Babraham Institute

  Institute for Animal Health

  Institute of Arable Crops Research

  Institute of Food Research

  Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research

  John Innes Centre

  Roslin Institute

  Silsoe Research Institute

  British Geological Survey

  765

  Centre for Coastal and Marine Science

  Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

  Dunn Nutrition Unit

  Radiobiological Mechanisms Unit1

  Radiobiological Biology Unit

  Toxicology Unit

  Virology Unit2

  Central Science Laboratory

  Directorate of Fisheries Research3

  Horticulture Research International

  Veterinary Laboratories Agency

  Health and Safety Laboratory

  National Institute of Biological Standards and Control

  National Radiological Protection Board

  Public Health Laboratory Service

  Police Scientific Development Branch

  Fisheries Research Services

  Forestry Commission Research Division

  Hannah Research Institute

  Macaulay Land Use Research Institute

  Moredun Research Institute

  Rowett Research Institute

  Scottish Agriculture Science Agency

  Scottish Crop Research Institute

  1 Comprising the former Mammalian Genetics Unit and the Radiation and Genome Stability Unit

  2 Under the previous Administration, it was agreed to transfer the Virology Unit to the University of Glasgow. However, it has since been decided not to transfer the Unit, since the complex practical issues flagged in the original announcement have proved insurmountable, and the benefits are uncertain. Closer scientific links will be pursued in other ways. Staff at the Institute have already been informed

  3 Now named the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

  We shall examine opportunities for commercial exploitation of research ideas originating in these establishments.

  ADAS and the Building Research Establishment were privatised by the previous Administration.

  Funeral Industry
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the regulation of the United Kingdom funeral industry; and if he will make a statement. [53040]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: During the course of discussions with interested parties on the measures to regulate pre-payment funeral plans, the Department has received representations concerning regulation of the "at need" funeral industry. We have called upon the industry to raise standards of consumer services. I do not believe that registration of funeral directors is warranted or justified. I have every confidence that funeral directors are, on the whole, offering high standards of service and believe that it would be unfair to burden them with the additional costs of regulation.
  766

  Credit Interest Rates
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to protect consumers from retailers who charge excessive interest for credit. [53693]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The extortionate credit provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 already apply to retailers and other lenders. The Director General of Fair Trading is consulting on the adequacy of these provisions. Before considering further action I will study the evidence this exercise produces and his proposals.

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52699]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: Disaggregated information in the form requested, which is not held centrally within the Department, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Airports
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer the issue of the ownership of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports by the same company to the MMC. [54519]

  Dr. Howells
  Any competition concerns arising from the common ownership of these airports should be made to the Director General of Fair Trading, who will investigate.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those organisations that (i) opposed and (ii) supported the ownership of the three south-east of England airports by the same company during the last MMC investigation of this issue. [54518]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The question of the continued ownership of the three airports by BAA plc was not part of the references by the CAA to the MMC initiating the 1996 quinquennial review. The MMC's consideration of whether there should be a change in the structure of ownership was instead based on whether the three airports had been pursuing a course of conduct for which this would be an appropriate remedy. The CAA references did ask whether there had been courses of conduct which operated or might have been expected to operate against the public interest, and this question was the focus of comment from most of the 87 parties which expressed views. The MMC found that there was no such course of conduct for which a change in the structure of ownership would be an appropriate remedy.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53954]
  767
  Mr. Mandelson
  DTI' s executive agencies provide a considerable amount of information to their customers and to the general public in pursuit of their objectives. None has particular procedures for identifying persistent inquiries for information.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to ensure no additional financial resources are provided to BNFL to subsidise the programme of liquid radioactive waste treatment required at Sellafield following decisions agreed at the Ministerial meeting of the Ospar Convention in Sintra. [54400]

  Mr. Battle
  The Government will continue to set financial targets for BNFL which take into account the cost of dealing with the nuclear liabilities for which they are responsible.

  Vanity Publishers
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to regulate vanity publishers. [53429]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I have no plans to introduce specific legislation on vanity publishing. I believe that existing consumer protection legislation is adequate to deal with those unscrupulous companies who may seek to exploit authors. This includes the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, the Misrepresentation Act 1967, the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988.

  Political Advisers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to ensure that conflicts of interest do not arise in cases where political advisers are not paid out of public funds. [53600]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: I do not have any political advisers who are not paid out of public funds.

  Bookmakers' Odds
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he proposes to include the display of odds by on-course bookmakers within the scope of legislation implementing the EC Directive 98/6/EC on Consumer Protection in the Indication of Prices of Products Offered to Consumers. [53717]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: No. EC Directive 98/6/EC (in common with previous UK and EU legislation in this area) relates specifically to the prices of products and does not cover betting odds.

  Neither my Department, nor the Home Office, which is responsible for betting policy, has received any representations that the UK's implementing legislation should be extended in this way.

  Policy Agenda Meeting
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he accepted the invitation to 768
  speak to a meeting, organised by GPC Market Access, on the policy agenda of the Labour Party Conference, the European Union and other matters. [53609]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: No formal invitation was issued.

  Welsh Language Scheme
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date his Department received notification from the Welsh Language Board in relation to the need to prepare a Welsh language scheme; on what date his Department and the Board held consultations on such a scheme; when a scheme was formally submitted to the Board; and if it has been approved. [53354]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: My Department has not received any such notification.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reviews are currently being carried out in respect of(a) the Radiocommunications Agency, (b) Companies House, (c) the Patent Office, (d) Employment Tribunals Service and (e) ACAS; and if he will indicate their remit. [53276]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: No reviews are currently being carried out in respect of these bodies.

  Departmental Policies (Scientific Advice)
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Office of Science and Technology's guidelines on the use of Scientific Advice in Policy Making by Government Departments. [55236]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Government place great importance on the implementation of the guidelines as a way of ensuring the highest standards of integrity and openness in their use of scientific advice. The Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Robert May, has recently compiled a report in conjunction with departmental Chief Scientists on how the guidelines are being implemented by Departments. The main conclusions from this work are set out in a report, a copy of which has been today placed in the Library of the House.

  The guidelines were prepared only a year ago but it is encouraging to see that there is already a high level of compliance across Departments. The report contains a number of examples of good practice, but it is also clear that there is a good deal of scope for further action. There is a considerable amount which Departments can learn from each other and we look forward to further progress in the next twelve months.

  New Millennium Experience Company
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the Accounts and Annual Report for the New Millennium Experience Company will be published. [54393]

  Mr. Mandelson
  They were published yesterday.
  769
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of his working week he intends to allocate to the Millennium Experience. [54441]

  Mr. Mandelson
  I will spend as much time as is necessary on matters relating to the New Millennium Experience Company.

  Electricity Industry
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for the supply of electricity following the decision to close eight nuclear power stations within 10 years; and which sectors of the electricity generation market he expects to develop further capacity to account for any shortfall. [53314]

  Mr. Battle
  There has been no decision to close eight nuclear power stations within the next 10 years.

  The Government are currently considering responses to the consultation document on their Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and will announce their policy when the review is complete.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what proportion carbon dioxide emissions are increased per unit of electricity generated by the fitting of FGD technology to an average coal-fired power station. [53311]

  Mr. Battle
  The increase in the production of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity from a coal-fired power station fitted with Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) of the wet limestone type fitted in the UK varies with a number of factors such as the sulphur and chlorine content of the coal and the electrical load, but would be typically in the range 3.5–7 per cent. This would be derived from the sulphur dioxide neutralisation process and from the corresponding drop in thermal efficiency of the power station arising from the electricity needed to power the FGD plant.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of whether the United Kingdom policy of discriminating against new gas-fired power stations will conflict with European Commission competition rules. [53323]

  Mr. Battle
  The Government's proposals arising from the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, announced for consultation on 25 June, are considered to be fully consistent with European law.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the(a) current and (b) forthcoming rounds of coal contracts for electricity generation involve subsidy from (i) public funds or (ii) the generators; and what the levels of subsidy are likely to be. [53325]

  Mr. Battle
  In the preliminary conclusions of its Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, the Government made it clear that coal purchase decisions, including price and other terms of supply, were a commercial matter for the generators. They also made it clear that they did not propose to subsidise any part of the UK coal industry.
  770
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that the gas-fired electricity generating industry is not damaged by unfair competition. [53324]

  Mr. Battle
  The government's proposals arising from the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation were published for consultation on 25 June. We are now considering the responses and will announce our final conclusions shortly, once the material has been assessed.

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the percentage contribution to United Kingdom energy needs of clean coal technology in(a) 2000, (b) 2005, (c) 2010, (d) 2015 and (e) 2020. [53327]

  Mr. Battle
  No estimates have been made on the percentage contribution cleaner coal technology will eventually make to UK energy supply or when existing coal capacity will be replaced. The timing for investment in cleaner coal technology is a matter for the generating companies.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the coal-fired electricity generation plant in the United Kingdom, together with the expected operational life of each plant. [54251]

  Mr. Battle
  Electricity generators are private sector companies and the operational life of their plant is a commercial matter for them.

  According to the Electricity Association, the trade association for the electricity industry, there are 24 coal fired power stations in the United Kingdom:
  National Power: Aberthaw B, Blyth A, Blyth B, Didcot A, Drax, Eggborough, Willington B, Tilbury B
  PowerGen: Cottam, Ferrybridge C, Fiddlers Ferry, Ratcliffe, Kingsnorth
  Eastern Group: Drakelow C, High Marnham, Ironbridge, Rugely B, West Burton
  Scottish Power: Cockenzie, Longannet, Methil (coal slurry)
  Alcan: Lynemouth
  Nigen: Belfast West, Kilroot.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will set out for each United Kingdom planning region the estimated capital investment represented by all current outstanding applications for sections 14 and 36 Electricity Act consents; [54252]

  (2) if he will list for each United Kingdom planning region the estimated employment in (a) construction, (b) manufacturing and (c) operation if all current application for sections 14 and 36 Electricity Act consents were granted. [54253]

  Mr. Battle
  No such estimates are available. This is not information collected for the purposes of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and section 14 of the Energy Act 1976.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution to the Government's target of a 20 per cent reduction in Carbon Dioxide emissions will be made by the electricity industry. [53986]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Government will publish shortly a consultation paper on the policy options for achieving their climate change targets. This will focus on their
  771
  legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. as well as looking at measures for moving beyond that to its domestic goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in CO2. The paper will look at the scope for emission reductions in all sectors, including the electricity industry.

  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's policy of building(a) gas-fired and (b) coal-fired power stations. [53980]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 31 July 1998j: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 2 of chapter 5 of the consultation document on the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, published on 25 June 1998.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what priority he accords to obtaining cheaper electricity for consumers in determining his energy policy. [53984]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The consultation document of 25 June 1998 proposed the continuation of the existing energy policy objective of secure, diverse and sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what international agreements cover the operation of the electricity interconnector between the United Kingdom and France; what principal obligations they impose on the parties; and when they are subject to renegotiation. [54672]

  Mr. Battle
  The operation of the electricity interconnector between the United Kingdom and France is covered by a private commercial agreement between the National Grid Company plc and Electricitè de France signed in 1993, the terms of which are confidential. I understand that this agreement expires in 2001.

  Gas-fired Power Stations
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the impact on investment of the extended moratorium on the construction of gas-fired power stations. [54003]

  Mr. Battle
  In relation to gas-fired power stations, if, as a result of a stricter consents policy, plant does not proceed which otherwise would have done, then the corresponding investment will obviously not take place. It is not possible to quantify the overall effect precisely, because both the number of applications which would be made, and whether they would have actually gone ahead, are uncertain.

  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry until what date he proposes to continue the moratorium on the building of new gas-fired power stations. [54237]

  Mr. Battle
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 2 of chapter 5 of the consultation document on the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, published on 25 June 1998.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the arrangements under which companies with consent to build or run gas power stations may buy gas on long-term contract. [54120]
  772
  Mr. Mandelson
  This is a matter upon which views were sought in the consultation on the preliminary conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation. We shall be announcing our conclusions shortly, once the responses to the consultation have been assessed.

  Parcelforce
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of Parcelforce. [54243]

  Mr. Mandelson
  As my right hon. Friend the President of the Council announced on 6 April 1998,Official Report, column 63, the Government are committed to the Post Office remaining in the public sector. Against that background, the Government are reviewing the Post Office's organisation, structure and financing with a view to ensuring that the Post Office can be given greater commercial freedom to enable it to compete effectively in the UK and overseas. The review includes consideration of the future status of Parcelforce, and the potential for its return to profitability

  National Minimum Wage
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the minimum wage on inflation levels. [54108]

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the wage inflation implications of the minimum wage. [54454]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Government do not believe that the decisions they have taken on the National Minimum Wage will have an adverse effect on inflation.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department will publish forecasts on employment levels of the impact of the introduction of the minimum wage. [54453]

  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if his Department will now publish forecasts of the jobs impact of the minimum wage; [54245]

  (2) what assessment his Department has made of the different employment impacts in different regions of the United Kingdom of the introduction of the minimum wage. [54936]

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish his Department's forecasts of the effect on jobs of the minimum wage. [54514]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 23 June 1998,Official Report, column 473.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the timetable for the planned implementation of the national minimum wage legislation. [54032]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  In her statement announcing the Government's response to the Low Pay Commission's recommendations on 18 June 1998,Official Report,

  773
  column 507, the then President of the Board of Trade announced that the National Minimum Wage would be implemented from April 1999.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies he has carried out into the indirect impact of implementation of the national minimum wage on wage differentials. [54670]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The Government share the view of the Low Pay Commission that at the rate it is proposed to set the National Minimum Wage any impact on pay differentials should be limited. There is little empirical evidence to suggest that a minimum wage set at a sensible level, as we have done, should cause workers to press for restoration of differentials.

  Millennium Dome (Sponsors)
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the standard terms and conditions of a corporate sponsorship agreement with the New Millennium Experience Company Limited. [54398]

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 82, if he will list the range of benefits offered to sponsors by the NMEC. [54578]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The uniqueness of the Millennium Experience has required the New Millennium Experience company (NMEC) to develop policies, strategies, and standards across many aspects of the project for which there are no templates, precedents, or off-the-shelf solutions. This has applied to the sponsorship arrangements in particular. The Company's strategy is to deliver its testing sponsorship target through a range of sponsorship categories, each with terms and conditions and benefits commensurate with the level of sponsorship involved. During the first phase the Company has concentrated on the Founding Partner category at a sponsorship value of at least £12 million. The standard terms, conditions, and benefits applying to each category of sponsorship are being documented formally, and I will ensure that copies are placed in the Library of the House as soon as they are completed.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what inducements are offered to companies to sponsor zones in the Millennium Experience; and what advertising is permitted in these zones; [51275]

  (2) what rules will govern the promotion by firms sponsoring zones in the Millennium Dome of themselves and their products and services in the zones sponsored; [52524]

  (3) what advertising by commercial sponsors is to be allowed in the Millennium Experience brochures. [52525]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) retains overall editorial control of all exhibit zones and other features within the Millennium Experience Dome. This enables the company to protect the integrity of the Experience as the focus for the nation's Millennium celebrations and to protect its educational, inspirational and enjoyment values. There are no "inducements" offered to companies to sponsor exhibit zones; each company takes its own commercial decision 774
  as to the benefits of being involved and associated with this unique, once-in-lifetime project. The broad terms, conditions and benefits applying to the different categories of sponsorship are being formally documented by the NMEC and copies will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as they are completed.

  Community Pharmacies
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assurances his Department gave to the Community Pharmacy Action Group in relation to resale price maintenance. [54242]

  Dr. Howells
  We have made it clear to the Community Pharmacy Action Group, as we did to the House, that we recognise the important role that community pharmacies play and that we would expect the Restrictive Practices Court to consider fully the issues relating to the retention and abolition of resale price maintenance for over-the-counter medicines, including the effect on local communities of possible pharmacy closures. We have also said that we would wish to take a robust line with the European Commission if, following a decision by the Restrictive Practices Court with respect to the continuation of the exemption for over-the-counter medicines under the Resale Prices Act, the Commission took action which flew in the face of that decision.

  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of community pharmacies which will close as a result of the ending of resale price maintenance. [54241]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  My Department has not made an estimate.

  The Director General of Fair Trading has considered the impact upon community pharmacies of the removal of resale price maintenance in his January 1998 report "Material Changes in the Medicaments Market since 1970". A copy of his report has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Emission Targets
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of projected increases in the quantity of coal to be burned on the UK's emission targets. [54002]

  Mr. Battle
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 19 of chapter 5 of the consultation document published on 25 June.

  Energy Prices
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the measures contained in the Government's recent statement on energy policy on prices to consumers. [53999]

  Mr. Battle
  I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 17 and 18 of Chapter 5 of the consultation document published on 25 June.

  Leave Entitlements
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if an annual leave entitlement of three weeks under the Working Time Directive will be applicable in
  775
  those industries which have not normally offered such leave; and what would be the cost to business of this entitlement. [54033]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  All workers under the scope of the working time regulations will have an entitlement to paid annual leave. Workers involved in transport, sea fishing, other work at sea and doctors in training are excluded from the Working Time Directive. An estimate of the costs and benefits are set out in the regulatory appraisal included in the consultation document. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

  Competition Bill
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce the fee to be charged to businesses seeking advice from the Director General of Fair Trading under the provision of the Competition Bill [Lords]. [54095]

  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the fee which will be charged to businesses under the Competition Bill proposals. [54239]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Clauses 51 and 53 of the Competition Bill [Lords] currently before Parliament provide for the Director General of Fair Trading to make rules about procedural matters including the charging of fees. In preparing such rules the Director General must consult such persons as he considers appropriate. Such consultation on fees will take place after Royal Assent, either as part of the general consultation or separately.

  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has revised its estimates of the compliance costs to business arising from the Competition Bill [Lords] to reflect changes during the Bill's passage. [54240]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The Department published a revised estimate of compliance costs to business arising from the Competition Bill when the Bill was introduced into the House to reflect such changes made in another place.

  Millennium Dome (Power)
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to promote efficient use of power within the Millennium Dome. [54465]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 31 July 1998]: The Dome structure was conceived and developed as an energy and resource-efficient means of housing a range of exhibits and attractions appropriate to the conditions of the Greenwich peninsular site. The Dome does not provide a conventionally controlled environment; it is not air conditioned, and heating and cooling provisions have been minimised to reflect the fact that visitors will be wearing clothing appropriate to "outdoor" conditions. In addition, the translucency of the Dome cladding material allows the interior to be naturally lit for much of the year. It is inevitable that operating a large-scale visitor attraction requires a significant quantity of power, but the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) will seek to minimise this requirement where it is practical to do so.
  776

  Poverty Pay
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will define poverty pay; and what are his plans to eliminate it. [54470]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Poverty pay is where an individual has to work excessive hours at low rates of pay to ensure a decent standard of living for themselves and their families. The National Minimum Wage, along with other measures such as the Working Families Tax Credit, forms part of the Government's strategy to make work pay and put an end to such exploitation.

  Employment Law Reform
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for employment law reform; and in which areas of employment practice. [54471]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The Government's proposals to reform employment law and to encourage good employment practices based on partnership were published in the Fairness at Work White Paper on 21 May.

  Working Time Directive
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long he will give companies to adjust their employment systems once the regulations are passed that will bring into effect the Working Time Directive and the requirement to give three weeks paid holiday. [54466]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The Working Time Regulations, which implement the Working Time Directive, come into force on 1 October.

  Tech Stars Steering Group
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current membership of the Tech Stars Steering Group; when it last met and what matters were discussed; and when it will next meet. [54511]

  Mr. Battle
  The current membership of the Tech Stars Steering Group is:

  Ronald Cohen (Chair): Apax Partners and Co.

  Peter Agar: CBI

  Sue Birley: Imperial College

  Hermann Hauser: Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd.

  Guy Herrington: DTI SME Policy Directorate

  Alistair Keddie: DTI Innovation Unit

  Craig Pickering: HM Treasury

  Adrian Piper: Bank of England.

  The last meeting was 3 July 1998 (Dr. Hauser was unable to attend) at which the Group discussed progress on current actions in the areas of commercialisation of university research and corporate venturing. It also discussed what actions the Group might take in the area of European risk capital markets, and an interest was shown in understanding more about the US Small Business Innovation Research scheme.

  The next meeting will be in late September, although a date has yet to be fixed.
  777

  Competitiveness Working Party
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current membership of the competitiveness working party on maximising competitiveness in Europe; when it last met; what matters were discussed; and when it will next meet. [54507]

  Mr. Mandelson
  Membership of the competitiveness working party on maximising competitiveness in Europe, chaired by Lord Simon of Highbury, is as follows:

  Peter Agar, Deputy Director-General, Confederation of British Industry

  Keith Bogg, Divisional Director, Marks & Spencer plc

  Sir John Carter, Chief Executive, Commercial Union plc

  C. K. Chow, Chief Executive, GKN plc

  Iain Evans, Chairman, The LEK Partnership

  Donald Hepburn, Senior Business Economist, Unilever plc

  John Langston, Chief Executive Officer—Automotive, TI Group plc

  Peter Lehmann, Commercial Director, Centrica plc

  Christopher King, Chairman, Avon Rubber plc

  Henry Manisty, Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Reuters Ltd.

  Keith McCullagh, Chief Executive Officer, British Biotech plc

  John Mellon, Director, Reed Elsevier plc.

  The group last met on 22 April and the agenda comprised four topics: the development of the future White Paper on competitiveness; the current Government campaign to prepare business for the introduction of a single currency in Europe; the Social Chapter and European employment legislation; and standards and mutual recognition within the European Single Market.

  A date has not yet been fixed for the meeting of the group.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current membership of the Competitiveness Working Party on enhancing business performance through developing individuals; when it last met and what matters were discussed; and when it will next meet. [54510]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Competitiveness Working Party on enhancing business performance through developing individuals last met under the chairmanship of the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) on 10 March to discuss employability and the first draft of the report to the Secretary of State. No further meetings are currently planned. The current membership of the Working Party is:

  Brendan Barber, Deputy General Secretary, Trades Union Congress

  Bruce Collings, General Manager, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Ltd.

  David Compston, Managing Director, Allott & Lomax

  Jeremy Crook, Chief Executive, Black Training and Enterprise Group

  Jeannie Drake, Deputy General Secretary, Communication Workers Union

  Anthony Dubbins, General Secretary, GMPU

  John Edmonds, General Secretary, GMB

  Professor Alan Gibb, Chairman, Small Business Centre, Durham University Business School

  Allan Johnston, Personnel Director, British Steel plc

  Mike Kinski, Chief Executive, Stagecoach Holdings

  778

  Anne Minto, Director—Human Resources, Smiths Industries

  Tony Morgan, Managing Director, Industrial Society

  Stephen Moss, Chairman, Springboard

  John Oliver, Chief Executive, Leyland Trucks Ltd.

  Bryan Sanderson, Managing Director, The British Petroleum Company plc

  Peter Smith, Chief Executive, Wigan Borough Council

  Ann Toler, Head of Personnel, Boots The Chemists Ltd.

  Perween Warsi, Managing Director, S&A Foods Ltd.

  Cecilia Wells, HR Consultant

  Gwenda Williams, Human Resource Manager, Hyder plc.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies in the coal mining industry in the next three years. [53985]

  Mr. Mandelson
  Levels of employment in the coal-mining industry will depend upon commercial decisions taken by the private sector coal companies.

  International Space Station
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his predecessor's letter of 27 May, what was the result of the review by the Manned Space Board and the International Relations Committee of ESA of the policy and financial implications of changes to the International Space Station schedule. [54056]

  Mr. Battle
  The Manned Space Board and the International Relations Committee of ESA are continuing to keep these issues under review. There have been no developments affecting the UK since the letter by the then President of the Board of Trade, now President of the Council, of 27 May 1998.

  Coral-Ladbrokes Merger
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the proposed sale of Coral to Ladbrokes; and if he will make a statement. [54668]

  Dr. Howells
  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) have delivered their report on the acquisition by Ladbrokes of the Coral betting business to the Secretary of State. The report will be published as soon as practicable.

  New Environmental Technologies
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential market for British manufacturers of new environmental technologies. [54849]

  Mr. Battle
  Research suggests that the total global environmental market is worth $280 billion now and likely to grow to over $640 billion by 2010. More details can be found in "Global Environmental Markets: An Update", published by the Government's Joint Environmental Markets Unit.
  779

  Post Office
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the(a) the Post Office and (b) Parcelforce. [54655]

  Mr. Mandelson
  As announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council when President of the Board of Trade, on 6 April 1998,Official Report, column 63, the Government plan to give the Post Office greater commercial freedom so that it can meet the challenges of the domestic and international markets, and deliver improved efficiency, effectiveness and service standards. The Government commissioned a review of public sector options for achieving this. It encompasses consideration of Parcelforce. The review is proceeding apace and I hope to announce our proposals in the Autumn.

  Nuclear Reprocessing Industry
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor) of 9 July 1998,Official Report, column 631, when he expects the transport of spent fuel from Germany to Sellafield will resume. [54419]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department has responsibilities for the safe transport of radioactive materials. My German counterpart with these responsibilities announced, on 25 May, a ten point plan which, when fully implemented, would allow shipments to resume. At present I am unaware of any established timetable for this implementation. My officials are in contact with their German counterparts and will give any help possible to enable them to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion. I must emphasise that the resumption of shipments of spent fuel within Germany is a matter for the German Authorities.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total cost to public funds of his recent visit to Brazil including the cost incurred by accompanying officials broken down by(a) travel costs and (b) accommodation and subsistence. [52840]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The cost of my trip to Brazil, as Minister without Portfolio, was approximately £6,400 for travel and £328 for accommodation. I was not accompanied by officials from the UK.

  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the purpose of his recent visit to Brazil; and how many officials accompanied him on the visit. [52839]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: As Minister without Portfolio I undertook an official programme of meetings and visits in Brazil to cement the close personal relations between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Cardoso, and to deepen ties between the two governments and countries so as to strengthen our economic partnership. This programme included meetings with President Cardoso and Government Ministers and speeches at the University of Brasilia and the British Chamber of Commerce in Sao Paulo. I was not
  780
  accompanied by officials from the UK but received excellent support from the British Embassy and the Consulate General in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

HEALTH

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52703]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The term research covers a wide range of activities from scientific and engineering research through to consultancies and public opinion surveys. The information requested is not held centrally.

  Invalid Vehicle Service
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the consultants' report following their review of the invalid vehicle service. [54618]

  Mr. Boateng
  We have considered this report carefully and decided to accept the consultants' recommendations that the Invalid Vehicle Service (IVS) should close on 31 March 2003, with help being given to drivers to take up alternative forms of transport. The scheme was closed to new drivers in 1976 and with around 720 invalid three-wheeler vehicles left on the road, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this service. We now need to plan ahead and safeguard the interests of the remaining drivers. The long lead-in period before closure will give drivers the time to look at all the options available. Those leaving the scheme will be eligible for the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance and drivers will be able to use this to switch to modern four-wheeler cars, scooters, and powered wheelchairs, possibly taking advantage of the Motability scheme. Help with driving lessons and adaptations to vehicles will be given.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Efford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the Eleventh Annual report of the Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Advertising and Sponsorship. [54619]

  Mr. Dobson
  Shortly. Copies will be placed in the Library.

  NHS Trust (Debts)
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to change the debt structure of NHS trusts; and if he will make a statement. [55194]

  Mr. Milburn
  The New NHS White Paper made clear the Government's intention to abolish the internal market in the National Health Service and amend the NHS trust financial regime to make it more transparent and more suitable for a public service based partnership. As part of our programme to achieve this aim, we are changing the

  781
  debt structure of NHS trusts. We have already taken steps to stop issuing long-term interest-bearing loans to NHS trusts to finance their capital expenditure. Instead, we are issuing Public Dividend Capital (PDC). The NHS Executive will now be making arrangements to replace existing interest-bearing debt with PDC without the application of premiums or discounts because the Exchequer funds NHS trusts' normal debt servicing costs. This will supersede the present, market driven financial structure, reduce bureaucracy and provide a simpler, clearer and more understandable arrangements, in tune with NHS trusts' status as part of the public sector.

  Clinical Oncologists
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to address shortages of clinical oncologists. [54933]

  Ms Jowell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) on 29 July 1998,Official Report, column 380. Clinical oncology is also known as radiotherapy.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 31 March 1998,Official Report, column 510, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [53994]

  Ms Jowell
  The Department is working towards the target announced in the White paper, "A New Deal for Transport", that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by executive offices and government offices for the regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000. Work has started on preparing green transport plans but no changes have yet been made to departmental transport arrangements.

  NHS Computers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many networked computers are currently in use in the National Health Service. [54130]

  Mr. Boateng
  This information requested is not available centrally.

  Specialist Workforce Advisory Group
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the advice and practices of the Specialist Workforce Advisory Group on(a) waiting list numbers and (b) the provision of services in smaller hospitals. [54036]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Specialty Workforce Advisory Group (SWAG) advises Government about the numbers of doctors in higher specialist training needed to meet estimated requirements for consultants four to six years ahead. SWAG's first set of recommendations was for the year 1996–97. The effect, in terms of the numbers of doctors completing training and taking up consultant posts, and thus contributing to the reduction of waiting lists, is beginning to be felt. SWAG's planning process takes account of the views of the National Health Service and the medical profession about service needs. The 782
  deployment of consultants supplied through national workforce planning is for trusts and health authorities to determine.

  Radiotherapy
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the variation by region in waiting time for cancer patients awaiting radiotherapy in the NHS; and in what percentage of cases this exceeds clinical guidelines. [54115]

  Mr. Boateng
  I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Eye and Dental Checks
  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the amount of money that(a) eye tests and (b) dental checks save the NHS each year by identifying conditions early in those eligible. [53752]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information on which to base these estimates is not available centrally.

  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) NHS eye tests and (b) NHS dental checks were performed in England and Wales, by year, from 1992 to 1998; and how many he estimates will be performed in 1998–99. [53753]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information available is in the table. We do not yet have estimates for 1998/99.

  England and Wales

  million

  Year

  National Health Service sight tests

  Adult dental examinations carried out by General Dental Service dentists

  1991–92

  5.31

  20.6

  1992–93

  5.90

  21.1

  1993–94

  6.33

  20.6

  1994–95

  6.80

  20.4

  1995–96

  6.95

  20.3

  1996–97

  7.27

  20.0

  1997–98

  7.47

  20.6

  Eye Tests
  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of pensioners who(a) will be eligible to and (b) will actually take up the Government's extension of free eye tests; what are the estimated costs of this scheme; and what assessment he has made of the potential savings arising from the early diagnosis of eye conditions. [53751]

  Mr. Milburn
  We estimate that between 6 million and 7 million additional people aged 60 or over will become eligible for free National Health Service sight tests from 1 April 1999. Assuming this results in about 2 million more sight tests per annum, additional costs of some £30 million will be incurred over current annual expenditure on sight tests of £110 million. Optometrists regularly identify signs of eye diseases such as glaucoma during sight tests but we cannot yet assess the health gains which result.
  783

  Accolate
  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates his Department has made of(a) the potential cost to the NHS of the drug accolate, (b) the number of people who currently use inhalers to control asthma, (c) the cost per dose of the drug and (d) the date when accolate will be available on prescription. [53750]

  Mr. Milburn
  Accolate (Zafirlukast 20mg tablets) was launched by Zeneca on 20 July 1998. It is therefore already available on National Health Service prescription. It is licensed for the treatment of asthma. The dose is 20mg twice daily and costs £25.69 for 56 tablets. No estimate of the potential cost to the National Health Service has been made. The number of people in England with asthma sufficiently severe to require regular medical supervision is estimated to be around 2 million, of whom the majority will be using inhaler treatment for some part of the time.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 93, concerning his Department's guidance LAC (98), what evidence he has submitted to the Royal Commission on topping-up payments. [54128]

  Mr. Boateng
  A factual note on topping-up has been prepared for the Royal Commission and copies are available in the Library.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to issue his Department's forthcoming White Paper on the registration and inspection of residential care homes. [54038]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Department's Social Services White Paper will be published when Parliament returns after the summer recess.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 1998,Official Report, column 531, concerning his Department's guidance, LAC (98)9, if he will place in the Library the legal advice that led Ministers to issue the revised guidance. [54477]

  Mr. Boateng
  The answer of 21 July 1998 concerned the Department's guidance LAC(98)8, not LAC(98)9. Its purpose was to clarify the legal position which has existed

  1997–98

  Braille

  Audio tape

  Large print

  HB6—A Practical Guide for Disabled People

  HB6—A Practical Guide for Disabled People

  HB6—A Practical Guide for Disabled People

  Our Healthy Nation Green Paper Summary

  Our Healthy Nation Green Paper Summary

  Our Healthy Nation Green Paper Summary

  How to Get the Best from Maternity Services

  Health Service Careers Booklet on the Occupation of Physiotherapist

  How to Use Your Hearing Aid

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  Keep Warm Keep Well

  Well Women Today and Tomorrow

  Health & Well-Being—A Guide for Older People

  The Healthy Way

  Acting on Complaints

  NHS Pension Agency Scheme Guide

  A Guide to Receiving Direct Payments

  Direct Payment—information leaflet

  Sound Advice—'What do I do about Flu' and 'Flu Vaccinations' summaries

  Sound Advice—'Think Malaria' summary

  Sound Advice—'Travel Safe' summary

  784
  since 1948. The Department's view of the legal provisions is set out in chapter 6 of the publication A New Partnership for Care in Old Age which is available as a command paper 3242 in the Library.

  Trust Mergers
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to have concluded his evaluation of the expression of interest submitted by Merton and Sutton, Wandsworth and Roehampton, Twickenham and Richmond community health care trusts in relation to trust mergers. [54019]

  Ms Jowell
  We shall consider the merits of the proposal carefully before deciding whether public consultation should take place. We hope to be able to reach a decision shortly.

  National Service Frameworks
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timescale his Department is working to in drawing up national service frameworks. [53996]

  Mr. Boateng
  Each National Service Framework is being developed with the assistance of an expert reference group. The reference groups for coronary heart disease and mental health have begun their work. Their emerging findings will be available in autumn 1998, prior to publication of the National Service Frameworks in Spring 1999. This will enable health authorities, together with their partners, including local authorities, to begin to plan their Health Improvement Programmes for implementation from April 1999.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54268]

  Ms Jowell
  Publications made available in Braille, audio tape and large print by this Department for 1997–98 are given in the table.

  Information on the percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The Department does not have a central record of all publications produced.
  785

  Purchasing Pilots
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department has made for evaluating the experience and outcomes of total purchasing pilots; and when the findings will be published. [53995]

  Mr. Boateng
  The total purchasing pilot project has been independently evaluated by a research consortium led by Professor Nick Mays of the King's Fund. An interim report covering the period October 1995 to March 1997 was published by the King's Fund on 7 July 1998 and a final report covering the period up to March 1998 is expected to be published by January 1999.

  Continence Services
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 94, concerning continence services if he will publish the terms of reference of the review; and if he will make a statement. [54178]

  Mr. Boateng
  An announcement will be made shortly.

  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if his Department will issue interim instructions to health authorities on the provision of continence services before the new guidance is issued; [54833]

  (2) if he will ensure that there are no reductions in existing continence services before his Department issues new guidance; [54842]

  (3) if he will make a statement on the delays in the review of continence services and the issue of new guidance. [54841]

  Ms Jowell
  I will be making an announcement about the review of continence services shortly.

  Nottingham Health Authority
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he proposes to appoint a new chairman of the Nottingham Health Authority; for how long the post has been left vacant; and for what reasons it has been left vacant since the retirement of Sir David White. [54218]

  Mr. Milburn
  The regional chairman will shortly be making further recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the chairmanship of Nottingham Health Authority. This post has been vacant since 1 April 1998 while suitable candidates were identified and interviewed.

  Health Authority Board Members
  Mr. Etherington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities in England and Wales which do not have a general practitioner as a non-executive member of their board. [54895]

  Ms Jowell
  The 58 health authorities in England which do not have a general medical practitioner as a chairman or non-executive member are listed in the table.

  Appointments to Welsh health authorities are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
  786
  List of health authorities which do not have GP non-executive members

  Region—Anglia and Oxford

  Bedfordshire

  Berkshire

  Buckinghamshire

  Cambridgeshire and Huntingdon

  East Norfolk

  North West Anglia

  Northamptonshire

  Suffolk

  Region—North Thames

  Barnet

  Brent and Harrow

  Camden and Islington

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  Enfield and Haringey

  Hillingdon

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  North Essex

  South Essex

  West Hertfordshire

  Region—North and West

  Bury and Rochdale

  East Lancashire

  Liverpool

  Manchester

  North Cheshire

  North West Lancashire

  Salford and Trafford

  Sefton

  South Lancashire

  St. Helen's and Knowsley

  West Pennine

  Wirral

  Region—Northern and Yorkshire

  North Cumbria

  North Yorkshire

  Sunderland

  Region—South and West

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  Isle of Wight

  North and Mid Hampshire Somerset

  Southampton and South West Hants

  Region—South Thames

  Bromley

  East Kent

  East Sussex, Brighton and Hove

  Region—Trent

  Barnsley

  Leicestershire

  North Nottinghamshire

  Nottingham

  Rotherham

  Sheffield

  South Derbyshire

  South Humber

  787

  Region—West Midlands

  Dudley

  Herefordshire

  North Staffordshire

  Shropshire

  Solihull

  South Staffordshire

  Worcestershire.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 1998,Official Report, column 526, on the cost of ensuring millennium compliance throughout the NHS, what factors underlie the discrepancy between the figure given and his Department's earlier estimate of £5.7 million. [54504]

  Mr. Boateng
  The reason for the discrepancy between the figure given in my Answer of 21 July and the Department's earlier estimate of £5.7 million is that the latter refers only to planned expenditure by the central Department, whereas the former is the total cost to the wider National Health Service of ensuring millennium compliance.

  Central Department plans and costs are reported to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on a quarterly basis. He has arranged for completed questionnaires and a summary to be placed in the Library and published on the internet. A further update by the Department will be available in September.

  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, columns 94–99, on millennium compliance, what checks he carried out to ensure that the data provided by trusts and health authorities as at 31 March were accurate; and how those checks accounted for the delays in his answer. [54576]

  Mr. Milburn
  Further advice was requested from officials on the figures from trusts and health authorities. When this had been provided and considered, a reply was given directly.

  Beta-interferon
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the availability of beta-interferon for treatment of people suffering from multiple sclerosis by health authority, indicating for each health authority the budget for beta-interferon expressed in terms of amount per patient with relapsing remitting MS fulfilling the criteria defined in the relevant Department of Health executive letter. [54938]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information requested is not available. It is not our policy to allocate resources centrally for particular treatments. The costs of prescribing all drugs are met from within health authority allocations, taking account of local priorities. The National Institute for Clinical Effectiveness will in due course provide advice to health authorities to enable more consistent availability across the country.
  788

  Sandwell Healthcare NHS Trust
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the relative position of Sandwell Healthcare NHS Trust in England and Wales in terms of(a) management costs as a percentage of total budget, (b) percentage of surgical cases handled as day cases and (c) costs per completed consultant episode. [53735]

  Mr. Boateng
  In 1997–98, the planned management costs for Sandwell Healthcare National Health Service Trust were £3.7 million, 5.2 per cent. of their trust income. Total trust management costs for England were planned to be £1.2 billion, 5.1 per cent. of total trust income in England.

  In 1996–97 (latest available figures), the Trust treated 69.1 per cent. of its elective surgical admissions as day cases, compared to 53.7 per cent. nationally.

  In 1996–97 (latest available) the average cost per Finished Consultant Episode was £850 for the trust. Nationally the average was £1,120.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Executive.

  Rough Sleepers Initiatives
  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities in England have dedicated resources for initiatives relating to the problem of rough sleeping; how much they spent in the last year for which figures are available; and on what projects. [52428]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  However, since 1994–95, funding for five of the six multi-disciplinary community psychiatric outreach teams which form one strand of the Government's Homeless Mentally Ill Initiative (HMII) has been included in the Thames health authorities' regional allocations. In 1994–95, this funding amounted to some £1.76 million. Additionally, in 1998–99, the East London and City Health Authority is allocating £10,000 towards the costs of the HART HMII outreach team. City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust also contributes some £5,000 towards HART' s costs.

  The Department has approved non cash-limited funding of £558,000 in 1998–99 for twenty eight primary care projects for homeless people. These projects are designed to help meet the health care needs of the entire range of homeless people, including rough sleepers.

  Staff Turnover
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the staff turnover rates for each NHS trust for people employed in posts(a) ancillary and maintenance, (b) medical and dental, (c) nursing and midwifery, (d) professional and technical and (e) administrative, clerical and managerial posts; and what were the equivalent figures for each of the last five years. [54615]

  Ms Jowell
  The information requested is not collected centrally. For the information that is available on turnover of staff in the National Health Service, I refer the hon. Member to the reports of the Review Body for Nursing staff, Midwives and Health Visitors, copies of which are in the Library.
  789

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the current rates of sickness absence in each health trust for people employed in(a) ancillary and maintenance, (b) medical and dental, (c) nursing and midwifery, (d) professional and technical and (e) administrative, clerical and managerial posts; and what were the equivalent figures for each of the last five years. [54612]

  Ms Jowell
  Statistics of the incidence of ill-health among the National Health Service workforce are not collected centrally. Guidance has been issued to help NHS managers locally to collect and act upon sickness absence data.

  Hearing Aids
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to(a) monitor the level of NHS hearing aids that go unused after being provided by adult audiology and hearing aid services and (b) increase the level of use of NHS hearing aids amongst current owners; [54426]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the level of customer satisfaction from users of NHS adult audiology and hearing aid services; [54425]

  (3) what assessment his Department has made of the level of awareness amongst NHS hearing aid users of the role and benefits of the T switch on hearing aids. [54427]

  Mr. Boateng
  The type of hearing aid provided under the National Health Service is a matter for the clinician concerned, in consultation with the patient. A central unit of the NHS Supplies Authority negotiates contracts with manufacturers for the supply of a standard range of NHS hearing aids which meet the needs of the majority of patients. It is for hearing aid centres to purchase and supply an alternative model if the clinician considers that it is clinically necessary for an individual patient. The NHS does not directly monitor the number of hearing aids that are not used, but independent research suggests that a significant number of hearing aids may not be used or are not used effectively.

  We do not have any plans to commission research into customer satisfaction of audiology services at the moment.

  Total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge but still occupying a hospital bed because they are:

  Region

  awaiting local authority funding

  awaiting completion of assessment

  Total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge but still occupying a hospital bed

  Total number of patients aged 75 and over occupying an acute hospital bed

  Northern and Yorkshire

  155

  243

  846

  7,258

  Trent

  37

  95

  454

  4,923

  Anglia and Oxford

  120

  140

  754

  4,608

  North Thames

  347

  376

  1,231

  6,346

  South Thames

  102

  205

  780

  6,617

  790
  The Departmental publication "How to use your hearing aid" which is extremely popular with audiology service users, includes a chapter on using the T position on the control switch of hearing aids.

  Hospital Discharges
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospitals of patients who are awaiting social services funding or assessment. [54638]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Department is undertaking a number of relevant activities. Part of the £269 million additional funding for the National Health Service in England which was announced last October is aimed at reducing delayed discharges and some of the money was transferred to social services for this purpose. For 1998–99, the special transitional grant for community care services has a condition attached to it that some funds should be invested in services with the objective of improving procedures for needs assessment, hospital discharge arrangements and preventing unnecessary admission to hospital or residential or nursing home care.

  Part of the £417 million additional funding announced in the budget is aimed at tackling NHS waiting lists by improving primary, community, mental health and social services. The Department's inspectors are routinely involved in an active programme of monitoring local authorities' hospital discharge arrangements and will be publishing a report shortly. Our Better Services for Vulnerable People initiative requires health and local authorities to develop joint investment plans, recuperation and rehabilitation services for older people and improved procedures for multidisciplinary assessment of older people. Our review of hospital discharge guidance will include consideration of how we can resolve the difficulties around delayed discharge.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by region the number of delayed discharge patients currently occupying hospital beds who are awaiting social services funding or assessment. [54637]

  Ms Jowell
  Information is not available in the format requested. However, information is available on the number of people aged 75 and over ready for discharge, but still occupying an acute hospital bed because they are awaiting completion of assessment or local authority funding. The most recent information is provided in the table.
  791

  Total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge but still occupying a hospital bed because they are:

  Region

  awaiting local authority funding

  awaiting completion of assessment

  Total number of patients aged 75 and over ready for discharge but still occupying a hospital bed

  Total number of patients aged 75 and over occupying an acute hospital bed

  South and West

  169

  100

  752

  6,876

  West Midlands

  67

  149

  628

  4,647

  North West

  139

  141

  650

  6,225

  England

  1,136

  1,499

  6,095

  47,500

  Source:

  National Health Service Executive Quarterly Monitoring Activity Data—1997–98 Quarter 4

  Hospital Maintenance
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by NHS region the hospital maintenance backlog on 1 July. [53295]

  Mr. Milburn
  Information about backlog maintenance as at 1 July 1998 is not available. The latest available figures relate to the year ended March 1997, and are as follows:

  Cost to upgrade to Condition B

  £000

  Total

  Northern and Yorkshire

  389,804

  Trent

  207,031

  Anglia and Oxford

  241,965

  North Thames

  774,657

  South Thames

  369,546

  South and West

  234,293

  West Midlands

  361,041

  North West

  276,627

  Total

  2,854,964

  Notes:

  1. Backlog maintenance is defined as "the amount of money required to bring the physical condition of the estate, the statutory safety condition and the fire safety condition, up to Condition B

  2. Condition B is broadly defined as 'sound, operationally safe, and exhibits only minor deterioration'

  3. The figures for the year 1997–98 will be available in November 1998

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes his Department has made to the criteria for assessing numbers of patients on(a) in-patient and (b) out-patient waiting lists; and if he will publish the (i) current and (ii) previous criteria. [53316]

  Mr. Milburn
  No changes have been made to the criteria for the assessment of numbers on National Health Service in-patient and out-patient waiting lists. Guidance is set out in the NHS Executive's Data Manual (published in January 1997), the NHS Waiting Times Good Practice Guide and Guidelines for Good Administrative Practice (both published in January 1996). Copies of which are available in the Library.
  792
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the validity and accuracy of the waiting list initiative results submitted to the NHS Executive for the last three quarters. [53317]

  Mr. Milburn
  Waiting list data are subject to well established validation and checking processes.

  Operations (Cancellation)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library figures(a) by health authority and (b) overall on the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to a hospital, and the numbers of those patients not readmitted within a month, by quarter, for each of the last three years. [53318]

  Mr. Milburn
  Copies of Quarterly Statistics on Cancelled Operations by Health Authorities for 1997/98 and information for earlier years are available in the Library.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of(a) NHS clerical, administrative and management staff, (b) NHS hospital doctors and GPs and (c) NHS nurses and midwives in each year since 1995. [53299]

  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of(a) NHS clerical, administrative and management staff, (b) NHS hospital doctors and general practitioners and (c) NHS nurses and midwives in each year since 1995. [53291]

  Mr. Milburn
  The information requested can be found in the Department's statistical bulletins:"Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Service Medical and Dental Staff in England: 1986 to 1996" (the latest year for which information is available), "Statistics for General Medical Practitioners in England: 1987 to 1997" and "NHS Hospital and Community Health Services Non-medical Staff in England: 1987 to 1997", copies of which are available in the Library.

  NHS Salaries
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the amount spent on salaries and wages costs for(a) general and senior managers,

  793
  (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff by NHS region for each financial year from 1991–92 to 1997–98. [53296]

  Mr. Milburn
  Copies of the information requested have been placed in the Library. Figures for 1997–98 are not yet available.

  NHS Consultants
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much(a) his Department, (b) the NHS and (c) his Department's agencies spent on external consultants in each year since 1995. [53330]

  Ms Jowell
  Expenditure by the Department of Health, its agencies, and the National Health Service1 since 1995 is as follows:

  Year

  DH £ million

  NHS trusts £ million

  Health Authorities £000

  Agencies £ million

  1994–95

  18.469

  68.326

  259.302

  2.331

  1995–96

  18.504

  89.369

  277.982

  2.096

  1996–97

  314.518

  107.152

  21.698

  1.582

  1997–98

  311.848

  4—

  4—

  1.632

  1 Information on consultants is not collected separately for the NHS but is included in information on external contract staffing and consultancy

  2 Includes figures for Regional Health Authorities

  3 Includes figures for Regional Offices of the NHS Executive, which became part of the Department of Health in April 1996

  4 Not yet available

  Note:

  Part of the explanation for the apparently decreasing trend in Departmental and agency expenditure is the adoption of a new definition of consultancy, agreed by Ministers during 1997–98 and implemented in-year

  Hospital Output Measures
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial penalties will be imposed on hospitals which fail to meet their target output measures. [54950]

  Mr. Boateng
  We expect health authorities (and in due course Primary Care Groups) increasingly to develop service agreements with National Health Service trusts which include appropriate incentives and sanctions to reward good performance and support improvement where necessary.

  Health Statistics
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Green Paper, Cm 3805, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare", page 83, what assessment he has made of the health of the population as a whole in terms of(a) longevity and (b) years free of illness, at present and as at April 1997 and March 1998. [54605]

  Ms Jowell
  No data on longevity or on years free of illness are available for the present moment in time or for April 1997 or March 1998. The most recent data on expectation of life at birth in England and Wales are based on an average of 1994, 1995 and 1996 and are 74.4 years for males and 79.6 years for females. The most recent estimates available for the average expectation of life free 794
  of self-reported limiting long-standing illness are for 1994 and are 59.2 years in males and 62.2 years in females. The latter figures were presented in the "Our Healthier Nation" Green Paper published in February 1998.

  Ambulance Ages
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, column 98, if he will provide a breakdown of the estimated cost of his informal assessment of ambulance ages. [54223]

  Mr. Boateng
  The breakdown of the estimated costs of the informal assessment is £2,245 for staff time and £22 for fax and telephone charges.

  Ambulance Services
  Dr. Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance services are currently meeting the standard that life threatening emergencies receive a response in less than eight minutes on 75 per cent. of all occasions; and if he will list those services which currently(a) meet, and (b) fail to meet this standard. [53076]

  Mr. Boateng
  At present ambulance services are expected to reach 95 per cent. of all emergency calls within 14 minutes (urban services) and 19 minutes (rural services). In 1997–98 27 out of 37 ambulance services in England reached this standard. Full details are in the Departmental publication,Ambulance Services, England 1997–98, copies of which are available in the Library.

  By the year 2000–01 ambulance services in England will also be expected to reach 75 per cent. of life-threatening calls within eight minutes. In 1997–98 only Staffordshire Ambulance Service achieved this standard.

  Public Register
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the public registers which his Department have responsibility for. [47352]

  Mr. Milburn
  [holding answer 29 June 1998]: The Department does not have responsibility for any registers which it is required to make public.

  Health Services Accreditation
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the time scale for the disposal of Health Services Accreditation; [48680]

  (2) what criteria will be used to judge the best offer for Health Services Accreditation; [48685]

  (3) how many expressions of interest in Health Services Accreditation had been received by the closing date for application; [48683]

  (4) what is the process to be used for the disposal of Health Services Accreditation. [48684]

  Mr. Boateng
  Health Service Guidelines "NHS Trading Agencies: Future Arrangements" HSG 94/54, copies of which are available in the Library, are being applied to judge the best offer and to dispose of Health Services Accreditation. This says "the objective should be to ensure the best long-term value for money for the NHS".
  795
  The date for the receipt of formal proposals from interested organisations was 30 June 1998. The evaluation panel met for the first time in mid-July to consider these proposals and agree a timetable for the disposal of Health Services Accreditation. Prior to the closing date, 32 expressions of interest had been received of which 5 have proceeded to formal proposals.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters per day his office receives; how many staff are employed to answer these; what targets are set in respect of such letters; and what is the current performance against targets. [50688]

  Ms Jowell
  Currently 11 members of staff are employed solely to deal with correspondence addressed to Ministers, although others provide draft replies as part of their normal duties. With regard to the volume of correspondence received and targets met in respect of that correspondence, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary on 20 July 1998,Official Record, column 363.

  Women's Issues
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 24 June 1998,Official Report, column 557–58, prior to 18 May, what mechanisms were used to determine how legislation passed in the current session would affect women; what consultation he had with women's organisations; and if he will make a statement. [49085]

  Adult asylum seekers accommodation grant

  Local Authority

  (a) Total grant due in 1997/98 (£)

  (b) Total grant claimed in 1997/98 (£)

  (c) Percentage of England total grant

  Barking and Dagenham

  365,627.92

  365,627.92

  0.9

  Barnet

  792,668.00

  792,668.00

  2.0

  Bexley

  60,045.00

  60,045.00

  0.2

  Brent

  2,481,633.90

  2,481,633.90

  6.2

  Bromley

  133,420.00

  148,062.38

  0.3

  Camden

  2,921,840.00

  3,592,120.00

  7.3

  Corporation of London

  95,900.00

  96,080.00

  0.2

  Croydon

  628,314.45

  628,314.45

  1.6

  Ealing

  1,565,363.00

  1,565,363.00

  3.9

  Enfield

  231,560.00

  271,739.00

  0.6

  Greenwich

  495,797.93

  495,797.93

  1.2

  Hackney

  3,027,990.00

  3,027,990.00

  7.6

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,406,618.00

  1,406,618.00

  3.5

  Haringey

  1,671,951.00

  1,671,951.00

  4.2

  Harrow

  748,971.00

  748,971.00

  1.9

  Havering

  25,900.00

  33,124.55

  0.1

  Hillingdon

  446,136.00

  446,136.00

  1.1

  Hounslow

  402,322.29

  402,322.29

  1.0

  Islington

  1,339,520.00

  1,823,325.00

  3.4

  Kensington and Chelsea

  2,177,140.00

  2,249,217.00

  5.5

  Kingston

  145,047.00

  145,047.00

  0.4

  Lambeth

  3,535,414.00

  3,535,414.00

  8.9

  Lewisham

  1,862,381.00

  1,862,381.00

  4.7

  Merton

  462,308.79

  462,308.79

  1.2

  Newham

  2,496,568.00

  2,496,568.00

  6.3

  Redbridge

  422,810.00

  481,630.00

  1.1

  796
  Ms Jowell
  We actively consult a wide variety of stakeholders including those who have particular expertise on gender related issues, as legislative proposals for health and social services are developed.

  Furthermore, the Cabinet sub committee on women's issues, of which I am a member, reviews and develops the Government's policy and strategy on issues of special concern to women.

  Carers
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of people in the United Kingdom who will be caring for parents and children or parents and grandchildren in 2015 by gender, age and employment status of carer; and if he will make a statement. [54161]

  Mr. Boateng
  As part of my work on the National Carers Strategy, I shall be considering whether, and if so on what basis, to make projections of future numbers of informal carers.

  Asylum Seekers
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the special grants made to each London borough in 1997–98 for the reimbursement of costs incurred in the support of adult asylum seekers, their children and families and unaccompanied asylum seekers, stating in each case the amounts of grant(a) paid, (b) claimed and (c) paid as a percentage of the total claimed in England and Wales. [49438]

  Ms Jowell
  The following tables show the amount of special grants paid to each London Borough in 1997/98 and the percentage of the total claimed as a percentage of the total claimed in England. The figures requested for Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales.
  797

  Adult asylum seekers accommodation grant

  Local Authority

  (a) Total grant due in 1997/98 (£)

  (b) Total grant claimed in 1997/98 (£)

  (c) Percentage of England total grant

  Richmond upon Thames

  263,852.13

  263,852.13

  0.7

  Southwark

  1,198,810.00

  1,605,882.19

  3.0

  Sutton

  115,085.58

  115,085.58

  0.3

  Tower Hamlets

  519,820.00

  555,260.00

  1.3

  Waltham Forest

  623,275.82

  623,275.82

  1.6

  Wandsworth

  585,480.00

  688,417.00

  1.5

  Westminster

  3,838,660.00

  4,623,193.00

  9.6

  Total

  37,088,230.81

  39,765,420.93

  92.94

  Persons from abroad grant claims 1997–98

  Local Authority

  (a) Grant paid to Local Authorities (£)

  (b) Grant claimed by Local Authorities (£)

  (c) Percentage of the total claimed in England

  Barking and Dagenham

  201,340

  201,340

  0.6

  Barnet

  990,504

  990,504

  2.8

  Bexley

  31,210

  31,210

  0.1

  Brent

  1,440,786

  1,440,786

  4.1

  Bromley

  129,941

  129,941

  0.4

  Camden

  1,589,314

  1,589,314

  4.6

  Corporation of London

  6,250

  6,250

  0.02

  Croydon

  233,470

  233,470

  0.7

  Ealing1

  296,636

  1,028,186

  2.9

  Enfield

  1,122,395

  1,122,395

  3.2

  Greenwich

  326,789

  326,789

  0.9

  Hackney

  1,013,572

  1,013,572

  2.9

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,366,848

  1,366,848

  3.9

  Haringey

  2,170,310

  2,170,310

  6.2

  Harrow

  433,119

  433,119

  1.2

  Hillingdon

  307,517

  307,517

  0.9

  Hounslow

  902,657

  902,657

  2.6

  Islington

  652,092

  652,092

  1.9

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,312,224

  1,312,224

  3.8

  Kingston

  242,848

  242,848

  0.7

  Lambeth

  1,705,850

  1,705,850

  4.9

  Lewisham

  937,292

  937,292

  2.7

  Merton

  358,514

  358,514

  1.0

  Newham

  3,026,435

  3,026,435

  8.7

  Redbridge

  789,418

  789,418

  2.3

  Richmond Upon Thames

  85,947

  85,947

  0.2

  Southwark

  1,377,908

  1,377,908

  3.9

  Sutton

  34,878

  34,878

  0.1

  Tower Hamlets

  316,521

  316,521

  0.9

  Waltham Forest

  764,363

  764,363

  2.2

  Wandsworth

  1,183,570

  1,183,570

  3.4

  Westminster

  2,752,307

  2,752,307

  7.9

  Totals

  33,971,635

  28,834,375

  82.6

  1 Ealing revised their claim too late in the last financial year 1997/8. The balance will be paid in the present financial year

  Note:

  In addition the grant claimed by each authority is in accord with the rules of the Special Grant Report No 28

  Unaccompanied childrens' grant

  Local Authority

  (a) Total grant paid in 1997/98 (£)

  (b) Total grant claimed in 1997/98 (£)

  (c) Percentage of England total grant

  Croydon

  741,569.00

  1,584,569.00

  15.24

  Hillingdon

  115,660.00

  1,303,470.00

  2.38

  Westminster

  441,179.00

  897,163.00

  9.06

  Kensington and Chelsea

  255,613.00

  805,731.00

  5.25

  Corporation of London

  32,616.00

  29,254.00

  0.67

  Havering

  —

  12,426.00

  —

  Bromley

  —

  159,184.00

  —

  Merton

  —

  48,880.00

  —

  Total

  1,586,637.00

  4,840,677.00

  32.6

  798 799

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Degree Courses
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the Government's policy on increasing the proportion of the population taking a first degree. [54503]

  Mr. Mudie
  The Government have demonstrated their commitment to the principle that anyone who has the capability for higher education should have the opportunity to benefit from it through the expenditure plans announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 15 July 1998,Official Report, column 411–13. These will allow for some 35,000 extra full-time and part-time students in higher education in England in the academic year 1999–2000 and will give scope for widening access to higher education and increasing the proportion of the population taking a first degree or other undergraduate course. Further details will be announced in due course.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his estimate of how many United Kingdom students will start degree courses in England and Wales in September; and how many started in(a) 1997 and (b) 1996. [54502]

  Mr. Mudie
  The information for 1996 and 1997 is given in the table:

  Home entrants1 to undergraduate courses in Higher Education Institutions England and Wales

  thousand

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  1996–97

  First degree

  244.6

  26.7

  271.4

  Other undergraduate

  42.8

  82.5

  125.4

  Total

  287.5

  109.3

  396.7

  1997–982

  First degree

  252.9

  25.7

  278.5

  Other undergraduate

  41.8

  86.7

  128.5

  Total

  294.7

  112.3

  407.6

  1 Figures exclude the Open University because changes to the way their data are reported between the two years would otherwise distort the comparisons

  2 Provisional

  The Department does not publish forecasts of entrants to higher education. It is therefore too early to say how many students will start a degree course in September 1998.

  School Inspectors
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many HM school inspectors were appointed in the years(a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998 to date; and how many of those appointed were previously (i) headteachers, (ii) deputy head teachers and (iii) teachers. [54934]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  This is a matter for HM Chief Inspector of Schools. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.
  800

  Nansfield School, Brierfield
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the anticipated cost of the Ofsted inspection of Nansfield school, Brierfield, to be carried out in August; and how many inspectors will be involved. [54436]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  That is a matter for HM Chief Inspector, Chris Woodhead. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  Teachers
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the minimum pay of a newly qualified teacher relative to the average salary for newly qualified graduates. [54501]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The minimum starting pay of a newly qualified teacher with a good honours degree as at 1 December 1998 will be £15,012 (£17,178 in Inner London). The median salary in 1998 for newly qualified graduates covered by the latest survey of the Association of Graduate Recruiters is £16,500.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers are currently employed in England; and how many were in each of the last five years. [54560]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The full time equivalent number of teachers employed in maintained nursery, primary, secondary, and special schools, pupil referral units and education elsewhere in England in January 1998, and in January in each of the previous five years, is shown in the following table.

  thousand

  Year

  Number

  19931

  415.6

  1994

  409.3

  1995

  411.8

  1996

  412.4

  1997

  412.8

  19982

  411.4

  1 Figures for 1993 include sixth form colleges. Sixth form colleges are excluded from 1994–98

  2 1998 data are provisional

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the reasons given by teachers for leaving their profession prior to normal retirement age; and if he will publish them. [54486]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such assessment.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the availability of trained teachers to meet the planned expansion of education provision. [54485]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The supply of an adequate number of well-trained and well-motivated teachers is central to our aim to raise standards in schools.

  We set each year targets for the number of trainees who need to enter initial teacher training courses in order to meet the future demand for newly qualified teachers. The

  801
  calculations take account of the likely demand in future years—including any changes resulting from current education initiatives, such as measures to reduce infant class sizes or improve the provision for under-fives. Details of the process by which targets are set may be found in the recent DfEE publication "Teacher Supply and Demand Modelling: A technical description", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Policies are expected to have a greater effect upon the demand for primary teachers than upon that for secondary teachers. The targets for recruitment to primary training courses have been exceeded in each of the last 10 years.

  We will be reviewing recruitment targets in the autumn and will issue targets for courses starting in 1999/2000.

  Schools (Computers)
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the availability of computers in schools; and what plans he has(a) to replace obsolete machines and (b) to increase the number of computers in schools. [54495]

  Mr. Mudie
  Over £100m of additional financial support is being provided to schools through the Standards Fund in 1998–99 to help improve information and communications technology. This will contribute substantially to the replacement of obsolete equipment and increasing the numbers of computers in schools.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to provide funds for additional staff to assist teachers to maintain and operate schools' computers. [54496]

  Mr. Mudie
  Schools are currently free to enter maintenance contracts with their specialist suppliers. Schools may also deploy some of the £100 million of expenditure being made available in 1998–99 for the National Grid for Learning to provide teachers with basic technical training on the use of computers. In addition, an Initial Teacher Training National Curriculum in Information and Communications Technology will commence this September, and some £230 million pounds will be allocated from National Lottery sources over the next four years for the retraining of serving teachers in these new technologies. Advice on maintenance and other aspects of schools' Information and Communication Technology will be available from Local Authority subject advisers and the British Educational Communications and Technology agency.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many networked computers are currently in use in schools in England and Wales. [54129]

  Mr. Mudie
  Evidence of the number of computers in schools in England which are connected to an internal network will be published later this year as part of the Department's statistical survey of ICT in schools. Educational matters in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
  802

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many meetings Ministers have had with Manpower since 1 February; and on what matters. [54492]

  Mr. Mudie
  Ministers, their Special Advisers and other civil servants meet many people in the course of their work. This properly includes meetings with interest groups outside Government. This liaison is intended to help Ministers draw upon outside contributions—from academics, think-tanks, trade and industry associations, private sector organisations, trade unions and others, as well as relevant experience from other countries—during the process of policy analysis and development. But they must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance they must not provide confidential information without authorisation, or allow improper influence on policy. It is not our policy to make information on meetings or their content public.

  University Students (Computers)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to ensure that all university students have relevant computer skills before they commence their course. [54688]

  Mr. Mudie
  The requirements for university entry are a matter for the individual institutions to decide.

  The Government recognise however the importance of key skills, including IT skills, and want to move as soon as possible to a position where they are a normal part of everyone's post-16 education and training. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is currently piloting a single key skills qualification in schools which includes IT as a constituent element.

  The Department has also been encouraging universities and their admission tutors to consider a wider set of qualifications and skills, such as IT, than those traditionally considered for entry. One such initiative is the UCAS Tarif Project, which has received substantial Government funding and whose proposals have been considered and supported by Minsters in principle.

  In addition, the Department is funding a number of development projects working with universities to explore and promote the acquisition of key skills (including IT) as part of university study.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 343, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54006]

  Mr. Mudie
  The Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper 'A New Deal for Transport', that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  The DfEE expect to have a green transport plan in place for its main buildings by late autumn 1998.
  803
  The DfEE is currently investigating alternative fuels for use in its official vehicles. A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) car has been ordered for use by the Secretary of State.

  All DfEE main sites took part in the National Cycle Week as part of the programme to raise staff awareness.

  School Sports
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidelines his Department has issued on the minimum number of sports which schools should offer. [54654]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Physical education must be taught to all children throughout their compulsory schooling. The National Curriculum for physical education consists of six areas of activity and schools have a degree of freedom in deciding which activities to teach.

  The Department does not issue guidelines on which sports schools should offer. However, primary schools are required to teach swimming; and secondary schools must teach competitive team and individual games.

  Pre-school Education
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of pre-school education places in Gloucestershire to be commissioned by local authorities from registered partner providers in the voluntary and private sectors in the academic year 1998–99. [54646]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Gloucestershire's Early Years Development Plan for 1998–99, which was approved by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in March, offers a free place for every eligible four-year-old in the local authority area. The Plan estimates that 273 places will be in the private, independent and voluntary sectors in the autumn term 1998, 2,109 in the spring term 1999, and 4,394 in the summer term 1999.

  Employment Service
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people are currently employed by the Employment Service; how many there were two years ago; and what is his forecast of the number that will be employed in two years' time. [54497]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Ian Bruce, dated 31 July 1998:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your question which asks the number of people currently employed by the Employment Service, how many there were two years ago and what the forecast number will be in two years time. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  On 1 July the Employment Service employed 33,607 people; on 1 July 1996 the number employed was 41,820. Staffing for future years will be determined nearer the time according to our business needs.
  I hope this is helpful.
  804
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much his Department spent on training Employment Service staff in cash terms and as a percentage of the costs of running the service in 1997–98; and what are his plans for 1998–99. [54498]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Ian Bruce, dated 31 July 1998:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your questions concerning the costs of training Employment Service staff. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  In 1997–98, the Employment Service invested £12.8 million in the delivery and support of training for its staff. This represented 1.4 per cent. of the Agency's total running costs.
  These costs do not include the salary, travel and subsistence costs of staff while receiving training. These are estimated at a further £11.8 million.
  For 1998–99, we plan to invest approximately £12 million in the training and development of our staff. This is likely, again to represent 1.4 per cent. of the Agency's total running costs. We project that a further £10.7 million will be spent on the salary, travel and subsistence costs of staff while receiving training.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Grammar Schools
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received on the proposed balloting arrangements for grammar schools; and if he will raise the threshold to trigger a ballot to 25 per cent. of school registered parents. [54935]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The deadline for responses on the draft grammar school ballot regulations is today. As at 30 July, 196 responses had been received. All responses will be analysed and we will be considering carefully the points raised before laying the regulations before Parliament. This includes determining the appropriate threshold for petitions.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many United Kingdom pupils were in(a) private education, (b) state education and (c) funded under the assisted places scheme in each of the last five years. [54484]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The available information for pupils in the United Kingdom is shown in the table.

  thousand

  Private education

  State education

  Assisted places scheme1

  1992–93

  612.9

  8,900.3

  32.4

  1993–94

  607.7

  8,963.3

  33.0

  1994–95

  607.5

  9,106.1

  33.5

  1995–96

  609.4

  9,207.0

  233.7

  1996–97

  615.9

  9,291.0

  237.6

  1 Great Britain only. The assisted places scheme does not operate in Northern Ireland

  2 Provisional

  805

  Advanced Skills Teachers
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list the procedures for the assessment and identification of advanced skills teachers; [52990]

  (2) who will be responsible for identifying teachers to be appointed as advanced skills teachers. [52991]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  It is for schools to create Advanced Skills Teacher posts and identify candidates to fill those posts. Before a candidate can be appointed to an AST post, he or she must undergo an assessment against national standards appropriate to the best teachers. The assessors are suitably qualified persons employed by Westminster Education Consultants. The assessors are responsible for confirming that candidates are suitable for AST status; the schools may then appoint such candidates to AST posts.

  Local Government Finance, Dorset
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much Dorset County Council spent on education relative to the Government's standard spending assessment level in 1997–98; and if he will revise the standard spending assessment to reflect this. [54499]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Dorset's financial returns indicate that it spent some £14.5 million (12.4 per cent.) above the level of its education SSA in 1997–98. We are reviewing the education SSA formula to make it fairer for 1999–2000, but it would be wrong to use individual LEA patterns of spending directly in the formula, since they are not independent of local authority policies.

  Special Needs
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what date has been set for publication of the Government's proposals on special educational needs following the recent consultation exercise on the Government's paper, "Excellence for All Children". [54040]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  A date has not yet been set. Taking account of the many thoughtful comments on "Excellence for all Children", and of advice from the National Advisory Group on special educational needs, we expect to publish an action programme in the early autumn.

  School Finances
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many head teachers have been(a) suspended and then reinstated and (b) dismissed following investigations of financial irregularities concerning their school's finances in each year since 1987; and how many were subsequently convicted of a criminal offence. [54435]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Of the information requested(a) is not collected centrally, and (b) could be provided only at disproportionate cost, since manual searches through individual records would be required.
  806

  University Research
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what recent representations he has received concerning the system of dual funding for research in universities; and what plans he has to change the system; [47048]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the efficiency and effectiveness of the dual funding system for university research; and if he will make a statement. [47049]

  Mr. Mudie
  The outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review
  has demonstrated the Government's commitment to invest in strengthening the science base and modernise the UK's research performance through the dual support system, while ensuring that the Higher Education Funding Councils and the Research Councils work closely together to deliver better value for money and transparency in the use of research funds. Over the three years up to 2001–02, an additional £1.4 billion will be provided for research, including £1.1 billion through the science budget and the Wellcome Trust and a further £0.3 billion to support universities' research through the Higher Education Funding Council for England. This additional investment responds to the concerns expressed by the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (the Dearing Committee) about research infrastructure in universities and to the conclusion by that Committee, which was endorsed in the responses to consultation on the Committee's report and more recently by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, that the dual support system should remain in place.

  Miners' Retraining
  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the training programmes to support miners to retrain for employment in other industries since 1979. [49354]

  Mr. Battle
  I have been asked to reply.

  Between 1979 and 1984, training programmes were not offered to miners because many of those affected by colliery closures either took early redundancy or were relocated at another colliery. From 1984 to 1988, miners who left the industry and wished to receive training for alternative employment received funding for such training from the British Coal Corporation. From 1988 to 1994, miners were able to attend centres run by British Coal Enterprise (BCE), a subsidiary company of the British Coal Corporation and discuss their training needs with qualified job consultants.

  In cases where there was a reasonable chance of job-specific or skills enhancement training resulting in successful employment, then such training was funded by BCE. There was no definitive list of training courses available. At privatisation at the end of 1994, training programmes for miners seeking employment in other industries are the responsibility of the private coal companies. However, this Government will provide assistance to mining communities through Welfare to Work and other schemes, and to specific projects through the Single Regeneration Budget. EU funding is also available through EU Structural Funds which provide financial assistance that supports training and retraining in coalfield areas via RECHAR programmes. Moreover,

  807
  training programmes are provided through the Department for Education and Employment, and are available to ex-miners who satisfy the eligibility criteria. These programmes include Employment Training and Training for Work. Support is also available under the New Deal. In addition, the Government have recently received the report of the Coalfields Taskforce. They have warmly welcomed the report and have promised positive action to follow up the recommendations. The Government wish to see regeneration in all areas of need, regardless of the date of collier closures.

  New Deal
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people his Department is committed to employing during 1998 under(a) the subsidised job option and (b) the unsubsidised job option of the New Deal programme. [52589]

  Mr. Mudie
  During this year the wider Education and Employment Department comprising the DfEE Headquarters and the Employment Service aim to recruit up to 320 subsidised New Deal Participants.

  In addition we expect that a number of unsubsidised participants will be recruited during or after the Gateway stage through the normal recruitment channels via fair and open competition.

  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people, by Employment Service region, are(a) refusing to participate in the New Deal and (b) have had their jobseeker's allowance sanctioned as a consequence of refusal. [52549]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The total number of sanctions to be included in the quarterly analysis of Adjudication Office decisions for the period 30 June 1998 is 68, for:

  failing to attend a place on a New Deal opportunity,

  giving up a place on a New Deal opportunity without good cause, or

  losing a place on a New Deal opportunity through misconduct, as follows:

  Employment Service Region

  Number of Sanctions

  London and South East

  6

  East Midlands and Eastern

  3

  South West

  3

  West Midlands

  8

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  12

  North West

  8

  Northern

  12

  Wales

  9

  Scotland

  7

  Great Britain Total

  68

  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people to date have been sanctioned under the New Deal for the young unemployed. [54122]
  808
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The total number of sanctions to be included in the quarterly analysis of Adjudication Office decisions for the period 30 June 1998 is 68, for:

  failing to attend a place on a New Deal opportunity,

  giving up a place on a New Deal opportunity without good cause, or

  losing a place on a New Deal opportunity through misconduct.

  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects the first figures and results of the New Deal 25 Plus to be available; and if he will publish them. [54123]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  We are only a month into the New Deal 25+ and it is too soon to report on actual or likely take-up of opportunities. The Government Statistical Service will publish the first robust and reliable statistics, covering the period July-September, in December. I am considering whether it will be possible to make provisional management information available earlier than that; and will do so if I can.

  Mr. Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been to date the unit cost for each trainee in the New Deal Gateway. [54191]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The amount spent on each participant in the Gateway depends on their individual needs and the amount of time they spend on the Gateway. It is too early to give an accurate average cost for participants.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department issues to those constructing buildings for which it is responsible on the use of materials containing asbestos. [52313]

  Mr. Mudie
  Any construction contracts let by DfEE prohibit the use of asbestos. The most recent such contract for Castle View House, Runcorn ensured that no asbestos was used in the construction.

  Guidance on use of asbestos in buildings is contained in the PACE property management guidance. Health and Safety Executive publications and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987.

  Domestic Violence
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will evaluate the cost to his Department arising from violence within families; and if he will make a statement. [52441]

  Mr. Mudie
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Depatment on 29 July 1998,Official Report, column 258.

  Grants and Loans
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the names of the non-statutory organisations or bodies in receipt of section 17 grants or loans from his Department in 1997–98 and 1998–99, stating in each case(a) the amount, (b) whether a grant or loan, and (c) the purpose of making the grant or loan. [48645]
  809
  Ms Estelle Morris
  Regulation 17 of the Education (Grant) Regulations 1983 has been superseded by Regulation 15 of the Education (Grant) Regulation 1990. Grants made under the Education (Grant) Regulations 1990 in 1997–98 and 1998–99 and their purpose, are shown in a table, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for(a) the

  Replacement cycle

  Engine cc

  Petrol

  Diesel

  Owned

  Leased

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  Up to 1600cc

  321

  64

  364

  21

  1

  1

  1

  1600–1799cc

  145

  265

  325

  85

  392

  257

  145

  1800–2000cc

  284

  516

  560

  240

  337

  120

  15

  2001–2500cc

  132

  57

  61

  128

  18

  8

  5

  2501–3000cc

  18

  6

  5

  19

  4

  2

  1

  3001–3500cc

  0

  0

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  3501–4000cc

  0

  0

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  4001–4500cc

  0

  0

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  4501–5000cc

  0

  0

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  5000+ cc

  0

  1

  1

  0

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  900

  909

  1,316

  493

  —

  —

  —

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 28 July 1998,Official Report, column 143, concerning vehicle replacement, what guidance he has issued concerning the replacement policy for the vehicle fleet. [54480]

  Teachers' Pay
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money has been provided in the budget for his Department set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review for performance related pay for teachers in(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02. [52254]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 27 July 1998]: The £19 billion additional resources for education announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 June to allow for an investment in modernisation. A Green Paper will be published before the end of the year on the Future of the Teaching Profession. Decisions on teachers pay which may result from those consultations will be taken at a later stage.

  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice he will give to the independent review body on teachers' salaries. [54500]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will write in the near future to give the School Teachers' Review Body its remit for the 1999–2000 pay round, and will follow this up with detailed evidence and representations in September. The Review Body's terms of reference will be consistent with those published in 810
  Department and (b) bodies listed in the National Asset Register how many vehicles are currently (i) owned and (ii) leased; if he will indicate their (1) fuel types and (2) engine cubic capacities; and how many vehicles are expected to fall due for replacement in each of the years 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01. [49222]

  Mr. Mudie
  The information provided below is in respect of vehicles owned and leased by the DfEE, its Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and the Employment Service Agency (ES).

  Currently 1,316 vehicles owned and 493 vehicles leased, 900 of which are petrol and 909 diesel.

  Paper Modern Public Services for Britain (Cm 4011).

  School Standards and Framework Bill
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) when he intends to publish the regulations provided for in Clauses(a) 9, (b) 12, (c) 1 and 3, (d) 23, (e) 21, (f) 26, (g) 25, (h) 27, (i) 32, (j) 37, (k) 40, (l) 41, (m) 42, (n) 43 and (o) 64 of the School Standards and Framework Bill (HL 94); [52568]

  (2) when he intends to publish the regulations provided in Clauses (a) 68, (b) 69, (c) 84, (d) 85, (e) 86, (f) 87, (g) 88, (h) 93, (i) 99, (j) 100, (k) 102, (l) 107 and (m) 120 of the School Standards and Framework Bill. [52570]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 27 July 1998]: It is not possible to give precise details of the timing of publication of regulations at this stage. The Government will make sure that all relevant parties are kept fully informed of how and when they will be affected by the various sets of regulations.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much his Department spent on IT itemising(a) personal computers, (b) main-frame, (c) mini-computers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figure are available. [52880]
  811
  Mr. Mudie
  My Department has spent the following amounts on buying new IT products in the 1997–98 financial year:

  Department For Education and Employment Head Office: £5.06 million made up of

  Personal Computers (including portable computers): £4.08 million

  Mainframe: £0.03 million

  Servers (including mini-computers): £0.95 million

  Employment Service

  The majority of purchases of these items were as part of projects which also included the purchase of other products and services, such as printers and installation or configuration. It is not possible to isolate the spend on these items. The Employment Service total capital spend on buying IT was £11 million for 1997–98.

  Accountancy Qualifications
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for what reasons funds are made available to further and higher education institutions to support students studying towards AAT, LIMA, ACCA and ACA qualifications. [52243]

  Mr. Mudie
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: Funds are made available to support students studying for accountancy qualifications on the same basis as for other professional qualifications.

  LEAs (Performance Results)
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will ensure that the publication of performance results for local education authorities includes information about the number of schools covered and indicates clearly when schools covered have changed because of a temporary closure. [52993]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: There are no plans to list in school performance tables, schools which may have closed since the previous year's tables were published. However, where a secondary school opens during the academic year in question, this is made clear in that year's tables.

  Teachers (Time Off)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to schools and local education authorities on the granting of time off to school teachers who are also local councillors in respect of their council duties. [52975]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: Guidance in the Department's Circular 13/89 (paragraph 36) makes clear that this is one of the activities for which teachers must be allowed to take reasonable time off work.

  Personal, Social and Health Education Advisory Group
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what resources his Department has given to the Advisory Group on Personal, Social and Health Education in Schools. [52742]
  812
  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: The Department has provided the National Advisory Group on Personal, Social and Health Education in Schools with accommodation and administrative support for their meetings. The members of the Advisory Group and those of its Expert Panel of Advisers have been reimbursed for the travel and other expenses they have incurred in attending meetings.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the work of the Advisory Group on Personal, Social and Health Education in Schools since its inception. [52743]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: The National Advisory Group on Personal, Social and Health Education in Schools has met four times since it was established in May. It will provide initial advice in September on a national framework for Personal, Social and Health Education in schools. The curriculum aspects of this advice will be considered by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in the context of the review of the National Curriculum.

  Parent Education
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list the schools which(a) he has visited and (b) plans to visit which have parent education programmes to develop relationship skills and improve children's behaviour and achievements in the classroom; and if he will make a statement; [52739]

  (2) if he will list the parent education programmes receiving Government financial support and the amounts of the awards since 1 May 1997; [52740]

  (3) what funding priority is given to supporting parent education programmes that have been established for four years or more; [52741]

  (4) what assessment he has made of the value of extending parent education to (a) all families and (b) families with recognised difficulties. [52745]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: In the Education White Paper "Excellence in schools" (Cm 3681), my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State emphasises the important role parents have in helping their children learn. There are many exemplary local projects aimed at developing parenting skills and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is always eager to learn about these whenever he visits schools.

  Since May 1997, the Department has contributed some £84,000 to the Community Education and Development Centre Share project which supports parents in helping their children at home with early reading, writing and maths. In addition, we are funding a joint National Stepfamily Association/Parentline project to provide training courses for their helpers on ways in which parents and the wider extended family can support and promote children's learning.

  The Government are also committed to extending the Family Literacy Initiative and are giving £4 million to support it in this financial year. This Initiative enables parents and their children to learn literacy skills in small, intensive courses run in co-operation with local schools. There are currently 600 courses in 126 LEAs reaching around 6,000 parents and their children. An independent

  813
  evaluation by the National Foundation for Educational Research has shown the Initiative to be effective in assisting both children and parents to improve their literacy skills.

  The Sure Start programme, announced on 15 July by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, will include the provision of parent education, among other services, to all families in areas of deprivation. Some of the pilot phase of Early Excellence Centres also offers parent education.

  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State will be closely involved in the establishment of the new Family and Parenting Institute announced on 23 July by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. This Institute will be funded by Government to increase the profile of parenting and encourage the development of support for all parents.

  Bedfordshire County Council
  Ms Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will assess the level of education provision made by Bedfordshire County Council. [53003]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: A recent Ofsted/Audit Commission inspection of Bedfordshire LEA found that overall the LEA provided effective support in contributing to improvements in the quality of education. The report also confirmed that the authority had a high level of surplus school places. The LEA is currently undertaking a review to identify the scope for reducing surplus capacity.

  School Closures
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance his Department makes available to schools which have to accommodate increased numbers as a result of the temporary closure of a nearby school. [52992]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: The Department has no specific programme of assistance to schools in the general circumstances described. Where proposals are published to close a school and fall to the Secretary of State for decision, the effects on other schools are among the factors taken into account by the Department before a decision is made. However, funding for those other schools depends on the terms of the local management of schools scheme for the LEA concerned. Where capital building work is the issue, LEAs can apply to this Department for support in the form of Supplementary Credit Approvals. However, resources are very limited and all requests are considered alongside other competing claims.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on temporary school closures; and what advice his Department has given to local education authorities on such closures. [52995]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: Where proposals to close schools and establish new schools in the premises fall to the Secretary of State to decide under current legislation, they are considered on their individual merits, in the light of the circumstances
  814
  of each case and of objections received. The Department has not given any specific advice to local education authorities on such closures.

  Christ's School
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he has received a proposal from the London Borough of Richmond to close Christ's School in the Borough and reopen it after a 12 month period. [52994]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: No proposal has been received from the London Borough of Richmond in respect of Christ's School.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for Christ's School in the London Borough of Richmond(a) the number of pupils on roll at the beginning of the summer term 1998, (b) the boroughs of residence of the pupils and (c) the ethnic minority communities from which pupils are drawn. [52997]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: Information on pupils in schools at the beginning of the summer term is not collected centrally. The 1997 Secondary School Performance Tables contain the latest available information on the number of pupils at Christ's School. They show that there were 546 pupils at Christ's School in January 1997. Information on the ethnicity of pupils at individual schools is not published centrally.

  Information on the residence of pupils is not collected centrally.

  Standards and Effectiveness Unit
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff are employed in the Standards and Effectiveness Unit of his Department; and what is the budgeted cost of the unit for(a) the current year and (b) the next three years. [52989]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answers 28 July 1998]: The number of staff is 117. The projected salary cost for these staff is £3.4 million in financial year 1998–99. Decisions about the level of funding for the next three years have not yet been determined.

  Jobs (East London)
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the(a) jobs created and (b) jobs secured by the (i) East London and (ii) Lea Valley Objective 2 Area in each year since its creation, broken down into (1) manufacturing, (2) service and (3) distribution sectors; and if he will make a statement. [53254]

  Mr. Mudie
  Since its introduction in 1994 the East London and Lea Valley Objective 2 programme has received support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). Over this period 32,637 jobs have been created or retained (tables 1 and 2).
  815
  We do not hold information on the number of jobs created broken down by sector and we can only provide calendar year information for ESF because this is based on annual approvals. We do not hold information in this way for ERDF.

  Table 1: ESF

  Year

  Employment

  From training into self employment

  Total

  1994

  845

  132

  977

  1995

  2,278

  138

  2,416

  1996

  4,256

  539

  4,795

  1997

  n/a

  n/a

  1,777

  Total

  7,379

  809

  9,965

  Table 2: ERDF

  1994 to June 1998

  Jobs created (inc. temporary jobs)

  9,394

  Jobs retained

  13,278

  Total

  22,672

  Statistics
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list, for each education authority area, the percentage of the school population which has been permanently excluded from school, by ethnic origin. [53566]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Information on the percentage of the school population who were permanently excluded from school in the 1996–97 school year, by ethnic group, will be published in a Statistical Press Notice in September.

  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list, for each local authority area, the number and percentage of pupils categorised as being in each of the categories of ethnic origin for which data are collected. [53565]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Information on the number and percentage of pupils in each ethnic group in each local education authority area in England in January 1997 was published in the Department's Statistical Press Notice 341/97, which is available in the Library.

  Additional Funding
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what additional funds have been allocated to the Bradford area since 1 May 1997 over

  Project title

  Contractor

  Total cost (£)

  Perceptions of the Audit Burden

  Belvedere Associates

  5,000

  Long term labour market changes and implications for skill requirements

  Business Strategies Ltd.

  7,313.50

  Development of HEQED's dissemination strategy

  Communication Management PR

  24,400

  Evaluation of the Higher Education Regional Development Fund

  ECOTEC Research and Consulting

  65,540

  Evaluation of the 1997 Prospectus projects

  ECOTEC Research and Consulting

  148,000

  Progress and retention on Youth Programmes

  ECOTEC Research and Consulting

  15,900

  An Evaluation of Careers Service Work with Disaffected Young People (SBU-EORP1 Paying Invoices)

  ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd.

  83,833.00

  Research on the Role of Informal Learning in the Workplace

  ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd.

  47,904.00

  816
  and above previous plans listed by (i) capital and (ii) revenue, indicating for each whether they were subject to a bidding process. [53212]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Nationally, the Government have provided an additional £835 million for revenue purposes in 1998–99 over and above the previous Administration's plans and an additional £423 million for capital purposes. The table shows the capital and revenue allocations for 1997–98 and 1998–99 for Bradford. The allocations were wholly or partly subject to a bidding process except the education standard spending assessment.

  £million

  1997–98

  1998–99

  Revenue Funding

  Education SSA

  215.6

  225.1

  GEST/Standards Fund

  3.8

  5.9

  Capital Funding

  ACG+SCA

  3.6

  4.8

  New Deal for Schools 1

  1.1

  —

  New Deal for Schools 2

  —

  1.4

  Class size reduction

  —

  0.2

  Outside toilets

  —

  0.1

  Energy efficiency

  —

  0.2

  Notes:

  1. The 1997–98 Education SSA figure has been adjusted to take account of nursery vouchers

  2. The specific grant programme was known as Grants for Education Support and Training (GEST) in 1997–98 and the Standards Fund in 1998–99. The figures relate to the size of the programme and therefore include the LEA contribution as well as the grant

  3. Annual Capital Guidelines (ACGs) and Supplementary Credit Approvals (SCAs) represent loan sanction

  4. The New Deal for Schools allocations in both 1997–98 and 1998–99 represent new funding over and above previous plans. Funds to reduce class sizes, replace outside toilets and energy efficiency projects are all additional to previous plans

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52698]

  Mr. Mudie
  I refer the hon. Member to the Department's Annual Report on Research, published on 31 July 1998, which details all the research funded by the Department in the period 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998. Copies of this report have been placed in the Library. Details of research commissioned since 1 April 1998 are shown in the following table.
  817

  Project title

  Contractor

  Total cost (£)

  Early Career Paths of Graduates and Diplomats

  Higher Education Careers Service

  82,250

  Modern Apprenticeships in Licensed premises

  HRH Associates

  13,600

  TECs as Market Makers—Update

  HRH Associates

  4,000

  Family friendly employment—the business case

  Institute for Employment Studies

  54,001.00

  Value for Money Case Study

  Jennifer Green Ltd.

  1,300

  TEC/CCTE Core Business (Block 4)

  John Embleton

  6,750

  An Evaluation of the Premier League Football Club Initiative

  National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)

  48,120.00

  OECD International Research Project: Programme for Developing Indicators on Student Achievement on a Regular Basis

  Office for National Statistics

  544,601.00

  Sub-degree provision: Employer and Student Focus Groups

  Public Attitude Surveys

  45,401

  Employer Support for part-time study by employees

  Public Attitude Surveys

  27,891

  Survey of Training Provider Views of Post Training Follow-up

  Scriven Associates

  1,000

  YCS database manipulation and enhancement

  Social and Community Planning Research (SCPR)

  3,800.00

  Government Offices Role in Education

  Steve Brooking and Brian Richards

  1,970

  Evaluation of new approaches to work experience and the work related curriculum (ORF)

  SWA Consulting

  119,421.00

  The impact of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995: The employers' response

  SWA Consulting

  97,560.00

  Research on the Labour Market Relevance of TEC Activities

  The Host Consultancy

  45,686.00

  Evaluation of effectiveness of "Cities in Schools" provision

  University of Cambridge

  60,000.00

  The Effective Use of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) and their Training Needs

  University of Manchester

  57,783.00

  Evaluating the impact of the Enterprise in Higher education programme

  York Consulting

  47,700

  Schools (London)
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils attended(a) local authority comprehensive, (b) grant maintained, (c) grammar and (d) independent secondary schools in each London borough in each of the last five years. [53559]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The available information is shown in a set of tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

  Family-friendly Policies
  Dr. Starkey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the Government's family-friendly policies. [54026]

  Ms Hodge
  The White Paper "Fairness at Work" set out the Government's intentions on rights concerned with parental leave, part-time and working time. The framework document "Meeting the Childcare Challenge" describes the Government's plans for the National Childcare Strategy. Following consultation exercises on both documents, the Government will be making further announcements in the autumn. Other aspects of family friendly policy, including promotion of the business benefits and examples of effective practice, are also being taken forward.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the(a) training achievements and effectiveness and (b) value for money of training and enterprise councils. [54403]

  Mr. Mudie
  The work of each TEC is assessed by its Government Office on an ongoing basis. All TECs are required to meet a set of minimum licensing standards designed to demonstrate continuous improvement, value 818
  for money and accountability. Government Offices will, for the first time this year, publish annual reports on their assessment of the performance of their TECs.

  We have also implemented a research and evaluation programme on TECs and copies of study reports are available in the Library.

  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the proportion and amount of budget spent on management and administration costs by each training and enterprise council in 1997–98. [54402]

  Mr. Mudie
  This information is not yet available for 1997–98. Copies of the audited accounts are placed in the Library as they become available.

  Information on administrative costs and the proportion of overall income spent on administration is stated in the consolidated annual statutory audited accounts of most of the English TECs. Companies law allows TECs to present their income and expenditure accounts using two different formats which can be adapted by adding further detail. Most TECs have chosen the format which includes disclosure of administrative costs which include staff and premises costs and other overhead. We are asking that those TECs that do not currently identify administrative costs reconsider the format they have adopted for the presentation of their accounts.

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53953]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
  819
  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 31 July 1998:
  The Employment Service is the only Executive Agency of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) and the Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your question about which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent enquiries for information. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  The Employment Service has no formal procedure to identify persistent enquiries for information. Like the DfEE, we handle all requests for information in line with the requirements of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information: second edition (1997), and the 6 Whitehall Standards.
  Our Regions and Head Office Divisions can forward to our Head Office Secretariat details of anyone who appears to be repeatedly dissatisfied with the way in which their enquiries have been handled. In these cases our Head Office Secretariat will generally deal with all further enquiries from the individual concerned.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those who have accompanied (i) him and (ii) his departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved, (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53846]

  Mr. Mudie
  I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54273]

  Mr. Mudie
  To give a precise answer to this question could only be done at disproportionate cost. During 1997–98, however, the Department produced 22 Braille editions of publications and 23 audio tape versions for people with visual impairments.

  The Department's policy is to ensure that publications that will be of very wide public interest are available in formats that are suitable for people with visual impairments.

  Additional Educational Needs
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what representations he has received concerning the impact of proposed changes to the methodology for relating to the index for additional educational needs; [53997]

  (2) what evaluation he has made of the impact on funding for London local authorities if the current indicators contained in the additional educational needs index are replaced with a two stage process for picking indicators. [53998]
  820
  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Government have received a number of different representations supporting and opposing proposals to revise the current index for additional educational needs. The Government will not evaluate any of the options or take final decisions on the education SSA methodology for 1999–2000 until the autumn, after they have considered the views of local government as a whole. We have a manifesto commitment to ensure a fair distribution of grant.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Departmental Reviews
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the reviews his Department initiated in the years(a) 1974–75, (b) 1979–80 and (c) 1992–93. [48521]

  Mr. Straw
  The information requested is as follows:Session 1974 (6 March-31 July 1994)
  British nationality law: discussion of possible changes, HMSO 1977, Cmnd 6795, ISBN 0101679505
  ("Shortly after taking office the Government, in accordance with the Labour Party Manifesto of February 1974, set up a group to examine what should be done. This discussion document is based largely on this work"—preface, page 4)
  Report of the Committee on the Future of Broadcasting, HMSO, 1977 Cmnd 6753, ISBN 0101675305 (Chairman: Lord Annan)
  ("On 10 April 1974, Mr. Roy Jenkins, then Home Secretary, announced his decision to set up our Committee and appointed our Chairman …"—page 3)
  Report of the Working Party on the Special Constabulary, Home Office, 1996
  (A report by the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales.—"We were set up in July 1974 as a Working Party of the Police Advisory Board with instructions to review such aspects of the employment and conditions of service of special constables".—introduction)
  The Red Lion square disorders of 15 June 1974: report of inquiry by the right hon. Lord Justice Scarman, HMSO, 1975, Cmnd 5919, ISBN 010159190X
  (Appointed by the Home Secretary pursuant to section 32 of the Police Act 1964 to "review the events and actions which led to disorder in Red Lion Square on 15 June …"—page 1)
  Session 1974–75 (22 October 1974–12 November 1975
  *Future fire policy: a consultative document HMSO 1980 ISBN 0113407319
  Report of the Advisory Group on the Law of Rape, HMSO, 1975, Cmnd 6532. ISBN 0101635206 (Chairman: The hon. Mrs. Justice Helibron DBE)
  "The Home Secretary appointed us in July 1975 with the following terms of reference …"—introduction
  The feasibility of an experiment in the tape-recording of police interrogations: report of a Committee appointed by the Home Secretary, HMSO, 1976, Cmnd 6630, ISBN 0101663005 (Chairman: W N Hyde, Home Office)
  ("We were appointed by you (The right hon. Roy Jenkins) to consider the feasibility of an experiment in the tape-recording of police interrogations …We have had 12 meetings between April 1975 and July 1976"—introduction, page 1)
  Session 1979–80 (9 May 1979–13 November 1980)
  Home Office statement on the background, circumstances and action subsequently taken relative to the disturbance in "D" wing at Her Majesty's Prison Wormwood Scrubs on 31 August 1979; together with the report on an Inquiry by the Regional

  821
  Director of the South East Region of the Prison Department, HMSO, 1982, House of Commons Paper 199, Session 1981–82, ISBN 0102199825:
  "On 19 October 1979, the Secretary of State instructed Mr. Keith Gibson, Regional Director of the South East Region of the Prison Department, to provide a comprehensive report …" (introduction page 3)
  Review of the Public Order Act 1936 and related legislation, HMSO, 1980 Cmnd 7891, ISBN 0101789106:
  "In a statement in the House of Commons on 27 June 1979 about the disturbances at Southall on 23 April, the Home Secretary announced that he was instituting a review of the Public Order Act 1936…"
  The establishment of an independent element in the investigation of complaints against the police:
  Report of a Working Party appointed by the Home Secretary HMSO, 1981 Cmnd 8193 ISBN 0101818307
  ("We were appointed by you (the right hon. William Whitehall) …We have held five meetings between July and December 1980")
  Young offenders, HMSO, 1980, Cmnd 8045, ISBN 0101804504
  ("In the Queen's speech at the opening of the present parliament, the Government undertook to publish before the end of the session, proposals for strengthening the law relating to juvenile and young offenders in England and Wales"—page 1)
  Session 1992–93 (27 April 1992–5 November 1993)
  Compensating victims of violent crime: changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, HMSO, 1993 Cm 2434, ISBN 0101243421
  ("On 28 November 1992, the then Home Secretary (Kenneth Clarke) answered a Parliamentary Question from Sir John Wheeler MP in which he reaffirmed the Government's commitment to improving services to victims of crime (Official Report, column 457 …This White Paper sets out the Government's plans in more" —page 1)
  Disclosure of criminal records for employment vetting purposes; a consultation paper by the Home Office, Home Office, 1993, Cm 2319, ISBN 010123192X
  Inquiry into policy responsibilities and rewards: report, HMSO, 1993. Cm 2280, ISBN 0101228023
  ("Our Inquiry was established in July (1992) last year …—page iii)
  Police reform: the Government's proposals for the Police Service in England and Wales: White Paper, Home Office, 1993, Cm 2281, ISBN 0101228120
  (Statement by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in House of Commons on 28 June 1993 (Official report Vol 227, column 665–676)
  Reforming the law on Sunday trading: a guide to the options for reform, HMSO 1993, Cm 2300, ISBN 0101230028
  ("The Government is to introduce a bill which will enable Parliament to decide whether Sunday trading should be regulated by law …" —page 1)
  Review of Police discipline procedures: a consultation paper, Home Office, 1993
  (Statement on consultation document by Home Secretary in a written answer to a question by Sir John Wheeler MP on 30 March 1993 (Official Report Vol 222, column 111–112))

  Prisons (London)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the education budget for each London prison in 1998–99. [52782]
  822
  Mr. George Howarth
  The education budget for each London prison is listed in the table.

  London prisons education budgets, 1998–99

  Establishment

  Education budget £

  Brixton

  359,500

  Feltham

  571,500

  Holloway

  388,000

  Latchmere House

  18,000

  Pentonville

  278,000

  Wandsworth

  225,000

  Wormwood scrubs

  280,000

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff vacancies for prison officers there were in each London prison on 1 July. [52784]

  Mr. George Howarth
  There are currently 53.5 vacancies for prison officers in the eight London prisons. Details are shown in the table.

  Prison officer vacancies in London on 1 July 1998

  Establishment

  Prison officer vacancies as at 1 July

  Belmarsh

  14

  Brixton

  17

  Feltham

  10

  Holloway

  2

  Latchmere House

  0

  Pentonville

  0

  Wandsworth

  0

  Wormwood Scrubs

  20.5

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for future work projects for Wandsworth Prison. [52783]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Funds have been made available for the following works projects at Wandsworth for the current financial year:refurbish A and B wings (work commenced, to open in the Autumn);
  convert workshop to chapel/mosque/workshop (work commenced);
  convert F wing chapel/gym to visits area (work commenced);
  redevelop existing accommodation to legal visits area (work commenced);
  new gymnasium (at tender stage);
  provision of new fire and general alarms (to commence later this financial year);
  submetering for energy management programme (work almost complete).

  The following projects have been identified and will be considered if funds become available this financial year: new external store; reinstate E wing exercise yard; repairs to temporary kitchen; repair chimneys; structural repairs to G and K wing dry area and gable ends to officers' mess.

  The following projects have been identified and will be prioritised for bidding in the next financial year, 1999–2000: a new gate, new visitors' centre; new main stores; disperse boilers, new kitchen, new laundry, new industries and training; refurbish E. G. H. and K wings.
  823
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women held in each London prison on 20 July were classified as category A inmates. [52785]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Belmarsh is the only London prison which holds category A prisoners. On 20 July, there were 73 male category A prisoners held in Belmarsh prison. There are currently no category A females held in London prisons. Additionally, 18 male category A prisoners were held in Highdown prison, Surrey, which also serves the London area.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates there were at each London prison on 20 July. [52787]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The latest available information is for 30 June 1998 is given in the table.

  Population in London Prison Service establishments on 30 June 1998

  Prison Service establishment

  Population on 30 June 1998

  Belmarsh

  866

  Brixton

  557

  Feltham

  886

  Holloway

  516

  Latchmere House

  189

  Pentonville

  1,146

  Wandsworth

  907

  Wormwood Scrubs

  1,340

  Information Technology
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on IT itemising(a) personal computers, (b) main-frame, (c) mini-computers and (d) file servers in the last year for which figures are available. [52879]

  Mr. Straw
  During the financial year 1997–98, the Home Office, inclusive of the Prison Service, spent £9,430,500 in total on Information Technology hardware, software and maintenance services. More precise details covering expenditure for some smaller agencies and other associated bodies would be available only at disproportionate cost.

  CS Gas
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what research(a) his Department and (b) the Police Scientific Development Branch have carried out to analyse the concentrations of CS and CS sprays which have been purchased by police forces since 1996; when this research was carried out; what were the results of this research; and if he will place the results of this research in the Library; [53152]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 16 June 1998, Official Report, columns 173–4, on CS spray, if he will place in the Library copies of the documentation of the competitive national tendering process managed by the Metropolitan Police on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers on the purchase of CS sprays; [53155]
  824
  (3) if he will place in the Library a copy of the aerosol incapacitants guidelines governing the use of CS spray by police officers; [53154]

  (4) pursuant to his answer of 16 June 1998, Official Report, columns 173–74, on CS spray, what studies his Department has undertaken into the concentrations of CS in CS sprays which are used by police officers in the United States of America; and what conclusions were drawn from them; [53151]

  (5) if his Department or the Police Scientific Development Branch are aware of, or have been informed of, any research carried out by police forces to analyse the concentrations of CS in CS sprays which have been purchased by police forces since 1996; when this research was carried out; who carried out this research; what were the results of this research; and if he will make a statement. [53156]

  Mr. Michael
  A copy of the invitation to tender is being obtained and will be placed in the Library shortly. Documents submitted by tenderers will not be placed in the Library because of their commercially sensitive nature.

  CS spray has not been widely used by police officers in the United States of America. From the limited information available from its use there, it appears that concentrations of 1 or 2 per cent. are not effective as an incapacitant. The reasons for choosing a 5 per cent. concentration were given in the Answer I gave to my hon. Friend on 16 June 1998, Official Report, column 266.

  In November 1996, an analysis arranged by Avon and Somerset Constabulary of one canister showed a concentration of 6.8 per cent. weight to volume. The Home Office Police Scientific Development Branch arranged for a further two canisters to be analysed, and discovered concentrations of 5.4 per cent. and 6.1 per cent. Canisters were not withdrawn because the small additional amounts of CS which would be delivered operationally were not significant. A copy of a note by the Police Scientific Development Branch dated 4 February 1997 and entitled "CS Concentration in Alsetes Spray" has been placed in the Library. The concentration of CS in equipment supplied to police forces is set out in the specification issued jointly by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Scientific Development Branch in March 1997, copies of which have previously been placed in the Library. CS concentrations were tested as part of the national tendering process and any product purchased as part of that process should comply with the specification.

  Individual chief officers are responsible for ensuring that the equipment they issue to their officers is of the appropriate specification. Copies of guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers on police use of CS spray are already in the Library.

  Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts or agreements have been commissioned by his Department with the
  825
  Defence Evaluation and Research Agency of the Ministry of Defence since January 1996; and what was the duration, nature and value of each. [53153]

  Mr. Straw
  Two contracts have been let by the Police Information Technology Organisation with the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency of the Ministry of Defence since January 1996. Details are:

  1. A consultancy contract for the operation of a Trials and Testing Programme for the TCAS 791 Collision Warning System, which commenced on 1 November 1997 and was completed on 15 March 1998.

  2. A consultancy contract for a study to consider the introduction of Packet Data Base Stations in Home Office Allocations, which commenced on 28 January and was completed on 20 February 1998.

  The value of the contracts was £109,301.

  Prisoners
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of(a) male and (b) female prisoners had (i) no previous convictions, (ii) one or two previous convictions and (iii) three or more previous convictions on the most recent available date. [52837]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The available information regarding prisoners with previous convictions is based on samples of the sentenced prison population in England and Wales taken at the end of June each year. As this information is based on samples, the results can only be expressed in percentage terms.

  The most recently available data relate to samples of those adult males, adult females and male young offenders in prison at the end of June 1996 and are given in the table. Information relating to female young offenders with previous convictions is not available due to the relatively small number of such prisoners.

  Population in prison under sentence by number of previous convictions1, 30 June 1996

  Percentage2

  Number of previous convictions

  All

  Previous convictions not found

  Nil

  1–2

  3 and over

  Adult males3

  34,848

  9

  22

  16

  54

  Adult females4

  1,476

  17

  37

  15

  30

  Young male offenders5

  6,349

  10

  21

  21

  48

  1 Excludes fine defaulters

  2 Rounded estimate which therefore may not add to 100

  3 Based on a sample of 8,601 adult males

  4 Based on a sample of 1,536 adult females

  5 Based on a sample of 3,281 young male offenders

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were on(a) basic level, (b) standard level and (c) enhanced level of the incentives and earned privileges scheme, in each prison in England and Wales on the last date for which figures were available. [53339]
  826
  Mr. George Howarth
  The provisional figures for 1 June 1998, which are subject to final validation, are given in the table.

  Prisoners on basic, standard and enhanced regimes

  Prison name

  Basic

  Standard

  Enhanced

  Acklington

  7

  274

  361

  Agecroft

  0

  0

  0

  Albany

  5

  135

  311

  Aldington

  4

  74

  62

  Altcourse

  25

  384

  201

  Ashwell

  79

  248

  161

  Askham Grange

  0

  30

  92

  Aylesbury

  10

  238

  52

  Bedford

  7

  334

  23

  Belmarsh

  12

  695

  93

  Birmingham

  109

  851

  89

  Blakenhurst

  21

  549

  64

  Blantyre House

  24

  34

  60

  Blundeston

  16

  249

  72

  Brinsford

  127

  258

  120

  Bristol

  29

  432

  94

  Brixton

  27

  147

  305

  Brockhill

  0

  117

  21

  Buckley Hall

  6

  210

  162

  Bullingdon

  39

  715

  80

  Bullwood Hall

  11

  82

  47

  Camp Hill

  9

  333

  91

  Canterbury

  6

  271

  2

  Cardiff

  86

  403

  207

  Castington

  19

  44

  267

  Channings Wood

  20

  276

  295

  Chelmsford

  5

  397

  39

  Coldingley

  8

  203

  83

  Cookham Wood

  1

  102

  57

  Dartmoor

  11

  556

  69

  Deerbolt

  64

  268

  86

  Doncaster

  63

  798

  215

  Dorchester

  5

  172

  16

  Dover

  8

  279

  28

  Down view

  0

  108

  234

  Drake Hall

  0

  151

  115

  Durham

  31

  715

  148

  East Sutton Park

  0

  61

  36

  Eastwood Park

  4

  198

  51

  Elmley

  6

  658

  228

  Erlestoke

  9

  125

  169

  Everthorpe

  11

  355

  96

  Exeter

  2

  349

  73

  Feathers tone

  10

  541

  41

  Feltham

  71

  613

  207

  Ford

  0

  267

  161

  Foston Hall

  0

  98

  35

  Frankland

  24

  250

  155

  Full Sutton

  19

  266

  251

  Garth

  3

  533

  105

  Gartree

  8

  80

  277

  Glen Parva

  80

  618

  96

  Gloucester

  22

  248

  23

  Grendon

  4

  4

  86

  Guys Marsh

  12

  313

  77

  Haslar

  0

  138

  16

  Hatfield

  18

  114

  13

  Haverigg

  4

  313

  212

  Hewell Grange

  0

  132

  59

  Highdown

  8

  710

  51

  Highpoint

  25

  462

  202

  Hindley

  11

  428

  29

  Hollesley Bay

  16

  16

  261

  Holloway

  26

  411

  77

  Holme House

  15

  870

  78

  Hull

  18

  328

  138

  Huntercombe

  21

  197

  101

  Kingston

  0

  0

  141

  827

  Prisoners on basic, standard and enhanced regimes

  Prison name

  Basic

  Standard

  Enhanced

  Kirkham

  33

  200

  167

  Kirklevington

  0

  42

  134

  Lancaster

  57

  73

  87

  Lancaster Farms

  29

  260

  160

  Latchmere House

  6

  14

  168

  Leeds

  35

  889

  223

  Leicester

  17

  303

  38

  Lewes

  5

  431

  28

  Leyhill

  0

  164

  227

  Lincoln

  12

  414

  150

  Lindholme

  0

  581

  92

  Littlehey

  22

  497

  112

  Liverpool

  12

  1,125

  303

  Long Lartin

  44

  121

  177

  Low Newton

  4

  258

  37

  Lowdham Grange

  4

  73

  414

  Maidstone

  9

  312

  238

  Manchester

  27

  299

  798

  Marchington

  0

  0

  0

  Moorland

  57

  593

  119

  Morton Hall

  11

  118

  71

  Mount

  8

  447

  146

  New Hall

  7

  274

  75

  North Sea Camp

  0

  140

  66

  Northallerton

  8

  238

  5

  Norwich

  34

  534

  130

  Nottingham

  2

  344

  59

  Onley

  53

  454

  91

  Pare

  10

  598

  88

  Parkhurst

  31

  242

  138

  Pentonville

  4

  852

  270

  Portland

  10

  433

  121

  Preston

  75

  540

  46

  Ranby

  19

  414

  137

  Reading

  1

  108

  98

  Risley

  13

  322

  351

  Rochester

  13

  316

  53

  Send

  0

  29

  36

  Shepton Mallet

  7

  198

  10

  Shrewsbury

  150

  108

  78

  Stafford

  146

  375

  104

  Standford Hill

  0

  151

  220

  Stocken

  3

  349

  105

  Stoke Heath

  258

  195

  136

  Styal

  0

  244

  34

  Sudbury

  0

  240

  261

  Swaleside

  214

  367

  17

  Swansea

  2

  246

  75

  Swinfen Hall

  21

  158

  123

  Thorn Cross

  1

  140

  79

  Usk

  1

  1

  219

  Verne

  3

  323

  246

  Wakefield

  25

  332

  256

  Wandsworth

  69

  627

  197

  Wayland

  2

  417

  217

  Wealstun

  7

  7

  285

  Weare

  0

  342

  25

  Wellingborough

  1

  291

  34

  Werrington

  82

  45

  37

  Wetherby

  15

  194

  96

  Whatton

  2

  140

  94

  Whitemoor

  38

  260

  200

  Winchester

  0

  436

  179

  Wolds

  29

  192

  177

  Woodhill

  40

  584

  70

  Wormwood Scrubs

  6

  816

  358

  Wymott

  14

  617

  151

  Note:

  Agecroft and Marchington prisons not yet open
  828

  British Nationality (Applications)
  Ms Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality are currently outstanding for applicants registered as resident in Enfield North. [53247]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The information is not available in the form requested as applications are not recorded according to the parliamentary constituency in which an applicant is living. Nationality Directorate records indicate that there are 481 applications outstanding from persons who have given an address with an Enfield postcode.

  Remand Prisoners
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) male and (b) female prisoners were remanded in custody to await trial or sentence in 1997; what was the average daily number on remand; and what percentage subsequently received custodial sentences. [52838]

  Mr. George Howarth
  In 1997, 58,092 males and 3,974 females were remanded in custody awaiting trial. 33,988 convicted males and 2,426 convicted females were remanded in custody awaiting sentence. The average monthly remand population in 1997 was 8,057 untried males and 3,475 convicted unsentenced males. The corresponding figures for females were 396 and 203 respectively.

  Of those remanded in custody at some stage in magistrates' courts proceedings, provisional information shows that 46 per cent. of males and 31 per cent. of females were sentenced to immediate custody.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data his Department has collated on the average time spent by prisoners on remand in custody awaiting trial over each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [54027]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The information requested is given in the table. Information on the estimated average number of days in custody for untried prisoners is published in "Prison statistics England and Wales" (table 2.1 of the 1996 edition, Cm 3732), a copy of which is in the Library. Information for 1997 has been taken from draft tables prepared for the 1997 edition of "Prison statistics England and Wales" which is due to be published today.

  Estimated average time spent in custody for untried prisoners in prisons in England and Wales, 1993–97

  Estimated average number of days in custody1, 2

  Year

  Males

  Females

  1993

  55

  39

  1994

  59

  44

  1995

  56

  43

  1996

  53

  41

  1997

  51

  36

  1 Time spent in Prison Service establishments before conviction, acquittal etc.

  2 Estimated from number of receptions and average population

  Women Prisoners
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were received into prison under sentence, excluding those sentenced for fine default, in 1997; and what was the breakdown of their offence categories. [52835]

  Mr. George Howarth
  [holding answer 28 July 1998]: The information requested is given in the table.

  Receptions of sentenced females into prisons in England and Wales by offence in 1997

  Offence

  Number1

  Violence against the person

  660

  Sexual offences

  14

  Burglary

  180

  Robbery

  173

  Theft and handling

  1,734

  Fraud and forgery

  403

  Drugs offences

  750

  Other offences

  787

  Offence not recorded

  146

  Total

  4,847

  1 Provisional figures

  Custody (Girls)
  Ms Julie Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls aged under 18 years from Wales were in custody at the last date for which figures are available. [53261]

  Mr. George Howarth
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The available information is for those 15, 16 and 17 year old females held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales who were first committed to custody from a Welsh court. As at 30 June, provisional information indicates that there was one such prisoner.

  Departmental Research
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cost of all research undertaken by his Department since May 1997, excluding the cost of green papers and other public consultation documents drafted by his officials; and if he will list in each case the organisations which undertook that research. [52697]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 29 July 1998]: The term 'research' covers a wide range of activities, from scientific and engineering research through to consultancies and public opinion surveys. The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Comprehensive Spending Review
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to the Comprehensive Spending Review, he will list the real terms changes in spending on the(a) Prison Service, (b) police and (c) Probation Service, in each of the next three years. [53337]
  830
  Mr. Straw
  The table shows the real terms year on year increases produced by the allocation of total Home Office provision to the three services. The allocation may be subject to adjustment, particularly in the second and third years.

  £million 1998–99 prices

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Prison service

  110

  11

  11

  Police2

  3

  23

  107

  Probation service2

  12

  19

  21

  1 Based on planned spend in 1998–99, which includes an additional £112m above the original baseline

  2 The increases shown are based on Total Standard Spending for these services.

  Prisons (Expenditure)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total expenditure needed to meet each of the Prison Service's three projections for the required number of prison places, in each year until 2005; if he will give the figures at constant real terms cost per prison place; and if he will make a statement. [53341]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Prison Service has not based its expenditure projections on any one of the three population scenarios. The Comprehensive Spending Review settlement, which includes £179 million over the period to complete the programme for increasing capacity, provides the Service with a realistic plan for coping with rising numbers over the period.

  But, as recent experience has shown, it is very difficult to forecast trends precisely several years ahead. It is expected that the policies that we are pursuing to increase public confidence in community-based punishment will have an impact on population trends by the end of the period.

  The Comprehensive Spending Review covers only the years 1999–2002 and the forecasts of cost per uncrowded place only over that period.

  The Comprehensive Spending Review Settlement provides for a real terms cost per uncrowded place' increase of 0.9 per cent. over the three years. Expressed as a year-on-year basis, this represents a 1.7 per cent. increase in the first year (1999–2000); a 0.2 per cent. reduction in the second year (2000–01) and a 0.6 per cent. reduction in the third year (2001–02).

  The costs per uncrowded prison place underlying these percentages at 1992–93 prices (the year used by the Prison Service against which to measure its Key Performance Indicators, as this was the year before it became an agency) are listed with the equivalent figures at 1998–99 prices:

  £

  1992–93 prices

  1998–99 prices

  1999–2000

  20,540

  23,986

  2000–01

  20,498

  23,937

  2001–02

  20,379

  23,798

  1 Figures do not include costs or places of prisons designed, constructed, managed and financed (DCMF) by the private sector

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the need for extra(a) prison places and (b) prisons in each of the next

  831
  three years; what is the planned spending per prison place over the next three years; and what is the expected capital spending on prisons over the next three years. [53338]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Resources are in place to increase the operational capacity of the prison estate by a further 4,500 places over the next three financial years.

  The building programme will deliver 1,350 places in 1998–99 and 550 in 1999–2000 in the form of houseblocks and cell reclamation places at existing prisons.

  New prisons will provide an additional 1,200 places in 1999–2000 and 1,400 places in 2000–01.

  The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) settlement provides for a real terms cost per uncrowded place1 increase of 0.9 per cent. over the three years of the CSR. Expressed as a year-on-year basis this represents a 1.7 per cent. increase in the first year (1999–2000); a 0.2 per cent. reduction in the second year (2000–01); and a 0.6 per cent. reduction in the third year (2001–02).

  The CSR settlement provides, in real terms at 1998–99 prices, capital expenditure for the Prison Service of £150 million (1999–2000), £131 million (2000–01) and £130 million (2001–02).
  1 Figures do not include costs or places of prisons designed, constructed, managed and financed (DCMF) by the private sector.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Comprehensive Spending Review, if he will provide a breakdown of the total amount of extra funding which will be allocated to(a) prison places and (b) rehabilitation and other programmes in prison, in each of the next three years, in real terms; and if he will make a statement. [53340]

  Mr. George Howarth
  In the three years from 1999–2002, the Prison Service will spend an extra £62 million (1999–2000), £54 million (2000–01) and £54 million, in real terms at 1998–99 prices, on prison places.

  In the three years from 1999–2002, the Prison Service will spend an extra £72 million (1999–2000), £60 million (2000–01) and £70 million (2001–02), in real terms at 1998-99 prices, on rehabilitation and other programmes in prison. These funds are in addition to the previous Government's planned expenditure for the Prison Service.

  Security Services
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those European Community working groups attended by the security services. [53775]

  Name of Minister

  Dates

  Place visited

  Purpose

  Accompanied by

  Cost (£)

  Michael O'Brien MP

  4 January to 14 January 1998

  Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

  To observe entry clearance posts

  2 officials

  7,133

  Secretary of State

  13 to 14 January 1998

  Madrid

  Meetings with the Spanish Minister of The Interior and the Spanish Minister of Justice

  3 officials

  1,700

  Secretary of State

  26 January 1998

  Brussels

  Meetings with the European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee, the EPLP and the ELDR

  3 officials, 1 Special adviser

  1,120

  Joyce Quin MP

  28 January 1998

  Brussels

  To address the European Presidency Racism and Xenophobia Debate

  4 officials

  1,630

  832
  Mr. Straw
  Members of the Security Service routinely attend the Terrorism Working Group under the Justice and Home Affairs Council. They may attend other European Union Working Group meetings in a supporting role where the Security Service has a direct interest in the subject matter under discussion or where its expertise is needed.

  EU K4 Committee
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the nature of the United Kingdom delegation to the European Community's K4 Committee. [53776]

  Mr. Straw
  The United Kingdom representative on the Committee set up under Article K4 of the Treaty on European Union is Mr. Timothy Walker, Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office. He is accompanied by other members of the Home Office and members of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation in Brussels. Representatives from other Government Departments, such as the Lord Chancellor's Department and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, sometimes attend in a supporting role, depending on the subject matter under discussion.

  Youth Justice
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional resources will be provided to local areas piloting the youth justice provisions set out in the Crime and Disorder Bill[Lords]. [53965]

  Mr. Michael
  There will be some funding available to help the pilot areas put in place the programmes and forms of intervention needed to undertake work under the final warning scheme and the new court orders which are to be piloted. We will discuss with the pilot areas how available funds can be used most effectively within their area.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those who have accompanied (i) him and (ii) his departmental Ministers on overseas visits since 1 January indicating(a) the venue of the visit, (b) the purpose of the visit, (c) the names of those involved, (d) the job of those involved, (e) the reasons why they were included in the visit and (f) the cost to public funds. [53836]

  Mr. Straw
  All overseas visits by Ministers are conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Ministerial Code. Information in the precise form requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The available information is set out in the table.
  833

  Name of Minister

  Dates

  Place visited

  Purpose

  Accompanied by

  Cost (£)

  Secretary of State

  4 to 6 February 1998

  Washington, USA

  Accompany Prime Minister—meetings with National Institute of Justice, Baltimore Police Department, Department, of Justice and Attorney General Reno

  1 official, 1 Special adviser

  283

  Michael O'Brien MP

  10 to 11 February 1998

  Brussels

  To attend the 'Let's Kick Racism Out of Football' Seminar

  2 officials

  635

  Lord Williams of Mostyn QC

  15 to 16 February 1998

  Paris

  To address the OECD Workshop on Global Network Society

  1 official

  350

  Joyce Quin MP

  8 to 9 March 1998

  Prague

  To discuss EU enlargement

  2 officials

  1,300

  Secretary of State and Joyce Quin MP

  18 to 19 March 1998

  Brussels

  To attend the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting

  11 officials

  5,400

  Lord Williams of Mostyn QC

  21 to 25 March 1998

  Thailand

  To launch a UK funded course on Child Sex Exploitation

  1 official

  3,000

  Joyce Quin MP

  26 March 98

  Amsterdam

  To address the Dutch Probation Conference

  1 official

  366

  Joyce Quin MP

  16 to 17 April 1998

  Warsaw

  To discuss EU enlargement

  2 officials

  1,622

  Joyce Quin MP

  21 to 22 April 1998

  Vienna

  To address the UN Crime Commission

  1 official

  1,255

  Joyce Quin MP

  28 April to 1 May 1998

  Budapest

  To discuss EU enlargement

  2 officials

  1,600

  Secretary of State

  14 May 98

  Vienna

  Meetings with the Austrian Interior Minister and Minister of Justice

  2 officials

  1,225

  Lord Williams of Mostyn QC

  26 to 27 May 1998

  Milan

  To visit the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM)

  3 officials

  1,500

  Secretary of State and Joyce Quin MP

  27 to 29 May 1998

  Brussels

  To attend the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting

  10 officials

  3,500

  George Howarth MP

  7 to 10 June 1998

  New York

  To attend the UN Special Commission on Drugs

  2 officials

  3,980

  Joyce Quin MP

  29 to 30 June 1998

  Brussels

  To address the European Presidency Civil Liberties and Legal Affairs Committees

  2 officials

  704

  George Howarth MP

  30 June 1998

  Brussels

  To address a meeting of the EU Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs Committee

  4 officials

  1,531

  1 Travel and accommodation costs not met by Home Office

  Police (Numbers)
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of police officers in each of the police authorities in Wales for each of the last five years and the projections for the next three years. [54540]

  Mr. Michael
  The information requested in respect of the last five years is set out in the table.

  Ministers have no direct control over police numbers. Under legislation passed by the previous Government in 1994, it is for individual chief constables to determine the number of police officers in their force, on the basis of the resources made available to them. No decisions have yet been made on funding allocations for individual police authorities over the next three years.

  Total police officer strength, Welsh forces, 1994–981

  Police force

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  19982

  Dyfed Powys

  965

  976

  991

  1,005

  1,002

  Gwent

  993

  997

  1,044

  1,243

  1,233

  North Wales

  1,352

  1,366

  1,378

  1,369

  1,396

  South Wales

  3,131

  3,014

  3,027

  2,976

  2,986

  Total

  6,441

  6,353

  6,440

  6,593

  6,617

  1 As at 31 March each year

  2 Provisional figures

  834

  Persistent Inquirers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of his Department's agencies have procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. [53950]

  Mr. Straw
  Home Office Agencies do not operate procedures to identify persistent inquirers for information. All requests for information received under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information are routinely monitored, but no Agency has found it necessary to introduce specific procedures.

  Police (Bicycle Patrols)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each police force in England the number of officers who routinely patrol on a bicycle. [54408]

  Mr. Michael
  The use of bicycles to patrol is an operational matter for the chief officer of the force concerned and information on the number of officers deployed in this way is not recorded centrally.

  Homosexuality
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted for voluntarily engaging in homosexual acts involving persons of between 16 and 18 years of age in each of the years since 1994. [53970]
  835
  Mr. Michael
  Information for 1994 to 1996 (latest available) is given in the table. It does not include offences such as male rape or indecent assault on a male.

  Number of males cautioned, prosecuted and convicted 1 for specific homosexual offences by age, 1994–96 England and Wales

  Year/offence

  Aged 16

  Aged 17

  1994

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  5

  3

  Prosecuted

  9

  13

  Convicted

  4

  6

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  3

  5

  Prosecuted

  1

  3

  Convicted

  1

  2

  1995

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  1

  —

  Prosecuted

  3

  3

  Convicted

  —

  5

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  1

  1

  Prosecuted

  —

  4

  Convicted

  —

  2

  1996

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  3

  1

  Prosecuted

  4

  —

  Convicted

  1

  —

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  2

  5

  Prosecuted

  —

  —

  Convicted

  —

  —

  1 Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 18 years were arrested for consenting homosexual activity but then released without charge in the latest year for which figures are available. [54659]

  Mr. Michael
  Information on the particular offence for which a person is arrested is not collected centrally.

  Police (Community Relationships)
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to develop better relationships between the police and(a) inner city and (b) ethnic minority communities. [53963]

  Mr. Michael
  The Government are committed to developing better relationships between the police and all sections of the society they serve. My right hon. Friend gave his full personal endorsement to the thematic report on Police Community and Race Relations, published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) last October.

  The report concluded that, although much work had been done by police forces in this area, performance was patchy and further steps needed to be taken to ensure that racism and discrimination were eliminated.

  The main recommendations of the report were that forces should: publicly re-affirm their commitment to investing in good community and race relations as a core
  836
  function of policing; give a higher priority to dealing with neighbourhood incidents and anti-social behaviour; clearly state that they regard the behaviour of officers who show racial or other prejudice in their behaviour and language as completely unacceptable; continue to attract minority ethnic recruits and retain them; and consider a community and race relations audit to identify areas needing improvement. The report also recommended that training in community and race relations should be given greater emphasis, and that priority should initially be targeted towards first line supervision.

  In order to co-ordinate the implementation of the report, a working group has been set up under Home Office chairmanship, on which the Association of Chief Police Officers, HMIC, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Black Police Associations are represented. A key part of the work to follow up the report will be undertaken by HMIC in the autumn. All forces will be asked to report on the progress they have made on the issues raised in the report and a further inspection will be undertaken of 15 forces.

  The Home Office is currently tendering for a new contract to provide independent specialist support to the police service in community and race relations training. The new contract will contain two elements: integration of community and race relations throughout the national curriculum of police training; and support and training to individual forces to place community and race relations firmly within operational policing. One of the ways in which a better relationship can be developed between the police and the community will be through the involvement of the community in the needs analysis, the implementation and the evaluation of this new training strategy.

  On 24 July, the Home Office submitted written evidence to the Inquiry into matters arising from the death of Stephen Lawrence. That evidence gives a fuller account of work in progress or planned to improve relations between the police and the communities they serve. That evidence is available in the Library.

  Party Conferences
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 July 1998,Official Report, columns 617–18, (1) what assessment he has made of the means available to the Lancashire Police Authority to fund the shortfall between the estimated cost of policing the Labour Party Conference in 1998 and the special grant made available to it under the Police and Magistrates' Court Act 1994; [54077]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 23 July 1998, Official Report, columns 617–18, what estimate he has made of the shortfall between the estimated cost of policing the Labour Party Conference in 1998 and the special grant made available to the Lancashire Police Authority. [54076]

  Mr. Michael
  It should be borne in mind that until 1996 no contribution was made from central funds to help with the costs of political party conferences. The Government have maintained the level of total grant at £1.5 million in 1997 and 1998. We are currently reviewing the arrangements.
  837
  The Lancashire Police Authority has estimated that the additional costs of policing the Labour Party Conference at Blackpool will be £1.284 million. This is £534,000 more than the special grant they will receive from my Department, but it represents less than 0.5 per cent. of the force's budget of £177 million.

  It is for the Chief Constable to decide how to find the additional resources. The force could use its reserves, which were expected to be around £2.9 million as at 31 March, or find the money from efficiency savings elsewhere in the force budget.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) pursuant to his oral statement of 27 July 1998,Official Report, columns 35–38, what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing new national machinery to plan and co-ordinate provision for asylum seekers; [54388]

  (2) pursuant to his oral statement of 21 July 1998, Official Report, column 918, if he will give a breakdown of the funding transferred to his Department from other departments for the support of asylum seekers; and what assumptions he has made about the number of asylum seekers who will be in receipt of such support in that period. [54386]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The provisional level of funding for asylum seeker support allocated to the Home Office is £350 million in 1999–2000, £300 million in 2000/01 and £250 million in 2001/02. Detailed plans have yet to be developed and the cost of establishing new national machinery to plan and co-ordinate this provision has not yet been assessed.

  The funding assumes that the numbers of asylum decisions and appeals disposals will be in line with the provisional plans set out in the White Paper published on 27 July. We aim that, by April 2001, most initial asylum decisions will be made within two months of receipt and most appeals to an adjudicator will be heard within a further four months.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 27 July 1998,Official Report, columns 35–38, what estimate he has made of the number of asylum seekers who will receive leave to enter or remain and who applied for asylum (a) before 1 July 1993 and (b) between 1 July 1994 and 31 December 1995. [54389]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The proportion of the estimated 10,000 asylum claims made before 1 July 1993 awaiting an initial decision and the estimated 20,000 claims awaiting an initial decision made between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995 which will qualify for leave to enter or remain will depend upon the numbers to whom the special considerations set out in paragraphs 8.29 and 8.30 of the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modem Approach to Immigration and Asylum" (Cm 4018) are found to apply. Some of these people will not be granted either indefinite leave to remain or exceptional leave to remain under our proposal.
  838
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if staff will be transferred from the Department of Social Security to his Department to run the new benefit in kind support system for political asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. [54046]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  No decision has yet been taken on the kinds of staff needed to operate such a scheme, or how they might be recruited.

  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to disperse political asylum seekers around the country; what kind of accommodation will be provided; and if he will make a statement. [54049]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Government's proposals for new support arrangements for asylum seekers are set out in paragraphs 8.17–8.26 of the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum" (Cm 4018). The aim is that, where asylum seekers are in genuine need of accommodation, this should be provided at a wider range of locations than under present arrangements, which have resulted in a heavy concentration in London and certain other areas. The type of accommodation offered to any particular asylum seeker is likely to vary: it will depend on what is available and at what cost, and on such factors as the presence or otherwise of dependants.

  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date he expects that the 30,000 applications for political asylum made prior to December 1995 will be determined; and if he will make a statement. [54048]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  As indicated in the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modem Approach to Immigration and Asylum" (Cm 4018), we are aiming to clear the backlog of undecided asylum claims before April 2001.

  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date he expects that his proposed system of benefits in kind for asylum seekers will be operational; what benefits in kind will be available; and if he will make a statement. [54044]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The date on which such a system becomes operational will depend on when the necessary legislation is enacted. The type of provision envisaged is explained in paragraph 8.21 of the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer—A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum" (Cm 4018).

  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if all those who made an application for political asylum prior to July 1993 and whose applications are still outstanding will be individually interviewed before any decision is taken on their application; and if he will make a statement. [54043]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  No. It is unlikely that very many of these applicants will need to be interviewed. Some applicants will already have been interviewed and others will have provided full details of their asylum claim by way of a self-completion questionnaire commonly in use at the time these applications were made. The decision whether to interview will be taken individually as each case is examined.

  Employees Over 60
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women employed by (1) his Department and (2) his Department's agencies have contracts of employment which permit them to retire after their 60 birthday. [53055]

  Mr. Straw
  The normal retirement age for staff in the Home Office is 60, with the following exceptions:prison officer grades who were in post prior to 1 September 1987 have a minimum retirement age of 55 and a maximum retirement age of 60.
  operational service grades, prison auxiliaries and night patrol officers in the Prison Service and industrial grade staff throughout the Home Office have a minimum retirement age of 60 but may remain in employment up to the age of 65 subject to continued fitness and efficiency.

  The numbers of industrial grades employed on 24 July 1998 were as follows:

  Department

  Men

  Women

  (1) Home Office (excluding agencies)

  39

  6

  (2) Agencies

  (i) Prison service

  2,610

  230

  (ii) UK Passport agency

  0

  0

  (iii) Forensic science service

  0

  0

  (iv) Fire service college

  41

  0

  The numbers of operational service grades, prison auxiliaries and night patrol staff in the Prison Service employed on 30 June 1998 were as follows:

  Men

  Women

  (1) Operational service grades

  3,247

  951

  (2) Prison auxiliaries

  573

  238

  (3) Night patrol staff

  252

  324

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women aged over 60 years were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies on 1 January. [53060]

  Mr. Straw
  Figures for staff aged over 60 on 1 January in the Home Office and Agencies are set out below:

  Number over 60 (male)

  Number over 60 (female)

  Total

  Home Office excluding Agencies1

  34

  14

  48

  Fire Service College1

  5

  0

  5

  Forensic Science Service1

  2

  0

  2

  United Kingdom Passport Agency1

  14

  14

  28

  Her Majesty's Prison Service2

  987

  60

  1,047

  Total

  2,028

  148

  1,129

  1 The Home Office and Agency figures (excluding the Prison Service) include 11 industrial grade staff. These staff have a minimum retirement age of 60 but may remain in service until 65 subject to continued fitness and efficiency

  2 The Prison Service figures include industrial grade staff. These account for approximately a third of the total. Of the remainder, the majority are operational service grades, prison auxiliaries, and night patrol staff. All these staff have a minimum retirement age of 60 but may continue in service up to age 65 subject to continued fitness and efficiency

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that(a) have been disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months,(c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c) (ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [53865]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: None of the non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) for which my Department is responsible, has been disbanded since 1 May 1997, although I expect that, subject to Parliamentary approval, the Advisory Committee on Service Candidates will be abolished shortly.

  No Home Office NDPB has had its functions transferred either to another NDPB or a democratically elected body, and none has continued to perform a similar function under a different name.

  Details of all NDPBs in existence on 1 May 1997 sponsored by this Department are listed in "Public Bodies 1997". Since that date, we have established as NDPBs the Police Information Technology Organisation and the Race Relations Forum.

  My Department is currently responsible for 35 NDPBs, plus 135 Boards of Visitors to penal establishments.

  Child Sex Abuse
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual abuse offences were committed within the family by(a) natural parents and (b) step parents in each of the last five years. [54072]

  Mr. Michael
  From the figures collected centrally on the numbers of sexual offences recorded by the police, it is not possible to distinguish the relationship between the offender and the victim.

  Task Forces
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the task forces and advisory groups composed of independent members which have been set up by his Department since 1 May 1997, indicating in each case(a) their remit, (b) their membership, (c) how many members are (i) scientists, (ii) engineers, (iii) small business people or representatives of small businesses, (d) any remuneration members receive for their services and (e) their budget. [53286]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 30 July 1998]: A Task Force on Youth Justice was established in June 1997 and is being wound up this month. Its remit and membership were published in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Goole (Mr. Cawsey) on 17 June 1997, Official Report, columns 99–100. The membership of the Task Force drawn from outside the civil service remained unchanged. One independent member came

  841
  from the business community, the others from public services business community, the others from public services dealing with young people who offend or are at high risk of offending. None were employed as engineers, scientists or by small businesses. The Task Force had no budget and members were not remunerated. To date, £2,440 of their travel expenses have been refunded from the running costs of my Department.

  I announced the membership of the Race Relations Forum in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 21 May 1998, Official Report, columns 450–51. Detailed terms of reference have not yet been finalised, but the purpose of the Forum is to advise the Government, in the formulation and implementation of their policies, on issues affecting ethnic minority communities. I am not aware that any of the Forum's members is a scientist, engineer or a representative of small business. The Forum has no budget and members are not remunerated.

  Following its first meeting on 23 June, £257.90 has so far been refunded to members from the running costs of my Department for their travel and subsistence.

  Court Welfare Service
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Government intend to take forward consideration of the case for setting up a new court welfare service. [54870]

  Mr. Straw
  Following my announcement on 16 February 1998,Official Report, column 465, of a review of the scope for improving the effectiveness of the welfare services currently provided by several agencies in family proceedings through the creation of a new unified service, my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and Wales and I are today publishing a consultation paper seeking wider views on these issues. Copies of the paper are being placed in the Library, are being sent to a wide range of interested bodies and will be gladly sent to individuals on request. The closing date for response is 13 November.

  Criminal Appeals
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many of the cases tried on indictment where convictions were quashed following referral to the Court of Appeal by the Secretary of State, exercising his powers under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968, compensation was paid to the appellant; what was the amount of compensation paid in each case; and how many such compensation claims remain outstanding for each year between 1990–91 and 1996–97. [54106]

  Mr. Michael
  The consideration of eligibility for compensation is subject to an application being made. It does not follow that all those whose cases were referred to the Court of Appeal during the period in question, and whose convictions were subsequently quashed, will 842
  necessarily have applied to the Home Office for compensation. Of the relevant individuals who did apply, the available information is as follows:

  Year conviction referred1

  Number who subsequently qualified for compensation

  Number of claims not yet settled

  1990

  17

  12

  1991

  11

  1

  1992

  8

  3

  1993

  4

  2

  1994

  2

  1

  1995

  4

  3

  1996

  6

  4

  19972

  —

  —

  1 The year in which a case is referred to the Court of Appeal will not usually be the same year in which the appeal is heard, nor in which a decision to pay compensation is taken

  2 The eligibility for compensation of one individual whose conviction was referred to and quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1997 has yet to be determined

  Note:

  It is not practice to give details of the amounts awarded in individual cases

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in how many cases, for each year between 1990–91 and 1996–97, where convictions tried on indictment were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in exercise of his powers under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968(a) the appeal was allowed, (b) the appeal was dismissed, (c) a re-trial was ordered and (d) the appeal is awaited; [54104]

  (2) how many convictions in cases tried on indictment were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Secretary of State in exercise of his powers under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 for each year between 1990–91 and 1996–97. [54102]

  Mr. Michael
  The number of convictions referred to the Court of Appeal from 1990–97, and the outcome, are given in the table.

  Convictions in cases tried on indictment referred to the Court of Appeal by the Home Secretary under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968, 1990–1997

  Outcome of Appeal

  Case (defendants)

  Allowed

  Dismissed

  1990

  7(20

  7(20)

  0

  1991

  10(12)

  110(12)

  0

  1992

  8(11)

  15(8)

  3(3)

  1993

  8(9)

  15(6)

  3(3)

  1994

  9(12)

  5(5)

  4(7)

  1995

  215(17)

  9(9)

  5(7)

  1996

  39(12)

  6(9)

  2(2)

  1997

  33(3)

  1(1)

  1 1(1)

  1 Court of Appeal ordered a re-trial in one case

  2 One case has been stayed by order of the Registrar

  3 One case outstanding

  Mr. Diarmuid O'Neill
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the steps taken by the Police Complaints Authority investigating the shooting of Diarmuid O'Neill to obtain statements from(a) Brian

  843
  McHugh and (b) Patrick Kelly since December 1997, indicating when (i) letters were sent and (ii) appointments made and with what notice; how many appointments were cancelled following approaches to legal representatives; what responses were received; when statements were taken; what assessment has been made of the impact of a transfer of the prisoners on the investigation; and what further steps are necessary to complete the investigation. [53990]

  Mr. Michael
  I understand that the investigating team wrote to solicitors representing Brian McHugh on 13 January to arrange an interview with their client. The solicitors were subsequently notified on 23 March that an appointment had been made to visit Mr. McHugh in prison. The solicitors replied on 1 April to say that Mr. McHugh would not make a statement. Officers visited Mr. McHugh on 7 April and he declined to co-operate with the investigation.

  The investigating team wrote to solicitors representing Patrick Kelly on 28 January. An appointment to interview him in prison on 10 March was cancelled because his legal representative could not be present. The solicitors were notified on 25 March that another appointment had been made and he was eventually seen on 8 April in the presence of his legal representative. He declined to provide a statement.

  The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) subsequently wrote to the solicitors representing the men on 27 May to make another request for their co-operation with the investigation, but no reply has been received.

  The investigating officer is continuing his inquiries and has yet to complete the interviews of the police officers involved in the incident. The PCA has not made any assessment of the impact of a transfer of the prisoners.

  Criminal Cases Review Commission
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will lay a copy of the first annual report of the Criminal Cases Review Commission before Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [54105]

  Mr. Michael
  The Commission's first annual report was laid before Parliament on 20 July, and copies were placed in the Library. I welcome the report, and am pleased to note that the Commission is able to record a generally favourable reception to its openness, accessibility and independence, and of the thoroughness and professional competence of its case reviews.

  Homosexual Acts (Prosecution)
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men, aged between 16 and 18 years, during the last 10 years, have been(a) prosecuted and (b) convicted, for activities relating to homosexual acts in private. [54937]

  Mr. Michael
  Information for 1986 to 1996 (latest available) is given in the table. It does not include offences such as male rape or indecent assault on a male.
  844

  Number of males cautioned, prosecuted and convicted1 for specific homosexual offences by age, 1986–96 England and Wales

  Year/offence

  Aged 16

  Aged 17

  1986

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  6

  7

  Prosecuted

  2

  9

  Convicted

  3

  9

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  20

  7

  Prosecuted

  2

  5

  Convicted

  —

  5

  1987

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  2—

  2—

  Prosecuted

  8

  7

  Convicted

  3

  7

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  2—

  2—

  Prosecuted

  —

  1

  Convicted

  —

  —

  1988

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  2—

  2—

  Prosecuted

  9

  17

  Convicted

  7

  8

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  2—

  2—

  Prosecuted

  1

  12

  Convicted

  1

  10

  1989

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  11

  3

  Prosecuted

  11

  6

  Convicted

  7

  4

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  16

  12

  Prosecuted

  7

  12

  Convicted

  3

  11

  1990

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  8

  6

  Prosecuted

  7

  17

  Convicted

  6

  8

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  10

  10

  Prosecuted

  4

  12

  Convicted

  2

  10

  1991

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  9

  6

  Prosecuted

  9

  14

  Convicted

  3

  9

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  3

  7

  Prosecuted

  1

  3

  Convicted

  1

  3

  1992

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  5

  5

  Prosecuted

  10

  7

  Convicted

  6

  4

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  6

  10

  Prosecuted

  2

  5

  Convicted

  —

  2

  845

  Number of males cautioned, prosecuted and convicted1 for specific homosexual offences by age, 1986–96 England and Wales

  Year/offence

  Aged 16

  Aged 17

  1993

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  5

  4

  Prosecuted

  9

  9

  Convicted

  4

  1

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  1

  4

  Prosecuted

  1

  1

  Convicted

  —

  —

  1994

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  5

  3

  Prosecuted

  9

  13

  Convicted

  4

  6

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  3

  5

  Prosecuted

  1

  3

  Convicted

  1

  2

  1995

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  1

  —

  Prosecuted

  3

  3

  Convicted

  —

  5

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  1

  1

  Prosecuted

  —

  4

  Convicted

  —

  2

  1996

  Buggery offences

  Cautioned

  3

  1

  Prosecuted

  4

  —

  Convicted

  1

  —

  Indecency between males

  Cautioned

  2

  5

  Prosecuted

  —

  —

  Convicted

  —

  —

  1 Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences

  2 Not available

  Paedophiles
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to require convicted paedophiles subject to the Sex Offences Register to inform the authorities if they plan to travel abroad. [53981]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We will shortly be starting a review of the effectiveness of the registration provisions of the Sex Offenders Act 1997. The question of convicted sex offenders who travel abroad will form part of that review.

  Asia Europe Child Welfare Initiative
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is towards the objectives of the Asia Europe Child Welfare Initiative; and if he will make a statement. [53982]

  Mr. Michael
  The objective of the ASEM child welfare initiative is to develop practical co-operation between Asia and Europe in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children through the exchange of ideas and 846
  information and the promotion of models of good practice. The initiative is led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with the full support and participation of the Home Office, the police, the Department of Health and other Government Departments, as well as the non-governmental organisations concerned with children who have been closely involved.

  The Government take the combating of the commercial sexual exploitation of children very seriously. This Government have implemented the Sex Offenders Act 1997, which both creates a requirement for sex offenders to register their names and addresses, and any changes to these, with the police, and enables crimes against children abroad to be prosecuted in this country. The United Kingdom police have carried out training courses for police and prosecutors in the Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Within the United Kingdom, the Government have undertaken to issue joint Home Office/Department of Health guidance to the police and social services on dealing with children in prostitution on an inter-agency basis with the intention of diverting them from prostitution.

  The ASEM child welfare initiative is breaking new ground in seeking to develop practical responses to this most difficult problem. We regard it as making a valuable contribution to our own strategy to combat the sexual exploitation of children at home and abroad.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the procedure whereby minor offences committed by a young offender remain on their record and affect opportunities for employment. [54687]

  Mr. Michael
  The retention of records of convictions and cautions held in national or local police records are subject to the Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) weeding guidelines, which are currently under review. In general, the retention period for criminal records depends on the seriousness of the offence and whether the subject of the record reoffends. Criminal records are retained for the purposes of crime prevention and detection and the apprehension and prosecution of offenders. The weeding guidelines do not differentiate between the criminal records of juvenile and adult offenders.

  Police records are only disclosed for the purpose of viewing a person's suitability for employment where there are important considerations of public interest to justify departure from the general rule of confidentiality. In addition, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 applies to all convictions of the court. The length of the rehabilitation period, after which a conviction is spent, depends on the sentence passed by the court, and, for offenders aged under 18, the rehabilitation period for many sentences is halved. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to cautions, reprimands and final warnings. We shall be considering whether the Act should apply to these non-judicial disposals and will be consulting on the issue.

  Fatal Road Crashes
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many manslaughter charges have been
  847
  brought following fatal road crashes for each of the last 10 years; how many have been brought against (a) drivers and (b) managers; and how many have resulted in convictions. [54844]

  Mr. Michael
  The numbers shown below for a charge of manslaughter following road incidents between the years 1987–96, are those initially recorded as manslaughter by the police.

  The numbers for conviction are those currently recorded as manslaughter.

  There is not information held centrally on the number of convictions brought against drivers and managers.

  Number of manslaughter cases initially recorded by the police following fatal road incidents and those currently recorded as manslaughter, 1987–1996

  Year

  Manslaughter charges

  Manslaughter convictions

  1987

  6

  3

  1988

  8

  1

  1989

  28

  4

  1990

  16

  7

  1991

  21

  3

  1992

  3

  2

  1993

  12

  4

  1994

  11

  —

  1995

  9

  —

  1996

  8

  1

  Hillgrove Farm, Minster Lovell
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department last inspected the animal breeding establishment Hillgrove Farm, Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire; with what results; and what assessment he has made of the standard of animal welfare at this establishment. [54222]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The establishment was last visited by a member of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate in early May. The visit was unannounced. The inspector reported that standards of care, accommodation and animal welfare were satisfactory. On the basis of this advice, I am satisfied that Hillgrove Farm continues to operate both within the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and the conditions of its Certificate of Designation.

  Prisons (Gardening)
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 July 1998,Official Report, column 544, what are the ingredients of the five commercial chemical products used in gardening at the three Isle of Sheppey prisons. [54959]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The ingredients of the five commercial chemical products used at Elmley prison are listed below:Casoron G: used for weed control in shrub beds a granular product containing 6.75 per cent. dichlobenil/2.6—dichlorobenzonitrite
  Mosstox: used for moss control contains dichlorophen 340 grams/litre(g/l) used in dilution, 27.9 per cent. with water (w/w)
  Roundup Biactive: used for weed control contains 360 g/l glyphosate, present as 480 g/l (41.1 per cent. w/w) of the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate
  848
  Supertox 30: used for control of broad leaf weeds in grass contains 190 g/l (16.9 per cent. w/w) mecoprop and 90 g/l (8.03 per cent. w/w) 2.4—D as diethanolamine salts
  Trik: used for weed control contains aminotriazole 28 per cent. w/w, diuron, sodium hydroxide and 2.4—D.

  My hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), said in the answer she gave my hon. Friend on 22 July 1998, Official Report, column 544, that all three prisons are happy to discuss environmental issues with interested parties.

  European Children
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will support the proposal put to his Office for a millennium lottery specifically to fund longitudinal studies of European children in the next century, sponsored by the European Forum for Child Welfare; and if he will make a statement. [54203]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We have not received any proposals. They would need to be put to the Gaming Board, and would have to comply with the requirements of the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976. Under the Act, it is unlawful for tickets in unauthorised lotteries, including overseas lotteries, to be sold, or for such lotteries to be advertised, in Great Britain.

  Probation Service
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he hopes to publish his proposals on the future of the Probation Service and for improving their joint effectiveness with the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [54968]

  Mr. Straw
  I shall be publishing a consultation document shortly, entitled "Joining Forces to Protect the Public", which seeks views on my plans for reforming the organisational structure of the probation services, and for improving its systems of accountability and its joint effectiveness with the Prison Service. Copies will then be placed in the Library.

  The proposals are the product of the emerging findings of the Prisons-Probation Review which I announced on 16 July 1998, last year, Official Report, columns 172–73, and which formed part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. Among other things, the document sets out our proposals for creating a modern unified national Probation Service as a Next Steps Agency, forming part of the Home Office, directly accountable to the Home Secretary through a Chief Executive. The proposals form one part of our wide-ranging programme to modernise and improve the performance of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. The consultation exercise will continue until 27 November, and I shall announce final decisions before the end of the year.

  To assist the consultation process, I shall also make available the report of the review of options which has informed our proposals.

  Europol
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being put in place to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with the
  849
  provisions in the Europol Convention related to breaches of discretion or confidentiality following its entry into force on 1 October. [54969]

  Mr. Straw
  Article 32(4) of the Europol Convention requires that prior to the entry into force of the Convention, each member state shall introduce the provisions required under national law to proceed against breaches of discretion or confidentiality. To this end, I am certifying the Europol Convention as an agreement to which an international organisation is a party, under section 12(2)(b) of the Official Secrets Act 1989. This will have the effect of ensuring that members and employees of Europol will be treated as "government contractors" for the purposes of the Official Secrets Act, and will ensure that the United Kingdom will comply fully with the relevant provisions in the Convention.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom role in data exchange in Europol. [54953]

  Mr. Michael
  The role of Europol and European Union member states in relation to Europol is set out in the Europol Convention. The role of the United Kingdom will be the same as any other member state.

  Corruption
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reform and consolidate the law on corruption; and what progress has been made on the recommendations by the Committee on Standards in Public Life to (i) clarify the law on corruption in relation to hon. Members and (ii) introduce a new statutory offence of misuse of public office. [55130]

  Mr. Straw
  As a Government, we are committed to ensuring high standards in both public and private life. On 9 June last year, I published a consultation document on the reform of the corruption statutes entitled "The Prevention of Corruption: Consolidation and Amendment of the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889–1916: A Government Statement", a copy of which is in the Library. This had been preceded in December 1996 by the publication of the Home Office discussion document "Clarification of the Law Relating to the Bribery of Members of Parliament", an issue on which the Committee on Standards in Public Life had earlier reported. In November last, the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege embarked on its current inquiry into Parliamentary Privilege, including the law of corruption as it relates to hon. Members: and in March, the Law Commission for England and Wales helpfully published its proposals in its report No. 248: "Legislating the Criminal Code: Corruption". We are also committed to supporting and giving effect to international efforts through the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to deal with international aspects of corruption, including implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. These domestic and international initiatives taken together provide us with a sound basis on which to review and modernise the law of corruption.

  Although we are still awaiting the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege we have (as I announced on 24 June 1998, Official Report,
  850
  column 520) set up two inter-departmental groups to examine (i) the Law Commission's Report on Corruption and (ii) the possibility of a new statutory offence of misuse of public office. It is clear from the many representations received that there is much to support the Law Commission's recommendations for the common law of bribery and the present statutory offences of corruption to be restated in a modern statute, with a clear definition of what is meant by acting in a corrupt manner. At this stage, we also accept, in principle, the Law Commission's proposal that there should be a single offence of corruption to cover both public and private sectors. This reflects the reality that some functions which would, in the past, have been carried out by the public sector are now carried out by public/private partnerships or in the private sector. It also reflects the importance of ensuring equally high standards of probity in all aspects of life, whether in the public or the private sector. The inter-departmental working group on corruption expects to complete its work by the end of the year. When it has done so, I propose to publish a paper setting out the Government's detailed proposals for the consolidation and amendment of the law on corruption. When available, I will also take into account the views of the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege.

  The level of response to the consultation paper about a possible new offence of misuse of public office and the quality of replies demonstrates the importance of, and interest in, public probity. The Committee on Standards in Public Life in its third report recommended that all holders of public office should be covered equally by a statutory offence of misuse of public office, which enables action to be taken against them in the event of misconduct which is serious, but does not entail bribery and corruption. This is a complex area. The inter-departmental working group set up to consider the recommendation by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in this area, with the assistance of the Criminal Law Commissioner as recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, is looking carefully at the inter-relationship between any new offence, existing offences, civil remedies and disciplinary codes. It is also taking into account proposals being developed by my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on the establishment of a new Standards Board for local government and the creation of a new code of conduct for local councillors. As with corruption, this interdepartmental working group also expects to complete its work by the end of the year.

  Green Transport
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 27 March 1998,Official Report, column 302, on departmental transport arrangements, what further changes he has made. [54014]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  My Department is working towards the target announced in the White Paper 'A New Deal for Transport', that all headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies should have green transport plans by March 1999, and all other key buildings by March 2000. These targets have been incorporated into my Department's Greening Operations Policy. The policy also includes the following aim:
  851
  "to minimise the impact of the Department's travel arrangements on the environment by reducing the level of unnecessary travel and encouraging those who have to travel to do so in a way that minimises the environmental impact".

  Listening Devices
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidance he has given to(a) police forces and (b) MI5 in respect of the use of long-range microphones and the civil liberty implications thereof; [54193]

  (2) if it is the practice that the use by (a) police and (b) MI5 of listening devices which do not require his prior authorisation, of comparable effectiveness of those which do, are used only against targets and in cases where authorisation for those listening devices which do require such authorisation might reasonably be expected to be forthcoming; and if he will make a statement; [54574]

  (3) what steps he has taken to ensure that listening devices not requiring approval by warrant are not used by (a) the police and (b) MI5 to conduct exercises that would be unlikely to be approved by warrant were they conducted by listening devices that did require such authorisation; and if he will make a statement; [54573]

  (4) what steps he intends to take to ensure those listening devices presently available to the police and the security services but not covered by legislation requiring specific authorisation before their use are brought within the remit of legislation to require such specific authorisation to be obtained. [54192]

  Mr. Michael
  The deployment by the police and the Security Service of listening devices in circumstances not covered by the Intelligence Services Act 1994 or the Police Act 1977 (when implemented) is an operational matter for chief constables and the Director General respectively.

  The Association of Chief Police Officers is overseeing a project to establish national standards for police and Customs activity in relation to a range of covert law enforcement activity. The Security Service operates in accordance with its statutory functions and subject to statutory oversight. In accordance with long standing policy, I do not propose to comment on matters relating to its operations, including the equipment and sensitive techniques which it employs.

  Table A: Average court penalties given for offences1 of (a) causing death by dangerous driving and (b) careless driving, 1986–96 England and Wales

  Offence/court penalty

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Causing death by dangerous driving

  Immediate custody

  Average sentence length (months)

  15.3

  16.8

  18.4

  16.3

  16.8

  18.5

  20.7

  22.7

  27.4

  34.6

  31.4

  Careless driving

  Fine

  Average fine (£)

  66

  70

  75

  90

  100

  105

  106

  122

  127

  127

  127

  1 The data are based on instances where the offence is the principal offence

  Source:

  Home Office Court Proceedings database
  852
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances warrants for interception are agreed to where the prevention or detection of serious crime is not a factor. [54575]

  Mr. Straw
  The Interception of Communications Act 1985 provides that the Secretary of State may issue an interception warrant if he considers that it is necessary in the interests of national security, for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime or for the purpose of safeguarding the economic wellbeing of the United Kingdom. In deciding whether a warrant is necessary, the Secretary of State is required to consider whether the information could reasonably be acquired by other means. And, where the purpose of the warrant is to safeguard the economic wellbeing of the United Kingdom, the information which is required must relate to the acts or intentions of persons outside the British Islands.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's publications have been made available in(a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in 1997–98; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents. [54274]

  Mr. Straw
  Information on the numbers of documents published in alternative formats such as audio tapes will normally be considered by officials with responsibility for the documents in question. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Driving Offences
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the average penalty for(a) causing death by dangerous driving and (b) careless driving in each of the last 10 years; [53302]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the number of charges of causing death by dangerous driving that are reduced to careless driving during the course of trials. [53301]

  Mr. Michael
  Information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings database on average penalties is given in table A.

  No estimate has been made of the number of charges of causing death by dangerous driving that are reduced to careless driving during the course of trials. Table B, which uses data from the same database, compares the number of persons committed for trial from the magistrates' courts to the Crown Court for these two offences with the number tried in the Crown Court.
  853

  Table B: Number of defendants prosecuted, committed for trial and tried for offences1 of (a) causing death by dangerous driving and (b) careless driving, 1994–96 England and Wales

  Offence/court

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Causing death by dangerous driving

  Magistrates' courts

  Prosecutions

  235

  247

  260

  Committed for trial

  229

  229

  244

  The Crown Court

  Total tried2

  231

  240

  241

  Careless driving

  Magistrates' courts

  Prosecutions

  56,657

  54,939

  50,291

  Committed for trial

  3

  2

  6

  The Crown Court

  Total tried2

  151

  190

  228

  1 The data are based on instances where the offence is the principal offence

  Prosecutions

  Percentage of all road deaths

  Convictions

  Percentage of all road deaths

  Manslaughter

  4

  0.1

  1

  0.1

  Causing death by dangerous/careless driving1

  333

  9.3

  245

  6.8

  Causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink and drugs

  63

  1.8

  265

  1.8

  Causing death by aggravated taking

  27

  0.8

  18

  0.5

  No prosecution

  3,171

  88.1

  —

  —

  No conviction

  —

  —

  3,269

  90.7

  1 Figures for causing death by dangerous and careless driving have been counted together since 1992

  2 Includes 2 cases of manslaughter charges reduced at court

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if juries are informed of the maximum penalties attached to the offences of(a) careless driving and (b) dangerous driving. [53303]

  Mr. Michael
  The jury's role is solely to determine the facts of the case and to reach a verdict. Juries are not made aware of the consequences of conviction.

  Schengen Information System
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his document, "UK Presidency of the EU, Half Way Mark", if he will make a statement on the application of openness to UK nationals under the Schengen Information System. [54951]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Schengen, and the Schengen Information System in particular, is currently an intergovernmental arrangement outside the structures of the European Union. The United Kingdom is not a party to, or a participant in, Schengen.

  When the Treaty of Amsterdam comes into force, the Schengen arrangements will be brought within the structures of the European Union but will not apply to the United Kingdom unless we choose to take part. The arrangements for data protection and subject access in respect of the Schengen Information System, once within the European Union, have not yet been decided.
  854
  2 The data cover defendants either acquitted or convicted of the offence. Hence they cover those who were prosecuted under a more serious offence but acquitted or convicted of the offence and do not cover those prosecuted for the offence but acquitted or convicted of a lesser offence

  Source:

  Home Office Court Proceedings database

  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of road deaths resulted in convictions for(a) manslaughter, (b) causing death by dangerous driving, (c) careless driving, (d) causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink or drugs and (e) no conviction, in the last year for which figures are available. [53300]

  Mr. Michael
  There were 3,598 road deaths for England and Wales in 1996. The number of prosecutions and convictions in 1996 are shown in the table for the offences specified, and the respective proportion of all road deaths.

  Justice and Home Affairs Council
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of the minutes of the 19 March Justice and Home Affairs Council on new openness measures in the Library. [54949]

  Mr. Straw
  The openness measures agreed at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 19 March did not extend to Council minutes, which are not made publicly available in the interests of protecting the confidentiality of Council proceedings. But I reported on the outcome of the meeting in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) on 8 April 1998,Official Report, columns 256–67. The openness measures which were under discussion by the Justice and Home Affairs Council are set out in Council document 6407/98 (JAI 6), a copy of which was placed in the Library following the Council meeting.

  Household Insurance (No-claims Bonus)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the trends in the numbers of no-claims bonuses for household insurance on reporting rates of household crimes. [54822]

  Mr. Michael
  It is not possible to determine the effect of trends in the number of no-claims bonuses on reporting rates of household crimes. This is because there are no
  855
  centrally held figures on the proportion of household insurance policies that have a no-claims bonus, or on whether the number has changed over time.

  Evidence from the 1996 British Crime Survey suggests, however, that any drop in claims, for whatever reason, is likely to reduce levels of reporting. Victims of nearly three-quarters of incidents not reported to the police said they would have reported if they had made a claim.

  No claim was made in about two-thirds of incidents covered by insurance. Protecting a no-claims bonus was the reason given in only a fifth of these. There are no comparative figures to assess whether this proportion is higher than it would have been in the past.

  Active Community Task Force
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current membership of the Prime Minister's task force on the active community; and when it will next meet. [54487]

  Mr. Michael
  The task force has not yet been established.

  Metropolitan Police (Malpractice)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the level of malpractice within the Metropolitan Police. [54037]

  Mr. Michael
  We have received a number or representations from hon. Members and from members of the public on subjects related to corruption within the Metropolitan Police.

  The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis has publicly stated his determination to tackle corruption in the Metropolitan Police. The Commissioner tells me that, unfortunately, while the overwhelming majority of his officers are honest, professional and brave, and will never do anything wrong throughout their service, there is a small number who are involved in corrupt, dishonest and unethical behaviour. The actions of these officers sap the morale of their honest colleagues and undermine the confidence of the public in the police service.

  My right hon. Friend and I are regularly updated by the Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner on their progress in tackling corruption in the Metropolitan Police.

  Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary will be conducting a review into integrity in police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. I welcome this review, which will inform chief constables of good practice and ensure corrective action so that the high standards of service and integrity set by British police officers will be maintained.

  DNA Techniques
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his letter FC/98 333/1039/3 of 18 June 1998, what progress has been made by the Forensic Science Service in exploring how the police might utilise DNA techniques. [54053]
  856
  Mr. Michael
  The National DNA Database was established in April 1995. The success of the database has stimulated joint research between the Forensic Science Service and police forces on how to make best use of the information that DNA analysis can provide to support crime investigation. Some progress has been made in developing tests that may help to determine the race, hair and eye colour, for example, of the suspect from a stain left at the scene of a crime. Research presently underway with several police forces is aimed at evaluating the usefulness of this information in helping to identify suspects.

  Prisoners (Prescription Drugs)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce new guidelines on prescription drugs for prisoners, with particular reference to(a) Largactil, (b) Melleril and (c) other neuroleptic drugs. [54213]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Published Prison Service healthcare standards set out guidelines on the prescription of medicinal drugs to prisoners. The guidelines require prison doctors to exercise appropriate clinical judgment, and for Prison Service establishments to provide a safe, efficient and cost-effective pharmaceutical service to prisoners which complies with legal requirements, professional standards and ethical codes, commensurate with those in the National Health Service.

  There are no plans at present to revise these guidelines.

  Prisoners (Psychiatric Help)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the quality and the amount of psychiatric help provided to prisoners with problems of mental ill health. [54214]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The provision of mental healthcare in prisons was reviewed by the independent standing Health Advisory Committee (HAC) for the Prison Service, which published a report containing 16 recommendations for improvements last autumn. Implementation of the HAC's recommendations is being considered by the Joint Prison Service/National Health Service Executive working group, established to advise on options for improving prisoners' health care. The joint working group has been looking at, among other improvements, ways of increasing the contributions made by the NHS to mental health services for prisoners.

  Reasoning and Rehabilitation Programme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation programme, in Holloway and Cookham Wood; and what plans he has to extend this scheme. [54215]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Reasoning and Rehabilitation is a nationally accredited offending behaviour programme. Its delivery at individual establishments is reviewed annually as part of the Prison Service's offending behaviour programme accreditation process. The 1996–97 review showed that Cookham Wood and Holloway are implementing the programme well.
  857
  To maintain the quality of programme delivery, the Prison Service modifies the number of successful completions of the programme by prisoners by reference to an implementation quality rating. In 1997–98, the adjusted figure for Cookham Wood was 14 completions and for Holloway 20.9. Under plans made before the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review was announced, Cookham Wood was predicting 24 completions for 1998–99 and Holloway 21.

  The Prison Service plans to increase significantly the number of completions of accredited offending behaviour programmes across the whole estate over the next three years.

  Prisoners (Statistics)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are(a) the numbers and (b) the proportions of prisoners who are (i) Asian and (ii) Afro-Caribbean. [54212]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The latest available information on the ethnicity of prisoners is for 30 June 1998 and is given in the table.

  Percentage of prisoners in prison by ethnic group on 30 June 19981

  Ethnic group

  Number

  Percentage of total prison population

  White

  53,647

  82

  Black

  African

  1,396

  2

  Caribbean

  4,870

  7

  Other

  1,747

  3

  Total

  8,013

  12

  South Asian

  Indian

  694

  1

  Pakistani

  1,151

  2

  Bangladeshi

  169

  2—

  Total

  2,014

  3

  Chinese and other

  2,053

  3

  Total

  65,727

  100

  1 Provisional figures

  2 Less than 0.5 per cent.

  Note:

  Percentages have been calculated independently and may not sum to 100

  Prison Medical Staff
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to ensure that the qualifications of medical staff in prisons are parallel to those of the National Health Service. [54217]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Directorate of Health Care is working with an expert committee, comprising representatives of the Royal Colleges of General Practitioners, Medicine and Psychiatry, to establish a Health Care Standard for the continuing professional 858
  development of doctors working in prisons in England and Wales. This new Standard will include essential person specifications and competencies for the employment of prison doctors.

  Women's Prisons (Staff)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the numbers of women doctors, nurses and gynaecologists employed in women's prisons. [54216]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The overwhelming majority of nurses employed in women's prisons are female. The number of women doctors employed in women's prisons can vary due to the use of external general practitioners and other locum doctors. The most recent available figures show that 10 out of 31 doctors employed in women's or mixed prisons were female.

  Women prisoners who wish to see a female doctor or nurse have their wishes met wherever possible. A Women's Health Care Standard is being developed, which will include a requirement for protocols, to be agreed locally, for women prisoners who wish to consult female doctors or nurses to have their wishes respected.

  Prison Officers (Statistics)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are(a) the numbers and (b) the proportions of prison officers who are (i) Asian and (ii) Afro-Caribbean. [54211]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The information requested is as follows:

  The number of prison officer grades who are

  (i) Asian: 159

  (ii) Afro-Caribbean: 172

  The proportion of prison officer grades who are

  (i) Asian: 0.68 per cent.

  (ii) Afro-Caribbean: 0.73 per cent.

  Primary Purpose Rule
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his current estimate of the effect that the abolition of the primary purpose rule has had upon the number of spouses granted leave to enter the United Kingdom for a probationary year prior to settlement; and if he will make a statement. [54047]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I will write to the right hon. Member.

  Police Service
  Sir Norman Fowler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the strength of the police service in England and Wales, broken down to show(a) police and (b) civil staff (i) in total and (ii) by police force. [54045]

  Mr. Michael
  At the end of March 1998, there were in total 126,944 police officers and 53,480 civilian support
  859
  staff. This is 214 fewer police officers and 469 more civilians than there were on 31 March 1997. The table sets out the information requested.

  Force

  Police officers

  Civilian Support Staff

  Avon and Somerset

  2,975.9

  1,392.8

  Bedfordshire

  1,078.5

  522.7

  Cambridgeshire

  1,291.4

  573.6

  Cheshire

  2,035.9

  813.9

  City of London

  824.9

  348.4

  Cleveland

  1,483.4

  586.4

  Cumbria

  1,163.5

  451.5

  Derbyshire

  1,772.2

  787

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,961.5

  1,185.8

  Dorset

  1,310

  700.4

  Durham

  1,514.8

  556.5

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,002.3

  340.6

  Essex

  2,928.5

  1,252.5

  Gloucestershire

  1,103.9

  422.7

  Greater Manchester

  6,948.7

  2,660.6

  Gwent

  1,232.8

  467

  Hampshire

  3,489.5

  1,330.9

  Hertfordshire

  1,739.9

  830.8

  Humberside

  2,021.2

  786.2

  Kent

  3,251.8

  1,521.3

  Lancashire

  3,257.1

  1,142.7

  Leicestershire

  1,983.1

  774.1

  Lincolnshire

  1,191.1

  539.8

  Merseyside

  4,217.4

  1,502.4

  Metropolitan Police

  26,192.7

  12,432.3

  Norfolk

  1,429.6

  646.4

  Northamptonshire

  1,168.7

  577

  Northumbria

  3,766.7

  1,356.8

  North Wales

  1,396

  525

  North Yorkshire

  1,367.2

  542.9

  Nottinghamshire

  2,322.6

  986.6

  South Wales

  2,986.2

  1,241.3

  South Yorkshire

  3,182

  1,243

  Staffordshire

  2,292.1

  900.5

  Suffolk

  1,185.8

  583.4

  Surrey

  1,608.4

  743.2

  Sussex

  3,037.7

  1,201

  Thames Valley

  3,775.5

  1,826.7

  Warwickshire

  924.1

  409.8

  West Mercia

  2,011.8

  1,007.6

  West Midlands

  7,156.5

  2,816.5

  West Yorkshire

  5,154.7

  2,429.9

  Wiltshire

  1,148.3

  519.2

  Total strength of the forces

  124,885.9

  53,479.7

  Central services1

  736

  —

  Regional Crime Squads2

  1,289

  —

  Inter-force units3

  33

  —

  Total police service strength

  126,943.9

  53,479.7

  1 Central services includes officers seconded by forces to national police training, NCIS, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Information Technology Organisation

  2 From 1 April 1998 regional crime squads became the National Crime Squad

  3 These are units set up between forces to provide a common service. An example of this is the Regional Driving School at Devizes

  Age of Consent
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the provisions in the Sex Offenders Act 1997 relating to those convicted for crimes which would be legal if the age of consent were reduced to 16 years for homosexual acts. [53927]
  860
  Mr. Michael
  The issue will be considered in due course.

  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to issue new guidance on the sentencing of men aged between 16 and 18 years for engaging in consenting homosexual acts in private. [53928]

  Mr. Michael
  None. Sentencing guidelines are a matter for the Court of Appeal, which provides guidance on the appropriate sentencing range for criminal offences through its judgments in individual cases.

  The Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords] also contains provisions to build on and improve the current system of sentencing guidelines. Provisions in the Bill place a statutory duty on the Court of Appeal to consider producing sentencing guidelines. There will also be a new sentencing advisory panel established by the Bill, which will give advice to the Court of Appeal on sentencing.

  Mohammed Al Fayed
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision on the application for British citizenship by Mr. Mohammed Al Fayed. [54903]

  Mr. Straw
  It is not our practice to comment on individual applications. Decisions are taken when we have completed our consideration of whether an applicant meets the statutory requirements for British citizenship.

  Prison Farms
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the privatisation of HM prison farms. [54110]

  Mr. George Howarth
  There are no plans to privatise prison farms. However, a number of prisons are involved in Private Finance Initiative projects or partnership agreements.

  In May 1997, the Prisons Board agreed to the recommendations of the Prison Service Agricultural Review team, which was commissioned to consider the need and size of prison agricultural activities. The implementation of these recommendations will result in agricultural land which is no longer required by the Prison Service being sold, and the phasing out of potato and pig production. Any staff employment places in these particular enterprises would be absorbed into other activities. Work is continuing with the monitoring of dairy herds and developing the role of vegetable distribution centres.

  The review recommended continued involvement with private sector companies. The primary purpose of seeking such partnerships is to offer good value for money in providing prisoners with work, maximising current unrealised production and, more importantly, the injection of capital funds.

  The largest current Private Finance Initiative project operating in the prison farms sector involves mushroom packaging at Kirkham prison. Discussions are taking place on establishing other such enterprises in a number of prisons.
  861
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on livestock and produce grown and reared in prisons for sale on the open market. [54111]

  Mr. George Howarth
  There are a number of commercial sales generated from agricultural and horticultural activities in prisons. They are regarded as sources of income which can be offset against the cost of running the establishment from which the sales have been generated. Prison Service policy is that prices obtained should be in line with the local, and, where appropriate, national, price for a comparable product.

  Immigration
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the presenting officer's Unit in his Department received the papers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office relating to immigration appeal GV100/46408/AP; and if he will make a statement. [54279]
  862
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The explanatory statement was sent from the British High Commission, Islamabad, on 5 February. It was received within my Department on 17 February, it was processed and forwarded to the Immigration Appellate Authority on 7 April for the appeal to be listed.

  Race Relations Act
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assess the recommendations relating to Employment in the Public Service, as contained in the document Proposals for Change, submitted to him by the Commission for Racial Equality, on the reform of the Race Relations Act 1976. [53242]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Commission for Racial Equality's Third Review of the Race Relations Act 1976 contains a large number of proposals for amending the Act. My right hon. Friend announced on 23 June that the Home Office would welcome views on these and other proposals he has received. This consultation period will run until 6 November. The Government will reach a view on all the proposals once the consultation has finished.

Preamble
The House met at eleven of the clock: The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of Chichester.

Royal Assent
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg): My Lords, I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts:

Finance Act,

Crime and Disorder Act,

Government of Wales Act,

National Minimum Wage Act,

Lloyds TSB Act.

Business
11.6 a.m.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My Lords, after the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (Amendment) Regulations 1998 and before the NATO debate, my noble friend Lord Whitty will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement that is to be made in another place on the roads review.

Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham): My Lords, I beg to move, on behalf of the Committee of Selection, the first Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That the Baroness Nicol be appointed to serve as a member of the board of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) in the place of the Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn.—(The Chairman of Committees.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit Limited (PARBUL)
The Chairman of Committees: My Lords, I beg to move, on behalf of the Committee of Selection, the second Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That the Lord Burnham be appointed to serve as a member of the board of the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit Limited (PARBUL) in the place of the Lord Chesham, and that the Lord Morris of Castle Morris be appointed to serve as a member of the board.—(The Chairman of Committees.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Regional Development Agencies Bill
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty): My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That it be an instruction to the Committee of the Whole House to whom the Regional Development Agencies Bill has been committed that they consider the Bill in the following order:
Clause 1,
Schedule 1,
Clause 2,
Schedule 2,
Clauses 3 to 6,
Schedule 3,
Clauses 7 to 19,
Schedule 4,
Clause 20,
Schedule 5,
Clauses 21 to 23,
Schedule 6,
Clauses 24 to 32,
Schedule 7,
Clauses 33 and 34,
Schedule 8,
Clauses 35 and 36,
Schedule 9,
Clauses 37 to 44.—(Lord Whitty.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (Amendment) Regulations 1998
11.8 a.m.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn) rose to move, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 25th June be approved [40th Report from the Joint Committee].
The noble Lord said: My Lords, the schedule before your Lordships is designed to amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This gives effect to certain requirements arising from European Directive 86/609 on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes.
It is entirely a technical matter, putting on to the face of the 1986 Act provisions which to date have been carried by administrative controls.
Moved, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 25th June be approved [40th Report from the Joint Committee].—(Lord Williams of Mostyn.)
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: My Lords, from these Benches, we welcome the making of this order subject only to the points of view to be put in a moment by my noble friend Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior. My welcome is made from the policy viewpoint. I am aware that my noble friend brings his professional expertise of the highest order to the points that he will make. I shall listen to those with interest.

1739
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act introduced the toughest set of controls on animal experimentation in Europe and the regulations to be introduced today are only to be welcomed.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley: My Lords, on these Benches, we certainly welcome these regulations and the noble Lord's introduction of them. As he says, they deal mainly with matters which are already happening.
However, I have three questions. The first is about Section 5(5) of the Act. There is no central information source on alternative methods that can be consulted by project licence applicants, although they are required to sign a declaration that in their opinion there are no suitable alternatives to the use of animals. It would seem to be a good thing if one could be furnished. An easily accessible and comprehensive database of alternatives is therefore needed urgently to assist in the enforcement of the Act.
The second question relates to the provision of "exceptional justification" which the Secretary of State may use to make an exception when dealing with Section 10(3)(d) and the project licences. The question of what is "exceptional justification" seems to be completely arbitrary. The call for a total ban on the use of wild caught primates is justified on the grounds that the animals exported from their country of origin are often in a bad state of health when they arrive in Europe and a large proportion die before reaching research laboratories. Their age and background are generally unknown and they may be carrying unknown pathogens. Further, many primates must endure journeys of up to 48 hours before they arrive in the UK. Surely the benefits from research of that kind can never be outweighed by the suffering caused to the animals.
My third question concerns the ban on the testing of cosmetics which is now possible under current legislation. The Home Office could adopt a policy which stated clearly that tests on cosmetics products or ingredients does not meet the interpretation of Section 5(4) of the Act. Indeed, last year the noble Lord, Lord Williams, said that the suffering to animals is not justified in the safety testing of cosmetics finished products. The question needs to be put concerning what progress has been made towards a total ban on the testing of cosmetics ingredients on animals.
Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior: My Lords, I should, first, declare an interest in that I am patron of the fund for the replacement of animals in medical experiments. But, as such, the amendments that are proposed in these regulations further consolidate the relevance and the value of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which has served us well over the past 10 years or so. The proposed amendments do not represent any fundamental change but reflect the developments which have taken place since 1986. The regulations on the re-use and the identification of animals, and especially the regulations on the education and training of individuals who use and care for animals,
1740
are all welcome; as, indeed, are those allowing an animal to be set free following experimentation. Those are important steps.
The amendments do in fact extend, advocate and advance the welfare of animals and in particular the three Rs—that is, replacement, reduction and refinement—as regards animals in medical research. However, I have one concern, and that relates to the use of animals from the wild, as mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley. It is the interpretation of what is "from the wild" that worries me. My concern is with ponies which are used in equine research. I have no difficulty if this refers to truly wild animals, that we generally accept are born and live in the wild; but, so often, ponies from the Welsh hills, from Dartmoor and elsewhere are regarded as "wild" when they should more reasonably be referred to as "feral". I hope that the regulations will not encompass animals such as these ponies.
The Minister may be aware that there have been attempts to place horses or equines in general under Schedule 2 to the Act which demands that all animals should be bred specifically for experimental purposes. That applies to dogs, cats, mice, guinea pigs, and so on. Were that requirement to be made for horses, it would very severely compromise research on, for example, equine thoroughbreds and performance horses, which are never bred specifically for experimental purposes.
Of course, the regulations do not go that far; indeed, I am not complaining that they do. However, I merely wish to bring to the Minister's attention the fact that, were they to go that far in the future, we might then have a serious problem with respect to experimental work on horses such as thoroughbreds and performance horses. Other than that, I welcome the amendments, as, indeed, does the fund for the replacement of animals in medical experiments.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, I am grateful for the welcome which has been given to these regulations by all those who have spoken. Perhaps I may now deal with the particular questions that have been raised. The noble Lord, Lord Beaumont of Whitley, raised three distinct questions. The first was about access to alternatives. This is an important matter. I recently went to ECVAM, which is the European centre for validation of alternative methods in Italy. I can tell the House that the organisation is in the process of establishing a database of the sort described. It is extremely important that, if available, alternatives should be identifiable in the way that the noble Lord mentioned. Moreover, it is important that one can to some extent, I hope, avoid duplication of these experimental procedures.
The noble Lord then raised a further question under Section 10(3) of the Act as regards "exceptional justification", which I believe was echoed by the noble Lord, Lord Soulsby. We take this as being a very severe constraint indeed. I am happy to give the assurance that that will continue to be Home Office policy. I should point out that "exceptional justification" is intended to mean that there is a high hurdle set and that is the way we intend to continue.

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As regards cosmetics, four licences were still subsisting in May 1997 for the testing of finished cosmetic products. My officials negotiated the surrender of those licences so that there is no presently extant licence in this country for the testing of finished cosmetic products. I subsequently announced that no licences would be given for the testing of alcohol or of cigarettes on the basis of finished-product testing. So I reiterate that that, too, will remain Home Office policy.
I turn now to the specific question about wild-caught ponies. While Dartmoor ponies have been used in the past, as the noble Lord indicated, and it is still the position that they will fall within the relevant part of Section 10(3) of the Act, the conditions of a project licence shall, unless the Secretary of State considers that an exception is justified, include a condition that no protected animal taken from the wild shall be used under the licence. Therefore, if the use of wild-caught animals is essential, a licence can still be given and authority provided.
I note the point made by the noble Lord about the use of horses generally. I shall certainly bear that in mind and transmit it to my successor who is taking over these responsibilities. We are certainly extremely conscious of the fact that, if animals come into this country from abroad, they must be humanely treated at all times, especially bearing in mind the stress that travel can impose upon animals being transported over long distances. That is certainly something of which officials in the relevant unit are very conscious. I commend the regulations to the House.
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Business
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My Lords, before we move to the Statement on the roads review, I wish to remind the House that the Companion indicates that discussion on a Statement should be confined to brief comments and questions for clarification. Peers who speak at length do so at the expense of other noble Lords.

Roads Review
11.19 a.m.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, with the leave of the House I shall now repeat a Statement on the strategic review of trunk roads being made in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Transport. The Statement is as follows:
"With permission I wish to make a Statement about our strategic review of trunk roads, the report on which, A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England, is published today. I would like to begin by paying tribute to my right honourable friend the Member for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh and to my noble friend Lady Hayman for their tremendous work on this review. Copies of the report and regional leaflets
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explaining our decisions will be available in the Vote Office after this Statement. I have sent details to all MPs for English constituencies.
"We are committed to modernisation and prudent public finances. These themes formed the backdrop to the roads review. The outcome is not the grandiose but impractical notions of our predecessors, but realistic, practical decisions which will help business, help people and help Britain. Trunk roads are vital for business and personal travel. They carry a third of passenger traffic and over a half of freight. Traffic is expected to grow over the next 20 years by about 50 per cent. By the year 2016 a quarter of our trunk roads will be seriously congested. To do nothing about this is not an option. We need a new approach, building on that set out in our integrated transport White Paper. A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England is therefore based on the fundamental principle that trunk roads must have a central role in our integrated national transport system.
"There are four other key points in our approach. We will make better use of the existing network. Building new roads will not be the first option. We will help motorists by investing more in road maintenance. We will reduce the negative impact of trunk roads on people and the environment through safer roads, less noise, less pollution and less intrusion. We will ensure that trunk road planning is integrated with regional land use and transport strategies. We are giving the Highways Agency new objectives. We are putting more emphasis on its role as the operator of the network rather than the road builder. We shall look at options for charging users on trunk roads and using the revenue to maintain and improve the network. We have already announced that we are looking at continuing charging on the Dartford crossing and using the income to help deliver integrated transport objectives on the M.25. Moreover, today I can announce that projects to make better use of the network will benefit from 60 per cent. more funding by 2001–2.
"Roads are a vital national asset which has been poorly maintained. Without a change in direction, the state of roads will worsen. We will begin to put this right. We have already increased the provision for capital maintenance of roads by 50 per cent. for the current year. I can announce today that, in addition, maintenance spending overall will go up by a further 20 per cent. by the year 2001–2. We will progressively tackle the backlog and maintain trunk roads at minimum 'whole-life' costs. Taken with our proposals to encourage less damaging six-axle lorries, this strategy will save money, enhance safety and reduce disruption.
"The trunk road network has a good safety record and we will establish targets to reduce road casualties further. I am pleased to be able to tell the House that we have set up a ring-fenced safety budget for small safety projects. This will grow steadily to £50 million in 2001–2.
"Well planned bypasses and certain other road improvements can improve the environment and transform towns and villages without doing serious

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harm to the countryside. The key is to ensure that the environment is given full weight from the outset. From now on, therefore, there will be a strong presumption against affecting environmentally sensitive sites by new roads. In that context I can tell the House we are reducing the number of sites of special scientific interest affected by the programme from 49 to eight.
"I can also tell the House that we will use low noise surfaces for new roads and, where appropriate, when an existing road is re-surfaced. We will also have a dedicated budget to tackle some of the most difficult existing noise problems.
"Getting the planning framework right is crucial. I can today outline three measures to ensure that such a framework is put in place. First, future trunk road planning will be part of the regional planning system and set in the context of the overall transport and land use strategy for each region. Secondly, we are proposing to transfer some 40 per cent. of the existing trunk road network to local highway authorities. These roads should be managed by local authorities as part of local transport plans. Thirdly, we have ended the discredited 'predict and provide' approach to road building. Instead, our new appraisal approach is based on the five criteria of integration, environment, safety, the economy and accessibility. The new approach will become an increasingly important tool for appraising alternative options across all forms of transport.
"I turn now to the review of the trunk roads programme. For the first time ever we conducted a wide-ranging public consultation on the review with meetings in each region in which my right honourable friend the Member for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh played a prominent part. My noble friend Lady Hayman met MPs to hear their views. Some 14,000 written representations were received. Together this gave us a clear picture of regional priorities.
"For the first time ever we analysed objectively the problems we were seeking to address using broadly based criteria. For the first time ever we have provided financial stability through our three-year spending programme and seven year transport investment plan which will enable our programme to go ahead. And for the first time ever we have a practical and focused programme. Gone is our predecessor's massive wish list of 150 schemes, some of which would never have been built, over a timescale which was never specified and for which money was never assured.
"We have looked at the schemes which could be started in the foreseeable future and produced a programme that is funded and delivers our objectives. This is the 37 schemes in our targeted programme of improvements, all of which can be started within seven years. Of these, the largest category is safety and healthier communities, reflecting the importance we attach to these objectives. This includes much needed bypasses which will take large volumes of
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traffic out of towns and villages, thereby improving the quality of life. It also includes schemes designed to improve sections with poor accident rates.
"Another category, regeneration and integration, includes junction improvements to remove bottlenecks which are hampering development, dualling schemes to improve access to remote areas, and schemes to facilitate access to a rail-freight terminal and an airport. Finally, the jobs and prosperity category includes schemes to deal with bottlenecks and others needed to support economic growth in particular locations. Many of the schemes which are not taken forward reflect serious transport problems which need to be addressed. There will be a programme of studies which will look at practical options and develop integrated transport solutions.
"The House will not expect me to give details of every scheme but I should cover two particular issues. The motorway network is the core of the road system and essential to the nation's economy. A number of schemes for widening the existing motorway network were under consideration. We had to balance their economic benefits against the impact on the environment and local communities.
"In some cases, for example the proposals to widen the M.6 between Junctions 11A and 19, we propose to study all the integrated transport options, including the shifting of traffic from road to rail, in order to develop the best integrated transport solution to deal with the serious problems on this route between Birmingham and Manchester. For the first time we have brought Railtrack and the Highways Agency into a concordat to work on problems such as this.
"I now turn to the M.25. The M.25 is a strategic motorway which is important to the entire country. It is severely congested, which is bad for the economy and the environment. There are no easy answers. We need a package of measures including traffic and demand management and attractive public transport alternatives. We are setting in hand a major study to develop such solutions. Meanwhile, we propose a number of short-term measures such as closed circuit TV cameras covering the whole motorway and the extension of variable speed limits. We will also investigate using the hard shoulder as a climbing lane, subject to safety considerations.
"But the problems between Junctions 12 (the M.3 junction) and 15 (the M.4 junction) are so acute that providing some extra capacity has to be part of the strategy. This is the most heavily used section of our motorway network with flows of up to 200,000 vehicles a day. The most up-to-date traffic management measures have already been applied to this section. More capacity is needed to allow a breathing space while wider integrated transport policies take effect and to allow for the gradual introduction of the necessary traffic and demand management strategies. We have therefore concluded that this widening scheme should go ahead. We are, however, cancelling the two other widening schemes on the M.25 between Junctions 15 and 19.

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"There is also one scheme that brings together economic, environmental and heritage issues. Stonehenge is unique—a world heritage site. Yet its setting has been described by the Public Accounts Committee as a 'national disgrace'. The solution developed by my department, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and English Heritage is to put the 2km section of the A.303 which passes the stones in a cut-and-cover tunnel. At least a third of the costs will be found from heritage sources. The scheme will have major heritage and environmental benefits. It will remove a bottleneck and improve the traffic flow on the A.303. It shows what can be achieved with cross-departmental working.
"Judgments about roads are never easy. The policy I have announced today is good for the economy because it gives priority to maintenance and making best use of an asset as well as investing in a number of urgent schemes. It is good for safety and the environment. We have reduced dramatically the number of sites of special scientific interest affected by the programme. It makes good financial sense with a practical, deliverable, programme for the future. A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England sets out a radical approach to trunk road policy which is based firmly on our integrated transport strategy. I commend it to the House".
My Lords, that concludes the Statement.
11.31 a.m.
Lord Moynihan: My Lords, two days ago I had the good fortune to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, on his promotion. As your Lordships will recall, the Opposition Front Bench foreign affairs team mounted a long-running campaign which included parliamentary Questions in another place, repeated statements from this Dispatch Box and a number of interventions, all aimed at catching the Prime Minister's eye in the run-up to the reshuffle so that the noble Lord would gain promotion. We sincerely congratulate him.
Noble Lords may also have noticed that, as foreign affairs spokesman, I find myself in the somewhat unusual position of responding to the Statement on behalf of the Opposition. However, this provides me with a unique and objective standpoint which has refreshed memories of the close relationship that I established with Department of Transport officials during my time as the Department of the Environment Minister responsible for planning. I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement. I simply wish to ask him the following questions.
Does the Minister agree that more than 500 communities waiting for relief from congestion and pollution from the building of bypasses will be bitterly disappointed by this Statement? What criteria have the Government used to exclude the vast majority of schemes? How many bypasses are planned for this year, next year and the following year? What will be the total over the lifetime of this Parliament?
Does the Minister agree with Friends of the Earth that properly built and managed bypasses relieve congestion and pollution? Can he confirm that a large proportion of
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the money for planned spending on roads maintenance comes from the total cutting of all subsidy to London Underground by the year 2000? Will the Minister explain to the House his assumptions for economic growth from passenger increases which allow him to cut the subsidy to London Underground? Will he explain what will happen to the roads maintenance programme if his assumptions turn out to be over-optimistic?
What significance does the Government's decision on the continuation of the Dartford crossing tolls, announced last week and referred to again in the Statement, have for local road users in terms of hypothecation, transparency and fairness? Is the principle behind that decision to be extended, for example, to the Skye road bridge, the Severn bridges and the bridge over the mouth of the Humber?
All the schemes due to be scrapped as a result of the review have been the subject of numerous analyses, revealing real problems—for example, the M.1 and M.6 widening. What plans do the Government have to resolve those problems quickly? I understand the studies announced in the Statement; however, it is the speed of action on which I seek to elicit a response from the Minister.
Will the Minister inform the House as to why—perhaps the most surprising point of all—the Secretary of State no longer regards the widening of the M.25 as "lunacy"? What made him change his mind? The Secretary of State might well consider the maxim that Ministers who do U-turns on motorways seldom survive to tell the story.
Behind every cloud there is a silver lining, and we on this side of the House welcome the establishment of properly resourced and technologically equipped regional road centres. Will the Minister tell the House how quickly they will be up and functioning?
Finally, the Government appear to have begun to adopt the new "Prescott's law"—the absurd notion that placing traffic lights on busy roundabouts relieves congestion. It does not. Those of us more fortunate than the Minister who travel to Parliament from the London Borough of Lambeth, south of the river, have in recent days experienced the chaos, delays and increased pollution resulting from the imposition of traffic lights on the roundabout immediately south of Lambeth Bridge. Perhaps I may therefore ask the Minister whether, with his customary courtesy, he will forward any policy statements, research studies or reports his department has collated on the effects of traffic lights placed on busy roundabouts.
In summary, I can do no better than respond—
Lord Berkeley: My Lords, was the noble Lord travelling in his own car or on public transport when he experienced all those problems with traffic lights?
Lord Moynihan: My Lords, I can inform noble Lords that I was travelling in a car. I walk when the weather is good and I drive when the weather is bad. On that occasion I was driving.

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To summarise on the whole question of the Statement and the issues under consideration today, I can do no better than refer to the BBC Radio 4 reporter who said, on handing back to the studio this morning following his consideration of the proposed Roads Review: "So it's jams tomorrow, John". I am sure that we shall receive excellent answers from the Minister. Once again, I warmly congratulate him on his promotion and I look forward to hearing his reply.
11.37 a.m.
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood: My Lords, perhaps I may follow the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, in welcoming the noble Lord to the Front Benches. If I may say so, he has a rather hard act to follow. However, I am sure that he will do it with his customary elegance and ability. I apologise for missing the first few words of the Statement. I had in fact read it, so I was aware of the content. I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement and for giving us just a little time to consider our response.
In general, from these Benches we welcome the Statement as a beginning of the implementation of some of the proposals in the transport White Paper relating to major road building and various other aspects which this Statement covers. We also welcome in principle the reduction in major schemes. I wonder, however, whether the Minister can tell us whether the villages which are to lose their bypasses are to be included on the list of 150 traffic management schemes and schemes for reduction of the impact of traffic announced during the Statement on the transport White Paper.
There is also some doubt as to the number of schemes that have been axed. Will the Minister acknowledge that schemes "kept under consideration", including the 57 that are to be considered by the regional planning conferences, cost money during the period of consideration? Who will finance that cost? That is especially important because the regional planning conferences have not previously been the major authorities for carrying forward road schemes. That has been the job of the Highways Authority. It is an important shift which needs to be followed by some sort of financial support.
The same question applies to the seven schemes that are to be "progressed pending final decision", and the 19 that have been delegated to local authorities. In fact, only 18 schemes on the core network have been categorically withdrawn. Can the Minister confirm that figure, which I calculated in rather a hurry?
There is useful material in the full report about sharing out road space and the linkage between road building and other solutions to improve access and safety. There is also the welcome promise of quieter road surfaces, local management of some major roads, the principle of the seven-year investment programme, the end of the wish-list approach and the co-operation between Railtrack and the Highways Agency.
It was not in the Statement, but there is also the continuing possibility of tolls on the motorway and trunk road system, to which I offer opposition. In most
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people's experience and in the opinion of many engineers, the effect of tolling the major road system is to transfer the burden of traffic onto less suitable roads. Would the Minister care to respond to that assertion?
I turn to the widening of the M.25 between junctions 12 and 15. Can the Minister tell us whether there is any specific provision for public transport vehicles in the widening, which we oppose? Can he also tell us when the widened section will once again become congested? In other words, how long is the window of opportunity? I have been told that it might be as little as 10 years. In my experience on the Highways Authority, 10 years is not much time to start reorganising the surrounding network.
I shall not ask a relevant but complicated technical question as to the standard of vehicles per hour which has been used to justify the expansion, but I shall do so by letter.
Finally, does the Minister accept that a Statement plus the opportunity to put questions is not an adequate method of providing parliamentary scrutiny, particularly when we are talking about a major change in government policy? The result is to leave the main scrutiny to the media and not the politicians and I submit that that is not the best way to get round the problem.
11.42 a.m.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, first I thank the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, for his congratulations on my change of status. I believe he knows that there was a time when his constant assertions of my suitability for preferment could be seriously counterproductive. I was wrong in that; the noble Lord has far more influence in Downing Street than many of us on this side of the House. I am deeply impressed. I am further impressed with his sudden conversion into a transport expert, even though his focus may be on areas less than 500 yards from the House. Nevertheless, his expertise is evident and I thank him and the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, for their welcome for at least aspects of the Statement.
The Statement indicates a strategic approach. It is shifting concentration onto trunk routes and within the expenditure on trunk routes it is shifting towards improving the existing network, while still maintaining a clearly focused core of schemes with which we need to go ahead in our improvement programme.
In addition, noble Lords may not have picked up from the Statement that we shall be giving to the Highways Agency much more of a management than a road-building role. That will be part of the outcome of the studies which the noble Baroness mentioned, and other measures than road-building to solve some of the problems which we are not tackling directly. It places the whole of our roads programme in a broader integrated transport strategy. Solutions to some of the problems at least will not be road-building solutions.
The noble Baroness asked me about the figures. Compared with what we are referring to as a wish-list which we inherited without a timescale and without clear budgeting, we now have a budgeted programme, all of which will be started within the next seven years.

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In terms of the numbers withdrawn from the previous existing programme, in total 36 have been withdrawn, eight of which are subject to further studies.
The noble Lord and the noble Baroness raised the question of charging. I referred in the Statement to the continuing charge at the Dartford Tunnel. As we said in last week's White Paper, we intend to introduce legislation to permit charging road users. We anticipate that although early schemes may be primarily in urban areas, schemes may also be developed on trunk roads and motorways, either on a self-standing basis or jointly with local authorities. We believe that charging schemes can help to meet transport and environmental objectives in both urban and rural areas by relieving congestion and providing a guaranteed income stream. There are no further announcements in relation to tolling in the Statement.
The noble Baroness also asked about the timescale of studies. I cannot give a definitive answer as to when all the studies will be complete, some will take longer than others. Those which are in our core programme can be started within the period to which I referred. The noble Lord raised the question of the M.1 and M.6 studies, where we are looking not only at road solutions but also other solutions and transfers of freight and traffic. They will take some time because they are extremely complex studies.
Both Opposition spokespeople referred to the M.25 and to the Deputy Prime Minister's previous rejection of widening of the M.25. I do not use such colourful language as my right honourable friend, but it would be a non-solution to widen the M.25 in all the places proposed and it would have severe environmental effects. The area of the scheme in which we are extending the M.25 has some 200,000 users per day. Traffic management schemes have already been introduced under the previous regime. They have partly improved the problem, but they have not resolved it. There is no other solution than to extend the M.25 in that limited area. We intend to do so. The noble Baroness asked about public service transport, there is no implication of dedicated routes in the solution. Any such solution would require further consideration of the M.25 as a whole.
Both noble spokespeople referred to the bypasses programme. The noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, suggested that there was a massive cut in the bypasses programme. There is a change of emphasis, a shift of expenditure from bypasses to maintenance which will benefit a wider range of road users. But it would be wrong to say that this is a massive cut-back on bypasses. There are 15 bypass schemes in the targeted programme of improvements, and there are other schemes which have partial bypass effects. An additional three will be progressed up to starting point. There are 12 on hold, one will be withdrawn and there are nine bypass schemes in the pre-existing programme which are to be de-trunked. Bypass provision plays a major part in our strategy.
The noble Lord asked about the London Underground. I can assure him that there has been no transfer in the sense to which he referred between the
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London Underground and the roads programme. Indeed, the Comprehensive Spending Review transport settlement makes that clear. We are balancing competing priorities, but the additional maintenance spend is not a read-over from the London Transport figures.
The noble Lord also asked about traffic lights and Lambeth Bridge. I understand his preoccupation with that area, but I must say that it is not part of the trunk road programme and therefore plays no part in the Statement today. Anyway, the responsibility for London roads will shortly, subject to the decision of the House, pass to the Greater London authority.
The noble Lord also asked about the timing on regional centres. Proposals still require some development, but the indications are good. The roads review report identifies significant benefits from the centres on traffic management, strategic traffic control, travel information and emergency assistance. We hope to bring proposals forward soon, certainly within the next two years.
The noble Baroness concluded by asking whether this was the best time to have a debate on these issues. I have no doubt that noble Lords, subject to the normal procedures, will wish to raise transport and road issues at subsequent stages. However, we felt that as soon as the decisions had been made we ought to inform Parliament and the public and we have done so in the announcement made by my right honourable friend today.
I have dealt with most of the questions. I should like to finish by paying tribute to my noble friend Lady Hayman. Not only has she presented the whole of the enormous portfolio of the DETR to this House, but she has also personally been involved in all of those decisions. I say that not to deny my own responsibility for them, but to indicate the degree of executive responsibility that she carried. She looked at all the schemes in the pre-existing programme and reached those conclusions. It has been a massive task and the Government and the whole House are grateful to her.
11.51 a.m.
Lord Skelmersdale: My Lords, I congratulate the Government on cracking an extremely hard nut. I recall the saga of the limes at Hampton Court. It took 20 years and goodness knows how many Ministers to resolve the matter before they were ultimately replanted. The same can be said of the A.303 by Stonehenge. I am delighted with the announcement that there is to be a cut-and-cover solution to that specific section. However, I observed too that the spin put on the Statement, and indeed the White Paper, was that the Government's new policy was realistic. There will be a lot of disappointed people throughout the country who have been relying on the bypasses mentioned by both my noble friend and the noble Baroness on the Liberal Democrat Benches. They will not find the plan realistic and it is no solution if we cannot get down a quieter road.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, I welcome the noble Lord's remarks in relation to Stonehenge. It is a unique project

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and a substantial resource that we are putting into it. It is a joint operation between ourselves and heritage resources for that site, which is unique in the whole of Europe.
I accept that there will be a number of communities, pressure groups and individual drivers who will be disappointed that some schemes have not been included within the programme. But, to coin a phrase, we are always faced with hard choices. We decided our priorities on a broad range of indications which range from the environmental to the straightforwardly economic, and from the road environment to the general environment surrounding them. We had to make choices. We made them on objective criteria. Some people will be disappointed that roads are not being built and others that roads are being built. Nevertheless, we had to strike a balance. I believe that the strategy is right and I hope that the House will accept it.
Lord Kennett: My Lords, perhaps I can ask for a little more information about the Stonehenge road. The acceptability of a cut-and-cover solution, because the cut will continue straight across the Stonehenge plain, will depend on two things; first, where the portals will be. We are told it is to be two kilometres, but which two kilometres? What will they be like and where will they be? That could ruin the whole project. Secondly, does my noble friend agree that it would have been better, had it been possible, to have provided a deep bore tunnel a little to the south entirely off the area of the Stonehenge plain? It would then have been unnecessary to disturb the archaeology below the surface.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, I do not accept my noble friend's last point. The provision of a deep bore tunnel, wherever it was placed, would not only be substantially more expensive, but would cause even greater environmental effects. The siting of the portals will take into account the archaeological sites; not just the stones in the immediate area but also the barrows and other sites around the area. It will also incorporate on a traffic basis a bypass to Winterbourne Stoke.
Looking at all the solutions to the Stonehenge position from all angles, a cut-and-cover tunnel seemed to us the best solution. But we will ensure that archaeological sites are not destroyed in the process.
Baroness Ludford: My Lords, is the Minister confident that the ability of the Greater London Authority to develop an integrated transport strategy is not being prejudiced? The criteria for the scheme has been chosen but it is said that one of the schemes that will be taken forward, subject to the agreement with developers, is the M.25 Terminal 5 spur road. That seems to me to pre-empt certain decisions. Also, the A.23 Coulsdon inner relief road is being decided on.
The Statement described the M.25 as a strategic motorway, though in the supplement it concedes that it is also a bypass for London. I am concerned about the decision to widen the M.25 which may to some extent
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prejudice the ability of the GLA—which may be up and running in 18 months—to make the kind of decisions that impact strongly on London.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, the M.25 will continue to be part of the national trunk route, as indeed it should be. Therefore there will be national responsibility for it. My reference to the Greater London Authority related to the smaller highway across the river to which the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, drew attention.
Obviously, any change in the structure of the M.25 will impact on the surrounding roads and therefore it will be necessary for the continuing management of the M.25 to be considered in conjunction with the GLA once it is established and once its regional strategy for transport is established. The decisions on the widening of the M.25 are taken irrespective of the decision on Terminal 5 and therefore do not pre-empt anything.
Lord Burnham: My Lords, I heard a horrified gasp from my noble friend when the Minister quoted from the Statement,
"We will also investigate using the hard shoulder as a climbing lane, subject to safety considerations".
I add my horrified gasp to that. To be fair to the noble Lord, the Secretary of State was referring specifically to the M.25. However, I am sure that the idea will spread beyond that road and it is a terrifyingly dangerous concept.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, I take the noble Lord's point. Clearly the Statement refers solely to the M.25, though as the noble Lord will know there are some motorways where it is already in practice. It has serious safety implications and any decision to use the hard shoulder on the M.25 must give prime consideration to those safety issues.
Lord Berkeley: My Lords, perhaps I may probe the Minister a little further on the M.25. First, I congratulate him on his new appointment which I very much welcome, and I share his congratulations on the work done by my noble friend Lady Hayman in that position over the past year or so.
Will my noble friend confirm than the widening of the M.25 around Heathrow is not dependent on the result of a public inquiry into Terminal 5 and therefore the predictions that require the widening are based on Terminal 5 not being built? Can he confirm also that if Terminal 5 goes ahead, there will be no further widening proposals on the M.25? As we all know, British Airports Authority is committed to increasing the number of passengers and workers that travel by public transport to the terminal to such a degree that we would not need any more roads. Lastly, can the Minister confirm that if British Airports Authority suggests that more roads are required, it should contribute significantly to the cost of them?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, I can confirm that the decision taken on the widening of the M.25 is taken on transport grounds and is not in any way dependent on Terminal 5 being built. The Terminal 5 inquiry is

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considering surface access proposals on the basis of the widening proposed and no more. Forecasts presented to the inquiry suggest that no additional capacity will be required. Of course it is a matter for the inspector to advise on this in due course and on any costs which arise.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, I hesitate to edge the House beyond the M.25. Some of us have lived for years with the saga of the Aire Valley trunk road, the attempt by the Ministry of Transport to build another trans-Pennine link. What we are left with is a half-built road stuck without an end, the A.650. Various proposals have been made to avoid sites of scientific interest and the historic village of Saltaire by, for example, tunnelling the road under Shipley. I do not expect that the Minister has a brief on this. I hesitate to ask that he look to see whether it is there. I simply flag it as one of the issues which is unresolved. If we are to have a greater emphasis on heritage and SSSIs in considering the future road programme, this is one of the questions which should be looked at again.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, although I do indeed have a brief on the A.650 and on the trans-Pennine A.66, without an atlas I am not entirely clear which section of it the noble Lord is referring to.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Between Bingley and Shipley.
Lord Whitty: My Lords, if it is between Bingley and Shipley, then the Bingley relief road is in the approved programme and therefore the next stage will be carried out. As far as the rest of the road is concerned, perhaps I can write to the noble Lord.
Viscount Addison: My Lords, with regard to the extra funding for road maintenance, will the Minister confirm that greater emphasis will be placed on round-the-clock working to help speed completion of projects?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, that seems a sensible idea. It will however form part of the responsibilities of the Highways Agency and the contracts it gives to deliver this programme. Clearly, we would wish to deliver it at minimum disruption and therefore some such suggestions will in most cases be relevant.

Northern Ireland Bill
Brought from the Commons; read a first time, and to be printed.

NATO Enlargement
12.1 p.m.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert) rose to move, That this House take note of NATO's invitation to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland to join the alliance.
The noble Lord said: My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. It is with some effort that one recalls the state of Europe in 1945. There was not in fact a Soviet Empire in 1945. It was built up piecemeal but very rapidly and the first countries to fall under the Soviet yoke were of course the Baltic states who were, by the end of the war, already wholly occupied by Soviet forces and lost their individual national identities very quickly.
Then there was an inexorable process westwards and south through the Balkans which looked as though it was never going to end. It did in fact end with the coup in Czechoslovakia which was the tripwire that forced the creation of NATO. However, nobody knew at that time that that was going to be the end of the westward and southward expansion of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union's hegemony. There was civil war in Greece, Turkey was always in a fragile state, and for many years in France and Italy the Communist Party was regularly getting 20 to 25 per cent. of the vote in election after election. It had left-wing allies and we feared for the sustenance of democracy in those countries.
It is very difficult now to recall the climate of those years and also to remember that in the west and in our own country in particular there were many apologists for the Soviet Union, some of whom were naïve, many of whom ought to have known a lot better.
I have no intention of rehearsing the history of the last 49 years. I am sure it is common currency in your Lordships' House that NATO has been a spectacular success. It has deterred people from starting a war that NATO was ready to fight by conventional or by nuclear means if necessary. It was natural therefore that when the dissolution of the Soviet empire came about and then that of the USSR itself there should be many suggestions for expansion. There were however, as you will be well aware (and there are no doubt some in your Lordships' House today), sceptics about that proposition.
I confess readily to your Lordships that I was one of the sceptics. The last speech I made in the other place in October 1996 was devoted to warning against the expansion of NATO, since when two events of epic importance have taken place. In July 1997 there was a Madrid Summit and in May 1997 I was given a government job. I am sure your Lordships will draw the correct conclusions from those two events.
I thought it might be helpful if I were to rehearse the objections I listed in my words to the Commons in 1996 to the expansion of the Soviet Union just to illustrate how things changed at Madrid in July of that year and subsequently. The points I was making then were, first, that enlargement should take place country by country rather than as a block. Secondly, I thought that the cost of expansion had not been considered properly and that it would bear very heavily on the existing defence budgets of member countries of NATO. Thirdly, I was particularly concerned about the effect that the eastward expansion of NATO would have both on senior Russian military and political leaders and also on the

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Russian electorate. Fourthly, I was concerned that enlargement would dilute the decision-making process in NATO and, finally, that NATO would be transformed from a successful defensive alliance to a generalised security arrangement.
I considered what I said in October 1996 in preparation for this debate and I have to say, given the circumstances of October 1996, that I would not wish to unsay a word I said in the other place at that time. However, as I say, things have moved on since that debate in the other place. As far as concerns the question of enlargement taking place country by county rather than as a block, this of course is precisely what happened in the discussions leading up to the July 1997 Madrid summit. Right up to the end there were uncertainties as to whether five more countries, four more countries or three more countries would be invited to join the alliance, and your Lordships know the result of those deliberations within the existing members of the alliance. There was no decision to take in countries as a block. The merits of each and every one of the new members were considered, as were the merits and the attitudes of the other countries who were also candidates to join at that time.
As far as the cost of expansion is concerned, in October 1996 I think it was perfectly true to say that it had not been considered and there were many different estimates flying around in western Europe and from different sources within the United States as to what the cost of expansion might be. We now have an agreed estimate within NATO that the cost of expansion will be of the order of £1.5 billion over a period of 10 years and that the United Kingdom's share will be about £110 million over the same period, in other words of the order of £10 million or £11 million a year for us. We will not therefore need an increase in the Defence Vote of this country in order to fund our share of enlargement. I have to say that NATO considered the possibility of other higher estimates of cost and the countries of NATO have accounted for the differences that stemmed very largely from different assumptions about the numbers of new countries that might be coming in, about the stationing of forces on their territory and the extent of the re-equipment programmes that the new member states would require and which would require not only re-equipment but also infrastructure programmes that would need to be funded by the alliance collectively. The estimates I have put before your Lordships were based on the most up-to-date planning assumptions and have been accepted by all existing members as realistic estimates.
I turn now to concerns about the reaction of senior Russians and the Russian electorate. I think it is fair to say that there are still concerns on the part of many senior Russians about the eastward expansion of NATO. They are sincere and serious concerns. It is up to us to make sure that we prove to Russia that her suspicions are groundless and that we do this by an ongoing process of consultation and co-operation. I am sure all your Lordships welcome the NATO-Russian Founding Act, in which we made clear that we would carry out our collective defence responsibilities without the
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permanent and large-scale stationing of NATO forces on the territories of the new member states. I am sure your Lordships also welcome the permanent joint council, established under the NATO-Russian Founding Act, which allows us to talk constructively with our Russian friends over a whole range of issues.
The concerns about the effect on the Russian electorate are, I suppose, still valid to some extent. But, so far, we have not seen what I feared, which was that some of the wilder men in Russian politics would be able to whip up nationalist fervour in Russian elections as a result of the expansion of NATO. I personally have realised, and I hope your Lordships have as well, that concerns on that point have been very much diluted with the passage of time.
I come now to the last two main points; namely, that enlargement would dilute the decision-making capability of the alliance and that NATO would be transformed from a successful alliance into a toothless, generalised security arrangement. There is nothing magical about the decision making process of 16 members. There is nothing magical about the figure 16. There is no reason why NATO cannot reach amicably and smoothly, with 19 members as it has done with 16, the decisions it needs to reach in the course of its business. It will be within your Lordships' knowledge that NATO decisions are never taken by vote. It has never been necessary to take them by vote. I am quite sure that that collegiate atmosphere will prevail under the new dispensation.
The new members will be declaring their forces to NATO and will join the integrated military structure. They will be participating in all the collective defence planning processes and they will be sending representatives to the North Atlantic Council and the NATO military committee. All three have confirmed that they will be supporting the alliance practice of consensus.
However, with this expansion of NATO, one unique element has been introduced for the first time. I confess that it has caused me a certain degree of concern. I have pointed this out in the Ministry of Defence and in such international circles as I move from time to time. With the adhesion of Hungary to the alliance, for the first time NATO has acquired a member which is both landlocked and has a territory wholly surrounded by non-NATO members. This is quite unlike the situation we had with the adhesion of Greece and Turkey. While neither of them had NATO countries with borders contiguous to their own, they were always accessible by sea or through friendly air space. I have pondered the difficulties that would arise if NATO were required to invoke Article 5 procedures on behalf of Hungary because, as things stand at the moment—I shall be quite frank with your Lordships—it is impossible to reach NATO without transiting either the territory or the air space of neutral countries. However, on a moment's consideration, it seems to me that Hungary's neighbours, certainly to the west, to the north and to the south, are benevolent neutrals and are very unlikely indeed to object to the passage of the forces of NATO powers in an Article 5 situation involving Hungary for the very simple reason that their own security would be involved.
NATO has been the cornerstone of European security. It provides a guarantee of integrated military forces and it is an essential link between Europe and the United States and Canada. There should be absolutely no doubt—I do not think for one moment that there is any doubt—about Her Majesty's Government's continuing commitment to the alliance. Of course we should do nothing that would imperil the future of the alliance. Enlarging it, therefore, requires and has had very careful thought. Since the Madrid summit last year we have made a great deal of progress which enabled me to commend to your Lordships' House the invitation to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to join the alliance. This represents a manageable and limited enlargement involving credible candidates who have reliable democratic institutions and a real ability to contribute to collective security. I do not suppose for one moment that this step represents the end of the expansion of the alliance, which has served us so well. But, for the time being, we are delighted to welcome these new countries as our allies. I commend the Motion to the House. I beg to move.
Moved, That this House takes note of NATO's invitation to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland to join the alliance.—(Lord Gilbert.)
12.16 p.m.
Lord Moynihan: My Lords, the last time we had the opportunity to have a full debate on NATO and the issues of enlargement was over a year ago. It was not long after the historic signing of the founding act on mutual relations, co-operation and security between NATO and the Russian Federation. In that debate there was consensus between the two Front Benches in this House that no issue should have a higher priority in Britain's foreign policy than the future of NATO. From these Benches I should like to reiterate how much we continue to support the cause of NATO enlargement. The Government's continuity of policy towards the extension of the NATO alliance to the east is therefore most welcome. Today, we will have the opportunity to debate the fruits of that policy one year on and to analyse the progress that has been made.
I agree with the Minister that the Madrid summit was a milestone on the road to NATO's fourth expansion, when the alliance's 16 existing members met to decide which of the 12 applicant countries would be invited to begin accession negotiations. That summit brought to a successful conclusion the work begun in Brussels in 1994. I should like to take this opportunity to welcome three of the former Warsaw Pact nations—Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary—who are well en route to full membership of the NATO family of nations. Their admission represents a significant step in the healing of the bitter divisions between eastern Europe and western Europe and a healing of the deep wounds which scarred our continent both physically and mentally. We are privileged to be part of the generation which has witnessed a comparatively recent shift in the political geography of Europe and which has so transformed its landscape.
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The enlargement of NATO will enable these countries, who not so very long ago were our potential enemies, to become our firm allies and to share in our security and we in theirs. We welcome the recent ratification of the accession of the three applicant states by the US Senate and we are confident that the ratification process will be successfully concluded.
Half a century after NATO's foundation, its fourth extension provides a timely opportunity to assess and to consolidate. From these Benches, we have a clear vision for the future role for NATO, a future role which requires enlargement. It is not news to your Lordships that it is a real but most regrettable fact that peace in post-Cold War Europe cannot be taken for granted. The history of Europe has left behind many animosities and tensions, particularly in the east. Bosnia and now, increasingly, Kosovo stand as a stark and terrible testament to this fact. Peace keeping and crisis management functions have become increasingly prominent. NATO still has an essential role in maintaining peace and stability with the important question of how far the emphasis has shifted towards the painstaking process of building peace rather than deterring war.
The principle of collective defence lies at the heart of NATO. Article 5 of the Washington treaty makes an attack on one NATO member an attack on them all. All members of NATO enjoy that guarantee, including the three newest prospective members. Likewise, all members must accept the responsibility imposed on them by this solemn guarantee, which includes, if necessary, the use of nuclear weapons. This is why, in the process of enlargement, NATO cannot be a one-way street. New countries must be able to play a full role in all NATO operations. They must increase defence expenditure where necessary; they must bring their armed forces up to the level of NATO armed forces and they must ensure inter-operability.
Enlargement will have an effect on the internal structure of NATO, as the noble Lord made clear. Too many new members admitted in a haphazard way would prove counter-productive, placing a strain on NATO; weakening its military and political cohesion; reducing the credibility of its pledge of continued openness; increasing Russian concerns and diluting its effectiveness in guaranteeing the defence of new members.
Although the prospect of NATO membership acts as an incentive to essential democratic and constitutional reform in central and eastern Europe, there can be no doubt or hesitation in anyone's mind, that NATO is a military alliance and not a political club. On that note I would like the Minister's assurance that the Government accept that NATO's military capability has been the key to its success.
Expansion has to be manageable and credible. New entrants need to be able to contribute to the collective security that NATO membership entails. Membership is about mutual military defence and the efficiency and rapidity of response and military considerations should be at the heart of discussions about NATO expansion. Does the Minister agree with the sentiments expressed

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in the letter sent to the Prime Minister in May by over 20 distinguished military and diplomatic figures who referred to the,
"vital need to preserve NATO's ability in the new Europe where, by common consent, potential threats to the peace are diffuse and unpredictable, to make rapid decisions and take quick and effective decisions on what action, if any, to take"?
Will she give an assurance that the Government will ensure that NATO retains those characteristics?
From these Benches we believe that NATO expansion must be an evolving and flexible process, which is able to enhance the security of all. There is no reason why this fourth enlargement should be the last. The door must remain open for those willing and able to further NATO's goals as and when they meet the criteria for membership; nor should any country feel left out in the cold. This is a key consideration in the continued drafting of the designs for the architecture of European security.
The Government must make sure that all the security alliances, many of which overlap NATO, are built on and developed so that the plans for the architecture of European security are realised and the old iron barrier between West and East rusts until it is eventually demolished altogether. An enlarged NATO should be one of the foundation cornerstones in a network of security alliances which criss-cross and bind Europe in peace and stability.
At this point I would like to assess the importance in particular of maintaining strong links with other future potential applicants such as Ukraine. It is vital that Ukraine does not become a twilight buffer zone between Russia and a strong, cohesive Western bloc. Mechanisms for co-operation with Ukraine as well as transitional programmes to aid Ukraine with rebuilding democratic institutions, remain critical. Indeed, the challenge of developing a long-term strategy towards countries which have not yet been invited to join NATO will become one of the alliance's foremost priorities—a clear and effective barometer of its priorities and of the success of its leadership in the next century.
The Minister covered the points regarding the Founding Act admirably. On the question of Russia and the future enlargement of NATO, in summing up I shall be grateful if the Minister can go a little further and give an update on the progress of the work of the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council. As the noble Lord pointed out, the Founding Act is now over a year old. Can the noble Baroness comment on the concerns expressed by the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee and indeed by our own Defence Select Committee, that the Founding Act should not become a means by which Russia could gain a veto over alliance decisions?
The widely predicted Russian backlash against the existing extension of NATO has failed to materialise. Will the Minister give an assurance that the Government will not allow fears of supposed Russian intransigence to be used as a reason to block further NATO expansion
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into, for example, Slovenia or Romania? In 1997 the Prime Minister said that those countries were
"strong candidates for any future enlargement".—(Official Report, Commons, 9/7//97: col. 937.]
I hope that that is still the view of the Government. Perhaps the Minister can expand a little further on what her noble friend the Minister stated in his opening remarks.
The Minister also very helpfully mentioned the importance of the costs of NATO enlargement. The admission of the three countries will increase the territory within NATO by one-sixth and will increase the borders of NATO by one-third. I would like to press the Government a little further about the costs associated with NATO enlargement since I believe that greater clarity is needed on these costs, both to new entrants and to existing NATO members.
As I am sure the Minister will accept, there has been some dispute over the issue and widely differing estimates have been published, particularly in the United States. The Foreign Secretary told another place that,
"The UK may have to pay an estimated additional £110 million to NATO's common budgets; that will be spread over a decade".—[Official Report, Commons, 17/7/98; col. 687.]
However, the figure of £110 million is called into question by the valuable and comprehensive third report of 1997–98 on NATO enlargement by the Defence Select Committee. As these costs relate directly to the military and strategic factors involved in defending the territory of a new member state, I would like to ask what was the input of the Ministry of Defence into this £110 million projection? Although the Foreign Secretary told another place that America supports the agreed figure of 1.5 billion dollars for NATO enlargement costs, mainstream estimates vary from 1.5 billion dollars up to about 10 billion dollars, with the Defence Select Committee concluding that the likely cost will fall in the middle of that range.
But in 1996 the US Congressional Budget Office estimated a range of costs between 61 billion dollars and 125 billion dollars for expansion over a period of 15 years, while a Pentagon report to Congress in 1997 estimated a total of between 9 billion dollars to 12 billion dollars between 1997 and 2009. Therefore, I shall be grateful if the Minister can help the House further and comment on the enormous disparity between the figure of 1.5 billion dollars, which is less than 1/10th of the Pentagon's estimate, and 1/40th of the CBO's lowest figure.
The implications of that are very important for the United Kingdom. It could be possible that the United Kingdom will pay more than the current estimate for enlargement during the next decade if there is any validity in some of the figures. Perhaps I may ask the Minister whether she has available any information on the position of France on sharing the costs of NATO enlargement, given President Chirac's comments made at the Madrid summit last July.
We have had the opportunity this Session to consider the position of Spain in some detail, not least in relation to NATO. It would be most appropriate, given the rumours of a Foreign Office deal about which we have

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read in the papers in the past week if, in her reply, the noble Baroness could give a clear statement about the position of NATO and Spain, as she understands it, particularly as a result of the recent negotiations between the Foreign Office and the Spanish Government.
In conclusion, from these Benches we believe that NATO enlargement will achieve two aims. First, it will provide security guarantees for the individual states involved. Secondly, it will enhance the prospect of peace and stability for Europe as a whole. As we approach the 50th anniversary of its foundation, I hope that, as NATO enters a new era and a new century, we are able to celebrate with the admission of three new states, once potential enemies but now firm allies. The Founding Act was a milestone on the road to enlargement. The accession of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland will be the end of the latest stage in this journey. It will be an historic landmark indeed, and I wish the Government success in ensuring that it is reached.
12.30 p.m.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, I join others in welcoming the new members of NATO. The Minister started by referring to the Second World War. When I visit the North Bierley Cemetery in Bradford, where my father-in-law and many of his family are buried, I am conscious that the next section of the cemetery is filled with Poles who fought for the British in the Second World War. I am also conscious when I go to Prague that the deputy Minister in the Czech Foreign Ministry, a stripling of 72, was a lieutenant in the Czech Brigade of the British Army in 1944–45. I am happy to be negotiating with someone who knows us so well in that regard. We are welcoming countries which wish to rejoin the West. We look forward to those who will follow them.
I am one of those who at first was sceptical about NATO enlargement. It seemed to me that NATO was, as the Minister suggested, a successful Cold War alliance and that we needed to think very carefully before extending and diluting something which had been successful in order to extend across eastern Europe principles which would potentially create new security frontiers and exclude Russia. To extend the alliance is, unavoidably, to transform the alliance.
However, that argument is long since over. We have, in effect, been committed to enlargement since 1994. The process is now well underway. We must also accept that all the post-socialist states wanted to join NATO, as they have wanted to join the European Union. I am referring not only to the first three, but to the long queue behind them of between 12 and 15 states, stretching as far as the Ukraine and the Caucasus. I have a vivid memory of a conference in Kiev in mid-December 1991—the government had been independent formally for a couple of weeks—at which the Foreign Minister told us that there were two major objectives of Ukrainian foreign policy for the coming two years. The first was to join NATO and the second was to join
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the European Union. That is the pressure against which we have all been operating. Applicant states see that as part of the process of joining western institutions.
Therefore, we need to discuss, first, the implications for the alliance of this round of enlargement; secondly, how much further we think the alliance ought to expand; thirdly, how the enlargement of NATO links in with the enlargement of other western institutions, above all the European Union—that is to say, to what shape of a future European order we think we are moving in the next 10 to 15 years; and fourthly, what are the implications of this process of enlargement for British defence and foreign policy.
I do not intend to refer to the question of cost. The noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, dealt with that and I know that my noble friend Lady Williams of Crosby will also do so. I tend to agree with the House of Commons Select Committee on Defence that there are costs involved in enlargement, but there are also savings in terms of overall security. Therefore, one should not overestimate the net cost elements.
Those are all central questions for British foreign and defence policy. Last night I read the Secretary of State's introduction to the Strategic Defence Review, in which he stated:
"NATO will continue as the cornerstone of our defence planning, and we intend to build on our role as a leading European member of the Alliance".
One would have thought, therefore, that Her Majesty's Government would wish to focus public debate on the changes in this cornerstone implied by the process of enlargement which is clearly going to continue. In the United States, the administration gave a very clear lead. There was a long process of Senate hearings, followed by a full debate, I note that in Germany the Bundestag had a very full debate, followed by a very decisive vote. I note also that after the Madrid summit the Prime Minister promised the House of Commons a full debate before British ratification. A Friday debate in the House of Commons in mid-July and the last day of the Session in this House is not exactly what I would call a "full debate". I repeat that here we are, without a government statement, and being granted reluctantly only the last day before the Recess for a debate.
I regret that the British Government have been on the whole passive about NATO enlargement, following their predecessor. I understood that our last government were unhappy about enlargement but did not wish to challenge American preferences. I also understand that there was no apparent effort by the last government, nor has there been by this Government, to concert a European approach to enlargement as such.
Like others in my party, I have many worries about the extent to which American policy is driven by different domestic lobbies—first by the Poles and later by the Balts; and by the confusions and contradictions both in the Senate and in the American press about burden-sharing and about how the balance of the US/European relationship in an extending NATO should develop. I know that Senator Helms and others are alleging that the Europeans are using NATO enlargement as an excuse to put off enlargement of the

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European Union. That suggests clearly that whether we like it or not, NATO and EU enlargement are closely linked.
What are the implications for the alliance of this round of enlargement? The assumption in Washington and for many people in the NATO Secretariat in Brussels is that NATO can enlarge without changing its character functions. I understood the Minister to say that we need to maintain NATO as an alliance and not allow it to move towards being a European security organisation. However, NATO is already changing and it is likely to change a great deal further. The most visible physical evidence at the moment is that NATO's buildings are simply too small for it now. We are talking about moving the NATO Secretariat because the number of permanent missions, new members and partners is causing the place to bulge at the seams.
We have a new strategic concept under negotiation. I wish that that was a matter for more consultation between the Government and this House. It is not yet clear how the negotiation of that new strategic concept links in to enlargement.
I suggest that there are two alternative images of NATO below the surface. There is what one might call the geo-political, largely American, perspective, set out by people such as Professor Brzezinski and others, that NATO must be maintained,
"as the vehicle for projecting US power across Eurasia",
in combination with the Europeans as junior partners—that is to say, the Europeans will remain junior partners in an American-led enterprise. People like Professor Brzezinski and others have also said in various articles that it is useful that the Europeans remain not too closely united because that ensures that, in a successful alliance, what the Americans say continues to lead us.
American assumptions about western security interests in what they now call the "greater Middle East", by which they include central Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, are no longer always the same as those of Europeans. An alliance without an enemy is unavoidably a different alliance from an alliance which existed to maintain western solidarity against a clear and present danger.
The alternative, the underlying European perspective, is that NATO evolves into a Europe-wide security organisation, focusing primarily although not exclusively on the European region. It would be, if you like, an effective OSCE with an integrated military structure. That seems to me a not ignoble aim. Indeed, it seems quite a useful aim. We integrate the countries between Germany and Russia. We expand security over them. We retrain their forces. That is perhaps a central part of the new NATO function.
The differences between the two in part depend on how effective the European identity within the alliance becomes as the number of European members grows. It also depends a great deal on how relations with Russia under the NATO-Russia Founding Act and with the Ukraine develop. It is not in Britain's interests to allow NATO enlargement or the alliance as a whole to be driven by the changing imperatives of American
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domestic politics. We should be developing and setting out publicly our own approach both to a domestic audience and to our allies in Europe and across the Atlantic.
The Minister referred to consensus. It is never necessary to take a vote in NATO. It is an open secret that the majority of NATO members were in favour of enlargement to include five members on this occasion, of whom two were Romania and Slovenia, which would have solved the problem of Hungary as a land-locked state not having access. But the Americans said firmly and conclusively that they did not think they could get more than three through the Senate. Therefore on this occasion "consensus" meant a minority ruling the roost. NATO will not develop into a toothless security organisation as the Minister suggested so long as it has an effective European pillar.
How much further should the alliance expand? The US Senate passed effectively a resolution suggesting that there should be a pause before further expansion. That seems to me to be a mistake. We must maintain the momentum at least to include Romania and Slovenia next time round. There are much larger questions over the Baltic states. To discuss the question of when and if the Baltic states come into NATO is necessarily to discuss Baltic and European security as a whole and how Sweden and Finland see their relations with NATO.
On Monday I spoke to a visiting Swedish expert on security. He told me that Sweden's current assessment was that there was no serious Russian threat to the Baltic states; that the maximum numbers of troops that the Russians could currently assemble in a crisis in the Baltic states was one weak division and that the Swedes themselves could manage it. That is perhaps a rather optimistic assumption based on an assessment of the Russian armed forces as being astonishingly weak. But the question of how to handle the Baltic question is one that we must discuss much more openly.
We on these Benches believe that in time NATO should expand to take in all of the countries between Germany and Russia and Austria and Greece, extending security over that area and, perhaps in the long term, including Russia itself. We must see how the NATO-Russia partnership develops, but we need active engagement in defence diplomacy and training in which the Ministry of Defence is already very well engaged. That also requires us to think how NATO enlargement links in with EU enlargement; that is, what kind of European order we believe we are moving towards. The NATO enlargement study of 1995 included the statement that ideally in the long term European membership of NATO and the EU should become identical. That is a very long-term objective, but we are all talking about how to incorporate the small weak countries in eastern, north eastern and south eastern Europe and prevent the spread of disorder in what is historically a disordered region.
Europe in 2010—a subject that I understand the Government now have under discussion—will see a European Union of 400 million people in perhaps 25 to 27 member states, with the world's second reserve currency; a GDP substantially larger than that of the

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United States; a long eastern frontier with Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine and the Black Sea; the United States, it is hoped, still committed in security terms, but most likely with fewer troops on the ground in central Europe than today; and with a much stronger emphasis on the Mediterranean and eastern Mediterranean. Therefore, it will be a European Union which must have a stronger foreign and defence policy component—a stronger European pillar. There is nothing new about the European pillar. After all, the idea was first floated by President Kennedy in his Declaration of Independence speech of 4th July 1962. I am just old enough to remember it.
Lastly, what are the implications of this process for British defence and foreign policy, which I hope the noble Baroness the Minister will tell us more about in replying to the debate? The previous government were deeply inhibited about talking publicly about closer European defence co-operation. Many of us are surprised and so far disappointed by the inertia of policy in the first 15 months of this Government. We have not seen a readjustment of policy towards a European security defence identity or their predecessor's insistence that WEU must be kept separate from the EU and therefore an acceptance that change in the structure of NATO and the EU requires us also to change attitude. There is much duplication in Brussels. WEU also has its partners. Many meetings take place. Therefore we believe that rationalisation between an expanded NATO, WEU and EU, which is now developing a common foreign and security policy, is highly desirable.
I hope that the Minister will clarify the approach of Her Majesty's Government and how the position on NATO enlargement fits in with an overall British European policy.
12.46 p.m.
Lord Chalfont: My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to take part in this important debate, although perhaps I would have welcomed it more had it occurred earlier in the Session.
We have heard that the first step in this process of enlargement was at the Madrid Summit in July 1997 when the decision was taken to invite Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary to join the Alliance. The important point about that decision was that the process leading up to it had already begun to expose some fault lines and potentially serious weaknesses in the Alliance. In my view they have not gone away.
There are and always have been strongly held arguments on both sides about the wisdom of enlargement. There have been differences within the West—the United States and Europe—and between the United States and Europe. Within the West weighty figures in the US like Senator Nunn, George Kennan and Henry Kissinger and in the UK the noble Lord, Lord Healey, the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, and, outside Parliament, Sir John Killick, a distinguished former ambassador to the Soviet Union, have expressed strong reservations about the wisdom of enlargement. These are not voices to be ignored. Nor should the voice of the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, be
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ignored. He expressed some of these preoccupations and reservations when he was in another place. Many of these reservations referred to and were concerned with the perceptions of Russia. The noble Lord, Lord Healey, went as far as to say in this House that politically the inclusion of Czechs, Poles and Hungarians would create a new Iron Curtain. That was a very sinister remark. But there were also differences between this country and Europe and between the United States and Europe. I recall that at the Madrid Conference the United States' preference for an enlargement of only three countries at that stage was to a very large extent supported by the United Kingdom Government, but other European countries like France, Spain, Germany and Portugal wanted to see further enlargement. In that context the two countries mainly quoted were Romania and Slovenia. As it turned out, those countries were not included.
There were also strong arguments in favour of enlargement, although they were not always heard as loudly as the voices against. Many of the arguments for that enlargement have already been rehearsed in your Lordships' House today. Reference was made to the importance of choice by the liberated nations. Why should we deny them the right to join NATO if that is what they want to do having been liberated from the Soviet empire?
It was important that there should be no Russian veto on decisions about the future of the Western Alliance—the future of NATO. It was also argued—I think with some force—that enlargement would strengthen NATO. That argument was put forward again today by, among others, the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan. We have heard also the other argument that it would complement the process of the European Union enlargement.
All those arguments were rehearsed in the period leading up to and the period after Madrid. Speaking for myself—speaking from these Benches I can speak for no one else but myself—I believe that the arguments always were, on balance, in favour of enlarging the alliance in the way in which we have started to enlarge it. In any case, those invitations have now been issued. I suspect and believe that at the summit meeting in Washington, which will probably be in April of next year—NATO's 50th anniversary—the admission of those three countries will be one of the main items on the agenda.
As I say, I welcome that development for a number of reasons, to some of which I have already alluded, and others of which were rehearsed by the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan. I shall not go over them again. However, in welcoming the development of enlargement, I have a number of questions for Her Majesty's Government. I ask the Minister whether she can address them in her closing speech at some other time.
My first question is a simple one which may be easy to answer. Is there to be the immediate admission of those three countries or will it depend upon ratification by all the parliaments of all existing 16 member nations? What progress is being made on that ratification, if admission depends upon it? I should like to press the

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Government also, as others have done, a little on the question of cost. The noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, gave what he said was an agreed estimate of the cost, but there have been many such estimates. I recall one vividly. It was a Pentagon study which said that it would cost $35 billion over 13 years.
I should like to examine a little how the current estimate accords with that, and how all the other estimates, which have covered a wide range indeed, have been resolved. What is perhaps more important than the actual cost is how it is going to be met. We have had nothing clear about that up to now. The US Defense Secretary once said—I think that it was last year; it was certainly recently—that although the cost of integration resulting from enlargement would be met by all members of the alliance, including the new ones, the cost of modernisation of the armies and resources of the new nations would have to be met by them alone. Is that still envisaged? Is that still the policy of Her Majesty's Government?
It has already been asked, but I should like to repeat the question: what is the Government's attitude to further enlargement; to further new entrants? We have heard mentioned—the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, asked this question in some detail—Romania, Slovenia, Estonia, Bulgaria and the Ukraine. What is the Government's attitude to further enlargement?
I should like to identify one of those countries as being at least as well qualified for joining the alliance as the three that have at present been invited; that is, Romania. Romania seems to me to fulfil all the requirements for membership. It is second in size only to Poland among the new entrants; it has a substantial army which would contribute considerably to NATO's military strength; its army is under civilian control. There is also a negative point to be made, which is that the internal situation in Romania might deteriorate considerably if an invitation to it to join is delayed much further.
I have many other questions, but the most important might be one which has already been put by the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire: what is the role of this enlarged NATO? That was not addressed at the Madrid Summit. There were great arguments about enlargement, but no one seemed to address their minds as to what it was going to be for. That is a question that needs to be addressed urgently. Is it to continue to be a defence organisation—a pure military alliance? Here, as the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, said, we must bear in mind above all else in the Atlantic Treaty the issue of Article 5.
Article 5 of course, as noble Lords will be aware, is the one which calls upon all to recognise that an attack upon one member of NATO is an attack upon them all, and will bring a commensurate response. Is then the enlarged NATO to be a purely military defensive alliance, with all that implies or is it to become, as we have heard suggested, some kind of political directorate, some form of UN agency, or some kind of broad, collective security organisation? It has even been suggested that it might turn itself into a peacekeeping organisation. If there is anyone still in favour of that
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idea I should merely like to point out that to become a peacekeeping organisation it would have first to be a very effective military organisation. If you are going to keep the peace, you have to know how to make war before you can do it properly.
In my view, for what that is worth, the collective defence, the military mission, remains absolutely vital. NATO is a military organisation. I believe that it should remain so. I believe that all decisions made about NATO should be made largely upon a military basis and within military parameters.
Although it is a problem, I do not believe enlargement is the major problem for NATO. As the strategic defence review said—the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, confirmed it today—NATO continues as the cornerstone of our defence planning. Well, if that is true, NATO will need a great deal of attention. It will need attention to its command structure, which will necessarily change with enlargement; its rapid reaction forces are not all that could be desired; its arrangements for crisis management are somewhat dubious; there is a grave interoperability gap between countries, especially between the US and the European countries; there is a large American lead in electronic battlefield techniques, and that gap is only slowly being closed by the European countries. All those issues will need to be addressed if NATO is to remain the cornerstone of our military and defence planning, as I hope that it will be.
Above all—my fears about this have been strengthened by some of what I have heard today—it is essential that whatever happens in enlargement and the reorganisation of NATO, it should strengthen and not weaken our transatlantic link. In the plans and ideas that some people have on NATO there is a great danger that the gap which already exists to some extent between us and North America will widen.
Perhaps I may sum up my major question to the Minister. Are the Government sure, and can they assure the House, that the new, enlarged NATO will not only be bigger but will be better equipped to face the challenges of the post-Cold War world?
1 p.m.
Lord Kennet: My Lords, at last we come round to the fuller discussion of NATO enlargement—too late to be any use in the context of admitting the Poles, Hungarians and Czechs. Proper discussion throughout European NATO might well have led to a pause for thought about this first expansion. But better late than never, and we must even now do what we can to look further ahead. Indeed, we are beginning to do so in this very debate—that is, if we can find the long-unused focal length.
The question is not only who joins NATO but also, and probably more important, what NATO is to be from now on, what our own role in it is to be from now on, and how that fits with the European Union. Only yesterday in a Written Answer, my noble friend Lord Gilbert was using the familiar mantra that the Strategic Defence Review reaffirmed that NATO is the foundation of the security of Europe and of the

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United Kingdom, and will continue as the cornerstone of our defence planning. The transatlantic link remains fundamental to the alliance. Fine. But one or two questions are left.
The two enlargements, the European Union and NATO, coincide in time and place, and it has always been impractical to work on them separately, as has been attempted from time to time. When we are in the Monetary Union, the European Union will be one of the world's most powerful and political economic groupings, as has already been pointed out in this debate. We cannot usefully operate from it unless we attend to all its interests and relationships. That means first and foremost considering the future structure and logic of the Union's foreign and security policy. I agree with other noble Lords who have already emphasised that. We can no longer leave our own contribution flapping in the wind, bowing sometimes across the Atlantic to the Administration or to the currently more powerful Congress, and sometimes edgily advancing a claim to "a leadership role" in our own continent, or a "bridging" role between this continent and another.
Nor can we continue to turn a resolute blind eye to the ever more obvious signs of triumphalist and fantasticating hegemonism in Washington. I have on occasion—so far without much success, I fear—tried to draw Ministers' attention to what has been happening to US foreign and defence policy: what some of the ambitions today are in the military field. They are explicitly global and cover land, sea, air and space. The slogan into which the fantasy is gathered at present is Full Spectrum Dominance 2020, and it is indeed hugely fantastical. However, it is also a dangerous fantasy that we may not ignore, because it is being very seriously funded.
What in fact do we, the current European members of NATO, want for NATO? And what does the United States want for NATO? Unfortunately, that is not the same thing. What each wants is fast becoming incompatible with the other. Senator Helms, who today controls American foreign policy, is explicitly and contemptuously opposed to the European Union having any role outside the social and economic, while within NATO the United States exercises total "leadership"; and that's that.
The fact is that this new climate does not seem to have got through to our Government. I say "seem" because it is always possible that in private they worry about it just as people outside do. My hope is that after their recent experience in the International Criminal Court negotiations, the Government may at last start recognising the issues at stake a little more openly.
Of course it has a historical origin, this Labour Party inability to open one's mouth. During the 1980s and 1990s defence was a subject the party judged it unsafe to talk about because of CND during the 1960s and 1970s. Thus the manifesto on which we won the election last year promised no more than a foreign policy led Strategic Defence Review. Beyond that we would simply do what the Conservatives had done, believe what the Conservatives had believed, and support our defence industries as the Conservatives had supported
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them, but without the corruption. Above all, we would be loyal to our great ally the United States. Like that we could not go wrong. We also said we would support the United Nations more effectively than the Tories had done, and we hoped to conduct an ethical foreign policy.
But our loyalty has remained regardless of whatever with the passage of time, the United States might militarily have become, and what its intentions might be for NATO. None of this was examined in the Strategic Defence Review. An unexamined NATO was the bedrock of the foreign policy which was to lead the Strategic Defence Review, and thus the bedrock of the Strategic Defence Review itself.
For winning the election that approach was all right. But the outside world is changing at its usual inconvenient speed, events keep interrupting intentions, the next election is still some way off, and I for one am convinced that now would be the right time to resume an audible conversation on international security policy, including discussion of our relations with the United States, and theirs with the rest of NATO and the rest of the world, above all with the United Nations.
Perhaps this could be made easier by the new awareness in the US of its own vulnerabilities: to what it calls "asymmetrical" warfare; to the possibility of an "electronic Pearl Harbour"—an unforeseeable attack on the whole of its computer-dependent infrastructure. I am glad that we have now been talking to them about this, although only since last month—too late for the defence review, although I have been warning MoD about this for two or three years.
The answer to my Unstarred Question last month about the conditions the US Senate has attached to its approval of NATO enlargement was that the conditions are simply an internal matter for the USA. But I truly fear that that is a mistake. Those conditions, which are legally binding on the US Administration, change the structure and arrangements within the NATO leadership in a long term way. There is no time to go into it now, but it is obvious to anyone who reads the rather difficult and scattered texts attentively.
There are plenty of people at the top of the US system who think the US itself should not be subject to the international rule of law. This "exceptionalism" is clearly not what the American people want, but sadly they are giving up voting. President Clinton has never quite accepted it either, nor has he looked the part. But when he could, he appointed a Republican to be his Secretary of Defense thus to avoid the difficulties he had encountered over gays in the armed forces, over his own history of opposition to the Vietnam war, and so on. In terms of a quieter life for him personally, it has been successful. But it gives the rest of the world difficult moments.
When Mr. Clinton wanted to lead the world in getting rid of anti-personnel landmines, Mr. Cohen said no. The president would like the US to pay its dues to the United Nations; the Republican Congress says no. Mr. Clinton and Mrs. Albright told Mr. Netanyahu he should keep Israel's word over Oslo, and "land for peace", but 84 senators wrote to Mr. Clinton saying, no pressure on Israel.

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We must note, too, what Mr Clinton has wanted in Korea: Congress will not release money for heavy oil for North Korea—part of the KEDO deal—and whenever things there look promisingly peaceable, Mr. Cohen mounts a nuclear-capable exercise, we go back to square one, and enmity takes over again. This happens under what is in theory a United Nations command.
As for the US rejection of the International Criminal Court, I have recently sent Ministers' undenied and long-suspected reports of the mass of covert US military activities that the Pentagon has been privately funding and carrying on all over the world, many unlawful, many in despite of Congress, with parties most of us would not touch with a bargepole. Some of those parties are studying at some of our own universities, I regret to say. These are indeed the US personnel—training torturers and so on—who would be at risk from an independent International Criminal Court.
Ministers will have noted that Senator Helms is insisting that the Administration should not only not join the court but that it should actively oppose it in all ways possible—presumably by strong-arming those poorer governments whose presence at Rome we so rightly helped finance. Just how the Administration will react remains to be seen—probably obediently because Congress holds all the purse strings.
We also need to notice that Congress is increasingly acting as its funders, the lobbies, require: the defence industry lobby; the medical and pharmaceutical lobbies; the American-Israel lobby; even the Polish lobby. The defence industry lobby has spent tens of millions of dollars promoting NATO enlargement, some of it in the US and some in eastern Europe. Frankly, I have been astonished to see Ministers deny that this kind of lobbying has been going on. The Foreign Secretary is right to want better briefing for himself and his team.
These very days, the Romanian Finance Minister is standing out against taking out a 2 billion dollar international loan to finance a quite unaffordable 1.5 billion dollar "contract" some US helicopter firm talked some previous minister into as being likely to ease Romania's entry to NATO. And Polish officials have been advised to buy Israeli equipment because the US Senate would like that.
The Prime Minister, reporting back in June last year on his discussions with President Clinton in Denver, said,
"We emphasised the importance of not wasting money on unproductive, especially military, expenditure".
How right he was!
In the Commons debate two weeks ago, there was virtually no mention of the new NATO's strategic concept that is being negotiated now and will control NATO for the next bit of time. Nor has there been mention in our debate today. I would like to think that it would include a short and clear statement of why NATO now exists—remembering that it was set up the day before the Warsaw Pact, not the day after. The threat it was set up to consider—that of Stalinist Russia
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as shown at Berlin and in Prague—no longer exists. The usual vague generalisations about terrorism, drug running and money laundering would hardly justify the deployment of a single military unit, as opposed to a police unit, let alone of what is by far the most powerful and far-flung peacetime military alliance in human history. Units ready for international police action under the UN are another matter. But the relevant document there is not the North Atlantic Treaty; it is the Charter of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, NATO partnership-for-peace exercises and exercises-in-the-spirit-of-partnership-for-peace seem to be happening all over the place, often at US expense, and have nothing to do with anything peaceful; rather to do with the establishment of US military and economic influence—as in Central Asia and the new Caspian oil province. Last year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told us that 23 genuine partnership-for-peace exercises were planned and 20 of the US-funded kind. And when they are not at US expense: well, let us listen to the head of the Polish National Security Bureau who said, just a few weeks ago, that,
"the outlays which we bore in being a participant in partnership-for-peace were many times greater than those that were announced",
and that is why Poland made no offer to participate in any Kosovo business.
In conclusion, I turn to the all-important question of the later expansion of NATO. Where do we stop? It is clear enough that the US does not intend to stop after the next three: the North Atlantic Assembly, under US leadership, holds seminar after seminar in the Ukraine, and one in Macedonia, and arranges visits to Baku. The Chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, addressing its last full meeting, urged that there be joint intelligence operations, including both existing and new members of NATO, into countries right around the world to the Pacific Rim, and that the intelligence obtained, including commercial intelligence, should be shared among all NATO members, both old and new. No doubt the governments of countries from Iran to Japan and back are glad of the advance warning.
There is no doubt that the US wants the Baltic states to join NATO. The latest of an annual series of military exercises in the Baltic area has recently been carried out, known as Baltic Challenge, in which, according to the "anti-NATO group" in the Russian Duma, 700 troops took part in 1996; 3,000 in 1997; and 5,000 in 1998. No Russians, of course. Forty per cent. of the personnel were American, and the rest, apart from a symbolic Norwegian contribution, were from the Baltic States.
I was relieved to see that this country did not take part, and even more relieved to hear the Lithuanians say that it was going to be the last such exercise under that name. But why was the exercise conducted under NATO auspices at all?
So where, in the Government's view, should NATO enlargement stop? They may remember the little ditty

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Mrs. Albright sang to Mr. Primakov, in her Ethel Merman voice, in Malaysia on 30th July last year:

"Don't cry for me Yevgeni

The truth is NATO enlargement

Is not directed

At mother Russia

Its only meant to

Keep Boris up nights

So hello Warsaw

Next stop Mongolia".

All right, so it was after dinner. But does it raise a serious question? I think so. Where do we stop? Before Bulgaria? After Bulgaria but before Azerbaijan? After Azerbaijan but before Kazakhstan? After that but before Pakistan? After that but before Malaysia? After that but before Indonesia? Where?
It is impossible for us in our moderate and realistic old country to answer any of these idiotic questions. But the fact remains that they have to be answered because no-one has a right to propose any further enlargement unless and until he is ready to say where enlargement should stop. To claim such a right is to claim that NATO should first trespass on the function of the United Nations, as indeed it is already beginning to do, and should then, still under US leadership, completely usurp it.
The Legg-Ibbs Report on the Sierra Leone business was about a quite insignificant affair in global terms, I agree. But the findings and lessons could apply to the whole Foreign Office culture, which assumes outsiders to be wrong, uninformed and "unhelpful". I think that Ministers do have to be more exacting towards their officials and that there have to be more officials. You cannot keep on reducing the size of your Diplomatic Service and expect it to remain informed and alert. At present, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office seems only to know what it used to know; only to be looking at the world as it used to be, not as it is; and still less at what it is becoming. To do better, it will have to be allowed to restore the staff cuts of recent years.
1.16 p.m.
Baroness Park of Monmouth: My Lords, to my astonishment, I find that I seem to live in a different world from the noble Lord, Lord Kennet, and not for the first time. I had thought that NATO was set up as a result of the seizure of Poland, the Berlin airlift and the seizure of Czechoslovakia. I do not believe that it was related to the Warsaw Pact; the Warsaw Pact was another issue. Furthermore, I had always supposed that the Americans were our friends and allies. I still suppose that. But I am glad to say that I can agree with the noble Lord on one point. I absolutely agree that the Legg Report shows that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office needs more staff—many more staff.
I have my historical contribution to make, too. I worked with Poles and Czechs during the war and I am more than delighted to be welcoming them into NATO. I must welcome the Hungarians, too, but in my book at that time they were not our friends. Life has changed since then.
I recognise, too, that defence diplomacy—the change from a culture of threat to one of risk—is itself an important contribution to the reduction of tension in
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Europe and to future stability. In an earlier debate, which I believe was due to the noble Lord, Lord Kennet, we discussed the financial costs of enlargement. I will not revert to that, except to say, especially in the light of the Minister's speech, that I was particularly pleased to have the Secretary of State put it into perspective in his testimony to the Defence Committee earlier this year. He said that the cost to the UK of the entry of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic would be £110 million spread over 10 years or, put another way, a quarter of a Eurofighter each year.
However, I was slightly less reassured to learn that the costs on the NATO members, including enlargement, would be borne by two spending departments which are already under constant budgetary pressure, the military and infrastructure budgets being an MoD responsibility and the civil budget that of the FCO.
However, money is only one cost, however important. What concerns me far more are two other costs: the first is skilled manpower; the second is the hidden political cost of the Founding Act which was, in a sense, the initial price we had to pay for enlargement.
I take first the issue of manpower. I did not know whether to be impressed or alarmed (on balance, I think the latter) by the immense list of tasks the MoD—10 closely-typed pages in the Defence Committee Report—has undertaken as part of the outreach programme and our bilateral defence programmes. Those seem to range from helping the Poles, Czechs and Hungarians with standardisation and codification, cartography and defence management right up to opening a dialogue on military medical issues with the Russians. I find that rather ironic since our own defence medical services have almost vanished and may never return to their former strength, despite a wise move by the Government to put in more money at long last.
I do not know where, in all that immense programme of technical aid and assistance, the millennium bug and the problems of digitalisation fit in. I am sure that the MoD is fully prepared within the British Armed Forces for that and for all the other infrastructure problems relating to our highly computerised machine of war, including interoperability with the Americans. But is NATO? Will the blind be leading the blind when NATO must work with, for example, the Poles on those issues? How many of our Portuguese, Greek or Turkish allies have worked on that in their own armed forces let alone as part of the NATO infrastructure? I have a nasty feeling that we shall be called on, just as we are the framework nation in ARRC, contributing 60 per cent. of the manpower, to do the lion's share of the work. Can we afford the skilled men and women for that?
We have all too often agonised about overstretch and its consequences for the Armed Forces. The Legg Report has confirmed the existence of an equally dangerous shortage of staff and pressure of work at the FCO. Who decides the priorities between the ever-increasing demands of defence diplomacy, valuable as it is, and all the other tasks—military and political—which our overworked soldiers and diplomats are expected to perform? I hope that when we come to

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the formal ratification of enlargement next year the cost in skilled manpower which very few of the other 16 NATO members can provide will be clearly recognised by our Government and they will understand that investment in people, of which we hear so much, will include giving the MoD and the FCO more money to cover the necessary manpower and resources for the new tasks.
As the Secretary of State said, the direct military threat has been replaced by,
"a variety of security risks which are multi-faceted and multi-directional and that makes for a much more complicated life for NATO planners".
The outreach exercise may greatly lessen the chances of going to war in Europe but there remain larger threats and long-term threats of arms proliferation, biological and chemical warfare which are no respecters of boundaries. Perhaps one of the greatest threats to the efficiency of NATO in any crisis is precisely its size. It works by consensus. But consensus between 19 countries must surely be that much harder to achieve, especially when some of them have been wholly unused to such a procedure.
My last point concerns the relationship between enlargement, the Founding Act and the establishment of the Permanent Joint Council which brings Russia into a special relationship with NATO. The Russians have been very successful in persuading us that they regard enlargement as an unacceptable threat which could have disastrous domestic consequences within Russia because, it is said, it would feel encircled. The Russians have used that threat very successfully to secure a number of advantages, not least that of being invited within the walls. Incidentally, I was interested to read the Secretary of State's evidence that at a meeting of the Permanent Joint Council, the Russians,
"raised some things which we thought they should not be raising".
They received a robust reply, but will that always be so? They have certainly used enlargement and the threat to oppose it to try to secure more and more concessions on the CFE treaty.
What have we gained? The Russians have it in their power to exert real and effective influence on President Milosevic over Kosovo. They have said all the right things to him publicly but nothing has happened except that Mr. Primakov has said, equally publicly, that Russia will never tolerate any military intervention. Therefore, one wonders what are the plans of which the NATO Secretary-General spoke today on the radio. The Russians will stall and help Milosevic to stall, as Valeri Churkin did with the contact group on Bosnia, greatly helped by having knowledge of all our reservations and doubts, until the Kosovo problem has been resolved in the usual Serb fashion.
I suggest that when Russia acts helpfully it is only to support her bilateral relationships with the US. An example is her virtuous decision to send home the Iranian Sanam students, already trained in the nuclear missile field, and to rebuke some firms for selling the wrong technology to Iran after the horse has bolted.
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It is necessary to recognise that having Russia virtually inside NATO may have advantages, but it should not be allowed either to affect enlargement or the CFE treaty or any of her other international obligations. An example is the destruction of the 40 tonnes of chemical weapons in Russia. We are now told that the Russians cannot meet their commitment to destroy those weapons for 10 years because of lack of funds. We do not hear what they have done with the biological weapons which they continued to make and sell illegally. However, they can afford to make, and of course sell—where is non-proliferation in all this?—the X35 anti-ship missile to the Indians, Algerians and Vietnamese; Arzamas-16 continues to work on new nuclear weapons; the new S37 Berkut aircraft is having its test flights and, as the designer said:
"Foreign designers did not expect that in the difficult times Russia is going through it could build a completely new aircraft".
It can, because Russia has not changed in giving defence a high priority. We need to assess her position clearly so that her constantly reiterated opposition to enlargement is seen not as a genuine anxiety which we should do well to heed but as a most effective ploy to manipulate us.
Let us consider the defence position. The noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, rightly said that her armed forces in terms of the army are not in a particularly strong position. However, that is not true of the navy or the strategic forces. Her defence strategy depends now not on land forces but on her navy and on her strategic rocketry. Ten nuclear submarines have been commissioned. She already has two and she has 26 strategic submarine cruisers and even with a planned reduction in the nuclear arsenal, the navy is planned to have 800 to 900 warheads out of 2,000. A new generation of ground-target destroyers is also planned. The strategic thrust of Russian defence is now naval and that, of course, also opens new doors, especially in Asia, beginning with the first joint Japanese-Russian naval exercise. Her extensive programme of arms sales opens doors too.
Although the Russians will lose no opportunity to make dark predictions about the impact of enlargement on stability in Russia and, indeed, in Europe, it is worth remembering that Russia has in fact perfectly good working relationships with Poland and with the others. As the Polish Minister of National Defence told the Defence Committee, Russia is Poland's second trading partner and their relations are quite good. He even thought—of course he would, but there is merit in it—that relations would get even better once enlargement is a fact. Mr. Primakov said earlier this month that relations with Poland were not bad and he would not look at them exclusively in relation to Poland's efforts to join NATO. Mr. Primakov is quite an authoritative source on Russian views.
So let us remember that Russia is pragmatic; that she thinks strategically; and that she has a simple aim—to transform NATO into yet another political animal in the European zoo. As the defence minister said this month, NATO's transformation into a politico-military organisation is a requirement of the times. He wants to see a transformed NATO, which could take its place

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under OSCE auspices. That gives us a flavour of how the Russians want to see NATO. The Russians want to emasculate NATO's will and power to deter. That is a perfectly respectable objective on their part; I merely ask that we should recognise it.
The credibility of a NATO deterrent is a powerful element of peacekeeping and we should never allow Russia to use the Founding Act to make us feel guilty. We should apply La Fontaine's dictum to NATO:
"Cet animal est trés mechant. Quand on l' attaque il se défend".
1.30 p.m.
Lord Hardy of Wath: My Lords, the noble Baroness has done the House a service by reminding us that NATO was formed in response to Russian involvement in Czechoslovakia, in Poland and in the Berlin airlift. It was also established because a very real threat was perceived. Indeed, we tend to forget that, in the early 1950s, there was a very real suspicion that serious conflict was imminent.
So, at that time, NATO looked forward and, indeed, it needs to do so today. That is why I welcome the invitation to the three new member states. However, that invitation also comes at a time when we should be looking very carefully at what the future is for NATO and the alliance. A number of noble Lords have made extremely weighty contributions in referring to those aspects. For example, are we to be dependent entirely upon the American umbrella on a permanent basis? Is Europe to have the capacity to contribute properly to the peacekeeping role which may become increasingly important? The noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, suggested that the alliance did not have an enemy. But will, one day, its enemy be want, tyranny and aggression? Will its main purpose one day be seen as the executive arm of international authority in ensuring stability and decency on our planet?
In the immediate context, four particular problems need to be considered. First, how seriously are we viewing the disappointment felt by those former Warsaw Pact states which have been rejected for NATO membership? Secondly, do we seriously imagine that those disappointed states will be satisfied by the Partnership for Peace involvement with the Western European Union? Thirdly, there are the serious questions which the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, touched upon—namely, the question of inter-operability and the contribution which the new member states will make. The noble Lord offered some very wide-ranging financial estimates of the cost of that involvement.
I do not know where one would start making such estimates when one considers that the new member state, Poland, will need to replace virtually every single combat aircraft within the next five years. The Poles cannot possibly pay for that themselves, and that is just one example. However, they can make a contribution. Those who have had any contact with, or who have read the views of, those members of the British forces who have been involved in training and exercises with our Polish allies, our Hungarian allies or, indeed, our Czech allies, are well aware of the enthusiasm and dedication
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of their services. But they may also be well aware that it is not only the Polish air force which needs vast material provision.
The fourth question, already touched upon, is nonetheless extremely serious. I refer to the effect on Russia. I know that not long ago President Clinton dangled the prospect of NATO membership in that respect. But if, while that prospect is dangling, Russia is excluded completely from markets which it regarded as almost domestic for many years, will there not be other dangers?
I had the privilege—if that is the right word—of following Mr. Zhiranovski in debates in Europe on three or four occasions. I certainly described him on one occasion as a clown. But there are more subtle and more seriously dangerous people within the ranks of nationalism in Russia. Do we seriously expect Russia to co-operate with us in every particular if we offer it no economic advancement or safeguard whatever? That is a question which urgently needs to be addressed. After all, the Russians produce very good aircraft. But the company which makes MiGs did not export a single one last year. However, Sukhoi, which produces the S27, an extremely formidable aircraft, fared a little better. If all the aircraft, all the armour and all the ordnance in eastern Europe is to be supplied from the West and Russia denied that market, how can we expect Russia to act in a responsible way in international defence trading?
I served for many years on the Western European Union. I believe that it has a capacity to make a most important contribution to European affairs. Indeed, I do not believe that an intelligent security route can be followed by Europe as a whole within the next decade or so unless the WEU is involved. However, one does need to see—and I am sure that we shall see it from the present administration—a much more intelligent and responsible view from the Council of Ministers. I believe that the British Government, although they had far less to hide than their partners, allowed myth, legend and fiction to dominate too much of Europe's defence posture over the past 20 years. Indeed, we saw the tragedy of that in Bosnia and we may yet see it in Kosovo. Europe really must consider its role in the alliance.
I believe that the Council of Ministers in the WEU must act more responsibly. It is all right for its members to gather together every few years to issue a high-sounding declaration like that from Lisbon or more recently from Ostend. Such declarations are rich in rhetoric but very short in terms of providing capacity or of being able to fulfil commitment. Yet the alternative—the EU—does not seem particularly attractive. The neutral component in the EU has been ignored to an excessive extent. The fact that the EU may well have enough on its political plate to occupy it for at least another decade should also not be assumed.
It has been entirely unwise and unreasonable for Europe to rely on the American umbrella while pretending to be powerful itself. I illustrate that by making reference to one other experience. In 1993 I was appointed rapporteur to examine the capabilities and

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state of readiness of western European air forces. The principal conclusion reached by the assembly unanimously was that there should be a follow-up report. Although I had announced my intention to retire from the House of Commons, I was asked to initiate that report. However, the Council of Ministers flatly refused to provide any information at all on the grounds of confidentiality. I could understand some of the members wanting to keep the condition of their air forces confidential, but it was rather sad that France and the United Kingdom Government appeared to go along that route of furtive secrecy. All the information one needs is available from national parliamentary records or in the documents of the IISS anyway.
We should not deliberately cover up weaknesses. Indeed, in doing so, we do not do ourselves or anyone else a service. I trust that we will see a more responsible attitude to the Western European Union from our own country, and especially from the other member states over the next few years. Our concern must be to see the establishment of an intelligent pillar in Europe. We have to decide whether that pillar will be a narrow one which can sustain only a small roof or whether it should be a more robust one which provides a much more comprehensive base. But in building pillars one may well find oneself looking entirely upwards when we need to look at the ground. With his long experience in defence, my noble friend the Minister will be well aware of the fact that we cannot construct an adequate security arrangement in Europe unless we have the industrial, the economic and the military capabilities to sustain it.
1.39 p.m.
Baroness Ludford: My Lords, I, too, am grateful that we are having this debate at all, but it is only to take note of the NATO invitation to the three countries to join. It is not a debate on ratification, unlike in the US Senate and other countries. I do not wish to launch a constitutional debate about the situation which makes treaty ratification a prerogative of the Crown, but it is strange that we make a "working democracy" one of the criteria for NATO entry but we are flimsy in our own democratic procedures concerning such a major policy area. I understand that under the Ponsonby Rules the Government are not even obliged to allow parliamentary debate at all.
My point is more a practical one although it relates to legitimacy. By not having a ratification requirement we lose out on any opportunity to make this historic step the subject of an intense national debate covered by the media. Even though, as might be expected, the broad consensus here in Parliament and in official circles in favour of enlargement were to make it a somewhat one-sided debate, we could at least engage some interest in the momentous developments affecting the security of our Continent represented by the twin enlargements of the European Union and NATO.
It seems to be the rule that the more momentous an event, the more difficult it is to get it sufficiently aired in a way that involves not only Parliament but also the public, as well as the experts. We must do more generally to make defence and security matters more
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accessible to the non-specialist because these matters are surrounded with some degree of mystique. I enter the discussions from a European political perspective and an interest in how we are to create the conditions for a democratic and stable society to prosper in Europe. I know little or nothing about armies, weapons, or military strategies, but I, and others like me, need to learn more so that we can engage in debate on defence and security without being blinded by science or dismissed as amateurs. Perhaps parallels exist with law and medicine, where the exclusive preserve of expert professionals is being opened up to the consumers of the service. We are all consumers of defence and security services, yet there is not even a tight enough relationship between the debates on developments in NATO and the European Union, each of which have their respective "clubs", although there is some overlap.
It is perhaps both easy and unfair to claim the benefit of hindsight in order to criticise the hesitant, slow and stop-start nature of both NATO and European Union approaches in the 1990s to the gigantic task of successfully extending eastwards the peace and prosperity western Europe has enjoyed for 50 years. But that task has been made harder by the confusion that surrounds the respective roles and interrelationships between NATO, the European Union, WEU and OSCE. Sorting out that confusion is bedevilled by the coyness and inhibitions that surround discussion of international organisations, especially where sovereignty is said to be at stake, and especially where foreign policy and defence and money are all involved.
But if future enlargements are to be approached in a rational manner, and if the public are to be encouraged to support the move to end the division of our Continent by bringing central and eastern Europe into our hitherto exclusively western arrangements, we must be able to define at least a broad overall scheme and an end goal, saying what we believe the role and mission of the European Union and NATO will be. We need to rationalise the structures dealing with security. If we think of Kosovo—I hope we shall debate that in the autumn—it is difficult to understand, let alone to explain what is going on, who is responsible and why. I find it ironic that we talk about a European security and defence identity, but identifying that identity is supremely difficult.
As has been said already today, there needs to be a wide debate on NATO's new strategic concept to help clarify the purpose of future enlargement and how the different organisations mesh with one another. If we are not careful, we shall get turf wars rather than interlocking co-operation between the European Union and NATO. Already NATO is more explicitly in the democracy building business than would have been thought credible in 1990. While highly desirable in one sense, it leaves one puzzling where that leaves the European Union. If the Minister is right to be concerned that NATO should not become a generalised security organisation—I think he mentioned a toothless generalised security organisation—which might prejudice its collective defence purpose, we have to

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discuss honestly and openly what is the European Union's security role and how we should develop the common foreign and security policy.
Similarly the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, distinguished the task of building peace from that of deterring war. He said that NATO should be a military alliance and not a political club. If that is true—I happen to think it is both, to the extent that it shares the role of being a political club with the European Union—we have to be clear about the European Union's role as a political club which also has a security dimension and a peace building mandate.
Perhaps overlap or even muddle does not matter too much if we are generally drifting in the direction of stability and peace. Perhaps it is as important to keep riding the bicycle as to know where it is going. But if we do not know and cannot precisely explain to the public what is going on and where it is headed, we risk finding later that we do not have the support we need for the actions and the cost involved. That will arise to some extent in regard to EU enlargement during European elections next year, in which I express a personal interest. It will be necessary, for instance, to explain why loss of structural funds may have to be tolerated in the interests of security through EU enlargement. There is bound to be some kind of spillover to debate on NATO enlargement. We have to be able to demonstrate a framework and direction for both.
I have left to last—but I hope not least—my own expression of conviction that this NATO enlargement is absolutely right. In his evidence to the Defence Committee in the other place—the report of which I welcome—Dr. Janus Onyszkiewicz, Polish defence minister, stated,
"We have always considered NATO as, first of all, a community of countries which in a spirit of solidarity wants not only to assist each other in the case of ultimate need … but also to build their own common future".
I very much agree with that. He added,
"as far as Europe is concerned there is no specific British defence policy in Europe, no specific French policy and no specific German defence policy … Poland will not be a net consumer of security but will contribute to the common security".
I second that. But if common security and common defence are the joint objectives, overlapping, of both the European Union and NATO, we have to sort out how they overlap and what the demarcation is, if we are to get public support for total operation.
1.47 p.m.
Lord Carver: My Lords, those who, like myself, have opposed the enlargement of NATO, and oppose even more strongly further enlargement, consist of two groups whose aims are in fact diametrically opposite. The first group includes those who were behind the severe, and I would say almost insulting, conditions which the US Senate attached to its agreement. They included the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, who confessed to having held those views when he was in another place. They wish to preserve the Alliance's military organisation—that is, NATO—as far as possible in its present state to deter, and if necessary defeat, the threat
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which led to the formation of the Alliance in 1949; that is, a communist, Russian-led takeover of western Europe. They see enlargement as weakening it, particularly in its power of decision and in the clarity about where its frontier lies.
The other group, to which I belong, takes the opposite view; namely, that such an attitude is not only out of date but positively dangerous; that it encourages the perpetuation of a Europe divided into two potentially hostile camps; and that it encourages actual and potential new members to maintain or develop armed forces designed for high intensity warfare on the same pattern as those of the United States, when the real need is totally different.
The real need is for a radical new approach to both the organisation and the armed forces needed by every nation, from the western and southern shores of the Continent to the Ural mountains, so that, as far as possible, independent nations do not fear physical attack by their neighbours, as we, fortunately, do not. Let me quote, if I may, from the Strategic Defence Review. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Chapter 1 state:
"the collapse of Communism and the emergence of democratic states through Eastern Europe and in Russia means that there is today no direct military threat to the United Kingdom or Western Europe. Nor do we foresee the re-emergence of such a threat. But we cannot take this for granted. It is therefore a vital British interest that these trends should strengthen and not go into reverse … Our defence policy and activity must contribute to consolidating these welcome changes and thus enhancing our security".
That is followed by the sentences:
"The admission of three new democracies to NATO is a major step on this path",
and,
"But we are determined that this should not lead to new divisions in Europe.
My contention is that those two sentences, however well-intentioned, are in reality contradictory. Further on, in paragraph 10, which refers to other risks, the review states:
"The challenge now is to move from stability based on fear to stability based on the active management of these risks, seeking to prevent conflicts rather than suppress them".
I heartily endorse that in relation to the general security of Europe; but I believe that the path on which NATO is now set, implying not only the possibility, but the desirability, of further enlargement, is the wrong path. Paragraph 38 of the same chapter states:
"The planned admission in 1999 of the three new members from the former Warsaw Pact is a welcome first step in a carefully managed process of enlargement which will strengthen both the Alliance itself and European security as a whole".
I believe that to be dangerously misguided—what The Times in its leader of 17th February last year described as "dangerously misjudged" and that very experienced American diplomat, George Kennan, in The New York Times of the 5th of that month called,
"The most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-war era".
Apologists for the policy pooh-pooh the actual or potential Russian reaction to it, citing recent Russian actions and statements in this field. The noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, joined that chorus, but obviously with

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certain reservations. Mr. Yeltsin's Government have taken a realistic view of the balance that they need to strike between the understandable objections they have to NATO enlargement and their current economic need to keep on good terms with the US. But the threat of further enlargement, even, as some suggest, extending to the Baltic States, cannot help but lend support to those elements in Russia which exaggerate the threat to their country from the West and which obstruct further steps to defuse differences. That includes opposition to the ratification of START II. They could seriously undermine progress in helping to move Russia, and other former members of the Soviet Union, forward into a truly co-operative relationship with Europe in every field, which should be the first priority of any policy for the security of Europe.
So what do we need to do? It would be unrealistic now to suggest blocking ratification of the admission of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary; and, that having been done, I do not see how the claims of Austria could be denied. But there the process must stop, until NATO itself has been radically reorganised; and by NATO I mean what it really stands for—the military organisation. I have tried in vain for years to persuade people to differentiate, as the French have been careful to do since 1966—when France left NATO but remained in the North Atlantic Alliance—between the North Atlantic Alliance, which was founded by the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, and its military command organisation, dominated by the Americans, which was subsequently established in reaction to such events as the Soviet blockade of Berlin. I am afraid that we are prisoners of the acronym in failing to differentiate between the two.
Let me make it clear that I strongly support the policy which successive governments, since that of Churchill in 1940, have pursued: of encouraging the Americans to support our interests, not only in Europe but world-wide. The one notable exception was that of Anthony Eden, who, in 1956, not only tried to "punch above his weight", but chose the wrong opponent. It is rightly a fundamental pillar of our foreign and defence policy. I am also a firm advocate of continued support of the North Atlantic Alliance; but the Alliance should now be conceived not as a means to defend Western Europe against an overwhelming military threat from the east, but as one of facilitating political and military co-operation between North America and Europe in the promotion and defence of their mutual interests worldwide.
Within that concept, NATO's large and expensive integrated military headquarters are not needed. They have always been little more that a fig-leaf of internationalism to conceal the reality; namely, that overall command was in the hands of the Americans, who would not commit their forces without it. That reality should be accepted, as it was in Korea and the Gulf, and is now in Bosnia. We and our partners in the Alliance should accept openly that, in any major operations in which United States forces participate, our forces should operate under their overall command. Within the Alliance we should make a reality of the
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European Defence Identity, to which the Strategic Defence Review, in a sentence tucked away in paragraph 12 of the supporting essay on policy framework, pays the usual unconvincing lip service. There should be a more or less integrated European military structure, which must include at least ourselves, France and Germany. Other members of the Alliance, old or new, could join it to the extent that they wished, their forces, when not engaged in operations, remaining under national command, as United States forces in Europe have in reality always been. Expansion of the Alliance on its present pattern will lead, as it has already in the case of Spain, to a demand for more of these monstrous bureaucratic headquarters to provide employment for surplus senior officers and their staffs.
I see no reason why such an Alliance could not suit all concerned. It would have to involve reconsideration of the automatic commitment in Article 5. It should not pose a threat to countries which are not members. It should satisfy the United States in ensuring retention of command of their own forces, including that of the 6th fleet in the Mediterranean, about which it has differences with France. It should satisfy France and Germany. It should also suit new applicants, for all members would be on the same basis, and open the doors for more. I can see no objection to it from our point of view, or that of other members of the Alliance. When contributions of armed forces are needed for an international force of any kind, it would be a matter for decision at the time whether we made ours on a national, a European or an Alliance basis.
There is one step which I believe could be valuable as a confidence building measure and need not wait upon any re-organisation: that is declaration of the area between Germany's eastern and Russian's western borders as a nuclear weapon free zone, monitored as such by the OSCE, which should in any case be given more encouragement and support. I suggest that it should gradually take over from NATO the Partnership for Peace programme.
The challenge to the Government now is to be as radical in this field as they claim to wish to be in others. They must not just follow slavishly behind the Americans but take a positive lead in the Alliance in the direction to which I have pointed.
1.59 p.m.
Viscount Hanworth: My Lords, as we have heard, the North Atlantic Alliance was established by the Washington Treaty in April 1949 during the first years of the Cold War. The events which led to its formation included the Soviet blockade of Berlin in 1948 and the imposition of communist regimes in the countries of central and eastern Europe which had been liberated from the Nazis by the Russians.
There were 12 founding members and over time the number increased to 16. Now, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the treaty, which will be marked by another Washington summit, the membership is set to expand further by the accession of three former Soviet satellites—Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. A treaty which originated in quite a different era from our

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own seems set to provide the basis for a new architecture of European security which will prevail well into the next century. This is an extraordinary circumstance by any reckoning. It engenders grave doubts and anxieties among many of us on this side of the House.
Article 10 of the Washington Treaty allows for the accession of new members to NATO by the unanimous agreement of the existing members which means, in effect, that the treaty must be ratified in each parliament or assembly of these nations.
Such steps have already been taken by the majority of the members. In particular, your Lordships' attention has been drawn to the process of ratification in the US Senate by my noble friend Lord Kennet whose concern over the tenor of those proceedings occasioned a debate on a Friday afternoon. The date was 19th June.
If I understand correctly, my noble friend has been concerned by the way in which the US Administration's policy for European security which, in some measure, was designed to secure a domestic electoral advantage, has been hijacked by right-wing Republican senators.
More recently, on 16th July the matter was considered in another place in an adjournment debate, also on a Friday, which was interrupted by a government statement. Now, on the last day of the Session, your Lordships are giving the matter some fleeting attention. In effect, we are now in the process of ratifying the accession of the new NATO members as we are enjoined to do by the protocols of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Our arrangements for dealing with treaties seem to me manifestly unsatisfactory. I suspect that, with hindsight, the enlargement of NATO will be seen as one of the most momentous events of international affairs in this decade. I fear that our future critics will highlight this episode as a crucial one when a false turning was taken and when great opportunities were missed.
It is an archaic feature of our parliamentary democracy that, under Royal Prerogative, the Government can sign treaties and make war and peace without the advice or the consent of Parliament; and so the event is being marked only by the briefest of debates which will be registered hardly, if at all, in the consciousness of the public at large.
I hark back to the process of ratification which occurred recently in the US Senate because, to my mind, this highlights some of the dangers of the course upon which we have embarked. The process of ratification has produced a curious document described as the Text of Resolution of Ratification which is to be found in the congressional record of 4th May. It is a kind of palimpsest made from short pieces of text which have been stuck down one layer upon another. It speaks in disparate voices which are sometimes in clear contradiction.
Among the passages of the document which attract my attention are several which assert that NATO is primarily an instrument of American foreign policy. Thus the Senate has declared:
"Strong United States leadership of NATO promotes and protects United States vital national security interests".
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The Senate also asserts that NATO must not be diverted from its purpose or its policies by the objections of extraneous parties. Thus,
"NATO will not subject its decisions to review, challenge or veto by any forum affiliated with NATO, or by any non-member state participating in any such forum".
Nor is NATO to get bogged down in international diplomacy. I quote again:
"The Council does not require the consent of the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe or any other international organisation in order to take action pursuant to the treaty, including the deployment, operation or stationing of forces".
In particular, NATO is not to pay undue attention to the interests of its former Cold War opponent. Thus we read:
"The political commitments made by NATO to the Russian federation are not legally binding and do not in any way preclude any future decisions to preserve the security of NATO members".
We learn also that the US wishes to exercise a veto over the development of European security policy. The Senate therefore declares:
"No action or agreement shall constitute a security commitment pursuant to the NATO treaty other than a consensus decision by the full membership of NATO, subject to the advice and consent of the US senate".
This is presumptuous indeed. Even more presumptuous is a statement which imposes upon the European partners in NATO a policy for the deployment of American troops and American nuclear weapons. Thus:
"Nuclear weapons will continue to make an essential contribution to deterring aggression and a credible nuclear deterrent posture requires the stationing of United States forces in Europe".
I accept that such statements are in line with what one would expect of a legislature pursuing its national interests. However, this is a case in which the major partner of an international alliance is abrogating to itself all manner of decisions which ought to be the products of negotiations among all of the parties.
NATO no longer has the clear objectives of the Cold War period. NATO cannot remain the principal organ of European collective security if it continues to adopt a monolithic approach dominated by the perceptions of one nation which is largely ignorant of and insensitive to the aspirations of the other partners.
The consensus upon which NATO was founded is breaking down because there is no longer a unique opinion on how the Russians should be dealt with. Russia is fearful of the expansion of NATO and remains strongly opposed to it. Some people have suggested that Russia is becoming reconciled to NATO expansion. This is untrue. What may look like acquiescence is, in reality, a retreat in the face of faits accomplis.
We seem to be embarking on a programme of expansion of NATO by successive stages in the face of Russian opposition. This serves no clear purpose; and the effect may well be to exclude Russia permanently from the architecture of European security and to alienate its politicians and its people from the rest of Europe. This seems an extraordinarily misguided approach when so many of the problems which have beset the continent in recent years have arisen in the

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territories of the former Soviet Union. It is also a poor recompense for Russia's co-operation in solving these problems jointly with the West.
What other courses could we follow instead of the one on which we are embarking? I propose that it is easy to imagine other, more hopeful prospects. I am inclined to agree with others that NATO is a splendid organisation which should be preserved in some form. It has been in receipt of substantial resources and has been guided, via its secretariat, by persons of outstanding ability.
They have already shown us how constructive relationships can be established between Russia and NATO. Their instrument most recently has been the Russian/NATO founding pact. What is prejudicing the enterprise are the outdated treaties and conventions under which the European security system is labouring. Is it unrealistic to hope that the 50th anniversary of the founding of NATO will see the dissolution of the Washington Treaty and its replacement by something more relevant to the 21st century? Perhaps your Lordships will allow me a brief moment of fantasy and join me in envisaging a pan-European security system made from a federation of regional security treaties. There would be a northern treaty covering the Baltic and the Scandinavian states on the one hand and the Russian federation and the Ukraine on the other. There would be a western European security treaty, an eastern European and Balkan treaty and a middle European treaty. The middle European treaty would include the nations which are now in the act of acceding to NATO, together with Austria and Slovakia and maybe Romania and Slovenia as well. The overarching organisation would be the OSCE: the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The regional treaty organisations of this articulated system would stand guard on the recalcitrant elements, and the miscreants could be excluded for a period from their regional organisations. There would be a role for NATO as well, but perhaps its name should be changed to signify its competence throughout the treaty regions. Adjacent countries with irreconcilable differences such as Greece and Turkey could be members of the Euro-Atlantic treaty organisation even if they could not become partners within the relevant regional treaty organisation.
This is a fantasy which envisages the lion lying down with the lamb and which has the fox locked up with the geese. I gear that nothing like it will materialise, but it is a fantasy by which we might be guided.
2.9 p.m.
Lord Belhaven and Stenton: My Lords, I intend this afternoon to confine my remarks to Poland, which is the largest of the three countries about to be admitted to NATO. In fact, Poland is bigger than both the other countries combined. I do not intend to speak on technical military matters, as I am not competent to do so. I would say only that in the financial sphere, Poland agreed to the conditions laid down by the US Congress and, in my view, is capable of meeting them.
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To underline that I can tell your Lordships that around three years ago I met the deputy manager of the Bank of Poland in Warsaw and asked him for his comments on Poland's application to join the European Union. He replied that he was more interested in Poland joining NATO as national security was at present the overriding issue. At this stage I would point out that NATO and the EU are not the same organisation. As the noble Lord, Lord Hardy of Wath, said, Sweden, Ireland, Austria and Finland are in the EU but not in NATO and, as I understand it, Turkey is in NATO but not in the EU. It is therefore a mistake to confuse the two.
I ask your Lordships to look at the situation from a Polish point of view. We do not need to go back to the 18th century and the partitions as the events of which I shall speak happened in the lifetime of most of your Lordships. Seventeen days after Germany invaded Poland in 1939, she was also invaded by the Soviet Union. The brutality of both occupations is well known, but possibly less well known is that the Soviet occupation was as cruel, if not more so, than the German.
My wife is Polish and her grandfather, who was a rural landowner in the Lwow region, was murdered within three days of the arrival of the Soviet army. My mother-in-law eventually fled to the German occupied zone, where she felt safer. Later, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and Poland became officially an ally of that country.
That brings me to the Warsaw uprising of August 1944, of which tomorrow is the 54th anniversary. At that time the Soviet high command broadcast an appeal to the Polish Home Army to rise and attack the German occupiers. That appeal was immediately answered by a general uprising. The Red Army, which was now on the other side of the Vistula from Warsaw in the suburb of Praga, not merely took no action to help the Home Army, but the Soviet authorities forbade the Polish division with the Red Army to cross the Vistula and give help. Furthermore, they refused permission for British and American aircraft, which were bringing aid to the uprising, to land and refuel at Soviet controlled airports. The result was that an estimated 200,000 civilians were killed while their so-called Soviet allies watched and waited. The city of Warsaw was comprehensively destroyed and those inhabitants who survived fled the city. That was probably the greatest betrayal in the history of warfare.
When the war ended Poland was handed over to the Soviets—who had betrayed them. I will not say that British and American politicians and statesmen did that deliberately, but they were unable or unwilling to fulfil the promise they had made of a free, democratic and independent Poland following the war. All that was in spite of the magnificent contribution to the allied cause of the Polish armed forces, who went on fighting even though they knew that their efforts were doomed and that 52 per cent. of the pre-war national territory was to be lost to the Soviets. Many of the Polish servicemen who fought with us had their homes in the Soviet area and knew before the war was over that they would never return. Nonetheless, they did not betray us as the Soviets betrayed them.

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I am saying this because I think we should remember how much Poland has to forgive. I believe also that many intelligent and humane Russians agree with this. I have met some of them, and the fact of Poland wishing to take her due place in the West does not disturb them. Poland is a sovereign state with an absolute right to decide what allies she wishes to have, and certainly she does not threaten Russia. If anything it could be the other way round. I believe that in the light of past betrayal of a loyal and courageous ally we owe it to Poland to accept her application and I am glad that, at least in this, I appear to agree with Her Majesty's Government.
Finally, I would like, if your Lordships would bear with me, to quote from one of the last broadcast messages to come from the Polish uprising in Warsaw, which I have taken from Churchill's memoirs:
"This is the stark truth. We were treated worse than Hitler's satellites, worse than Italy, Roumania, Finland. May God, Who is just, pass judgment on the terrible injustice suffered by the Polish nation. Your heroes are the soldiers whose only weapons against tanks, planes and guns were their revolvers and bottles filled with petrol. Your heroes are the women who tended the wounded and carried messages under tire, who cooked in bombed and ruined cellars to feed children and adults, and who soothed and comforted the dying. Your heroes are the children who went on quietly playing among the smouldering ruins. These are the people of Warsaw.
Immortal is the nation that can muster such universal heroism. For those who have died have conquered, and those who live on will fight on, will conquer and again bear witness that Poland lives when the Poles live".
This is one of the nations that we are inviting to join NATO.
2.15 p.m.
The Earl of Carlisle: My Lords, it is a privilege to stand up here and follow the noble Lord, Lord Belhaven and Stenton. I am sure the Polish Government, the Polish people and the Polish who now live here, and who are citizens of the United Kingdom, will be very grateful indeed for all the support he has given them over the years.
The word is indeed accession. There is another word which I believe has not been mentioned, and it is reconciliation—reconciliation between the west, the central and the eastern parts of Europe. I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in this debate and to take note of NATO's invitation to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland to join the alliance.
I congratulate the noble Lord the Minister on setting out Her Majesty's Government's position with his customary ability and skill, and I look forward to the reply of the noble Baroness. I warmly welcome the addition of the three nations into the alliance and look forward to their accession in Washington next year where I hope first and foremost the role, organisation and tasks of the NATO allies will be reviewed, analysed and, if and where necessary, changed so that this organisation can be transformed to meet the desires of all the members and all the members who will accede to the union, to the NATO alliance, in time. I hope that it will be found to be a worthy vehicle for those nations.
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I was denied the opportunity to visit the three capital cities of Budapest, Prague and Warsaw between the time of 1970 when I joined Her Majesty's land forces and 1990 because the KGB was operating in those cities. The KGB is still operating in those cities and elsewhere in central Europe, but it is doing so under another name and it is using different methods. It is known as the mafia.
I wish this debate had taken place in April 1949 when NATO was founded, since NATO, primarily a European defence and security organisation stretching from Vancouver to Hamburg, should have included all the nations of central Europe. Since that could not be, I wish that this debate could have taken place in 1990 when the Berlin wall was demolished. Instead it has taken us over eight years to take this important step and we have been told that this might be the last expansion of NATO eastwards. I sincerely hope that this is not the case. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland were the most reluctant and unwilling members of the Warsaw Pact. Their populations today amount to about 57 million. Since the Warsaw Pact without Russia amounted to 100 million souls, then I say 57 million up, but 43 million still to come in. Like other noble Lords I have read with great interest and benefit the third report of the Defence Committee in another place. It is a masterly document. I have also read the debate in another place on 17th July on NATO expansion. The honourable Member for Walsall South, the chairman of the Defence Committee, Mr. Bruce George, is to be congratulated on both occasions.
Perhaps I may deal with three points in the committee's report. The first, a constant theme running through the report, is the message, "We must be careful, whatever we do or do not do, not to irritate or antagonise the Russian Federation". I am reminded of the story about the Foreign Office and Eton College. In the late 1930s, the time known to us with shame as "the years of appeasement", the Nazi ambassador to the Court of St. James, Herr Ribbentrop, decided for reasons best known to himself to send his son to be educated at Eton. Mr. Ambassador Ribbentrop visited Eton. On the morning of his visit the headmaster was interested to receive a communication from a very senior mandarin in the Foreign Office. The letter went something like this: "If you admit Master Ribbentrop to your school, please ensure that the other scholars in your charge do not tease him, because if they do it might get to the ears of the Chancellor of Germany, Herr Hitler". The boy was not admitted to the school. Hitler did not march into the Rhineland as a result of that; he already had. My point is that we cannot please everyone all of the time. We should be careful not to irritate people but we must look carefully at why we are irritating them. If it is unfounded, let us ignore it and continue with our course of action.
I learnt from reading the committee's report that many diplomats and witnesses from central Europe, with far greater experience of Russia than most of us have, believe that the Russian people and most of their leaders are not worried about the central European nations joining a successful defensive alliance. I emphasise the word "defensive". The Russian people have not had an

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election or a referendum on the subject. I suspect that, if they did, the "don't knows" and the "don't cares" would have the majority.
We have an example of how the Russians looked at the expansion of NATO eastwards; not Greece and Turkey in 1952; not the Federal Republic of Germany in 1955; and not even Spain in 1982; but more recently Germany, on 12th December 1990, when the four allied powers of the Second World War agreed with each other and Germany that the former GDR territory should be a part of NATO. The Republic of Germany paid the entire bill. Russia did not seem to make any protest against that when it might have been expected to take a very dim view, knowing that 20 million people from 2,000 of its cities had been killed in war. The only opposition to the move came not from Russia but from the tenant of Chequers at the time, the noble Baroness, Lady Thatcher. I understand that she even held a seminar to discuss the matter. The noble Baroness expressed foreboding, but the Russians and the Germans disregarded her. Is anyone suggesting now that it was a mistake to include the eastern Länder of Germany in NATO? I think not. As I said, Germany paid the cost.
That brings me on to my second point—cost. Figures have been shot across the floor of the NATO conference chamber and across the Floor of the House—£110 million a year for 10 years, it that is the accurate cost; a total cost of £1.5 billion. I believe that the war to liberate the Falkland Islands cost £2 billion, and the majority considered that that was a price worth paying. To bring 57 million people into our alliance is cheap at that price. We must seize this opportunity to give them and us additional security.
I recall last February, when His Excellency the President of Estonia was a guest of Her Majesty's Government, that that statesman made a speech to the RUSI. In it he stated among other things that it is not fear that makes the Baltic states, Estonia in particular, feel threatened—Estonia does not feel threatened by Russia—but rather that they wish to be incorporated into all aspects of European integration of which the EU and NATO are the strongest manifestations.
When he spoke to the RUSI there was a question period. He was asked by the councillor from the Russian Embassy in London this question: Do you mind paying the bill for this? The president answered this rather insolent question. The president and 10 per cent. of his nation had been locked up in Siberia and many of them never returned. He said that the price of security and liberty was always worth paying.
I hope that when the Minister winds up she will acknowledge that point and the amount that the central and European nations have spent on their own defence when they have many other matters to address. I hope that the Minister will not only acknowledge that, but give some encouragement to those who wish to join the NATO alliance.
We must be prudent and cautious, but we must not verge on the craven and supine. I conclude with this point. On 13th April 1995, I listened to two of the greatest intellects among the heads of states of the
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world; namely, President Havel of the Czech Republic and President Leonard Meri of Estonia, discussing the future together. Both said, "If we are first into the European Union or the NATO organisation, we will help the others to get in. We will also help our colleagues in central Europe". We have all too little influence in central and eastern Europe, politically, diplomatically, militarily, economically and culturally. If the United Kingdom does not help those nations to join us they will go to the other nations of NATO and the European Union for their help and we will lose the little influence that we have.
2.27 p.m.
Lord Rea: My Lords, I wish to look at our topic from a rather different perspective and in doing so to try to look in as realistic a way as possible into a crystal ball from two different angles; namely, what will happen if we do—as seems inevitable—admit Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary into NATO and, conversely, what will be likely to happen if we do not.
What really matters is whether or not there will be a peaceful future for central Europe and hence less likelihood of another major war involving all of us. But of almost equal importance is that sustainable economic growth and social progress are given the maximum chance of developing in all the countries of central and eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, as I believe they are still called. There is a connection between these two desirable outcomes which does not need to be spelt out. If accession goes ahead we will be in danger of returning to the outdated mode of achieving security in which countries face each other with tanks and guns—and in this case nuclear weapons—rather than through genuine negotiations to reduce weapons and increase mutually beneficial trade and cultural exchange.
My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Robin Cook, said at a Strategic Defence Review seminar last year,
"I have often found it strange that the issue of arms control is discussed much less since the collapse of the Cold War, which potentially offers much greater opportunity for arms control, than there ever was during the height of the Cold War".
To acquire and manufacture weapons of war detracts from the resources, which are limited in the three countries about which we are speaking and which would otherwise be available for investment in education, health and many other desirable areas. And, as many noble Lords have said, we also will have quite a large and rather uncertain bill to pay.
As was mentioned by my noble friend Lord Judd when we debated the Unstarred Question of my noble friend Lord Kennet on 19th June, one serious outcome of the enlargement is that the new members will need to upgrade their weapons to the highest standard to be equivalent to those of other nations in NATO (at considerable expense, both theirs and ours). Partly to off-set that cost they will have to sell their equipment (which has been superseded) at bargain prices to less well off countries in the developing world. Can my noble friend the Minister say whether the Government have thought about that and whether they have even

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considered banning such activity and requiring new members of NATO to destroy their old weapons rather than flood the world market with them?
In addition to those problems, as many noble Lords have said, the enlargement of NATO is bitterly resented by most Russians. Perhaps I may point out to the noble Earl, Lord Carlisle, who said that most Russians do not seem to mind about NATO enlargement, that in February this year the Russian Duma passed a motion calling NATO enlargement the biggest threat to Russia since the end of the Second World War.
Several noble Lords have reminded us that NATO was created specifically to contain and oppose the Soviet Union and to deter possible aggression by that state. On the Soviet side, it was held that NATO was a threat and a justification for further escalation of the arms race. I suggest that both sides were subject to a degree of paranoia. Things have changed radically since those days and although Russia still has a huge nuclear stock and a large army, at present it is not a credible threat to any European country. The noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, is not the only authority who says that. We need only to look at the abysmal, terrible and destructive failure of the Russians' war in Chechnya in which they attacked a country with a population of only 1 million. Incidentally, I witnessed that conflict in action in December 1995, so I am perfectly capable of realising that the Russians can behave in a brutish and uncivilised way. We need to encourage them not to do so.
I am also aware of the real fear, felt by the three countries which are being invited to join NATO, of their large neighbours who have repressed them on and off for centuries. The noble Lord, Lord Belhaven and Stenton, gave graphic descriptions of the horrible happenings during the Warsaw uprising.
It is worth mentioning, as I did on 19th June, that Germany has been as much, if not more, guilty of oppressing those three countries than has Russia. However, Germany is now a member of NATO and is therefore constrained and contained in any aggressive tendencies that might re-emerge there. I suppose that there is an advantage in inviting one's former enemy into one's home; one can keep a good eye on him. In that way, former enemies are more likely to become civilised members of the community than would be the case if one erected fences against them to keep them out.
In this light, what is the logic of excluding Russia from any possibility of joining, or of being associated with, NATO in the future—that is, if NATO continued to be called that. Indeed, my noble friend Lord Hanworth and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, have outlined in detail possible successor structures that could be built to improve the security of the countries of Europe. However, I shall not go into that discussion now, save to say that instead of having the North Atlantic Alliance one could perhaps have a Euro-American Alliance. To exclude Russia altogether from NATO is illogical when one previous aggressor is a core member.
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The wording of the United States Senate resolution, which formed part of the Question tabled by my noble friend Lord Kennet on 19th June, is quite clear. According to Senator Jesse Helms—that pillar of democracy—the United States instrument of ratification,
"builds impenetrable 'fire walls' in the NATO-Russia relationship, ensuring that Russia will neither have a voice nor a veto in NATO decision-making, and that the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council [should] be a forum for explaining—not negotiating—NATO policy decisions".
I suggest that that kind of language is patronising and insulting. Far from helping to increase security it is likely to cause resentment and perpetuate rather than ease tensions.
As the noble Baroness, Lady Park, has said, strength may be the only language that the Russians understand. However, there are many voices of reason inside Russia that are struggling to make themselves heard. However, we also know that there are many other voices to the far right and left who will capitalise on the widespread poverty and disillusion of the current phase of transition by using Russia's international humiliation, of which NATO enlargement is a part, to gain support for rearmament and revanchism.
To get a picture of what is taking place in Russia today, on Wednesday night I saw one of the best television documentaries. Entitled "Born in the USSR", it followed the lives of a number of children. They were filmed in 1990 and again in 1998 when they were seven and 14 years of age. It showed graphically the terrible situation in Russia in which those children are growing up.
I suggest that the long delay in Russian ratification of START II may be an indication of that feeling of international humiliation which this action has exacerbated. The ratification of START 2 is one of Russia's few remaining bargaining chips. I suggest that similar factors may well be operating with the long delays in the negotiations on conventional force reductions in Europe. The expansion of NATO and the intransigent language of the US Senate are encouraging this process.
I hope that the Government can find a formula which will bring Russia back into the European family of nations—"Our Common European Home", as it has been described by President Gorbachev—rather than push her dangerously into the position of a pariah state or potential enemy as the Senate resolution in particular which ratified this enlargement appeared to do.
The opinion that Russia is a difficult country to deal with goes back much further than the Communist years of 1917 to 1991. I very much hope that, in contrast to Senator Jesse Helms, the Government will encourage the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council to develop into a truly co-operative organisation and that the Partnership for Peace initiative will not merely pay lip service to its title but, as mutual confidence builds, will increasingly allow military exchange programmes, for example. I know that we already have a few, and there are even joint manoeuvres in preparation for future possible peacekeeping operations.

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I fear that those desirable programmes of military co-operation, leading eventually, as they might, to the removal of the current blocks in achieving disarmament will not be made any easier by NATO enlargement. There are still too many bitter feelings between the countries of east Europe and Russia, which might make it difficult to mount joint military training or other co-operative activities.
To conclude, I will put on a more optimistic hat. The proposed enlargement, by making the Poles, Czechs and Hungarians feel more secure, will enable them to interact with their former oppressor with increasing trust and eventual forgiveness so that both sides can agree to arms reductions and improve economic and cultural relations. Although Czechs and Poles want more links with the West they have strong historical and cultural links with Russia.
I fear that membership of NATO by only one of the two sides in this ancient antagonism will make them grow further apart and sow the seeds of a future conflict that might involve us all. That must not be allowed to happen. I hope that my noble friend will spell out the steps that Her Majesty's Government propose to take to ensure that it does not.
2.41 p.m.
Baroness Williams of Crosby: My Lords, we have had a notable debate in which some extremely helpful and inspiring speeches have been made, to which I shall return. This is one of those debates that makes one feel proud to be a Member of this House. A number of noble Lords have brought to the discussion an astonishing level of personal experience and knowledge which makes these debates an extraordinarily rich tableau which I believe and hope is helpful to Ministers when they discuss and consider policies.
It would be ungenerous not to recognise that each of the three countries that have been accepted as members for the expansion of NATO—the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, and my noble friend all welcomed their membership of NATO—can, in a sense, make out the argument that they are a special case, but, like the noble Lord, Lord Belhaven, I feel that in many ways Poland is the most special case of them all, because of its distinguished history of fighting against tyranny and dictatorship under the Nazis and under the communist regime of the Soviet Socialist Republics.
I am only too happy to lend my voice to the welcome given to those three countries. I shall add just one other thought: for some of us on this 50th anniversary of Munich, it is appropriate that the Czech republic should now be a member of NATO. That may put right a long-standing, historical shame.
I turn now to the point raised in a notable speech by the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, with regard to what is seen to be NATO's purpose. As he, and indeed the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, said, the original purpose of NATO was a simple and straightforward one: it was to unite the Western allies against the obvious and present threat posed by the Soviet Union. The alliance
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was built upon that straightforward objective—the objective of defending all the nations and democracies of Western Europe, the US and Canada against the potential threat of an offence or attack by the Soviet Union.
The simplicity and, in some ways, beauty of that classical purpose of alliance has long since gone, as the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, pointed out. If one were to look today at what might be thought to be NATO's objectives, they would be, first, the security of the Western Alliance, in particular of the continent of Europe; and, secondly, the significance of the link between Europe and the US.
Perhaps I may say a few words about each of those. As regards the stability of the continent of Europe, on the one side we have countries which are members of NATO, including the three new members, and on the other countries which range from those that might potentially be members of NATO to those on the periphery. The paradox is that it is specifically those on the periphery, those least likely to qualify in the near future for membership of NATO, that present the real threat to the security of Europe. I refer to the countries of the Caucuses, central Europe and elsewhere, where those countries are today not far removed from the possibility of chaos.
In securing the security of our continent, NATO has necessarily to address the disorder, and the chaotic and sometime anarchic structures that exist on its periphery. As the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, pointed out, that sometimes cannot be achieved by a military alliance. That is why, in reaching its objectives today, NATO has moved from a purely military alliance to one which includes negotiation, conflict resolution, conflict settlement, peace keeping, and a whole set of mutual exercises, all of which attempt to build trust. In many ways the building of trust is the positive side of what an alliance against threat originally constituted.
The noble Lords, Lord Hardy of Wath, Lord Rea, and others were concerned about the position of Russia with regard to both the classic function of NATO and the function that is represented by its new role in respect of peace keeping, mutual exercises, Partnership for Peace, and so on. The noble Lord, Lord Skidelsky, and I, have the privilege of addressing a number of seminars every year run by the Moscow School of Political Science. Those seminars are mounted for members of the duma, members of the regional dumas, and regional councils. Anyone taking part in those discussions would find it difficult to argue that there is no longer any sense of fear or concern about the extension eastward of NATO by Russia. Indeed, I strongly agree with the noble Lord, Lord Rea. The dependence of Russia at present on the goodwill of the western countries to provide the necessary economic backing to enable Russia to deal with a serious crisis—it still remains unresolved despite the large sums made available by the International Monetary Fund—is likely to mean that Russia continues to be somewhat resentful, sore and concerned about her own economic and political diminution in the world. I agree with those noble Lords who have suggested that we need to walk very carefully in respect of Russia.

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I hope that we shall involve Russia as much as possible in functional relations into which we can draw her: perhaps in Bosnia where she has played a significant part as a peace keeper; and in Kosovo where she is not yet in that relationship but where there is constant contact with her by the contact group in that crisis. I should like to see Russia further involved by the OSCE and others, for example in the lifting of already laid mines in a large part of central Europe, Bosnia and elsewhere. It is of great importance that the Russian sensibilities are carefully considered.
I turn to the link between the United States and Europe. I refer to what was said by the noble Lord, Lord Kennet. Perhaps I may underline his concern about the remarks in the Senate debate, in particular those of the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Helms, about the right of NATO to act in any crisis that confronts it without regard to any outside body, and in particular without regard to the United Nations. No congress can bind any other congress, any more than one parliament can bind its successors. Therefore, the conditions which so troubled the noble Lord, Lord Kennet, which have been attached to American ratification of NATO expansion, are no more lasting than the Senate in which they are decided and made. Even Senator Helms is presumably not immortal—though one sometimes wonders about it.
However, it would be more helpful if the British Government would speak out occasionally about the importance of the United Nations and the OSCE. Perhaps I may be so temeritous as to make a suggestion. They should mount a major campaign to get across to the United States' Congress and beyond to it its citizens the significant contribution made by Europe in respect of aid, investment and all forms of peacekeeping to the joint interests of the alliance.
A great deal of American debate turns on the assumption that all western help takes the form of contributions to defence. It is vital that we put together the civil strategic purposes of the West alongside its defence purposes and treat them as being of common interest to us both.
Lord Kennet: My Lords, perhaps I may interrupt the noble Baroness to ask a factual question, as she probably knows more about it than anyone else. The conditions imposed by the Senate were upon ratification of an international treaty. To what extent would that ratification be called into question if a subsequent Congress were to reverse or lift those conditions?
Baroness Williams of Crosby: My Lords, I should like to be a lawyer in order to reply to the question. My impression is that it would not affect ratification and that the conditions agreed by the Congress are binding directly on the President but not on other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, including the new members. Therefore, there is a limited impact of those conditions and it would be dangerous to believe that they might be exaggerated into qualifying NATO expansion.
Before turning from that subject, perhaps I may make one more comment. Often, European diplomats and politicians fail to recognise how crucial is the role of
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Congress and also fail to recognise that we therefore need to engage in a discussion and dialogue with Congress separate from the discussion and dialogue with the US administration. Far too many European governments believe that if they make their point to the administration they have, as it were, won the argument. They have only started to win the argument. There are at least two further stages to go. One is the Senate, more important in foreign affairs, and the other is the House of Representatives.
I wish to ask the Minister a direct question which flows directly from the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Kennet. Would we continue to regard operations outside the NATO theatre as being normally subject to the UN procedures and not outside those procedures?
I wish to raise two further issues and I apologise for keeping the House. The first relates to the costs, which matter was averted to by the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan. I have a deep concern essentially about the movement from the original Pentagon estimates referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, and the subsequent estimates by the Office of Budget and Management of the United States Congress and then later by the Rand Corporation and others. It set at the lowest level the cost of 35 billion dollars, to which the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, referred, down to the 1.5 billion over 10 years, which is the current figure and the one which the United Kingdom Government estimate their own share as being; namely, £110 million over that same period. I do not question that figure of 1.5 billion dollars but I believe I am right in saying that that relates directly to the NATO budget, a budget which is required to integrate the respective members into the overall NATO provisions.
The problem is that we have redefined what we mean by the "necessary costs of NATO expansion". We are now excluding from those costs, as the noble Lords, Lord Hardy of Wath and Lord Rea, pointed out, virtually everything that is required to bring up to date the military forces of the three new members.
In so far as there is a cost in switching over from Soviet-designed arms, Soviet training and Soviet weapons, that cost is to be borne by the new member states. Therefore, we are no longer counting that cost. It has ceased to be our concern. But every one of those three countries is in the process of joining the European Union. In that process, they are being given some help—40 billion ecus over a period of six years from the structural funds—and we all know, and the European Communities Select Committee has pointed out time and again, that the budget is as tight as it can be; that those countries are right up against the ceiling of what they will need to meet the requirements of the acquis communautaire of the European Union.
In this debate, and in the whole debate about NATO, we are simply disregarding the issue of how those huge costs are to be met and what priority those countries should give. In that context, I simply want to say that I am deeply concerned about what appears to be an extraordinary lack of consultation, even of an informal nature, between the European Commission, in the shape of the Commissioner for DGIA concerned with external relations, and the NATO authorities.

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Like many noble Lords, I welcome the membership of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. But I remain profoundly concerned that in a debate on NATO, we have, and the United States has, skated over some of the most critical issues without the kind of careful discussion which the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, and others have suggested we should have had. I believe that that is not the fault of Her Majesty's Government, but it is unfortunate that we have not explored those issues as fully as they deserve.
2.59 p.m.
Baroness Rawlings: My Lords, I shall not make the customary remarks about the excellence of today's debate; indeed, it must be self-evident. Such debates show your Lordships' House at its finest, and that applies especially to the speech made by the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont. Personally, I agreed with all that he said. Similarly, I shall not trouble noble Lords over too many details of the background of the debate to which so many have alluded so eloquently.
The Washington Treaty establishing the North Atlantic Alliance became permanent as NATO in 1952. Its primary purpose is to preserve peace and its member states' security through political solidarity, as mentioned by my noble friend Lord Moynihan. NATO's collective security guarantee is outlined in the well-known Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which reads:
"The parties agree, that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all".
I have quoted just that small part, as I know your Lordships are well acquainted with Article 5.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and its empire, and with the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the countries in eastern and central Europe—or, as they were known, "the forgotten Europe"—eventually found their long awaited freedom. As these countries broke away from the communist yoke, the political map of Europe underwent dramatic changes. Without any obvious role, with the sudden apparent collapse of any immediate military threat, at least from land forces from the East, there followed many agonised discussions on the future role of NATO, as explained so clearly by the noble Baroness, Lady Williams of Crosby. These debates even brought forth suggestions that NATO be disbanded—or, at the very least, that its primary role be deemed as unnecessary. Luckily, those propositions found no support.
Both the European Union and NATO have endured long discussions on the desirability and the mechanics of enlargement. Both sets of processes have been difficult and complex tasks. The reason for the differences in NATO and EU approaches are clear: NATO produced major new programme statements in 1991 and 1994 and sees itself, as a defence organisation, still working well within the confines of those prescriptions. It is not driven to political introspection by any sense of lagging public confidence, or by the threat of irrelevance. Why? It is because the Russians are still building defensive equipment. Many of your
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Lordships will have seen their fast military jets at international airshows around the world. Their submarine forces still receive huge investment. They have chemical and biological capabilities, together with massive espionage capabilities.
I totally agree with my noble friend Lady Park on the subject: their aggressive intentions may have evaporated for the time being. In June 1997, Yeltsin signed the NATO-Russia Founding Act in Paris and announced a less aggressive nuclear targeting policy. However, President Yeltsin will not be there for ever. Indeed, I cannot totally agree with the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver, on Russia.
Jane Sharp, the eminent senior research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College London, in one of her in depth articles, wrote:
"The initiative for enlargement came from the former Warsaw Pact states, who felt caught in a security vacuum when violence erupted in the former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union. Initially NATO offered the Partnership for Peace programme in late 1993. But it was Germany's interest in stability on its Eastern border that drove the Alliance to consider accepting new members. Germany felt the responsibility to right the wrongs of Yalta, and to bring back into Western Europe those pre-war democracies on whom Moscow imposed communist governments in the 1940s. Germany felt the responsibility to right the wrongs of Yalta, and to bring back into Western Europe those pre-war democracies on whom Moscow imposed communist governments in the 1940s.
The other allies acquiesced, realising that if NATO did not supply security in Central Europe, sooner or later either Germany or Russia would, with unpredictable consequences".
Volker Ruhe said:
"If we don't export stability, we shall import instability".
Long gone are the days of Lord Ismay's famous dictum that NATO's raison d'être was:
"To keep the Americans in, the Russians out and the Germans down".
There are no longer pressing calls for a peace dividend. The pressure for enlargement shows that the product remains in demand and the November 1995 Dayton Agreement has brought NATO new political unity and self-assurance as well as assigning the alliance the critical military role on the ground, as pointed out so clearly in Alyson Bailes' excellent piece in the IISS Survival quarterly.
At the Madrid Summit in 1997, decisions were taken to invite the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to start negotiations with the alliance. We heard Poland's case in the moving speech of my noble friend Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The problem regarding enlarging NATO has to be addressed from a very different viewpoint since 1989. Article 10 reaffirms that NATO remains open to new members, but it does not give any candidates for entry a prescriptive right to have their application automatically accepted.
The decision to admit the three was a unanimous decision taken by all 16 heads of state and government. As your Lordships will know, no votes are ever taken in a NATO Council meeting, as mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert. However, the vote on enlargement in the Senate garnered far more than the two-thirds needed to approve the resolution. It was an historic vote; it cut across party and ideological lines. Some 35 Democrats joined 45 Republicans in support, and

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only 10 Democrats and nine Republicans opposed the resolution. That was more votes than Germany got in 1954.
Enlarging NATO in this way will redraw the boundaries of Europe, pushing the military alliance 400 miles eastward towards Russia. Perhaps most important for the United States, an expanded NATO would for the first time commit US and UK military forces to the defence of Prague, Warsaw and Budapest as if they were London, Rome or Washington. The old chestnut that has plagued the European Union too for so many years of "widening or deepening" is still on the agenda. Personally I have always maintained the "or" should not be there as they are both necessary. Another old debate that challenges the European Union was aired again recently by Conrad Black's provocative lecture, "Britain's final choice; Europe or America?"
Reconciling this kind of "deepening" with "widening"—the admission of new full members—should superficially be easier for NATO than for the European Union. However, to return to Lord Ismay, it is here that NATO's true widening versus deepening dilemma lies today. Both will take a relatively long time to solve. What is their main aim now? What are the main problems? There are a series of problems. Many of them have been mentioned today. Some people say that large meetings can become unwieldy and risk too much talk and inertia. Others feel that enlargement is a price worth paying for greater political legitimacy and a new rationale in the post-Cold War era.
With the demise of the USSR, NATO has found itself responsible for Balkan peacekeeping chores too. What happens if events in Kosovo spill out of its boundaries? It is curious that we have not heard mentioned once today the old dictum of "out of area" which was mentioned from time to time whenever we used to talk about NATO. How long will other countries such as Bulgaria which have to wait for the second or even the third expansion—have to wait? The second and third wave countries are clamouring to come in. It is curious that the three post-neutral states, Finland, Switzerland and Austria, have shown little enthusiasm to join. They would probably be most welcome. There is, however, an on-going debate in Austria about membership.
"Just where do we want to draw the line on NATO membership? With Indonesia?", as Henry Kissinger asked at a conference on NATO's geopolitical destiny? That sentiment was echoed by the noble Lord, Lord Kennet and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver. Some officials worry about the immense burdens posed by the bureaucratic and infrastructure needs of so many countries and their divergent priorities. Even the scheduling of meetings poses a serious problem. NATO's Secretary-General, Javier Solana Madariaga, estimates that the number of meetings at NATO HQ has tripled in the past two years. He said:
"Every wife in the harem wants to have her night of pleasure, and the alliance faces the problem of being overwhelmed by pressing demands from so many countries".
I was most interested to hear the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, who knows so much about enlargement.
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The alliance has committed itself to enlargement as an open process designed to stabilise the whole continent. I find it difficult to follow the fantasies of the noble Viscount, Lord Hanworth, on enlargement. Instability in central Europe has triggered two world wars in this century. The rationale of NATO enlargement is largely about the continuous prevention of a third.
All opponents of enlargement, some of whom are well-meaning liberal arms control experts, should ponder the damage that they do. By continuing to encourage Russian nationalists and xenophobes to believe that NATO has not changed since the end of the Cold War, they are acting like Lenin's "useful idiots"—westerners who supported the Bolshevik cause.
A better way to enhance the NATO-Russia partnership and advance the cause of arms control would be to demonstrate to Russian sceptics just how much western governments and people, like the great benefactor George Soros, are investing in Russian reform, and by noting that during the 1990s NATO members have cut budgets, withdrawn manpower, drastically reduced nuclear and conventional forces in Europe, and overhauled the alliance's doctrine.
What will NATO enlargement cost the taxpayer? The answer depends on which countries join NATO and when they accede, and on what strategy and force posture is chosen to implement new Article 5 commitments. There are important questions regarding cost, mentioned so ably by the noble Lords, Lord Gilbert, Lord Moynihan and Lord Chalfont, by my noble friend Lady Park and by the noble Baroness, Lady Williams, and many others. We look forward to hearing the Government's response. I have not touched on the matter for lack of time, though I am fully aware of its importance.
As with the fall of the Berlin Wall, 10 years ago none of your Lordships could have imagined that this debate would take place today. My final questions to the Minister are these. What kind of NATO do we want? What is its role? That question was put very clearly by the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont. Do we want a NATO capable of fighting a war; or do we want a Helsinki peacekeeping NATO? Will it become a loose security association? We all know the difficulties, but this has gone quite far down the road and, as the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, mentioned, we have to be careful in regard to costs.
I conclude by quoting paragraph 52 of the report of the Defence Committee in another place. It states:
"In deciding whether to endorse ratification on the accession protocols of the proposed new members, Parliament must weigh the potential political advantages of enlargement against any potential short-term costs in terms of military effectiveness".
For our part we are clear that the benefits of increased stability, as mentioned by my noble friend Lord Moynihan, in central and eastern Europe outweigh any military costs. I was delighted with many of the remarks of the Minister who opened the debate. There is obviously cross-party agreement on the subject. I look forward now to replies to the many questions that have been put from the Minister who is to respond.
3.14 p.m.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): My Lords, I am very grateful for the opportunity to close this important debate this afternoon. I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in it. As the noble Baroness, Lady Rawlings, said, I shall do my best to answer the questions that have been raised, but I fear that if I answer all of them we shall be here till much later.
One or two noble Lords expressed misgivings about having this debate on the last day before the Recess. I am very pleased that in such a busy Session we are able, before the Summer Recess, to honour the commitment made by the Prime Minister and the former Leader of this House in July last year after the NATO summit in Madrid that both Houses would have the opportunity to debate enlargement before the Government accepted the protocols. The protocols were signed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and all foreign ministers of our NATO allies in Brussels last December.
The Foreign Secretary's mission Statement made on 12th May 1997 laid particular emphasis on the Government's commitment to the security of the United Kingdom. He said that this would be achieved through,
"an enlarged NATO and strengthened security partnerships in Europe".
It naturally includes maintaining and developing the transatlantic partnership, which is fundamental to Europe's security.
As the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, said, it is Her Majesty's Government's view that NATO is the cornerstone of European security. Her Majesty's Government believe that it has served us well since 1949. It has established a community of nations with a commitment to common values and common defence. It cements the political and military capability of each member country. It has made war in Western Europe unthinkable.
But of course life has changed. Since the end of the cold war, NATO's role has been transformed. Former opponents are now partners in co-operation. Many noble Lords have expressed great concern about Russia and I remind the noble Baroness, Lady Williams of Crosby, that in particular the NATO-Russia Founding Act, signed last year, recognised Russia's key role in European security. I say to my noble friend Lord Rea that in the new Permanent Joint Council, NATO and Russia are sitting down together to contribute jointly to the security of Europe. From political consultations on crises such as Kosovo through to practical co-operation between armed forces, those discussions are taking place. With Ukraine, too, allies have signed a charter and we are working together with common aims to promote security for the whole of Europe.
I am happy to note that Britain, together with Russia, Ukraine, the United States and other countries, will jointly participate in Operation Sea Breeze in the Black Sea this year.
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The noble Lord, Lord Hardy of Wath, spoke about the Partnership for Peace. NATO's Partnership for Peace programme with countries extends right the way across Europe and has developed into a permanent feature of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, offering partner countries opportunities to train and exercise alongside NATO allies and, in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, enabling political consultations and discussions on a wide range of security issues.
But I remind my noble friend Lord Hanworth that when he expressed misgivings about how NATO was operating, the important thing to remember is that NATO in this context operates on a basis of consensus. I am happy to agree with the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, that NATO's new role includes its vital mission in Bosnia, where, with forces from both NATO and non-NATO nations, including the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, it implements the military aspects of the Dayton agreement and supports the wider international efforts to bring about the civilian reconstruction of Bosnia. NATO is also working through Partnership for Peace to contribute to the security and stability of nations in the region, including Albania and Macedonia.
Several noble Lords mentioned both Bosnia and Kosovo and I should like to say a little more about them. The value of the multi-national NATO-led force in Bosnia has long been recognised by the international community. It was recognised in the peace implementation council in Bonn last year which said that the presence of the NATO-led force in Bosnia had been the greatest single contributor to peace and security since the signing of Dayton.
As we look to Kosovo, the situation on the ground has been deteriorating and NATO is becoming more closely involved. We have already agreed an immediate package of concrete measures to reinforce stability in the region, including enhanced co-operation. We are planning a full range of other options. The NATO air exercises in June have already demonstrated NATO's capability to project power into the region. The important point is that this is NATO talking to Russia through the contact group. I believe that we have learnt some of the sad lessons from Bosnia.
I am sorry to disagree, at least in part, with something said by the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Carver. The invitation to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to join NATO is a natural development of the alliance. It is not the first enlargement. Twelve countries signed the Washington Treaty in 1949; in 1952, Greece and Turkey acceded to the treaty. The Federal Republic of Germany joined the alliance in 1955 and, in 1982, Spain also became a member of NATO.
Many countries in Europe are eager to gain the political and security benefits of NATO membership, while contributing fully to the aims, ideals and activities of the alliance. It is right that those who will contribute should not be denied this. By enlarging NATO we enable new democracies in central Europe to join NATO's collective defence, instead of evolving national defence policies or forming rival alliances which might be seen as potentially threatening by neighbours.

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Heads of state and government of NATO decided unanimously at their summit in Madrid in July 1997 that at this point it was right to invite those three countries to join. The current enlargement of the alliance is limited and manageable. That is the clear point I would make to the noble Baroness, Lady Rawlings. It involves credible candidates with reliable democratic credentials and a real ability to contribute to collective security. Furthermore, the alliance can only enlarge at a measured pace which does not impact adversely on its effectiveness. As the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, pointed out, that is enormously effective.
But why those three? There is no mechanical checklist of criteria for membership of NATO. Of course, members must support the aims and principles of the alliance. In practice, this means democratic government, including minority rights; it means a market economy and settlement of internal and external disputes. They must also be able and willing to contribute to the NATO alliance and work harmoniously within the alliance's political and military structures; and their membership must enhance European security. As my noble friend Lord Hardy of Wath pointed out, other countries were disappointed at not receiving an invitation at Madrid. But as the governments of NATO allies have made clear, and as we continue to do so, NATO's door is not closed.
I can assure the noble Lords, Lord Moynihan, Lord Chalfont, and my noble friend Lord Hardy of Wath, that we look forward to the day when it will be possible to invite further European democracies to join the alliance.
But even though no other invitations for membership have been issued, NATO is making available its experience and its resources to assist non-members. We and our allies encourage all European countries to participate fully in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which enables them to discuss with NATO members a full range of political issues. And the Partnership for Peace gives partners the opportunity to engage in military discussions and exercises. These initiatives will serve them in good stead whether they ultimately join NATO or whether they simply wish to work together with allies and their armed forces.
In particular the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont, drew our attention to Romania. The Government are fully aware of the commitment by the Romanian Government to NATO and the popular support in Romania for NATO membership. We are encouraging the Romanian Government to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the enhanced Partnership for Peace which we hope will further and deepen that country's ties with NATO.
Noble Lords have expressed doubts about the costs to both current and new members of NATO of enlargement. I am going to take a little time to try and explain this further. Following a NATO study last year the defence ministers of the alliance accepted
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that the cost to NATO's common funded budgets over the next 10 years of the three new members would be US$ 1.5 billion. Britain's share will be some £110 million. We believe, as many other noble Lords have said, that this cost is a small price which the Government believe is worth paying to enhance European security. Earlier figures were based on radically different political and military assumptions from those now accepted and, in some cases, included costs not directly attributable to enlargement.
One or two noble Lords have expressed worries about the actual cost to the countries joining. The invited countries will be asked to contribute to NATO's common funded budgets, but they will be asked to do so in proportion to their ability to pay, and that is a very important point. On this basis, the Czech Republic has agreed to pay 0.9 per cent., Hungary 0.65 per cent. and Poland 2.48 per cent., a total of some £1 billion annually. We believe that these are small amounts in relation to their national defence budgets. May I remind your Lordships that an MoD paper was placed in the Library of both Houses in March explaining the cost estimates agreed at last December's NATO ministerial meetings, and that paper also explains the current costing's relationship with the earlier higher estimates. It does bear very careful reading.
The three new members must of course be ready to make a full contribution across the spectrum of alliance business as soon as possible after their accession is complete. To prepare them for this they now attend a wide range of NATO meetings, though they have no decision-making rights. We believe that that is the best possible training ground for the three countries concerned. Their practical preparations include working within the NATO force planning system, in which they have accepted target force goals which will guide the adaptation of their armed forces to NATO requirements. This is not going to be an easy transition for them, but we are confident that the three countries are preparing themselves for membership seriously and professionally.
I turn to some of the specific points which your Lordships have raised without trespassing too much further into time. I feel it is important to try to pick up some of the specifics that have been mentioned. The noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, was very concerned indeed about the accession of the three countries affecting the military capability. A capacity and clear willingness to accept the full range of military commitments involved in membership has been one of the criteria set out (if I can use that phrase), notably the willingness and ability to participate in integrated military structures in defence of all NATO allies. NATO's aim is to make this integration as smooth as possible, so I assure the noble Lord and all other noble Lords that there shall be no falling away from the highest standards for military effectiveness which NATO has rightly set itself.
To that end, we are now having the detailed discussions which I have already described to your Lordships. However, the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, asked me specifically about the Government's reaction

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to the signed letter which was sent to the Prime Minister earlier this year. I should like to quote the Prime Minister's response to that letter. He said:
"I agree with you that NATO's ability to make effective assessments and, when necessary, rapid decisions"—
a point about which the noble Lord was particularly concerned—
"needs to be protected. Consensus in the alliance or elsewhere is never easy to achieve. There is no evidence, however, that enlargement to include the three countries will make the achievement of consensus more difficult. They will have a strong interest in ensuring that NATO continues to function effectively. Their integration into the alliance will enhance its ability to assess the security situation in Europe and to contribute to crisis management and resolution".
The noble Lord, Lord Kennet, had a rather different concern. He asked where enlargement will stop. In the Government's view the important thing to remember is that it is not numbers that matter here but the cohesion of the alliance. We are confident that the alliance of 19 members will be able to work every bit as effectively as the alliance of 16, perhaps even more so as the three new members will be enthusiastically committed to the common cause.
Lord Kennet: My Lords, perhaps I may pick the noble Baroness up on that point. When she said that she was coming to my question of where enlargement will stop, I hoped for a moment that she would be able to throw some light on that question. But I cannot say that she did.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I am certainly not going to follow the noble Lord's very interesting thought pattern as he went through the whole of eastern Europe and then into Asia and asked where a line would be drawn. It was an interesting hypothetical case, but I do not suppose for a single moment that the noble Lord thought that I would say that it would stop at a particular geographical point. What matters over these decisions is not the numbers but the cohesion of the alliance. That is the criterion under which Her Majesty's Government will consider any future applications.
The noble Baroness, Lady Park of Monmouth, and other noble Lords were concerned about Russia's position in all of this. The new strategic concept will take account of NATO's new and co-operative relationship with Russia. The strategic concept contains some outdated language, a point which my noble friend Lord Hardy of Wath mentioned. I agree with that. It implies an adversarial relationship with Russia. We will request its deletion. The risk to allied security should no longer single out Russia. It should no longer single out any country posing a particular threat. Our priority is to deepen and broaden co-operation within the existing frameworks that I have outlined to your Lordships.
The noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, my noble friend Lord Hanworth and others asked about plans that might be in train to develop the OSCE. The role of the OSCE has developed considerably in recent years and it is likely to continue to do so. Its importance lies in conflict prevention. But the OSCE has no experience in the field we are talking about—NATO's main functions.
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It has little experience and it has not had the necessary command and control structures. The best approach for the OSCE is to concentrate on the civilian aspects of conflict prevention, with military peacekeeping, under the UN or the OSCE mandate where appropriate, being carried out by others such as NATO where the coalitions are willing for that kind of co-operation to take place.
The noble Lord went over some of the ground we covered when we were discussing the Amsterdam Treaty in some detail. I do not propose to go into that in any great detail now other than to say to the noble Lord that Maastricht introduced the concept of the EU common defence policy and of a common defence strategy right across Europe, but at Amsterdam the majority of partners wanted to go further by committing us to a European common defence and to integration of the WEU with the EU.
As I have already said to the noble Lord on previous occasions, it is the view of Her Majesty's Government that those changes would undermine NATO. We still continue to believe that NATO is the bedrock of Europe's security. I know that the noble Lord has other views about the integration of European security, but I must advise him that those views are not necessarily shared by Her Majesty's Government in quite the fully developed way that the noble Lord would like.
The noble Lord also mentioned the question of the new NATO headquarters. NATO has commissioned studies into its future HQ requirements and the cost implications of various options. Analysis of that material is still under way and no decisions have been taken on it as yet.
The noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, wanted me to concentrate a little on the position vis-à-vis Gibraltar and Spain. In the context of Spanish integration into NATO—we support it, of course—we and Spain have been developing arrangements to avoid problems between us over Gibraltar. Satisfactory arrangements are being put into place on the basis of normal alliance practice and without prejudice—I stress that—to the sovereign position as regards Gibraltar.
A great many other questions have been asked, but perhaps I may turn to the points about ratification and accession progress which were raised by the noble Lord, Lord Chalfont. NATO has completed the formal accession negotiations with Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. The protocols of accession were signed by NATO and the invited countries' foreign ministers on 17th December. The protocols must now be ratified by allies according to their own constitutional procedures. As I am sure the noble Lord is aware, those procedures will vary according to the countries concerned. However, we have no doubt that the issue will be fully discussed by all the relevant countries.
I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Kennet—I hope that he is pleased with at least this part of my speech—and the noble Baroness, Lady Park, for their kind support for having more officials in the Foreign Office. Hard-pressed Foreign Office Ministers will be extremely grateful for those remarks about support that we should be very happy to see in the Foreign Office—the Chancellor of the Exchequer and others permitting.

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Noble Lords also asked about a vision of NATO. Perhaps I may say something about that. Like other noble Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Kennet, was anxious about whether we still need NATO. Without in any way detracting from what the noble Lord said, perhaps I may say that British security is inseparable from European security. By replacing a system of national defence policies with collective defence, NATO has transformed security in Europe and has made another war between the Western European nations unthinkable. However, among NATO's key and irreplaceable attributes are that it embodies the US security commitment to Europe. That is the point. This is not just about the countries within Europe, but about the commitment of the United States to European security. That is the bedrock of the NATO alliance.
Lord Kennet: My Lords, I apologise for interrupting the noble Baroness and I hope that the House will forgive me. However, what she said implied that I had expressed doubt about the desirability of continuing in NATO. Not so—I was expressing doubt about the desirability of an unlimited expansion of NATO.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I did not mean to imply that the noble Lord was suggesting that everybody should pack up their NATO pencil boxes and go home. However, I thought that in the noble Lord's speech I detected some doubt about American commitment to real security in Europe because of the way in which the United States sometimes deals with such issues in Congress. In that context I strongly support the comment of the noble Baroness, Lady Williams, that part of our job is to talk not only to the US Administration but to the Senate, the Congress and, if possible, to get over these points to the American people. This dialogue must be had at many different levels throughout NATO. I believe that the noble Baroness gave some very wise advice.
The UK's vision for NATO is that not only should it remain the foundation for our security, but it should embody and maintain the transatlantic security relationship to prevent the renationalisation (if I may put it that way) of defence in Europe. NATO helps to maintain and strengthen key relationships, among which is the relationship with the Russians. It must remain an effective and flexible military instrument to deal with future threats and challenges to our security. Through engagement with other countries in the region it should spread stability and the values of democracy and act as the allies' primary forum for consultation on all issues of concern in relation to security.
Following this debate the Government will deposit notifications of acceptance of the enlargement protocols with the United States Government in Washington in accordance with our obligations under the Washington Treaty. We expect a formal joining ceremony to take place when heads of state and government meet in Washington on 24th and 25th April 1999 which is also the celebration of 50 years of NATO's history. In anticipation of that event I hope that the whole House will join me in welcoming the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to the NATO alliance.
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Adjournment
3.41 p.m.
Lord Carter: My Lords, in rising to move that the House do now adjourn your Lordships will not need reminding that this has been a very long Session and there is still more to come. It is thus even more appropriate than usual that I should rise to my feet at this point to pay the usual tributes on the rising of the House for the summer Recess.
First, I should like to say some very sincere thanks to the usual channels for the cooperation that we have been able to achieve since the general election. I am particularly grateful to the Opposition Chief Whip, Lord Strathclyde, for being always available to conduct negotiations both on the spot and in the longer term. It is inevitable that sometimes we disagree, always amicably, but that in no way reflects any weakening of the crucial relationship between us on which so much of the operation of your Lordships' House depends.
I also pay tribute to the Chief Whip on the Liberal Democrat Benches, the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Greenwich. While the noble Lord and his colleagues may have had some different interpretations about government policy on different occasions throughout the year, there can be no doubt that our personal relationship has been warm and constructive.
There are so many other of your Lordships whom I wish to thank, not least the noble Lord, Lord Weatherill, for his support in his role as Convenor of the Cross-Benchers, and the noble Viscount, Lord Falkland, who stood in for his noble friend Lord Harris of Greenwich for part of the year.
I also place on record my warm and personal thanks to my noble friend Lord Richard, who provided a constant, welcome and supportive presence in his role as Leader of the House. I look forward to a similarly constructive relationship with his successor, the noble Baroness, Lady Jay.
I also pay a very sincere tribute to the staff of your Lordships' House for all that they have done over the past year. While the Session has been long and there have been some late nights, I am pleased that we have not had an all-night sitting—yet. In spite of that, I recognise that all of your Lordships' staff put in incredibly long hours and work under great pressure to achieve what can only be described as a Rolls-Royce service in the running of your Lordships' House. It would be invidious of me to single out any particular individuals or groups for particular thanks. There are so many staff who may never be visible to your Lordships upon whose reliability and hard work so much depends. I therefore pay a tribute to the entire staff of your Lordships' House for all they have done for us over the year. I wish everyone a very happy holiday and a well deserved summer break.
Lord Strathclyde: My Lords, it is one of the more pleasant duties of the Opposition Chief Whip to join in this customary debate before we break for the summer Recess. On behalf of these Benches, I join the noble Lord the Government Chief Whip in giving our thanks

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and congratulations to all those who work behind the scenes and sometimes even in front of the scenes, who have made these past few months work well and be as pleasurable as possible. It is customary also to reflect upon the warmth of the summer. I am delighted to say that, given that the political atmosphere has sometimes been heated, climatically it has not. That has helped control much of the debate that has taken place in the Chamber.
On a personal note, I want to thank the noble Lord the Government Chief Whip for the way he has operated the usual channels. Coming in to a new government as a new Government Chief Whip he brought to bear all the natural skills he built up over many years in the commercial field to ensure that the House has operated in as fair a way as possible. He is right that on occasions we disagreed about that, but that has always been most amicable.
We now have a few weeks' break. I am pleased that we have not had to sit into August. We on these Benches look forward to returning refreshed. I can already hear the sound of the buckets and spades being unpacked. On behalf of these Benches, I wish noble Lords and all who work in the House a happy summer Recess.
The Viscount of Falkland: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Harris of Greenwich, I follow the noble Lord the Government Chief Whip in his remarks, first, about the way in which the Business of the House has been conducted. We have much appreciated the courtesy and thoroughness with which noble Lords and noble Baronesses on the Government Front Bench have dealt with all matters. I agree with him that we concur with the Government in many areas of their policy, and will continue to do so, but where we do not agree we make that clearly known at an early stage. We shall stand by our opinions vigorously, as he has now come to recognise. Behind all that of course is the continuing
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goodwill. We look forward to a vigorous and challenging Session starting in November, but more of that anon.
I follow both noble Lords in congratulating all the staff, and thanking them for the continuing level of service that they give us. This is a formidable institution, and an enjoyable one in which to work. It is only made an enjoyable and fulfilling place in which to work hard by the support we receive from people who often go unrecognised.
I wish all noble Lords a happy summer. The previous Clerk of the Parliaments used to say to me, "What a pity we have the Parliament term wrong; we should rise at the end of May and enjoy the summer". I do not think that he would have said that to me this year. We may wish that we had been sitting through August, but let us hope that the weather will be kind to us and that noble Lords will be able to take out their buckets and spades. In my case it is my motor-cycle which my wife calls my menopausal machine, which I think is rude. I hope that we all come back refreshed. We look forward, as I say, to a challenging and fulfilling new Session.
Lord Shaugnessy: My Lords, on behalf of our Convenor, my noble friend, Lord Weatherill, and my noble colleagues on these Cross Benches, it is my privilege to endorse your Lordships' expressions of deep appreciation of the unfailing dedication of all those who support the work of this House in both its legislative and administrative activities.
I doubt whether any other legislative assembly anywhere enjoys more dedicated support than we enjoy in this House. And it is always proffered with sincerity and unfailing good humour. We on these Benches are happy to join in wishing everyone a pleasant and relaxing Recess after an arduous and lengthy Session that ends today. I hope that we shall all return in due course to take up the battle again.
House adjourned for the Summer Recess at ten minutes before four o'clock until Monday, 5th October next.

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